Social Media Services:

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Facebook parent settles suit in Cambridge Analytica scandal

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook’s corporate parent has reached a tentative settlement in a lawsuit alleging the world’s largest social network service allowed millions of its users’ personal information to be fed to Cambridge Analytica, a firm that supported Donald Trump’s victorious presidential campaign in 2016.

https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-steve-bannon-technology-lawsuits-campaigns-9a8b7633eb11d08d0a58a45b7dab1770

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Meta fined record $1.3 billion and ordered to stop sending European user data to US

LONDON (AP) — The European Union slapped Meta with a record $1.3 billion privacy fine Monday and ordered it to stop transferring users’ personal information across the Atlantic by October, the latest salvo in a decadelong case sparked by U.S. cybersnooping fears.

https://apnews.com/article/meta-facebook-data-privacy-fine-europe-9aa912200226c3d53aa293dca8968f84?

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States sue Meta claiming its social platforms are addictive and harm children’s mental health

Dozens of US states, including California and New York, are suing Meta Platforms Inc. for harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms.

https://apnews.com/article/instagram-facebook-children-teens-harms-lawsuit-attorney-general-1805492a38f7cee111cbb865cc786c28?

AG Moody files lawsuit against Meta, claiming Instagram and Facebook exploit kids

33 states filed a joint complaint for the same reason in California

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/10/24/ag-moody-files-lawsuit-against-meta-claiming-instagram-and-facebook-exploit-kids/?

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Court document claims Meta knowingly designed its platforms to hook kids, reports say

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook parent Meta Platforms deliberately engineered its social platforms to hook kids and knew — but never disclosed — it had received millions of complaints about underage users on Instagram but only disabled a fraction of those accounts, according to a newly unsealed legal complaint described in reports from The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

https://apnews.com/article/instagram-facebook-underage-users-meta-04c8797da2c7ff2021931536d324faea?

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Thousands of fake Facebook accounts shut down by Meta were primed to polarize voters ahead of 2024

WASHINGTON (AP) — Someone in China created thousands of fake social media accounts designed to appear to be from Americans and used them to spread polarizing political content in an apparent effort to divide the U.S. ahead of next year’s elections, Meta said Thursday.

https://apnews.com/article/meta-facebook-2024-election-misinformation-china-956019723463918043e060ac577270f7?

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📈 Meta's first dividend

Meta shares skyrocketed in extended trading yesterday after the tech giant said it declared its first-ever quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share. It also authorized a $50 billion stock buyback to increase the value of its shares.

• Why it matters: The moves are a sign of maturity for Meta, which has grown to become one of the most powerful companies in the world since it went public in 2012, Axios media trends expert Sara Fischer reports.

Meta's success signals to investors wary of heavy investments in the metaverse and AI that Meta can afford to take risks.

• Meta beat Wall Street expectations on both its top and bottom lines for Q4.

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One Tech Tip: How to get around Instagram’s new limits on political content

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Instagram has started an automatic clamp down on the amount of political content appearing in its users’ feeds, but there is a relatively quick and easy way to turn off the controls if you don’t want to keep the limitations place.

https://apnews.com/article/instagram-political-content-controls-no-limits-tech-tip-38261d957f0c56893de6135a13ac442e?

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Instagram begins blurring nudity in messages to protect teens and fight sexual extortion

LONDON (AP) — Instagram says it’s deploying new tools to protect young people and combat sexual extortion, including a feature that will automatically blur nudity in direct messages.

https://apnews.com/article/instagram-meta-nudity-sexual-extortion-social-7bea9b1244ea023fb85265672bcd6560?

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🗞️ 1 big thing: Media survival scramble

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Newsrooms typically immersed in political coverage during a presidential election year are instead focused on saving their businesses, Axios' Sara Fischer writes. Why it matters: Major restructurings, layoffs and newsroom overhauls are unusual for America's biggest news companies just months ahead of an election. 🖼️ The big picture: With business headwinds growing stronger, news leaders know they can't afford to push off changes any longer. Washington Post CEO Will Lewis — speaking at a contentious newsroom meeting yesterday after ousting executive editor Sally Buzbee — said "decisive, urgent" actions are needed, the Post reports. "We are going to turn this thing around, but let's not sugarcoat it. It needs turning around," Lewis said. "We are losing large amounts of money. Your audience has halved in recent years. People are not reading your stuff. Right. I can't sugarcoat it anymore." 👓 Zoom in: The Post is one of several major newsrooms trying to find new readers willing to pay for journalism online before traditional products die out. The Wall Street Journal has undergone massive changes under new editor-in-chief Emma Tucker, including layoffs last week. CNN's new boss has outlined strategies to make the network less reliant on cable ad revenue. 🇬🇧 British invasion: The newsroom leaders of The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg News are both British. The Post will join that list by the end of the year. The Post's Lewis, a longtime News Corp executive, is British, as are his newly installed chief growth and strategy officers. Robert Winnett, 47, deputy editor of the U.K.'s Telegraph Media Group, will replace Matt Murray, 58, Buzbee's successor, as leader of the Post core newsroom beginning Nov. 6. Winnett "played a pivotal role in the Telegraph's investigation into the misuse of expense accounts by members of Parliament, a series that rocked Britain's political establishment," the Post notes in a story about the new bosses (gift link). CNN's new leader, Mark Thompson, is a Brit who formerly served as director general of the BBC and the CEO of the New York Times. Murray — a native of Bethesda, Md., and former editor-in-chief of the Journal — "began taking meetings in Ms. Buzbee's old office on the seventh floor, hours after her sudden departure," the N.Y. Times reports (gift link). "Her nameplate has already been removed."

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Facebook's plan to be cool again

Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios Facebook is revealing its Gen Z user numbers after starting to make progress winning younger folks back, Axios' Sara Fischer reports. It has 40 million daily active users in the U.S. and Canada between the ages of 18 and 29, Facebook head Tom Alison tells Axios. Rough estimates suggest that's just 19% of its North American daily active user base. Facebook is focused on three major changes to win over Gen Z: Feed: The company is focusing on discovery of content relevant to younger audiences — including shopping, dating, groups and events. Reels: A greater emphasis on short-form video via Reels. It's now easier for users to share that content via private messages. Creators: A new "professional mode" to make Facebook more creator-friendly. Go deeper ...

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In their own words: What young people wish they’d known about social media

It’s dangerous. It’s addictive. Get off your phone.

https://apnews.com/article/influenced-social-media-mental-health-advice-620e277528728498c1202690d0512f85?

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Prodded by fed up parents, some in Congress try to curb kids’ use of social media

WASHINGTON — Attempts to get kids off of their phones are ramping up in Congress, despite intense lobbying by social media giants and pushback by those worried about violations of First Amendment speech rights.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/06/10/prodded-by-fed-up-parents-some-in-congress-try-to-curb-kids-use-of-social-media/?

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Tobacco-like warning label for social media sought by US surgeon general who asks Congress to act

The U.S. surgeon general has called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms and their effects on young people’s lives, similar to those now mandatory on cigarette boxes.

https://apnews.com/article/surgeon-general-social-media-mental-health-df321c791493863001754401676f165c?

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Meta's Threads turns one, has more than 175 million active users

Threads — Meta's "friendlier" version of X/Twitter — has amassed more than 175 million "monthly actives" since launching a year ago this week, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Wednesday morning.

https://www.axios.com/2024/07/03/meta-threads-1-year-anniversary?

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Social media safety

 

The Senate on Tuesday passed legislation aimed at protecting minors online as many lawmakers and parents criticize the effects of social media use on children. The legislative package is made up of a pair of key bills that require enhanced safeguards for children, including restricting access to minors' personal data and providing parents with supervision tools in some cases. The package proposes a limit on features that encourage children and teens to stay on social platforms longer. It also calls on platforms to prohibit ads shown to minors that include narcotic drugs, tobacco products, gambling or alcohol. It's not yet clear if the legislation will be taken up in the House, though House Speaker Mike Johnson has signaled openness to the measure.

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Instagram

 

Some Instagram users were informed Wednesday that some of their photos have been permanently deleted from the app's Stories archives and are unable to be recovered. "Due to a technical issue, this story is no longer available. While we've since fixed this issue, your story can't be restored," the notice said. Meta, which owns Instagram, declined to share how many users were affected but said only the people whose Stories were lost will see the notification. Many users treat their Story Archives as a photo diary, with some using it as a way to store pictures and videos. Experts say the bug serves as a reminder that people should ensure they back up photos, videos and other media outside of an app, no matter how trustworthy the company may be.

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Young girls are using anti-aging products they see on social media. The harm is more than skin deep

Preteen girls around the country flock to beauty stores to buy high-end skin care products. Girls as young as 8 are turning up at dermatologists’ offices with rashes, chemical burns and other allergic reactions to products not intended for children’s sensitive skin. Read more.

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Weird spam

If a strange photo stopped you in your tracks while scrolling your Facebook feed, you’re not alone. People who just want to connect with family and friends are complaining about more random junk popping up on the platform. It’s an annoyance that can also be weaponized.

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Instagram makes teen accounts private Instagram is making teen accounts private by default as it tries to make the platform safer for children. Beginning Tuesday in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia, anyone under 18 who signs up for Instagram will be placed into restrictive teen accounts, and those with existing accounts will be migrated over the next 60 days. Read more.

What to know: Parent company Meta acknowledges that teenagers may lie about their age and says it will require them to verify their ages in more instances, like if they try to create a new account with an adult birthday.   “Sensitive content,” such as videos of people fighting or those promoting cosmetic procedures, will be limited, Meta said. Private messages are restricted so teens can only receive them from people they follow or are already connected to.   The announcement comes as the company faces lawsuits from dozens of U.S. states that accuse it of harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ BREAKING: Google wins legal bid to overturn 1.5 billion euro antitrust fine in EU digital ad case   Life as a teen without social media isn’t easy. These families are navigating adolescence offline   One Tech Tip: Protecting yourself against SIM swapping

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Oversharing

One of the dangers that kids face on social media comes from an unexpected source: their parents. An expert calls it “sharenting” and explains the potential risks, despite their good intentions.

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Facebook and Instagram Restrict the Use of the Red Triangle Emoji Over Hamas Association

Meta is restricting the use of the upside-down red triangle emoji, a reference to Hamas combat operations that has become a broader symbol of Palestinian resistance, on its Facebook and Instagram, and WhatsApp platforms, according to internal content moderation materials reviewed by The Intercept.

https://theintercept.com/2024/10/02/meta-facebook-instagram-red-triangle-emoji/?

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Chief operating officer of Truth Social’s parent company resigns

The chief operating officer of Truth Social’s parent company has resigned and the company must hand over almost 800,000 shares to one of its investors as part of a court ruling, according to a regulatory filing.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-northwall-truth-social-ca5aa7eb862ab25096de7591d4540c18?

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Blocked by a politician on social media? Know your rights

If you spend enough time on social media, the odds are good: You will either block someone or be blocked; you will delete comments you dislike, and others may delete your comments.

https://scdailygazette.com/2024/09/30/blocked-by-a-politician-on-social-media-know-your-rights/?

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📉 Media trust hits new low

Data: Gallup. Chart: Axios Visuals The percentage of Americans who say they have a great deal or a fair amount of trust in mass media has fallen to a record low, Axios' Sara Fischer writes from new Gallup polling. Why it matters: Trust in media began to rebound following the 2016 election but those gains have been wiped out with the country's growing partisan divide. 🎨 The big picture: Media is now the least-trusted civic and political institution surveyed by Gallup. 👓 What to watch: Trust declines in media have been driven largely by youth, who are more likely to get their news online and from social media. Keep reading ...

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Judge Rejects Meta's Request to Dismiss Teen Addiction Lawsuits

Meta must now face lawsuits accusing the company of purposefully developing features that get teens addicted to its apps.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/judge-rejects-meta-dismiss-teen-addiction-lawsuits-facebook-instagram?