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☆ A company lost $25 million after an employee was tricked by deepfakes of his coworkers on a video call: police
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Scammers made off with about $25 million after they used deepfake technology to trick an employee at the Hong Kong branch of a multinational company, local media reported on Sunday, citing the city's police. The employee then had a video call with the company's CFO and other company employees — all of which turned out to be deepfakes. Based on instructions they got during that call, the employee transferred HK$200 million, or $25.6 million, to various Hong Kong bank accounts across 15 transfers, according to the SCMP. AdvertisementThe Hong Kong police did not name the company or employees involved. The employee who was scammed did not interact with the deepfakes during the video conference, according to the media outlet.

Persons: Scammers, scammers, scammed, Taylor Swift, Joseph Morelle Organizations: South China Morning Post, HK, Hong Kong, Democratic Locations: Hong Kong, South China

☆ Israeli Hostage Families Gain Clout as Political Landscape Shifts
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Some respondents did not mention names but wrote variants of "hostage families", reflecting the impact of the Forum itself and its "Bring them home now" campaign. Political scientist Tamar Hermann of the IDI said solidarity with the hostage families was blending with broader anti-government sentiment, partly rooted in a huge pre-war protest movement against Netanyahu's plan to overhaul the judiciary. New or existing left-wing parties could be a natural fit for any hostage relatives who did decide to go into politics. Conversely, the hostage families are seen as opponents by some on the right, and especially on the ultra-nationalist far right, which has sway over Netanyahu because it is part of his fragile coalition. Some of Netanyahu's hard-right supporters in politics and media portray the hostage families as leftists abusing public sympathy to further their anti-government agenda, said political scientist Gideon Rahat of the Hebrew University.

Persons: Emily Rose, Estelle Shirbon, pollsters, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Nimrod Nir, Gil Dickmann, Carmel Gat, Jonathan Shamriz, Alon, Israel, Dror, Yonat, Netanyahu, irked Netanyahu, Sunday Israel, Tamar Hermann of, IDI, Tomer Reznik, implacably, Gideon Rahat, Eliyahu Libman, Elyakim, Libman, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Reuters, Truman Research Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Families Forum, Israel, Hamas, Sunday, Truman Institute, Israel Democracy Institute, IDI, Hebrew University, West Bank Locations: Estelle Shirbon JERUSALEM, LONDON, Gaza, Israel, Qatar, Egypt, United States, Kiryat Arba

☆ Snap to lay off 10% of global workforce, around 500 employees
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc. Evan Spiegel attends the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, U.S., January 31, 2024. Social media company Snap said Monday that it will lay off 10% of its global workforce, or around 500 employees, in part to "promote in-person collaboration." The company has executed multiple rounds of layoffs since 2022, most recently in November, when it trimmed a small number of product employees. Snap expects it will incur charges ranging from $55 million to $75 million, according to a regulatory filing. The company's last major round of cuts was in August 2022, when it laid off 20% of staff and restructured its business lines.

Persons: Evan Spiegel Organizations: Snap Inc, U.S . Capitol, Social Locations: Washington , U.S

☆ India's moment has arrived — but many hurdles remain
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Spriha Srivastava | Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

India's economy is expected to expand by 6.5% this year, according to IMF forecasts. The world's most populous nation was keen to talk up its prospects at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Advertisement"India has seized the moment," proclaimed housing minister Hardeep Singh Puri with confidence during a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month. The 10-strong group of emerging market nations now accounts for 45% of the world's population and 28% of global GDP. AdvertisementSome economists have criticized the government's narrative as a "false growth story," highlighting discrepancies in the data and criticizing the methods used to calculate economic growth.

Persons: —, Hardeep Singh, Smriti Irani, BI's Spriha Srivastava, that's, Narendra Modi's, Cash, Modi, SAJJAD HUSSAIN, I've, Andy Baldwin, EY, Narendra Modi, Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Dan Kitwood, Getty, ISRO Goldman Sachs, Ashoka Mody, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Vladimir Putin, Singh Organizations: Economic, Service, BI, IMF, Business, Apple, ISRO, Princeton University, World Bank, US, of, Hindustan Times, Harvard Business Locations: Davos, India, China, Japan, Brazil, China India, India's, Ukraine

☆ Israeli soldiers struggle to square political views with the realities of war
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Netanyahu’s government is the most right-wing in Israel’s history, rejecting the idea of a Palestinian state and supporting Jewish settlements inside the West Bank. His political views are sometimes difficult to square with the realities of being a soldier, fighting on behalf of a government he doesn’t support. We enter Ramallah, we neutralize the threat.”Some of Netanyahu’s coalition partners are going a step further, proposing to build Jewish settlements in Gaza. The issue of Jewish settlements in the West Bank is already a major fault line within Israeli society and in the country’s diplomatic relationships. The idea of building settlements in Gaza has alarmed Israel’s allies, with the United States’ top diplomat rebuking the plans.

Persons: CNN — Amos Shani Atzmon, Israel, …, ”, Atzmon, “, Benjamin Netanyahu, he’s, “ I’m, Nir Oz, Kfar, Netanyahu, Amos Shani Atzmon, Ivana Kottasová, Emmanuel, Netanyuahu, ” Emmanuel, Israel’s, rebuking, –, Mendel, we’re, Churchill, Roosevelt, There’s, ” Mendel Organizations: CNN, Israel Defence Forces, Hamas, Health Ministry, UN, Court of Justice, West Bank, United, United Nations, Israel, IDF Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Be’eri, Kfar Azza, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Ramallah, United States, South Africa, An, Long, Europe

☆ Mark Zuckerberg has a new look
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Mark Zuckerberg was forced to stand up and apologize to the parents of dead children in the room. Zuckerberg has kept his hair short over the last decade. AdvertisementLet's investigate:Mark Zuckerberg walks into the Senate with a new growth. Kevin DietschAnd yet here, the hair doesn't look long at all; it's barely touching the top of his collar:Here, the hair is just slightly down his neck.

Persons: —, Mark Zuckerberg, Linda Yaccarino, Sen, Tom Cotton, Zuckerberg, Caesar, he's, Alex Wong, Anna Moneymaker, Kevin Dietsch, BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, Champ, Brittany Stevens Organizations: Service, Meta, Business, Pillsbury, Senate, Alex Wong Computer, USA

Biden's support among Black voters has waned considerably since he assembled his winning coalition four years ago. Lackluster turnout among Black voters in South Carolina’s primary could signal a broader dip in enthusiasm. Biden will need to energize Black voters in the key swing states of Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. South Carolina school districts reported over 1,600 teacher vacancies at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, a 9% increase from the year before, according to a report from the South Carolina Education Association. Joshua Singleton, a 19-year-old sophomore at South Carolina State, shared the sentiment: “We should have, you know, younger presidents to represent us."

Persons: Democrats ’, Joe Biden, What’s, Biden, That’s, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Moore, “, Olivia Ratliff, ”, Ratliff, Kailyn Wrighten, Wrighten, —, we’ve, Sheridan Johnson, Johnson, Laverne Brown, there’s, — Biden, Charles Trower, Joshua Singleton, Seth Whipper, ” Biden, Harris, Tony Thomas, Saundra, Austin Nichols, ” Nichols, ” LaJoia Broughton, Broughton, don’t, Dr, Byron L, Benton, Joseph Biden, Emily Swanson, Jonathan Logan Organizations: —, Democrats, Democratic, Black, AP, Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Republican, South Carolina State University, Supreme, South Carolina Education Association, Biden, South Carolina State, Trump, America, Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, Mother Emanuel AME Church, Jonathan Logan Family Foundation Locations: CHARLESTON, S.C, South Carolina, South, Georgia , Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Columbia, Orangeburg, Charleston, Carolina, American, U.S, Blythewood , South Carolina, “, Blythewood, North Charleston

☆ Mark Zuckerberg made $29 billion this morning after Meta stock makes record surge
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Mark Zuckerberg’s net worth increased by more than $29 billion between your morning coffee and your lunch break. Shares of Meta (META) jumped more than 21% on the news of a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share to be paid out on March 26 to shareholders of record as of February 22. This upswing plasters over potential harm to Meta stock after Zuckerberg, alongside other social media company heads, testified Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the risks their products pose to young people. Zuckerberg was pressed about internal Meta documents that suggested the company estimates the lifetime value of a teen user at $270, as well as Meta’s transparency regarding how its monetizes user data. Zuckerberg apologized to the parents in attendance, who say their children were victims of social media.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg’s, —, Zuckerberg, they’re, “, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Meta, US Securities and Exchange, Committee Locations: New York

CNN —US Capitol Police have received a subpoena in the grand jury investigation into Rep. Cori Bush, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. FEC filings show that from January 19, 2023, through April 3, 2023, Bush’s campaign paid Merritts $15,000 for “security services” in six payments of $2,500. CNN asked Bush’s campaign if either she or Merritts were interviewed by the FBI, and if the campaign could provide timesheets for Merritts. “I also believe in transparency which is why I can confirm that the Department of Justice is reviewing my campaign’s spending on security services. She maintained she has not used any federal tax dollars for personal security services and that she complied with House rules.

Persons: Cori Bush, Bush, Bush hasn’t, Cortney Merritts, Merritts, Bush’s, they’re, “, ” Bush Organizations: CNN, US Capitol Police, Missouri Democrat, Capitol Police, Federal, Security, Foundation, Accountability, Civic Trust, FBI, Merritts, Department of Justice Locations: Washington ,, St, Louis , Missouri

☆ House GOP skeptical Biden inquiry leads to impeachment as election draws near
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Annie Grayer | Melanie Zanona | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Some of the ire has been directed at House Oversight Chairman James Comer, who has spearheaded the investigation into Biden family business records. “I don’t think it goes anywhere,” one Republican lawmaker said of the Biden impeachment inquiry. One senior GOP impeachment inquiry aide said it would be “a win too in our eyes” if the probe ended with legislative proposals to reform federal ethics laws, regardless of the decision on impeachment. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, who is co-leading the investigation, acknowledged a Biden impeachment is not a forgone conclusion. “Nobody is talking about that,” said GOP Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington state, when asked for his thoughts on the Biden impeachment inquiry.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden's, Hunter Biden, James, ahas, Scott Perry, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Biden, “, Nicole Malliotakis, ”, –, James Comer, Kevin McCarthy, Comer, we’ve, it’s, Alejandro Mayorkas, Jim Jordan, ” Jordan, Jason Smith, Biden – it’s, I’m, ” Comer, Comer’s, Steve Scalise, BIden’s, ” Scalise, Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, David Schweikert, Mike Garcia of California, Dan Newhouse, David Valadao of, you’re, Hunter Biden’s, Hunter, Victoria Spartz, “ It’s, ” CNN’s Haley Talbot Organizations: Republicans, Democratic, GOP, Republican, New York, CNN, Homeland, Representatives, Committee, Biden, Washington, Victoria Locations: Scott Perry of, New, Jordan, Missouri, Arizona, David Valadao of California, Victoria Spartz of Indiana, House

☆ GOP lawmaker concedes House Republicans 'don't have the votes right now' to impeach Biden
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Republican lawmakers are reportedly souring on the prospects of impeaching President Joe Biden after months of investigations. Advertisement"We don't have the votes right now," one GOP lawmaker told CNN. CNN reported that no major decision is expected before Hunter Biden and James Biden sit for their depositions. Lawmakers haven't produced direct evidence of President Joe Biden's wrongdoing. And I watch the news," Rep. Mike Kelly, a Pennsylvania Republican, told CNN.

Persons: Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, James Biden, haven't, Joe Biden's, George, Jonathan Turley, Biden, Donald Trump, Mike Kelly Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Republicans, George Washington University, Judiciary, Pennsylvania Republican Locations: Pennsylvania

☆ Fani Willis, the DA who charged Trump in Georgia, subpoenaed by House GOP
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Katherine Doyle | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan has subpoenaed District Attorney Fani Willis of Fulton County, Georgia, demanding documents from her office following allegations that Willis fired a whistleblower who tried to stop a top campaign aide from misusing federal funds. In a letter Friday, Jordan says Willis has failed to comply with two earlier requests for documents related to her office's use of federal grant money. Willis' office has condemned Jordan's requests, writing last year in a letter to him that there is "no justification in the Constitution for Congress to interfere with a state criminal matter." "Instead of using these federal grant funds for the intended purpose of helping at-risk youths, your office sought to use the grant funds to 'get Macbooks ... swag ... [and] use it for travel,'" Jordan wrote. Willis' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the circumstances of the employee's departure.

Persons: Jim Jordan, Fani Willis, Willis, Jordan, Donald Trump, Georgia's, Trump Organizations: WASHINGTON, NBC News, House Republicans, Congress, Department, Washington Free Beacon Locations: Fulton County , Georgia, Ohio, Fulton County, Georgia

“At times,” Wade said, "I have made and purchased travel for District Attorney Willis and myself from my personal funds. The motion alleged that Willis and Wade were in an inappropriate romantic relationship that created a conflict of interest. The filing seeks to dismiss the case and to have Willis and Wade and their offices barred from further prosecuting the case. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who’s presiding over the election case, has set a Feb. 15 hearing on Roman’s motion. Roman’s motion did not include any concrete proof for the allegations of a romantic relationship between Willis and Wade.

Persons: Fani Willis, Donald Trump, Willis, Nathan Wade, Wade, Trump, Brad Raffensperger, Democrat Joe Biden, ” Wade, Attorney Willis, ”, Willis ’, Ashleigh Merchant, Michael Roman, Robert Cheeley, Scott McAfee, who’s, Merchant, McAfee, ” Willis ’ team’s, Willis —, “, Jim Jordan, ” Willis, Jordan, Eric Tucker, Alanna Durkin Richer Organizations: ATLANTA, Republican, Trump, Democrat, Attorney, Court, . Rep, Committee, Department of Justice, Associated Press Locations: Fulton County, Georgia, Merchant, Cobb County, San Francisco, Miami, Fulton, Washington, Boston

☆ Meta to report fourth-quarter earnings after the bell
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Meta will report fourth-quarter earnings after the bell on Thursday. In Alphabet 's earnings report on Tuesday, the company said Google ad revenue increased 11% from a year earlier, slower expansion than analysts were expecting. Meta finance chief Susan Li most recently highlighted the significance of business from China in the company's third-quarter earnings report in October. Analysts expect Reality Labs to show revenue of $762.8 million for the quarter and an operating loss of $4.26 billion, according to StreetAccount. Apple and Amazon are also slated to report fourth-quarter results on Thursday, wrapping up earnings season for tech's mega-cap companies.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Susan Li, Li, Zuckerberg Organizations: U.S, Capitol, LSEG, StreetAccount, Google, Facebook, Meta, Wednesday, Labs, Apple Locations: Washington , U.S, China

☆ Senator tells Mark Zuckerberg his product is 'killing people' at child safety hearing
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Jyoti Mann | Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mark Zuckerberg was grilled at a Senate hearing on online child safety on Wednesday. The Meta chief was told by Senator Lindsey Graham: "You have a product that's killing people." AdvertisementMark Zuckerberg was told that Meta's product is "killing people" at a tense Senate hearing on Wednesday. At one point, the Meta CEO was interrogated by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham during a fiery hearing on online child safety before the Senate Judiciary Committee. AdvertisementBig tech leaders from X, TikTok, Snap, and Discord were also called to testify and the child safety hearing.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Lindsey Graham, —, Graham, Mr, Zuckerberg, General Raúl Torrez, Torrez, Meta didn't Organizations: Meta, Service, New, Guardian Locations: Nigeria, New Mexico

☆ FBI: 'Financial sextortion' of teens is a 'rapidly escalating threat.' How parents can protect their kids
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Cavan Images | Cavan | Getty Images"Financial sextortion," a type of cybercrime that targets teens and tweens, is on the rise. "Sextortion is a rapidly escalating threat," FBI Director Christopher Wray told the Senate Judiciary Committee in December. Financial sextortion is the fastest-growing crime targeting children in North America and Australia, according to the Network Contagion Research Institute. Wealthy parents are more likely to be lenient about social media use. How to protect your kids from sextortion

Persons: Christopher Wray, Sen, Dick Durbin, Criminals, Tracy Kitten, Kitten, didn't, Oladosu, sextortion Organizations: Getty, FBI, Finance, Network, Research, Yahoo Boys, Meta, Strategy, U.S, YouTube Locations: Cavan, North America, Australia, African, U.S, Nigerian, bitcoin, sextortion

☆ The Wall Street Journal made deep cuts to its DC bureau and insiders are calling it a 'bloodbath'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Rupert Murdoch's The Wall Street Journal made widespread cuts to its DC bureau on Thursday in a restructuring that several insiders called a "bloodbath." They were also, however, expected, since staffers had been told a restructuring was coming in preparation for the installation of the Journal's new Washington coverage chief Damian Paletta, who starts February 5. The new Washington bureau will focus on politics, policy, defense, law, intelligence and national security. The expanded Finance & Economics coverage area will unify our reporting on the macroeconomy, global economic trends, monetary policy, credit and banking, and financial markets. Brent Kendall, the law bureau chief, will take on the expanded role of Justice, Judiciary and Law Editor.

Persons: Rupert Murdoch's, Amara Omeokwe, James Graff, Emma Tucker, Tucker, Damian Paletta, Jodi Green, Liz Harris, they'd, Marie Beaudette, Marie, Damian, Brent Kendall, Brent, Emma Organizations: Journal, Business, News Corp, Staff, Finance, Federal Reserve, Economics, Justice, Judiciary Locations: Washington, New York, China, U.S

☆ Sen. Warren asks Justice Department to consider nixing Corizon's bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Dakin Campbell | Nicole Einbinder | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewSenator Elizabeth Warren is bringing fresh scrutiny to the controversial bankruptcy of private prison healthcare company Corizon Health. Warren applauded the US Trustee Program, which oversees the federal bankruptcy system, for making a rare decision last year to file an objection in court to Corizon's bankruptcy plan. Corizon's current bankruptcy plan, she wrote, "will deny Corizon's creditors, including incarcerated individuals, adequate restitution for the company's serious harms." This is the second time Warren has weighed in on the Corizon bankruptcy. "Corizon's bankruptcy is premised on the fact that it does not have sufficient resources to pay victims and other creditors," she wrote.

Persons: —, Elizabeth Warren, Warren, Corizon, Jason Brookner, YesCare didn't, Emma Dulaney, Dick Durbin, YesCare, Raphael Prober, Corizon's, plan's Organizations: Service, Corizon Health, Department of Justice's U.S, Business, Tehum Care Services, Department of Justice, US, Corizon, YesCare Holdings Locations: Texas, Tehum, YesCare

☆ Congress hasn’t been able to make social media safer. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

This has been true since the early 2010s, when tech companies began realizing the benefits of influencing policymakers on issues including net neutrality and privacy. This week, Microsoft announced its support for the Kids Online Safety Act, a leading social media bill. Even when lawmakers can agree on what the problem is, they often disagree on how to solve it, creating a smorgasbord of half a dozen or more social media bills floating around Congress. That would be a huge down payment on a future social media law, said Balkam. But even that proposal is still subject to many of the same dynamics that make social media regulation hard.

Persons: Washington CNN —, ”, Danny Weiss, Ben Thompson, Adam Kovacevich, “ That’s, hasn’t, Republican stonewalling, Weiss, Kovacevich, ” Kovacevich, I’m, ” Weiss, Chuck Schumer, Mike Johnson, Schumer, Nancy Pelosi’s, “, Johnson didn’t, Evan Greer Organizations: Washington CNN, Big Tech, Tech, Sense, Microsoft, Kids, LinkedIn, of, Republican, CNN Locations: Washington, United States

Co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc. Evan Spiegel attends the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, on January 31. In prepared testimony reviewed by CNN, Spiegel will say that on average, most Snapchat users connect directly with their friends. "We designed Snapchat to open into the camera, instead of a content feed, to encourage creativity instead of passive consumption," Spiegel will testify. "When people share their Story with friends on Snapchat there are no public likes or comments." A California judge recently ruled that Snap must face a lawsuit over children's fentanyl purchases linked to the app.

Persons: Evan Spiegel, Nathan Howard, Spiegel, Connecticut Democratic Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Tennessee Republican Sen, Marsha Blackburn Organizations: Snap Inc, U.S . Capitol, Reuters, CNN, Connecticut Democratic, Tennessee Republican Locations: Washington, California

☆ Silicon Valley Battles States Over New Online Safety Laws for Children
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Natasha Singer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Last summer, Ohio enacted a social media statute that would require Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube to get a parent’s consent before permitting children under age 16 to use their platforms. The case is part of a sweeping litigation campaign by NetChoice to block new state laws protecting young people online — an anti-regulation effort likely to come under scrutiny on Wednesday as the Senate Judiciary Committee questions social media executives about child sexual exploitation online. The NetChoice lawsuits have rankled state officials and lawmakers who sought tech company input as they drafted the new measures. “I think it’s cowardly and disingenuous,” Jon Husted, the lieutenant governor of Ohio, said of the industry lawsuit, noting that either he or his staff had met with Google and Meta about the bill last year and had accommodated the companies’ concerns. “We tried to be as cooperative as we possibly could be — and then at the 11th hour, they filed a lawsuit.”

Persons: —, ” Jon Husted, “, ” Organizations: YouTube, Google, Federal, Court Locations: Ohio

☆ Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg 'needs to do the right thing' in child sex targeting fight: New Mexico AG
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

New Mexico's attorney general slammed Meta and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday for failing to protect children from sexual predators on Facebook and Instagram. Torrez sued Meta and Zuckerberg in December, alleging that Facebook and Instagram were "prime locations" for predators who engaged in sexual abuse, solicitation and trafficking. "By their own reckoning, nearly 100,000 children a day receive sexually explicit material or are targeted for sexual harassment" on social media, Torrez said. The attorney general said Zuckerberg "absolutely" was directly warned about the threat to children on those hugely popular social media sites. "Meta executives have known for years that their platforms were a breeding ground for pedophiles, for predators," Torrez told CNBC on Wednesday.

Persons: General Raúl Torrez, Mark Zuckerberg, Raul Torrez, CNBC's Eamon Javers, Zuckerberg, Torrez, Meta Organizations: New, Meta, Facebook, U.S . Capitol, Committee, CNBC, AG Locations: New Mexico, Albuquerque, N.M

☆ Meta, TikTok and Other Tech Chiefs to Face Lawmakers on Child Safety Online
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( David Mccabe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Five of the most prominent chief executives in tech will face questions on Wednesday from a powerful Senate committee about an issue that has drawn rare bipartisan scrutiny: the dangers that children encounter online. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee will grill the leaders of Meta, TikTok, Snap, Discord and X on topics including the spread online of child sexual abuse material and the companies’ efforts to police it. They’ll also examine social media’s broader impact on children’s safety and mental health. A growing chorus of lawmakers have recently called for measures to crack down on the spread of child sexual abuse material online and to hold the platforms responsible for protecting young people. Online safety laws have been approved in the European Union and in Britain.

Persons: They’ll Organizations: Meta, Tech, European Union Locations: Britain

☆ ‘Your Product Is Killing People’: Tech Leaders Denounced Over Child Safety
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Cecilia Kang | David Mccabe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Some said the companies had “blood on their hands” and that users “would die waiting” for them to make changes to protect children. At one point, lawmakers compared the tech companies to cigarette makers. “Every parent in America is terrified about the garbage that is directed at our kids,” Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, said. The tech chiefs, some of whom showed up after being forced by subpoena, said they had invested billions to strengthen safety measures on their platforms. Some said they supported a bill that bolsters privacy and parental controls for children, while others pointed to the faults of rivals.

Persons: —, Ted Cruz Organizations: Meta, Committee, Republican Locations: America, Texas

☆ GOP senator asks TikTok's CEO over and over if he's Chinese. He's Singaporean.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Lauren Steussy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

During Wednesday's tense congressional testimony over online safety for children, Sen. Tom Cotton repeatedly asked Singaporean TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew if he's ever been a part of the Chinese Communist Party. An increasingly agitated Chew, who's no stranger to US politicians' prodding, tried repeatedly to shut down the line of questioning by telling the conservative senator that he's Singaporean. "Senator, I'm Singaporean, no," Chew responded. Chew was joined by four other social media companies' CEOs Wednesday for a combative hearing on protecting children online in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Zaveri put it this way:The rhetoric at times seemed to paint the Chinese people with a broad brush and conflated people of Chinese ancestry with the will of the CCP.

Persons: Sen, Tom Cotton, Shou Zi Chew, he's, Chew, Cotton, Jamie MacEwan, MacEwan, Paayal Zaveri, Zaveri, bungled Organizations: Chinese Communist Party, Business, Enders Analysis, Committee, Energy, Commerce, CCP Locations: China, Beijing

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