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☆ Live updates: Supreme Court hears arguments for First Amendment cases
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Dan Berman | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The US Supreme Court is hearing arguments in a case that will decide whether the Biden administration's communication with social media companies during the Covid-19 pandemic violated free speech. The legal question: Whether the US government unconstitutionally pressured social media platforms into censoring users’ speech — particularly when the government flagged posts to the platforms that it believed violated the companies’ terms of service. How we got here: The states of Missouri and Louisiana, along with five social-media users, brought the lawsuit against various federal officials. In July 2023, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction ordering federal agencies and more than a dozen top officials not to communicate with social media companies about taking down “content containing protected free speech." The Supreme Court paused that injunction from going into effect in October 2023 until it heard the case.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Biden Locations: Missouri, Louisiana

☆ Manipulated Biden video can remain online, Meta’s Oversight Board rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —A video on Facebook manipulated to suggest that President Joe Biden behaves inappropriately toward women can remain on the platform, but only because of a problematic loophole in Meta’s “incoherent” policies, the company’s Oversight Board said Monday. The Board reviewed the case after a user who reported the video appealed Meta’s decision not to remove the content. Meta’s manipulated media policy applies only to video that has been altered by artificial intelligence and that makes it appear as if a person said something they did not. Because Biden video did the things portrayed in the video – even if it was heavily edited to create a false impression – the video was allowed to stay on the platform. Meta’s policy on manipulated media provides exemptions for parody and satire, as well as selectively edited content that omits or changes the order of words said in a video.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Meta’s, Meta, ”, “, Nancy Pelosi, factchecker, Pelosi Organizations: Washington CNN, Facebook, Meta

☆ We love to hate on LinkedIn. Audiences and ad dollars keep rolling in.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jasmine Enberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementA few months later, Bloomberg gave the opposite assessment of the platform, declaring that "LinkedIn is cool now." In 2024, the platform is poised for more growth - and LinkedIn creators will play a major role in its development. Most of that content comes from LinkedIn creators, many of whom have built strong followings and some of whom are monetizing their audiences. "Cringe" can be lucrativeHeavy LinkedIn users aren't just older, they're also well-educated. While LinkedIn has long been central to B2B social marketing strategies, B2C marketers are increasing investment, driving up ad prices and spending.

Persons: Gen, Jasmine Enberg, —, Jordan Davis, I'm, Davis, Zers, they're, Snoop Organizations: Intelligence, Service, LinkedIn, Bloomberg, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, Pew Research Center

☆ Five takeaways from the New Hampshire primary
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Eric Bradner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But she’ll be battling history: In modern presidential campaign history, no non-incumbent has won the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary without going on to win his party’s nomination. Here are five takeaways from the New Hampshire primaries:Trump wants Haley out — nowIn what were expected to be celebratory remarks Tuesday night in New Hampshire, Trump instead sounded annoyed that Haley had not yet dropped out of the Republican primary race. There are dozens of states left to go,” Haley told supporters in her election night speech Tuesday in New Hampshire. Haley waves to the audience as she speaks at a New Hampshire primary night rally, in Concord, New Hampshire, on Tuesday. (Trump skipped all five Republican primary debates, and has shown no indication he’d consider participating in one.)

Persons: Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, Haley, she’ll, Trump, seethed, “, Joe Biden, —, ”, Vivek Ramaswamy, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, ” Ramaswamy, Haley’s, “ megadonors, Scott, Tim, ” Trump, ” Scott, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, won’t, ” Haley, What’s, Ron DeSantis, Mark Harris, Charles Krupa, Biden, Haley outperforms, ” Biden, Biden’s, Evelyn Hockstein, Dean Phillips, Marianne Williamson, Jen O’Malley Dillon, Mike Donilon Organizations: CNN, New, South Carolina Gov, Republican, Trump, White House, Republicans, America, South Carolina Republican, Senate, ’, South Carolina —, Florida Gov, —, Haley, SFA Fund, Republicans ’, South, Trump’s, New Hampshire Republican, Democratic, Democratic National Committee, Hylton Performing Arts Center Locations: New Hampshire, South Carolina, Iowa, Virginia, “, “ New Hampshire, Nevada, Florida, North Charleston, Concord , New Hampshire, CNN’s, America, Manassas , Virginia, Minnesota, Wilmington

☆ Takeaways from the Iowa Republican caucuses
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Eric Bradner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The former president won the Iowa Republican caucuses by an unprecedented margin, kickstarting his bid to win his party’s third consecutive presidential nomination. He did so despite skipping the GOP primary debates and eschewing the retail politicking grind typically demanded by Hawkeye State voters. Here are six takeaways from the Iowa GOP caucuses:‘Very smart, very capable people’Trump speaks at his caucus night watch party in Des Moines. “I can safely say, tonight, Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race,” she told supporters. Video Ad Feedback GOP strategist on what Iowa caucuses result reveals about Republican voters 00:50 - Source: CNNTrump remains hard to beatEntrance polls showed the breadth of Trump’s support across the GOP’s key constituencies.

Persons: Donald Trump, it’s, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Haley, ’ Trump, Brian Snyder, Trump, DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, couldn’t, “ It’s, ” Trump, Ramaswamy, It’s, hasn’t, “ We’ve, He’s, ”, bode, Joe Biden, Biden, Jeenah, “ Trump, Alyssa Pointer, he’d, he’s, DeSantis ’, Grassley ” —, Republican Sen, Chuck Grassley, Kim Reynolds, Bob Vander Plaats, who’d, Pete Buttigieg, Vermont Sen, Bernie Sanders Organizations: CNN, Republican Party, Iowa, Hawkeye State, Florida Gov, South Carolina Gov, Trump, Iowa GOP, Reuters, Republican, CNN Trump, College, Biden, West Des Moines, Nevada GOP, South Carolina, DeSantis, GOP, Des Moines Register, Democratic National Committee Locations: New Hampshire, Iowa, Des Moines, Florida, South Carolina, South Carolina –, West Des Moines, West Des, Nevada, Vermont, demote Iowa

☆ What to watch for in the Iowa caucuses
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Eric Bradner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Iowa Republicans who are willing to brave record-low temperatures are set to kick off the party’s 2024 presidential nominating process with Monday night’s caucuses. Now, Iowa voters will render the first verdict of the 2024 election, weighing in on which Republican should take on President Joe Biden in November. Here are five things to watch in the Iowa caucuses:Will Trump top 50%? The Iowa caucuses have a history of paring down both parties’ fields of presidential contenders. Iowa will once again test whether any other Republican can break Trump’s hold on those voters, who have historically been a crucial bloc in the caucuses.

Persons: Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Joe Biden, Will, Trump, Haley, DeSantis, who’s, who’d, It’s, ” DeSantis, ‘ Darling, ” Trump, he’s, —, ” Haley, “ Donald Trump’s, Nikki Haley’s, ”, she’s “, CNN’s Dana Bash, “, Michele Bachmann, Pennsylvania Sen, Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee —, Kentucky Sen, Rand Paul, Kim Reynolds, Vivek Ramaswamy, Asa Hutchinson, Ramaswamy, Hutchinson, Mike Pence, Bob Vander Plaats, Koch, Huckabee, Santorum, Texas Sen, Ted Cruz, what’s, “ He’s, they’re, ” “ That’s, I’m Organizations: CNN, Iowa Republicans, South Carolina Gov, Florida Gov, Republican, Will Trump, GOP, Des Moines Register, NBC, Trump, United Nations, Minnesota, Iowa, Arkansas Gov, Kentucky, South Carolina —, Prosperity, Texas, Democratic, New Hampshire —, Praetorian Guard, Fox News Locations: Florida, Iowa, Dubuque, “, Indianola, New Hampshire, South Carolina, DeSantis, Des, “ Iowa, Haley , Iowa, Pennsylvania, Waukee, , Iowa

☆ Tesla investors and business leaders slam Elon Musk for endorsing an antisemitic post
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Elon Musk is facing backlash from business leaders after he appeared to endorse an antisemitic conspiracy theory. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementElon Musk is facing backlash from the business community after he appeared to endorse an antisemitic post on X. AdvertisementAnother Tesla bull, Gary Black, whose Future Fund invests in Tesla, similarly reported that clients had reached out to him regarding Musk's comments. While the backlash escalates, Musk's chosen X CEO Linda Yaccarino is left to clean up the growing mess.

Persons: Elon Musk, —, Elon, Musk, Musk's, Dustin Moskowitz, Marc Bodnick, Andrew Left, Tesla, Ross Gerber, I've, Gary Black, Kristin Hull, Nia, demote, Bravo —, Linda Yaccarino Organizations: IBM, Service, Buffalo, Elon, SpaceX, BMW, CNBC, EV, Tesla, Nia Impact, Employees, Media, Apple, Oracle Locations: Pittsburgh

☆ Google recently cut 'people' from its Search guidelines. Now, website owners say a flood of AI content is pushing them down in search results.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

"This is a joke," another person wrote on a forum for website owners . No longer is it "helpful content written by people, for people," but simply, "Helpful content written for people." She watched pages that previously ranked first for certain terms tumble to fifth, sixth, or seventh place in Google search results. Spotting AI content is impossibleIt's unclear how much of the content that has been bumped up is AI-generated, or whether this is just other content written differently by humans. AdvertisementAdvertisementGoogle continues to say that content built entirely for the purpose or ranking high in search results will be punished.

Persons: Morgan Overholt, I've, –, Barry Schwartz, Overholt, they've, John Mueller, Schwartz, Mueller, Johannes Vermeer Organizations: Google, Service Locations: Wall, Silicon

CNN —X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, is hiring for its safety and elections teams ahead of the 2024 US presidential election and will again allow political ads for the first time since 2019. Shortly after his takeover, Musk laid off huge swaths of the company’s staff, including many employees responsible for safety, platform manipulation and election policy. It also follows criticism by Musk about how the platform’s previous leadership handled political discourse, including claims of censorship. X added that it is following through on a commitment to allow expanded political advertising. On Tuesday, X said promoted political posts would again be allowed and that the ads would be subject to certain policies.

Persons: “, Elon Musk, Musk, ”, ” X, X Organizations: CNN, Twitter, Digital Services Locations: X’s

☆ Tentoglou wins long jump gold after more late drama
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Mitch Phillips | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tentoglou is no stranger to such things, having won Olympic gold with his final jump in Tokyo after being out of the medals after five rounds. Tentoglou got Thursday's final off to a flier as he produced a huge season’s best 8.50 with his opening jump, only for Pinnock to match it in the second round. That put Pinnock, who flew to a world-leading 8.54 metres on his opening jump in Wednesday's qualifying and a personal best by 17cm, in the lead on the back of having the best second jump by one centimetre. In the final round, though, Tentoglou hit the board perfectly to soar ahead and Pinnock was unable to improve on his final attempt. I had to test my legs to see that I was fine and then I went for it in the final jump after having felt no pain.

Persons: Miltiadis Tentoglou, Jamaica's Wayne Pinnock, Tentoglou, Wang Jianan, Pinnock, It's, Jamaica's Tajay Gayle, Carey McLeod, McLeod, Mitch Phillips, Ed Osmond, Ken Ferris Organizations: Thomson Locations: BUDAPEST, Greece, Tokyo, Eugene, China

☆ Amazon employees are internally sharing mock leadership principles that make fun of the company's aggressive RTO policy: 'Disagree and comply'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Amazon employees are mocking the company's return-to-office policy in a very Amazon way. But the company's aggressive return-to-office policy , which has become a contentious issue internally , has caused some employees to enjoy mocking the famous principles. Earlier this week, an Amazon employee shared a satirical version, titled "Leadership Principles for RTO," on an internal staff forum. Leaders demote other leaders to individual contributor if they aren't willing to relocate to a hub office. There are extra points for growing headcount as long as it's in a hub office.

Persons: Andy Jassy, it's, didn't, blinders, It's, Butts Organizations: Amazon, Burn

☆ One-two punch barely fazes Uncle Sam
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Ben Winck | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Council Bluffs, Iowa, U.S., July 7, 2023. Fitch Ratings knocked the U.S. government from its perfect AAA grade, becoming the second major ratings agency to demote the country’s debt. Just minutes later, Donald Trump was indicted for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Yet despite the latest one-two punch, a resilient economy and the dollar’s global standing make it hard to bet against Uncle Sam. Former U.S. president Donald Trump was indicted on Aug. 1 for his sweeping efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Persons: Donald Trump, George Washington’s “, It’s, Treasury Department ., Uncle Sam, Trump, Peter Thal Larsen, Sharon Lam Organizations: U.S, Republican, Reuters, Fitch, AAA, Bank for International, Treasury Department, Treasury Department . Fitch reckons, Former U.S, Trump, Thomson Locations: Bluffs , Iowa, U.S, WASHINGTON, Washington, American

☆ Temu accused of data risks after sister app was suspended for malware
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Stefani Reynolds | Afp | Getty ImagesThe U.S. has accused discount shopping site Temu of possible data risks after its Chinese sister app was pulled from Google's app store over "malware" — but analysts say they're not that worried. Google called it an "identified malicious app" and urged users to uninstall the Pinduoduo app, but the Chinese online retailer denied those claims. Kevin Reed chief information security officer, Acronis"There should be no need for biometric data to be stored on an e-commerce website or app. Data risksIn a report on Chinese "fast fashion" platforms published in April, the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission accused Temu and Shein of posing possible data risks. Shein and Temu "primarily rely on U.S. consumers downloading and using Chinese apps to curate and deliver products," said the report.

☆ An explosive new lawsuit claims TikTok's owner built a 'backdoor' the CCP could exploit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Dan Whateley | Ashley Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

ByteDance allowed a Chinese Communist Party unit to censor content and access data, a new lawsuit alleges. ByteDance built a "backdoor channel" to enable CCP access to US user data, the suit alleges. An explosive new lawsuit claims TikTok owner ByteDance built a "backdoor channel" in its code that allowed Chinese Communist Party members access to user data hosted in the US. Yu is a former engineering lead for ByteDance in the US who worked at the company between 2017 and 2018. The complaint alleges the "Committee continued to have access" to US user data even after ByteDance walled off access for individual engineers in China.

☆ An explosive new lawsuit claims TikTok's owner built a 'backdoor' that allowed the CCP to access US user data
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Dan Whateley | Ashley Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

☆ How Elon Musk transformed Twitter’s blue check from status symbol into a badge of shame
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Over the weekend, numerous high-profile people announced — with apparent despair — that they too had been “punished” with verification badges. Twitter Verified account seen in an iPhone screen in Vancouver, Canada, on Dec. 9 2022. Instead of conveying authenticity, Twitter verification is now fraught with multiple conflicting messages. For weeks, many legacy verified users had signaled they would not be paying for Twitter Blue. It doesn’t benefit Twitter for celebrity accounts to be buried along with the other non-paying accounts Musk has said the platform will demote.

☆ How the Supreme Court could soon change free speech on the internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +19 min

Musk's actions since closing the deal last year have illuminated how he sees the balance internet platforms must strike in protecting free expression versus user safety. The Supreme Court has yet to decide if or when to hear the cases, though many expect it will take them up at some point. The Age-Appropriate Design Code requires internet platforms that are likely to be accessed by kids to mitigate risks to those users. Google said such a change would also make the internet less safe and less hospitable to free expression. The Supreme Court of the United States building are seen in Washington D.C., United States on December 28, 2022.

☆ TikTok Is Bad, but WeChat Is Worse
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Seth D. Kaplan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

WeChat is the most popular communications platform in the world for Chinese speakers. Congress banned the use of TikTok on government devices recently, and the Biden administration is reportedly seeking to go further by, for instance, limiting access to user data to mitigate the app’s dangers. Given the zeal to address threats emanating from a Chinese app, why is WeChat being ignored? But since it is a China-based technology product, WeChat is also a prominent part of Beijing’s mass-surveillance network. User activity is tracked, analyzed, censored and handed over to the government in line with Communist Party mandates.

☆ Putin is fighting an 'internal power struggle' to weaken critics amid Russia's mounting military failures in Ukraine, war experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Putin is likely moving to silence critics with this move as he fights an internal power struggle, analysts say. Ukrainian intelligence has also suggested that Surovkin is a rival of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, ISW said. ISW said Gerasimov's appointment was also designed to "support an intended decisive Russian military effort in 2023, likely in the form of resumed Russian offensive operations." After failing to take Kyiv in the early months of the war, Russia turned its attention to Ukraine's east. It's unclear whether the recent change in leadership in Ukraine will drastically alter Russia's narrowing options on the battlefield.

☆ Analysis: Democrats' downgrade of Iowa's role is a blow to Corn Belt, biofuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Iowa's political importance created a cottage industry out of educating and supporting candidates on issues that corn farmers and ethanol manufacturers care about. "Forward looking, to get Democratic candidates exposed to farm issues and get these issues in front of them is going to be extremely challenging. “It’s a blow to the industry, in terms of educating and informing the Democratic candidates,” Link said. Link noted that many of the Democratic candidates vying for the nomination were often already serving as elected leaders in Washington or would later become vice presidents or cabinet secretaries. The Iowa caucuses helped developed empathy for rural issues that could later be tapped for legislative success.

☆ Meta lawsuit: An Ethiopian professor was murdered by a mob. Son alleges Facebook fueled the violence
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Eliza Mackintosh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The case is a constitutional petition filed in Kenya’s High Court, which has jurisdiction over the issue, as Facebook’s content moderation operation hub for much of east and south Africa is located in Nairobi. “They have suffered human rights violations as a result of the Respondent failing to take down Facebook posts that violated the bill of rights even after making reports to the Respondent,” reads the complaint. The legal filing alleges that Facebook has failed to invest adequately in content moderation in countries across Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, particularly from its hub in Nairobi. In a statement to CNN, Meta did not directly respond to the lawsuit:“We have strict rules which outline what is and isn’t allowed on Facebook and Instagram. Last year, whistleblower Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee, told the US Senate that the platform’s algorithm was “literally fanning ethnic violence” in Ethiopia.

☆ Fired startup CEO says he was tarnished as the 'LSD CEO' for accusing investors of anti-Asian bias, and now he's suing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Iterable's former CEO Justin Zhu said he was removed due to racial bias, not his use of LSD in 2019. "The 'LSD CEO' label is deliberate, but it's a wrong characterization," Zhu told Insider. "While Andrew is half Asian American, I don't think his experiences — better, worse and similar — change what I went through," Zhu told Insider. One particularly tense encounter with investors took place in June 2020, Zhu told Insider, during an unusual meeting in person during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Zhu's attorney, Charles Jung, told Insider that the goal of the lawsuit was to shed light on legal protections that allow workers to report their experiences of bias.

WASHINGTON — Democrats advanced a plan Friday to reorder the early voting states in their presidential primary calendar, one that would put South Carolina first, jettison Iowa and demote New Hampshire. The overhaul calls for South Carolina to hold its Democratic primary on Feb. 3, followed by Nevada and New Hampshire on Feb. 6. Georgia would hold its primary on Feb. 13, with Michigan rounding out the early voting on Feb. 27. Democrats have spent months debating their primary calendar, aiming to increase the diversity of states that help select the party’s standard-bearer and to add more general election battlegrounds to the mix. "Our first-in-the-nation primary is part of our culture and has been in place for over 100 years.

☆ It’s the wrong time for Trumponomics
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Ben Winck | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Nov 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump tried to juice U.S. economic growth by enacting massive tax cuts and championing lower interest rates. As he sets his sights again on the White House, the country is turning its back on Trumponomics. The U.S. Federal Reserve has been jacking up interest rates in hopes of weakening demand and easing the climb in prices. Former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss proposed tax cuts for Britain's top earners and homebuyers in a mini-budget revealed in September, posing the policy as a way to spur growth. Surging inflation prompted the Fed to start raising interest rates in March to cool demand and slow price growth.

☆ How social media platforms plan to fight Election Day misinformation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty ImagesSocial media platforms including Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Google's YouTube are readying themselves for another heated Election Day this week. The company is once again banning new political ads in the week before the election, as it did in 2020. Political ads, including information on how much money was behind them and how much they were viewed, are included in the company's transparency report. The NYU and Global Witness study found YouTube performed the best out of the platforms it tested in blocking ads with election misinformation. WATCH: The messy business of content moderation on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube

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