how social media fared in 2020
3 years, 11 months ago

how social media fared in 2020

The Hindu  

The year 2020 was crucial for Facebook and Twitter, testing the social networks' abilities to curb hate speech and misinformation. Actions in India Facebook was summoned by the joint parliamentary committee in September to discuss how the company allegedly failed to regulate the content favouring the country’s ruling Hindu nationalist party. Several users including author Salman Rushdie and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor took to social media to defend the journalist, calling it “an outrageous act of censorship”. In another episode on social media regulation, Facebook unpublished the page of Kisan Ekta Morcha that was sharing updates on the farmer’s protests. Social media and Section 230 in U.S. Facebook, like most of today’s social media platforms, is a child of Section 230 of the U.S. Communications Decency Act, 1996.

Social Media India Social Hate Speech Company Hindu Twitter Facebook Section 230 Media Fared Read Public  tech  platforms  read  public  twitter  media  fared  social  facebook  content  company  2020

History of this topic

Celebrities hit back at social media trolls with defamation suits to safeguard their reputations
2 weeks ago

Celebrities hit back at social media trolls with defamation suits to safeguard their reputations

Live Mint  

Celebrities are increasingly considering filing suits against media platforms that carry defamatory content by trolls, having become more cognisant of the damage that can be caused as the dissemination and consumption of content on the Internet surges. “In India, celebrities increasingly resort to filing defamation suits against media outlets, including traditional media houses and social media platforms. This trend has …

From “satisfactory” to “problematic”: How Congress crushed free speech in 2024
3 weeks ago

From “satisfactory” to “problematic”: How Congress crushed free speech in 2024

Salon  

A 2024 Pew Research Center poll found that a remarkable 73 percent of adult Americans believe a free press is either extremely or very important to the well-being of society—though only a third of those polled believe that US media are completely free to report news. Citing reports by the Associated Press and the Columbia Journalism Review, the Pew Research …

How will social media ban be implemented?
3 weeks, 4 days 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
3 weeks, 6 days 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 …

Doesn't match our culture: Minister for laws to curb social media vulgar content
3 weeks, 6 days ago

Doesn't match our culture: Minister for laws to curb social media vulgar content

India Today  

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday called for laws to curb objectionable content on social media and hoped that the Opposition would have a discussion on the same. The government has urged social media platforms to be more proactive in content moderation, especially when it comes to harmful or illegal content. It said that social media companies …

Need to make existing laws more stringent to curb vulgar content on social media: I&B Minister Vaishnaw
3 weeks, 6 days ago

Need to make existing laws more stringent to curb vulgar content on social media: I&B Minister Vaishnaw

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said there is a need to make existing laws more stringent to curb vulgar content on social media platforms. Today, social media is a platform for freedom of press but it is uncontrolled and there is vulgar content, the minister said during the Question Hour. There is a need to make existing …

Elon Musk confirms that he’s limiting people’s ability to share outside news on X
4 weeks ago

Elon Musk confirms that he’s limiting people’s ability to share outside news on X

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 Elon Musk has appeared to confirm that his social media company X, formerly …

Social media age ban inquiry flooded with 15,000 submissions after Elon Musk weighs in
4 weeks, 1 day ago

Social media age ban inquiry flooded with 15,000 submissions after Elon Musk weighs in

ABC  

A rushed inquiry into the government's proposed laws to ban children and young teenagers from social media has been inundated with about 15,000 submissions, despite having only been open for 24 hours. Musk questions government's motive Under Labor's plans, children younger than 16 will be barred from using social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and X. "The government's deal …

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

Elon Musk’s X sues to block California law that aims to combat election deepfakes
1 month, 1 week ago

Elon Musk’s X sues to block California law that aims to combat election deepfakes

LA Times  

X, the social media app owned by Elon Musk, has sued California in an attempt to block a new law requiring large online platforms to remove or label deceptive election content. X alleges the new law would prompt social media sites to lean toward labeling or removing legitimate election content out of caution. X, though, alleges it would be difficult …

Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover Set Off a Race to the Bottom
54 years, 11 months ago

Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover Set Off a Race to the Bottom

Wired  

In the final lead-up to the US presidential election, Elon Musk has thrown the full weight of his celebrity and his resources behind former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump. “In a race to the bottom, Elon Musk paved the way for a new, toxic tech basement,” says Nora Benavidez, senior counsel at the nonprofit Free Press. “Yet, as long …

Digital Future Daily
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Digital Future Daily

Politico  

Elon Musk goes all-in for Trump Elon Musk and Donald Trump during a campaign event. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Elon Musk is mounting a full-court press for the former President Donald Trump today, deploying his platform X to get out the vote for Trump, shout down the “legacy media” and predict a “landslide” for the GOP in Pennsylvania — giving …

Expect This Election to Play Differently than 2020 on Social Media
1 month, 2 weeks 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 …

Ahead of the Election, Social Media Platforms Have Given Up
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Ahead of the Election, Social Media Platforms Have Given Up

Wired  

Our social media platforms and government have had four years to get this right. In the days following January 6, Meta, Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch suspended former president Donald Trump over posts the companies said glorified the violence at the Capitol. Jim Jordan was elevated to chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee and immediately launched investigations stifling the work …

Federal government's looming social media ban may be bad for isolated, marginalised teenagers
2 months ago

Federal government's looming social media ban may be bad for isolated, marginalised teenagers

ABC  

Australia will be the first in the world to ban social media for kids if the federal government goes ahead with its proposal to tighten restrictions by the end of the year. Support for young people and families The Butterfly Foundation: National helpline 1800 ED HOPE, 8am-midnight, 7 days a week ReachOut Australia: Confidential online peer support for young people …

Civil Rights Groups Call on Tech Giants to Combat Election Disinformation
2 months ago

Civil Rights Groups Call on Tech Giants to Combat Election Disinformation

CNN  

Civil rights groups are calling on social media companies to take action against election disinformation. The groups say that social media companies have a responsibility to separate fact from fiction and to address the issue of misinformation. They also suggest that social media companies should establish and enforce civic and elections policies, address AI-generated and manipulated media, resource election teams …

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

‘How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter’ authors say platform is ‘a tool for controlling political discourse’
3 months, 1 week ago

‘How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter’ authors say platform is ‘a tool for controlling political discourse’

LA Times  

Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter is the subject of a new book, “Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter,” out Sept. 17. On the Shelf Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter By Kate Conger and Ryan Mac Penguin Press: 480 pages, $32 If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose …

Mark Zuckerberg says Biden administration pressured Facebook to censor Covid-19 content in 2021
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Mark Zuckerberg says Biden administration pressured Facebook to censor Covid-19 content in 2021

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. Read our privacy policy Mark Zuckerberg has now said that the Biden administration pressured …

White House pressured Facebook over some COVID-19 content during the pandemic, Zuckerberg says
3 months, 3 weeks ago

White House pressured Facebook over some COVID-19 content during the pandemic, Zuckerberg says

LA Times  

Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary committees on Capitol Hill in Washington in 2018. Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg says senior Biden administration officials pressured Facebook to “censor” some COVID-19 content during the pandemic and vowed that the social media giant would push back if it faced such demands again. In …

Keir Starmer under pressure to order inquiry into social media to prevent it fuelling future riots
4 months, 2 weeks 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
4 months, 2 weeks 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 …

Independent readers say ‘X is the disinformation company’ – and call for Elon Musk boycott
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Independent readers say ‘X is the disinformation company’ – and call for Elon Musk boycott

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 Independent readers have slammed social media companies, accusing them of allowing disinformation to …

Musk’s Riot Provocations Prompt UK to Seek Tougher Online Rules
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Musk’s Riot Provocations Prompt UK to Seek Tougher Online Rules

Live Mint  

Keir Starmer called for a “mature conversation” with social media companies to limit malicious content that’s stoked days of rioting in the UK. On Monday, Kyle’s office said he met with executives from Meta Platforms Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s Google, TikTok and X to discuss “the spread of hateful misinformation and incitement.” The next day, Musk compared the UK to the …

Has Elon Musk been radicalised by his own platform?
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Has Elon Musk been radicalised by his own platform?

The Independent  

It is no secret that Elon Musk’s politics have shifted significantly over the past few years. In particular, a fake news account on Twitter/X known as “Channel3 Now” posted the entirely false claim that the attacker was known as “Ali Al-Shakati”, a Muslim asylum seeker on MI6’s watchlist who supposedly arrived in the UK last year by boat. What is …

Elon Musk wades into far-right riots row again as war of words with UK MPs grows
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Elon Musk wades into far-right riots row again as war of words with UK MPs grows

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 }} Elon Musk has …

Elon Musk escalates spat with Starmer, calling him ‘two-tier Keir’
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Elon Musk escalates spat with Starmer, calling him ‘two-tier Keir’

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 }} Sir Keir Starmer’s …

As disinformation swirls around Southport stabbings and Olympic Boxer Imane Khelif, are social media companies doing enough to tackle it?
4 months, 2 weeks ago

As disinformation swirls around Southport stabbings and Olympic Boxer Imane Khelif, are social media companies doing enough to tackle it?

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. On Thursday, Sir Keir Starmer warned social media companies after …

Starmer warns social media firms over misinformation sparking violent disorder
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Starmer warns social media firms over misinformation sparking violent disorder

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 Sir Keir Starmer has warned social media “carries responsibility” over tackling misinformation in …

Secret changes have been made to draft Broadcasting Bill: Internet Freedom Foundation
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Secret changes have been made to draft Broadcasting Bill: Internet Freedom Foundation

The Hindu  

The Internet Freedom Foundation on Saturday decried “secret” changes to the draft Broadcasting Services Bill, which expands regulatory requirements on online news and entertainment media. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has met “selective industry representatives, without representation from civil society, journalists, or other key stakeholders,” the IFF said in a statement, repeating concerns from civil society that the Bill …

As the US Embassy promotes Leftist elements in India, read how the Biden administration and CIA have been using social media, paying influencers to manipulate public opinion
5 months ago

As the US Embassy promotes Leftist elements in India, read how the Biden administration and CIA have been using social media, paying influencers to manipulate public opinion

Op India  

On the 17th of July, the US Embassy in India informed about its event for Indian social media influences and content creators to learn about boosting social media engagement on social issues and learn about “active citizenship”. Is the US trying to use social media and Indian content creators, particularly those opposed to the ruling dispensation to meddle in India’s …

The Supreme Court casts doubt on Florida and Texas laws to regulate social media platforms
5 months, 3 weeks 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 …

State social media laws aimed at protecting conservative users remain blocked, Supreme Court says
5 months, 3 weeks ago

State social media laws aimed at protecting conservative users remain blocked, Supreme Court says

CNN  

Washington CNN — The Supreme Court on Monday declined to settle the major constitutional questions raised in a blockbuster dispute over laws approved in Texas and Florida intended to protect conservative viewpoints on social media, meaning the laws will remain blocked for now while lower courts continue to sort out the constitutional questions involved. Kagan’s opinion, however, reserved special criticism …

The Supreme Court nears the end of another momentous term. A decision on Trump’s immunity looms
5 months, 3 weeks ago

The Supreme Court nears the end of another momentous term. A decision on Trump’s immunity looms

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — In the last 10 days of June, on a frenetic pace of its own making, the Supreme Court touched a wide swath of American society in a torrent of decisions on abortion, guns, the environment, health, the opioid crisis, securities fraud and homelessness. The court also will decide whether state laws limiting how social media platforms regulate content …

Supreme Court Rules That US Government Can Continue Talking to Social Media Companies
54 years, 11 months 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 …

The government puts warnings on tobacco and alcohol. Is social media next? : Consider This from NPR : NPR
6 months, 1 week ago

The government puts warnings on tobacco and alcohol. Is social media next? : Consider This from NPR : NPR

NPR  

'An unfair fight': The U.S. surgeon general declares war on social media Enlarge this image toggle caption doble-d/Getty doble-d/Getty Emma Lembke was 12 years old when many of her friends started using phones and social media. "Too much time on social media gets in the way of things that we know are good for kids, like getting a lot of …

What it means for the election that the government can talk to tech companies
6 months, 1 week 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 …

Fake news on social media is the problem we’re all ignoring – trust me, I worked for Twitter
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Fake news on social media is the problem we’re all ignoring – trust me, I worked for Twitter

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Back when I worked at Twitter, …

Politics served with concise social media content
7 months, 1 week ago

Politics served with concise social media content

The Hindu  

The nature of information dissemination is changing rapidly and India is not immune to these sweeping changes. In India, growing social media use in the vernacular languages, combined with a largely unregulated digital space and a highly competitive, polarised political environment, necessitates vigilance to manage disruptive misinformation. This decline is mirrored in the popularity of concise social media content, i.e., …

Why are social media users blocking celebrities over Israel’s Gaza war?
7 months, 1 week ago

Why are social media users blocking celebrities over Israel’s Gaza war?

Al Jazeera  

The growing protest efforts against Israel’s war on Gaza have now spawned a cyberspace movement that has erupted in the past few days, targeting celebrities who are seen as being insensitive towards, or even supportive of, the death and destruction in the Palestinian enclave. The Blockout 2024 is an online movement where social media users are carrying out a digital …

Social media is more 'chaotic' and 'fragmented' than ever, so what's the future of how we live online?
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Social media is more 'chaotic' and 'fragmented' than ever, so what's the future of how we live online?

ABC  

If you've lived online long enough for Facebook to start dredging up embarrassing status updates from a decade ago, chances are you've picked up on a distinct vibe shift in our virtual world. "Platforms are trying to work out what to do about young people's changing uses of social media where they're less inclined to post publicly, much more ephemeral …

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

Musk’s X asks judge to penalize nonprofit researchers tracking rise of hate speech on platform
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Musk’s X asks judge to penalize nonprofit researchers tracking rise of hate speech on platform

Associated Press  

Attorneys for X Corp. and a research organization that studies online hate speech traded arguments in court Thursday after the social media platform sued the non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate for documenting the increase in hate speech on the site since it was purchased by Elon Musk. X, formerly known as Twitter, alleges the center’s researchers violated the site’s …

'We don't want insurrectionists': Justice Kagan blows up on Florida's social media law
9 months, 4 weeks ago

'We don't want insurrectionists': Justice Kagan blows up on Florida's social media law

Raw Story  

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan grilled Florida solicitor Henry Whitaker over laws that would prevent social media companies from taking down objectionable content during oral arguments at the Court on Monday. "I mean, we point out in our brief that when we think that if you had a, an internet platform that indeed had a platform driven message, was selective …

Supreme Court casts doubt on GOP-led states’ efforts to regulate social media platforms
9 months, 4 weeks ago

Supreme Court casts doubt on GOP-led states’ efforts to regulate social media platforms

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court cast doubt Monday on state laws that could affect how Facebook, TikTok, X, YouTube and other social media platforms regulate content posted by their users. Next month, the court will hear an appeal from Louisiana, Missouri and other parties accusing administration officials of pressuring social media companies to silence conservative points of view. Social media …

Takeaways from the Supreme Court’s arguments on Texas and Florida’s social media laws and the First Amendment
9 months, 4 weeks ago

Takeaways from the Supreme Court’s arguments on Texas and Florida’s social media laws and the First Amendment

CNN  

CNN — The Supreme Court expressed skepticism Monday about state laws in Texas and Florida designed to stop social media giants from throttling conservative views but also suggested that whatever decision emerges may not be the court’s final word on the significant First Amendment questions raised by the case. The justices struggled with sweeping First Amendment questions about whether social …

New era of AI deepfakes complicates 2024 elections
10 months, 1 week ago

New era of AI deepfakes complicates 2024 elections

Live Mint  

The explosion of artificial-intelligence technology makes it easier than ever to deceive people on the internet, and is turning the 2024 U.S. presidential election into an unprecedented test on how to police deceptive content. Two weeks later, the New Hampshire attorney general’s office said it identified a Texas-based company named Life Corp.as the source of the calls and that it …

How bad is social-media misinformation going to get?
10 months, 1 week 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 …

The New Digital Dark Age
11 months, 2 weeks ago

The New Digital Dark Age

Wired  

For researchers, social media has always represented greater access to data, more democratic involvement in knowledge production, and great transparency about social behavior. In 2024, we will face a grim digital dark age, as social media platforms transition away from the logic of Web 2.0 and toward one dictated by AI-generated content. However, changes in data access by social media …

Musk’s X fails to block California content moderation law
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Musk’s X fails to block California content moderation law

LA Times  

Elon Musk’s X Corp. lost its effort in court to block a California law that seeks to control toxic posts on social media by requiring companies to disclose their content-moderation polices. In an eight-page ruling Thursday, a federal judge in Sacramento rejected arguments by the company formerly known as Twitter that the measure violates the free-speech rights of social media …

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