META CHILDREN USERS
Social media companies list out worries as Centre readies data protection rules
Social media platforms have said that undoing behavioural tracking of children and targeted advertisements are among the biggest concerns they have with the new data law the government is prepping. The companies are voicing their concerns as rules of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act will be released soon.
Australia gives internet firms 6 months to draft online child safety rules
The eSafety Commissioner requested online industry members to submit a plan by October 3 outlining measures to shield minors from encountering high-impact content prematurely, covering themes such as suicide and eating disorders. The code should establish criteria for app stores, websites (including pornography and dating sites), social media platforms, and multiplayer gaming platforms to verify user content suitability, stated the commissioner.
New York lawmakers pass measure to protect youths on social media
New York state lawmakers passed legislation to protect children online by restricting social media platforms from exposing 'addictive' content to users under 18 without parental consent.
Australian watchdog drops court fight with X over violent posts
Australia's online watchdog on Wednesday dropped a legal effort to force Elon Musk's X to remove posts depicting the violent stabbing of a Sydney priest. The watchdog had ordered Musk's company to globally remove about 65 video and audio clips of the April 15 non-fatal attack in a church.
Are social media algorithms causing psychological harm to children? Elon Musk thinks so
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and father of nine, recently expressed significant concerns about the impact of social media on children. Speaking at the VivaTech fair in Paris, he emphasized the dangers posed by AI algorithms designed to maximize user engagement through increased dopamine levels, making children particularly vulnerable. Musk urged parents to limit their children's exposure to social media, highlighting the potential psychological harm.
Facebook, Instagram face fresh scrutiny under EU's digital norms
It is the latest round of scrutiny for parent company Meta Platforms under the 27-nation EU's Digital Services Act, a sweeping set of regulations that took effect last year with the goal of cleaning up online platforms and protecting internet users.
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Delhi HC to hear in August pleas of FB, WhatsApp against IT rules on tracing originator
Observing that the matter would have to be argued by the parties, a bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan asked if the issue has been considered in any other country.
Meta's newest AI model beats some peers. But its amped-up AI agents are confusing Facebook users
Meta Platforms introduces advanced AI systems, including the Llama 3 model. Despite limitations, the company aims to develop smarter chatbots and envisions AI as the most useful assistant in the world.
Meta turns to AI to protect minors from 'sextortion' on Instagram
Meta said on Thursday it was developing new tools to protect teenage users from "sextortion" scams on its Instagram platform, which has been accused by US politicians of damaging the mental health of youngsters. The legal filing alleged Meta had exploited young users by creating a business model designed to maximise time they spend on the platform despite harm to their health.
Florida's DeSantis signs law restricting social media for people under 16
The state's Republican-led legislature passed a bill in February that would have banned children under 16 from social media entirely. DeSantis, a Republican, vetoed that bill earlier this month, saying it limited parents' rights.
Meta urged by US states to combat Facebook, Instagram account hijackings
In a letter to Meta's chief lawyer, states led by New York Attorney General Letitia James said fraudsters are "winning the war and running rampant on Meta," after the company in November 2022 announced thousands of job cuts focused on security and privacy.
EU queries Meta about ad-free subscriptions, 'shadow-banning'
The EU on Friday used new regulatory powers to query Meta about ad-free subscriptions to Facebook and Instagram as well as claims some voices are suppressed online in a phenomenon known as "shadow banning". Brussels also demanded Meta "provide information related to the practice of so-called shadow banning and the launch of Threads", a spin-off of the Instagram photo app.
View: Mark Zuckerberg’s 20-year formula for success has expired
For Mark Zuckerberg, the barnstorming success of other parts of Meta Platforms Inc. — the rebranding of the business meant to reflect his vision of the future — means its duds can hide out within the comically cluttered navigation menu on the main Facebook app. Besides, for 20 years, use of the main Facebook service — known as the “blue” app internally — has remained remarkably resilient
Facebook parent Meta declares first dividend, shares soar
The social media giant is the first of its generation of internet juggernauts to issue a dividend, a milestone for a tech sector that has been dominated by the same handful of companies for well over a decade.
Meta posts sharp profit, revenue increase in Q4 thanks to cost cuts and advertising rebound
Meta Platforms Inc. tripled its profit to $14 billion, or $5.33 per share, in Q4 2023, up from $4.65 billion, or $1.76 per share, a year earlier. Revenue grew 25% to $40.11 billion from $32.17 billion. Monthly active users on Meta's apps reached 3.98 billion, up 6% from 2022. Meta is forecasting Q1 2024 revenue of $34.5 billion to $37 billion, above expectations. It had 67,317 employees as of Dec. 31, 2023, a decrease of 22% year-over-year.
Mark Zuckerberg's long apology tour: A brief history
During a Senate hearing, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, apologized to parents who have had children exploited or harmed on social media. He acknowledged their suffering and expressed regret for what they have been through. Despite his history of public apologies, which sets him apart from his peers in the tech industry, Zuckerberg believes it is important to personally make these apologies.
Silicon Valley battles states over new online safety laws for children
Social media platforms said that some of the state laws contradicted one another and that they would prefer Congress to enact a federal law setting national standards for children's online safety.
US Senate hearing: Meta, TikTok, X CEOs grilled by senators about child sexual exploitation
The hearing marks the latest effort by lawmakers to address the concerns of parents and mental health experts that social media companies put profits over making sure their platforms do not harm children.
Instagram, Facebook owner Meta to restrict teen content surrounding eating disorders, self-harm and suicide. Know more
Meta stated on Tuesday that it will be protecting the accounts of teen users and hiding content that is considered age-inappropriate for the youth and teens. Here's everything to know more.
Meta to restrict more content for teens as regulatory pressure mounts
All teens will now be placed into the most restrictive content control settings on the apps and additional search terms will be limited on Instagram, Meta said in a blogpost.
US proposes more limits on Big Tech making money off children's data
The FTC said in a notice of proposed rule-making that it was considering changing the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule to put more restrictions on when and how companies could monetise children's data.
Meta-FTC privacy lawsuit: US federal judge rules against social media giant
The FTC proposed changing a settlement reached in 2019 which required Facebook to pay $5 billion. The FTC said it would tighten that to bar Facebook from making money off data collected on users under age 18, including in its virtual reality business. It would also face expanded limitations on using facial recognition technology.
Explained: Why Meta has been accused of coveting hundreds of thousands of underage users on its platforms
This is after Meta executives publicly said in testimony before the US congress that the company’s age-checking processes were effective and were used to remove underage accounts.
Court document claims Meta knowingly designed its platforms to hook kids: report
According to reports, Meta said in a statement that the complaint misrepresents its work over the past decade to make the online experience safe for teens and said it doesn't design its products to be addictive to younger users.
At Meta, millions of underage users were an 'open secret,' show court filing
The social media giant "routinely continued to collect" children's personal information, including their locations and email addresses, without parental permission, in violation of a federal children's privacy law, according to the court filing
Meta, Alphabet, ByteDance, Snap must face social media addiction lawsuits
US district judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California ruled against Alphabet, which operates Google and YouTube; Meta Platforms, which operates Facebook; ByteDance, which operates TikTok; and Snap, which operates Snapchat.
WhatsApp's AI-generated stickers spark outrage for depicting Palestinian children with guns; Meta says it'll 'continue to improve these features'
The incident has raised concerns about AI perpetuating bias, impacting public opinion negatively.
YouTube ads may have led to online tracking of children, research says
The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, requires children's online services to obtain parental consent before collecting personal data from users under age 13 for purposes like ad targeting.
UK defends plan to demand access to encrypted messages to protect children
British technology minister Michelle Donelan defended plans to require messaging apps to provide access to encrypted private messages when needed to protect children from abuse, which major platforms say would undermine the privacy of their users.
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