Opinion: There’s a clear way to regulate Facebook, TikTok and other social media
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Opinion: There’s a clear way to regulate Facebook, TikTok and other social media

LA Times  

Powerful technology has perhaps never presented a bigger set of regulatory challenges for the U.S. government. Congress can create an independent authority responsible for establishing and enforcing baseline safety and privacy rules for social media companies. At minimum, companies would be banned from accepting payment from terrorist groups looking to verify social media accounts, as the Tech Transparency Project found X to be doing. People often forget how much content removal already happens on social media, including child pornography bans, spam filters and suspensions on individual accounts such as the one that tracked Elon Musk’s private jet. Protecting users’ privacy and safety requires research and insight into how social media companies work, how their current policies were written, and how their content moderation decisions have historically been made and enforced.

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History of this topic

Social-media companies decide content moderation is trending down
3 days, 10 hours ago

Social-media companies decide content moderation is trending down

Live Mint  

Social-media companies never wanted to aggressively police content on their platforms. Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that Meta Platforms will end fact-checking and remove speech restrictions across Facebook and Instagram shows how Donald Trump’s presidential election, and the U.S. political winds that swept him into a second term, have sharply accelerated a move by social-media giants away from refereeing what is said …

How will social media ban be implemented?
1 month, 1 week ago

How will social media ban be implemented?

ABC  

Rachel Mealey: Well after a busy week in Canberra, the nation's federal politicians are returning to their electorates for the summer break ahead of next year's looming election. Among them was the government's headline-making social media ban for under 16s. Now that the social media ban bill has passed, the social media platforms have 12 months to work out how …

Need to make existing laws more stringent to curb vulgar content on social media: Vaishnaw
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Need to make existing laws more stringent to curb vulgar content on social media: Vaishnaw

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: The government is mulling stringent laws to check vulgar content on social media posts and other platforms like over-the-top or OTT, saying that such platforms are required to appoint grievance officers and set up a mechanism for addressing user complaints. "There is a need to make existing laws more stringent laws to curb vulgar content on social media …

Growing social media app vows to shake up ‘toxic’ status quo
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Growing social media app vows to shake up ‘toxic’ status quo

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. They've cleverly addicted us to our own egos Zoe Kalar, WeAre8 founder Zoe Kalar, the app’s founder, …

Expect This Election to Play Differently than 2020 on Social Media
2 months, 1 week ago

Expect This Election to Play Differently than 2020 on Social Media

Bloomberg  

Heading into the US presidential election four years ago, Facebook and Twitter instituted substantial policies to combat misleading political content, touted their investments into content moderation and promised to do all they could to avoid a free-for-all on their platforms. Just before Election Day in 2020, Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg told investors the election would be a test …

How social media will change under Ofcom rules
2 months, 3 weeks ago

How social media will change under Ofcom rules

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Ofcom has revealed when social media companies operating in the UK will need …

Social media platforms engaged in ‘vast surveillance’ and failed to protect young people, FTC finds
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Social media platforms engaged in ‘vast surveillance’ and failed to protect young people, FTC finds

LA Times  

Social media apps and video streaming services are still facing scrutiny from U.S. regulators over youth safety and privacy concerns. Major social media platforms and video streaming services that gather a “staggering” amount of data from their users have failed to protect young people and safeguard online privacy, the Federal Trade Commission said Thursday. “These surveillance practices can endanger people’s …

Does the First Amendment Protect A.I.? The Supreme Court May Soon Have Its Say.
55 years ago

Does the First Amendment Protect A.I.? The Supreme Court May Soon Have Its Say.

Slate  

The Supreme Court’s conservative justices want to reduce government regulation of private industry. The NetChoice cases dealt with laws passed by Florida and Texas that aimed to curb what lawmakers claimed was social media companies’ censorship of conservative viewpoints. Related From Slate The Courts Are Already Starting to Implement Project 2025, Without Trump Justice Elena Kagan’s 9–0 opinion strongly signaled—in …

DC Edit | Govts, leave social media alone
4 months, 1 week ago

DC Edit | Govts, leave social media alone

Deccan Chronicle  

What can governments do about social media platforms? Amid a developing scenario in which both free-speech advocates and authoritarian governments are protesting the treatment being meted out to the CEO of Telegram who is facing the rigour of the law in France, the Uttar Pradesh government has taken an unusual stand to use the social media for boosting its popularity …

Canada man sues social media giants YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, for being too addictive, causing negative body image
5 months ago

Canada man sues social media giants YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, for being too addictive, causing negative body image

Hindustan Times  

A 24 year old man from Montreal, Canada, is launching a class-action lawsuit against social media companies like TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, Instagram, and Facebook for being “too addictive.” Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram apps are seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken, July 13, 2021. The man started using social media in 2015, due to which, he claimed …

Keir Starmer under pressure to order inquiry into social media to prevent it fuelling future riots
5 months ago

Keir Starmer under pressure to order inquiry into social media to prevent it fuelling future riots

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “We cannot let this moment go by without a proper …

Government will ‘look more broadly at social media’ after riots – Starmer
5 months ago

Government will ‘look more broadly at social media’ after riots – Starmer

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Government will …

The Supreme Court casts doubt on Florida and Texas laws to regulate social media platforms
6 months, 1 week ago

The Supreme Court casts doubt on Florida and Texas laws to regulate social media platforms

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday kept on hold efforts by Texas and Florida to limit how Facebook, TikTok, X, YouTube and other social media platforms regulate content posted by their users in a ruling that strongly defended the platforms’ free speech rights. “The court’s recognition that the government cannot control social media in an effort to impose its …

Supreme Court Rules That US Government Can Continue Talking to Social Media Companies
55 years ago

Supreme Court Rules That US Government Can Continue Talking to Social Media Companies

Wired  

Today, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6–3 decision that the plaintiffs who'd sued the US government for allegedly violating the First Amendment—by communicating with social media companies about misleading and harmful content on their platforms—did not present enough evidence to prove that they had standing to sue. Specifically, the case alleged that government agencies like the Centers for Disease …

Politicians say they can make social media less ‘addictive’. Experts aren’t so sure
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Politicians say they can make social media less ‘addictive’. Experts aren’t so sure

BBC  

Politicians say they can make social media less ‘addictive’. Experts aren’t so sure Getty Images New York just passed a law on "addictive" social media feeds for children, but some researchers are questioning what that actually means. "Young people across the nation are facing a mental health crisis fuelled by addictive social media feeds." The Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation for …

What it means for the election that the government can talk to tech companies
6 months, 3 weeks ago

What it means for the election that the government can talk to tech companies

NPR  

What it means for the election that the government can talk to tech companies toggle caption Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images The Supreme Court's ruling on Wednesday that the government can communicate with social media companies about controversial content sidestepped deciding when such communications can violate the First Amendment. Wednesday's ruling in Murthy v. Missouri found the plaintiffs didn't show …

US activists worry about ‘losing major asset’ TikTok as potential ban looms
7 months, 1 week ago

US activists worry about ‘losing major asset’ TikTok as potential ban looms

Al Jazeera  

Recent decisions by US gov’t and platforms have made organising on TikTok and Instagram much harder for activists. For the last two years, he’s used TikTok and Instagram as a means to spread the word about climate marches and real-life ways people can get involved and fight to take on climate change. Limits on Meta and X The US government’s …

What are the new social media algorithm rules as Ofcom cracks down?
8 months ago

What are the new social media algorithm rules as Ofcom cracks down?

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Social media platforms …

Editorial: Social media companies refuse to safeguard kids. It’s up to lawmakers now
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Editorial: Social media companies refuse to safeguard kids. It’s up to lawmakers now

LA Times  

From state capitols to Washington, D.C., lawmakers are scrambling to come up with regulations that can protect kids from the potential harms of social media, since the platforms have been unwilling to adopt reasonable safeguards themselves. In just the last few months, Florida passed a law banning children under age 14 from having a social media account, Iowa legislators backed …

TikTok creators warn of economic impact if app sees ban, call it a vital space for the marginalized
9 months, 3 weeks ago

TikTok creators warn of economic impact if app sees ban, call it a vital space for the marginalized

Hindustan Times  

Alex Pearlman shut the door on dreams of a standup comedy career almost a decade ago, pivoting from the stage to an office cubicle where he worked a customer service job. Pearlman is among the many TikTok creators across the U.S. outraged over a bipartisan bill passed by the House of Representatives on Wednesday that would lead to a nationwide …

Column: What would banning TikTok accomplish? Answer: Virtually nothing
9 months, 4 weeks ago

Column: What would banning TikTok accomplish? Answer: Virtually nothing

LA Times  

In January, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified along with other social media CEOs at a Senate hearing about their platforms’ effect on children. Its advocates cite the threat of Chinese government breaches of users’ privacy, its potential use as a conduit of Chinese anti-democratic propaganda into the U.S., its purportedly deleterious effect on its youthful users — one critic …

Why the Supreme Court Is So Uniquely Awful at Tech Cases
55 years ago

Why the Supreme Court Is So Uniquely Awful at Tech Cases

Slate  

Among the election cases blowing up this Supreme Court term, several cases dealing with online speech could have a major impact on the tidal wave of disinformation that already threatens to wash away sense and truth in 2024. You’re talking about the two Netchoice cases, Netchoice v. Paxton and Moody v. Netchoice, that are challenging these laws passed in Texas …

Here’s why a SCOTUS ruling on social media rules matters to so many people
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Here’s why a SCOTUS ruling on social media rules matters to so many people

CNN  

These are just some of the widely used online platforms that US Supreme Court justices said this week could be massively disrupted by a pair of Texas and Florida laws that are purportedly aimed at social media, but that could have vast unintended consequences for the rest of the digital economy. But in scrutinizing the laws’ scope and First Amendment …

Opinion: How the Supreme Court should rule on Texas and Florida laws against social media moderation
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Opinion: How the Supreme Court should rule on Texas and Florida laws against social media moderation

LA Times  

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in two cases that could have a profound effect on the future of the internet and social media. The cases — NetChoice vs. Paxton and Moody vs. NetChoice — involve laws in Texas and Florida that prohibit social media companies from removing content from their platforms, clearly violating the 1st Amendment rights of …

How bad is social-media misinformation going to get?
10 months, 4 weeks ago

How bad is social-media misinformation going to get?

Live Mint  

Get Offline Mass propaganda has infected the world for generations. —Evan Carlisle, Ohio University, mathematics Government Should Provide a Framework Misinformation poses an escalating problem that government officials and tech companies must face. —HeavenLee Vasquez, Baylor University, finance and management Do Your Research We take much of what we see on social media at face value, especially if it’s something …

Meta, TikTok and other social media CEOs testify in heated Senate hearing on child exploitation
11 months, 1 week ago

Meta, TikTok and other social media CEOs testify in heated Senate hearing on child exploitation

Associated Press  

Suicide and eating disorders. “They’re responsible for many of the dangers our children face online,” Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, who chairs the committee, said in opening remarks. From left; Discord CEO Jason Citron, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, X CEO Linda Yaccarino and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, are sworn in during a Senate Judiciary Committee …

Govt issues advisory to social media platforms amid growing concerns around deepfakes
1 year ago

Govt issues advisory to social media platforms amid growing concerns around deepfakes

India TV News  

Social Media guidelines: The government has issued an advisory to all social media platforms to comply with IT rules amid growing concerns around deepfakes. According to the advisory, content not permitted under IT rules must be clearly communicated to users, IT Ministry has told social media platforms. "The content not permitted under the IT Rules, in particular those listed under …

Nikki Haley walks back her demand that social media ban anonymous posters after facing GOP backlash
1 year, 1 month ago

Nikki Haley walks back her demand that social media ban anonymous posters after facing GOP backlash

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Nikki Haley on Wednesday partially walked back her proposed requirement that social media companies ban people from posting anonymously online for national security reasons, a stance for which she drew backlash across conservative social media and some of her GOP presidential rivals. “When you do that, all of a sudden people have to stand by what they …

Nepal bans TikTok saying it is ‘disrupting social harmony’
1 year, 1 month ago

Nepal bans TikTok saying it is ‘disrupting social harmony’

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Nepal has become the latest …

Nepal to ban TikTok as it ‘disturbs social harmony’
1 year, 1 month ago

Nepal to ban TikTok as it ‘disturbs social harmony’

Al Jazeera  

Authorities cite the popular Chinese video-sharing platform’s negative effects and ask internet service providers to close the app. Nepal says it will ban TikTok, adding that social harmony and goodwill are being disturbed by “misuse” of the popular video-sharing app and that there is rising demand to control it. Nepal’s Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said the …

The Supreme Court will decide if state laws limiting social media platforms violate the Constitution
1 year, 3 months ago

The Supreme Court will decide if state laws limiting social media platforms violate the Constitution

The Hindu  

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Friday to decide whether state laws that seek to regulate Facebook, TikTok, X and other social media platforms violate the Constitution. The justices had already agreed to decide whether public officials can block critics from commenting on their social media accounts, an issue that previously came up in a case involving then-President Donald Trump. Separately, …

The Supreme Court Will Decide if Texas Is Allowed to Kill the Internet
1 year, 3 months ago

The Supreme Court Will Decide if Texas Is Allowed to Kill the Internet

Slate  

This is part of Opening Arguments, Slate’s coverage of the start of the latest Supreme Court term. The answer, which lies at the heart of a pair of cases the Supreme Court agreed to hear on Friday, could fundamentally alter the nature and operation of social media platforms and the internet itself. Reacting to complaints from the political right that …

The Supreme Court will decide if state laws limiting social media platforms violate the Constitution
1 year, 3 months ago

The Supreme Court will decide if state laws limiting social media platforms violate the Constitution

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court agreed Friday to decide whether state laws that seek to regulate Facebook, TikTok, X and other social media platforms violate the Constitution. The justices had already agreed to decide whether public officials can block critics from commenting on their social media accounts, an issue that previously came up in a case involving then-President Donald Trump. …

Supreme Court will decide if Texas and Florida can regulate social media to protect ‘conservative speech’
1 year, 3 months ago

Supreme Court will decide if Texas and Florida can regulate social media to protect ‘conservative speech’

LA Times  

The Supreme Court said Friday it will rule on how the 1st Amendment applies to social media and decide whether Texas and Florida can impose heavy fines on Facebook, YouTube and other popular sites for allegedly discriminating against conservatives. Ron DeSantis said his state’s law would hold accountable the “Big Tech censors” who “discriminate in favor of the dominant Silicon …

Elon Musk’s social media site X sues California over the state’s content moderation law
1 year, 4 months ago

Elon Musk’s social media site X sues California over the state’s content moderation law

Associated Press  

Elon Musk’s social media platform formerly known as Twitter has sued the state of California over a law requiring social media companies to publish their policies for removing offending material such as hate speech, misinformation and harassment. In a lawsuit filed Friday against state Attorney General Robert Bonta, X Corp. challenges the “constitutionality and legal validity” of the law, saying …

Dutch businesses also banning TikTok over security risks
1 year, 4 months ago

Dutch businesses also banning TikTok over security risks

NL Times  

Companies and organizations are following the government’s lead and tightening their rules for using social media due to safety risks. “Professional use of social media offers opportunities to profile ourselves, to be in contact with our business network and potential employees,” Stibbe told FD. ING has the same policy, adding that social media are “a good way to attract young …

Social media users should be more careful about its impact, reach: SC
1 year, 4 months ago

Social media users should be more careful about its impact, reach: SC

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has said social media users should be careful about its impact and reach as it dismissed a petition filed by actor and former Tamil Nadu MLA S Ve Shekher who is facing cases for sharing a Facebook post in 2018 allegedly containing derogatory remarks against women journalists. “If one uses social media, then he should …

California lawmakers want to make social media safer for young people. Can they finally succeed?
1 year, 5 months ago

California lawmakers want to make social media safer for young people. Can they finally succeed?

LA Times  

Samuel Chapman of Los Angeles, whose teenage son died after taking a fentanyl-laced drug he got through Snapchat, is urging California lawmakers to crack down on social media platforms. Social media platforms such as Meta-owned Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and TikTok have removed some harmful content, but parents, teens and lawmakers say they need to do more to make their services …

Australian Senate committee recommends government ban on TikTok be extended to WeChat
1 year, 5 months ago

Australian Senate committee recommends government ban on TikTok be extended to WeChat

The Hindu  

An Australian Senate committee has recommended a ban on the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok from federal government devices be extended to China's most popular social media platform, WeChat. “It tackles both the problems posed by authoritarian-headquartered social media platforms like TikTok and WeChat and Western-headquartered social media platforms being weaponised by the actions of authoritarian governments including Facebook, YouTube and …

Australian Senate committee recommends government ban on TikTok be extended to WeChat
1 year, 5 months ago

Australian Senate committee recommends government ban on TikTok be extended to WeChat

Associated Press  

CANBERRA, Australia — An Australian Senate committee has recommended a ban on the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok from federal government devices be extended to China’s most popular social media platform, WeChat. “It tackles both the problems posed by authoritarian-headquartered social media platforms like TikTok and WeChat and Western-headquartered social media platforms being weaponized by the actions of authoritarian governments including …

Twitter commits to safety amidst content concerns
1 year, 5 months ago

Twitter commits to safety amidst content concerns

India TV News  

Linda Yaccarino, the new CEO Twitter has strongly denied a recent report which claims an increase in "hateful, violent, and inaccurate" content on the platform, which is owned by Elon Musk. Yaccarino stated that Twitter has actually made significant progress in addressing harmful content, with the majority of tweets in a user's feed now considered safe. Image Source : FREEPIKTwitter …

US Congress considers new tech regulations: What is on the table?
1 year, 8 months ago

US Congress considers new tech regulations: What is on the table?

Firstpost  

Should TikTok be banned? President Joe Biden said in his February State of the Union speech that “it’s time” to pass bipartisan legislation to impose stricter limits on the collection of personal data and ban targeted advertising to children. AP The idea, the senators say, is that platforms should be “safe by design.” The legislation, which Blumenthal and Blackburn reintroduced …

Ban social media for kids? Fed-up parents in Senate say yes
1 year, 8 months ago

Ban social media for kids? Fed-up parents in Senate say yes

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Sen. Katie Britt says she hears about it constantly when she is at home in Alabama — at school track meets, basketball tournaments and on her regular morning walks with friends. “Enough is enough,” says Britt, a Republican who last week introduced bipartisan legislation with three other senators — all parents of young children and teenagers — to …

Ban social media for kids? Fed-up parents in Senate say yes
1 year, 8 months ago

Ban social media for kids? Fed-up parents in Senate say yes

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Enough is enough,” says Britt, a Republican who last week introduced bipartisan legislation with …

Not So Social: Utah’s new law to regulate use of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok for kids
1 year, 9 months ago

Not So Social: Utah’s new law to regulate use of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok for kids

Firstpost  

Utah governor signed bills — H.B. While signing the legislation into effect, Utah governor Spencer Cox said, “We’re no longer willing to let social media companies continue to harm the mental health of our youth.” We’re no longer willing to let social media companies continue to harm the mental health of our youth. Utah’s new social media laws, explained On …

TikTok might get banned after ‘disaster’ testimony. Why do some TikTokers not care?
1 year, 9 months ago

TikTok might get banned after ‘disaster’ testimony. Why do some TikTokers not care?

LA Times  

The U.S. government may be inching toward a radical restructuring of TikTok, if not an outright ban on the Chinese-owned social media app. “If ByteDance fights against this forced sale, TikTok will likely be banned in the US by late 2023.” “We would characterize today’s testimony. “It was a reminder that a sound business strategy for me as a content …

Editorial: Congress is scapegoating TikTok. It’s no worse than other social media platforms
1 year, 9 months ago

Editorial: Congress is scapegoating TikTok. It’s no worse than other social media platforms

LA Times  

TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on March 23, 2023. Indeed, TikTok is similar to other social media apps that vacuum up personal data, wrote Ron Deibert, director of the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, which analyzed the TikTok app. Lawmakers …

Zuckerberg was warned on social media addiction, filing says
1 year, 9 months ago

Zuckerberg was warned on social media addiction, filing says

LA Times  

Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Georgetown University in Washington. Unredacted filings from a lawsuit filed over the weekend revealed that Zuckerberg personally had been warned of the risks of social media addiction among children and teens. California California becomes first state to make firms disclose social media policies California will impose first-of-its-kind requirements on social media companies to publish their policies …

Centre issues guidelines to social media influencers to regulate promotions
1 year, 11 months ago

Centre issues guidelines to social media influencers to regulate promotions

The Hindu  

The Centre has released on Friday the endorsement guidelines for celebrities and social media influencers that mandates compulsory disclosure of monitory or material benefits of a product or a brand they are promoting through their social media platforms. Releasing the guidelines at a press conference, Union Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said the disclosures must be prominently and clearly …

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