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☆ Meta created an AI advisory council that’s composed entirely of White men
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Meta this week appointed a group of outside advisors to provide guidance on its artificial intelligence strategy. The four-person advisory group is composed entirely of White men. The situation mirrors an incident last year at OpenAI when, in the wake of a leadership shakeup, it came under fire for appointing a board composed entirely of White men. The large language models that underpin AI systems are trained on vast troves of data, often written by humans and coming from the internet. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the council’s lack of diversity.

Persons: Patrick Collison, Nat Friedman, Tobi Lütke, Charlie Songhurst, White, OpenAI, ” Joy Buolamwini, Meta Organizations: New, New York CNN, Microsoft, Meta, League, CNN Locations: New York, OpenAI

☆ Meta’s Facebook and Instagram probed over fears they may be too addictive for children
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —The European Union is worried that Meta is failing to protect children on its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, and has launched a formal investigation that could result in a hefty fine. The probe is the latest evidence that regulators are increasingly focussing on the harmful impact of Meta’s platforms — and other social media — on young users, including by encouraging addictive behavior. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, will consider whether Meta (META) has complied with its obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the bloc’s sweeping new law for online platforms. The legislation requires online platforms to put in place measures to protect children, including by preventing them from accessing inappropriate content and ensuring a high level of privacy and safety. The European Commission is concerned that Facebook’s and Instagram’s online interfaces “may exploit the weaknesses and inexperience of minors and cause addictive behavior,” it said in a statement Thursday.

Persons: Meta, Thierry Breton, ” Meta Organizations: London CNN, Facebook, European Commission, Digital Services, European, Meta, CNN, New Locations: New Mexico, Gaza

☆ Jefferies analyst challenges Trump’s claim that Meta’s Facebook is ‘enemy of the people’
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Stephanie Landsman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Jefferies' Brent Thill sees Facebook as vital — despite President Donald Trump calling it an "enemy of the people" on CNBC's "Squawk Box " on Monday. The reverse has happened for small businesses," the firm's tech sector lead told CNBC's " Fast Money ." "The reality is the economic value to all these small businesses' advertising is off the charts." But ultimately, I think, the value created is so great for these small businesses, it's hard to turn down the facts," said Thill. "I'd be buying this stock on this weakness," Thill said.

Persons: Jefferies, Brent Thill, Donald Trump, CNBC's, Trump's, Thill Organizations: Trump, Facebook, Meta, Google Locations: Monday's

Trump’s TikTok U-turnTikTok users have continued to flood the social media platform — and lawmakers’ inboxes — with pleas to halt a bill that would force its Chinese owners to divest or face a ban in the U.S.That effort to keep TikTok online has now attracted some unlikely backers, including Donald Trump. A recap: Last week, a powerful House committee voted 50-0 to remove TikTok from U.S. app stores by Sept. 30 unless its Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, sold its stake. President Biden said on Friday that he’d sign the bill if it reaches his desk — even as his campaign has embraced the platform. But Trump has potentially scrambled the political calculus in Washington. Starting last week, the former president has pushed back against a TikTok ban, arguing that such a move would strengthen Meta’s Facebook — the “true Enemy of the People!” (Remember that as president, Trump issued an executive order ordering ByteDance to divest its American assets.)

Persons: ’ inboxes, Donald Trump, Biden, Trump Organizations: Facebook Locations: U.S, Beijing, Washington

☆ Snapchat users can now buy Amazon products without leaving the app
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Sergio Padilla | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Amazon will now run shopping ads for select products on popular photo messaging app Snapchat, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed to CNN. Unlike prompts to get a user to open their phone’s web browser, Amazon’s shopping ads will allow them to shop and check out without having to exit the Snapchat app. “For the first time, customers will be able to shop Amazon’s Snapchat ads and check out with Amazon without leaving the social media app,” the Amazon spokesperson said in an email to CNN. “Customers in the U.S. will see real-time pricing, Prime eligibility, delivery estimates, and product details on select Amazon product ads in Snapchat as part of the new experience. The Amazon partnership could put Snapchat one step closer to competing with the robust in-app shopping experiences of rivals like Instagram.

Persons: ’ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Amazon, CNN, “, Instagram, Meta’s Facebook Locations: New York, U.S, Snapchat

☆ Meta’s China quest thaws thin layer of dense cube
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Anita Ramaswamy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In August, the United States banned domestic companies from making some new investments in Chinese tech, including computer chips and artificial intelligence systems. Chinese-based ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, counts the United States as its largest market. Selling virtual reality hardware primarily used for gaming is also an easier way of entering China. CONTEXT NEWSMeta Platforms struck a preliminary deal to sell virtual reality headsets in China through an exclusive partnership with Tencent, the Wall Street Journal reported on Nov. 9. China banned Meta’s Facebook platform from the country in 2009 and subsequently banned its WhatsApp and Instagram services as well.

Persons: Carlos Barria, Susan Li, Joe Biden, China’s Xi, Biden, Meta’s, Meta, ByteDance’s, Apple’s, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Meta, REUTERS, Reuters, HK, Wall Street, Facebook, United, Huawei, Companies, Republican, Tencent, Google, New York Times, Thomson Locations: Menlo Park , California, U.S, China, Beijing, Washington, United States, San Francisco, Texas, Florida, Montana

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — European officials widened a ban on Meta’s “behavioral advertising” practices to most of Europe on Wednesday, setting up a broader conflict between the continent’s privacy-conscious institutions and an American technology giant. The decision by the European Data Protection Board represents a sharp escalation of a tussle that began in Norway, where privacy officials imposed a daily fine of 1 million kroner — roughly $90,000 — on Meta for obtaining that data without adequate consent. The latest decision “unjustifiably ignores that careful and robust regulatory process,” the company said in a statement following the European board's action. Tobias Judin, head of the international section at the Norwegian Data Protection Authority, said Meta's proposed steps likely won't meet European legal standards. “They continue with their unlawful activities to this very day, simply because breaking the law is so profitable.”

Persons: Meta, “, Tobias Judin, Meta's, wouldn't, ” Judin Organizations: FRANCISCO, —, Facebook, European Data Protection, Meta, Norwegian Data Protection Authority Locations: Europe, American, Norway

☆ EU urges Big Tech to tackle terrorist content after Hamas attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In his letters to Musk and Zuckerberg, Breton said their companies had 24 hours to inform the EU how they were stopping harmful content on their platforms. Now, the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, has sought to remind all social media companies they are legally required to prevent the spread of harmful content related to Hamas. “Content circulating online that can be associated to Hamas qualifies as terrorist content, is illegal, and needs to be removed under both the DSA (Digital Services Act) and TCO (Terrorist Content Online) Regulation,” a Commission spokesperson told Reuters. The Commission urges online platforms to fully comply with EU rules.”The recently implemented DSA requires large online platforms, including X and Meta’s Facebook, to remove illegal content and to take measures to tackle the risks to public security and civic discourse. It is unclear if Breton has sent similar messages to other social media companies designated under the DSA.

Persons: Carlos Barria, Thierry Breton, Elon, Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Breton, Martin Coulter, Bernadette Baum, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, EU, LONDON, European, Hamas, European Commission, DSA, Services, Reuters, Facebook, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, U.S, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Breton, Europe

☆ Threads is temporarily blocking searches about Covid-19
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Threads, the much-hyped social media app from Facebook-parent Meta, is taking heat for blocking searches for “coronavirus,” “Covid,” and other pandemic-related queries. News of Threads blocking searches related to the coronavirus was first reported by The Washington Post. A Meta spokesperson told CNN that the company just began rolling out keyword search for Threads to additional countries last week. Meta’s Facebook and other social media platforms faced controversy in the early part of the pandemic for the apparent spread of Covid-19-related misinformation online. Threads released its much-requested web version late last month, and its keyword search about a week ago.

Persons: “, ”, Meta, – CNN’s Clare Duffy Organizations: CNN, Facebook, The Washington Post, Meta, Twitter Locations: United States, Covid

☆ Factbox: How the EU's Digital Markets Act challenges Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

On Wednesday, the EU Commission designated 22 services of the major tech companies as "gatekeepers" of online services. That means they will be required to make their messaging apps inter-operate with rivals and let users decide which apps to pre-install on their devices. APP STORES:Apple and Google will be forced to provide space for third-party app stores on their respective iOS and Android devices. For example, they may offer users a “choice screen” with a range of options upon setting up their device. MESSAGING:Under the DMA’s new interoperability rules, gatekeepers’ messaging apps will no longer be siloed off from others.

Persons: ByteDance, Ben Wood, Apple’s, Martin Coulter, William Maclean Organizations: New, Union, Big Tech, Markets, EU Commission, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta, Insight, Reuters, EU, Facebook, Thomson

☆ Threads, Twitter, and The Future of Social Media - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Sriram Krishnan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

As interest rates started to rise, social media companies discovered they weren’t immune to macroeconomic forces. While many were blown away by their possibilities, they forced social media websites to re-evaluate how their data is used externally. assistant for the names of San Francisco’s best restaurants, it could well use that Reddit discussion to generate its answer. Whether or not you agree with Mr. Musk’s moves after he bought Twitter, they have sparked a chain reaction. While it’s early days to see how this plays out, it is clear the social media landscape has shifted quickly and profoundly.

Persons: C.E.O.s, you’re, hoover, Reddit, Elon Musk’s, Musk’s, Reddit’s C.E.O, Instagram Organizations: Google, San, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Francisco, Reddit, San Francisco, Silicon Valley

☆ Meta’s Threads isn’t worth 11 Twitters
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

On Wednesday, he launched a Twitter competitor, Threads, promptly encouraging Twitter to threaten to sue. Zuckerberg isn’t doing shareholders any favors. It’s less clear if Twitter’s users have moved, but in that sense, Threads may hurt Meta more than it helps. Even if Threads were to put Twitter out of business, that exercise isn’t worth 11 Twitters. Follow @thereallsl on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSTwitter has threatened to sue Meta Platforms over its new Threads app, Reuters reported on July 6.

Persons: Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Musk, Meta, Jennifer Saba, Sharon Lam Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Twitter, Elon, Facebook, Apple, Public, Meta, Semafor, Thomson Locations: Instagram

☆ Meta’s Facebook Faces Fresh Threat to Sending Personalized Ads in EU
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Sam Schechner | Nuha Dolby | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Welcome to the era of viral AI generated 'news' images
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

None of these things actually happened, but AI-generated images depicting them did go viral online over the past week. The images ranged from obviously fake to, in some cases, compellingly real, and they fooled some social media users. There are also concerns that AI-generated images could be used for harassment, or to further drive divided internet users apart. Eliot Higgins, founder and creative director of the investigative group Bellingcat, posted fake images of former President Donald Trump to Twitter last week. Many of the recent viral AI-generated images were created by a tool called Midjourney, a less than year-old platform that allows users to create images based on short text prompts.

☆ Welcome to the era of viral AI generated ‘news’ images
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

☆ TikTok pile-on opens two cans of worms
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Yet the bipartisan attack on the short-form video app, owned by China-based ByteDance, really points to two different complications – and each, in turn, opens up a much bigger can of worms. The overarching reason for Chew’s appearance is that President Joe Biden’s administration, and many in Congress, think TikTok’s Chinese backing makes it a dangerous tool of the People’s Republic. Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers accused TikTok of collecting biometric data and manipulating what information users see. It’s not just TikTok that potentially vacuums up consumer details while having close links to China. Follow @jennifersaba on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSTikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew appeared before the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee on March 23.

☆ ‘Take It Down’ Tool Helps Young People Remove Explicit Online Images
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Ginger Adams Otis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms are among the initiative’s participating apps. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children launched a tool Monday that allows young people to remove explicit images of themselves that appear online, or block such photos from being shared. The platform, known as Take It Down, allows young adults from anywhere in the world to submit an anonymous report about explicit or intimate images of themselves posted on certain online spaces. Young adults who are over 18 but appear in imagery taken when they were underage can also submit a report to have the images removed from certain platforms, according to the center, a nonprofit.

☆ DOJ files second antitrust suit against Google, seeks to break up its ad business
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday filed its second antitrust lawsuit against Google in just over two years. This lawsuit, focused on Google’s online advertising business, seeks to make Google divest parts of the business and is the first against the company filed under the Biden administration. Google also faces three other antitrust lawsuits from large groups of state attorneys general, including one focused on its advertising business led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The company has long denied that it dominates the online advertising market, pointing to the market share of competitors including Meta’s Facebook. Google and other tech companies have also faced increasing scrutiny from abroad, particularly in Europe, where Google has also fought multiple competition cases and new regulations threaten major changes to tech business models.

☆ Internet providers warn against EU plans to make Big Tech cover telcos costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - A group representing internet service providers across Europe said on Tuesday that a proposal to make Big Tech companies pay towards telecom operators' network costs could create systemic weakness in critical infrastructure. In September, European Commission’s industry chief Thierry Breton said he would launch a consultation on so-called “fair share" payments in early 2023, before proposing legislation. Sanghani added that legislators should not prioritise "administrative rules [over] technical necessity or a high-quality internet" for those in Europe. Critics of the proposed SPNP (Sending Party Network Pays) model have warned the so-called "traffic tax" could lead content-driven platforms like Facebook and other social media platforms to route their services via ISPs (internet service providers) outside of the EU. This could have a knock-on effect for users in Europe, with platforms potentially compromising quality and security for the sake of avoiding fees.

CNN —Former US President Donald Trump’s Twitter account has been reinstated on the platform. The account, which Twitter banned following the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, was restored after Twitter CEO and new owner Elon Musk posted a poll on Twitter on Friday night asking the platform’s users if Trump should be reinstated. Asked on Saturday what he thought of Musk purchasing Twitter and his own future on the platform, Trump praised Musk but questioned whether the site would survive its current crises. It may make it, it may not make it.”Still, Trump said he liked Musk and “liked that he bought (Twitter. Soon after Trump’s Twitter ban, he was also restricted from Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, which could also restore his accounts as soon as January 2023.

☆ U.S. judge hearing FTC case against Facebook won't quash subpoena for Sequoia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: Facebook app logo is seen in this illustration taken, August 22, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationWASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. judge hearing a big antitrust case against Meta’s Facebook declined on Thursday to quash a subpoena that the government had sent to Sequoia Capital seeking its analyses of Instagram and WhatsApp before they were acquired by Meta. The Federal Trade Commission, which has filed a lawsuit asking the judge to force Meta to sell Instagram and WhatsApp, had sought depositions of one current and one former Sequoia executive. The FTC filed a lawsuit in 2020 asking a court to undo then-Facebook’s acquisitions of Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 and WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014. It said that the company acted illegally to maintain its social network monopoly.

☆ Meta’s Facebook Says Its New VR Headset Could Replace Workers’ PCs
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Salvador Rodriguez | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Facebook parent Meta Platforms stated its ambition to go after the professional computing market on Tuesday with the announcement of its most advanced virtual reality headset to date, the Quest Pro, saying it could be a better way to work than a personal computer. Along with the new device, which costs around $1,500, Meta also announced partnerships with Microsoft and Zoom Video Communications that will make the company’s VR headsets more useful in hybrid-work scenarios.

☆ Meta’s Facebook Takes Aim at Workers’ PCs With New VR Headset
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Salvador Rodriguez | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Facebook parent Meta Platforms stated its ambition to go after the professional computing market on Tuesday with the announcement of its most advanced virtual reality headset to date, the Quest Pro, saying it could be a better way to work than a personal computer. Along with the new device, which costs around $1,500, Meta also announced partnerships with Microsoft and Zoom Video Communications that are expected to make the company’s VR headsets more useful in hybrid-work scenarios.

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