Nov 25 EU to limit political ads, ban use of certain personal info By Lorne Cook, Associated Press The European Union has drawn up plans to help people better understand when they are seeing political ads online and who is responsible for them. Continue reading
Nov 05 Millions depend on private messaging apps to keep in touch. They’re ripe with misinformation By Saher Khan, Vignesh Ramachandran And while social media giants like Facebook and Twitter have come under intense scrutiny for hosting misinformation, private messaging services like Telegram, South Korea’s Kakao, the China-based WeChat and the largest--WhatsApp--have been more difficult to monitor because they host private,… Continue reading
Oct 28 WATCH: How social media platforms impact kid and teen mental health By Nicole Ellis What responsibility are the companies taking to remedy these concerns and what do parents and caregivers need to know about how the use of these platforms may impact young children and teens?… Continue reading
Oct 28 Facebook grilled by U.K. lawmakers making online safety rules By Associated Press Lawmakers pressed Facebook to provide its data to independent researchers who can look at how its products could be harmful. Facebook has said it has privacy concerns about how such data would be shared. Continue reading
Oct 28 WATCH: Experts testify about domestic extremism on social media in Senate hearing By News Desk The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is expected to hold a hearing Thursday about how social media platforms amplify domestic extremist content. Continue reading
Oct 27 Facebook watched as Trump ignited hate, leaked documents say By Amanda Seitz, Associated Press Internal Facebook documents reveal a country lit “on fire” in the days after controversial social media posts from then-President Donald Trump last year. Continue reading
Oct 26 Watch 9:03 Kids’ mental health, safety in the spotlight as social media execs face Congress By William Brangham, Courtney Norris, Claire Mufson A Senate committee is widening its investigation into the impact social media platforms have on children, teens and young adults, with more apps facing congressional scrutiny. William Brangham reports with Jean Twenge, a psychology professor and author of "iGen: Why… Continue watching
Oct 26 WATCH: Sen. Blumenthal tells TikTok, Snap, YouTube execs this ‘is a moment of reckoning’ for platforms and kids’ safety online By Marcy Gordon, Associated Press YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat are offering only "tweaks and minor changes" in their operations to ensure young users' safety amid rising concern over the platforms' potential harm to children, the head of a Senate panel told the companies' executives. Continue reading
Oct 26 WATCH: TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube executives testify in Senate hearing about kids’ safety online By Marcy Gordon, Matt O'Brien, Associated Press Senators put executives from YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat on the defensive Tuesday, questioning them about what they’re doing to ensure young users’ safety on their platforms. Continue reading
Oct 25 Facebook has struggled to curb divisive content in India By Sheikh Saaliq, Krutika Pathi, Associated Press Internal company documents on India highlight Facebook's constant struggles in quashing abusive content on its platforms in the world's biggest democracy. Communal and religious tensions in India have a history of boiling over on social media and stoking violence. Continue reading