Social Media

A Supreme Court Ruling in a Social Media Case Could Set Standards for Free Speech in the Digital Age

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a busy term that could set standards for free speech in the digital age, the Supreme... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a busy term that could set standards for free speech in the digital age, the Supreme Court on Monday is taking up a dispute between Republican-led states and the Biden administration over how far the federal... Read More

House Passes Bill That Would Lead to TikTok Ban if Chinese Owner Doesn't Sell. Senate Path Unclear

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Wednesday passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Wednesday passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app TikTok if its China-based owner doesn't sell, as lawmakers acted on concerns that the company's current ownership structure is a national... Read More

Fake Images Made to Show Trump With Black Supporters Highlight Concerns Around AI and Elections

WASHINGTON (AP) — At first glance, images circulating online showing former President Donald Trump surrounded by groups of Black people... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — At first glance, images circulating online showing former President Donald Trump surrounded by groups of Black people smiling and laughing seem nothing out of the ordinary, but a look closer is telling. Odd lighting and too-perfect details... Read More

Florida Lawmakers Prepare for Gov. DeSantis to Veto Social Media Ban on Children Under 16

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida lawmakers were bracing for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto a bill banning social media... Read More

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida lawmakers were bracing for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto a bill banning social media for children under 16 on Friday and finding a way to make him more comfortable with its language before their... Read More

Russian Disinformation Is About Immigration. The Real Aim Is to Undercut Ukraine Aid

WASHINGTON (AP) — For Vladimir Putin, victory in Ukraine may run through Texas' Rio Grande Valley. In recent weeks, Russian... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — For Vladimir Putin, victory in Ukraine may run through Texas' Rio Grande Valley. In recent weeks, Russian state media and online accounts tied to the Kremlin have spread and amplified misleading and incendiary content about U.S. immigration... Read More

2024-02-26 22:29:52
by Tom Ramstack
States Try to Convince Supreme Court to Keep Laws Regulating Social Media

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seemed skeptical Monday of two state laws that could redraw social media companies’ right to... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seemed skeptical Monday of two state laws that could redraw social media companies’ right to decide what sort of content is displayed on their platforms. The tech companies say the Florida and Texas laws that... Read More

Americans Reporting Nationwide Cellular Outages From AT&T, Cricket Wireless and Others

A number of Americans are dealing with cellular outages on AT&T, Cricket Wireless, Verizon, T-Mobile and other service providers, according... Read More

A number of Americans are dealing with cellular outages on AT&T, Cricket Wireless, Verizon, T-Mobile and other service providers, according to data from Downdetector. AT&T had more than 73,000 outages around 9:30 a.m. ET, in locations including Houston, Atlanta and... Read More

2024-02-14 22:42:46
by Dan McCue
New York City Sues Social Media Platforms for ‘Fueling’ Mental Health Crisis

NEW YORK — The city of New York and its health and education departments sued five social media platforms on... Read More

NEW YORK — The city of New York and its health and education departments sued five social media platforms on Wednesday, saying they need to be held accountable for fueling a mental health crisis among youths across the nation. The... Read More

2024-02-07 21:40:58
by Tom Ramstack
Conservatives Tell Congress ‘Zuckerbucks’ Threaten the Integrity of Elections

WASHINGTON — A conservative public policy advocate told a congressional panel Wednesday that charitable grants to fund local elections pose... Read More

WASHINGTON — A conservative public policy advocate told a congressional panel Wednesday that charitable grants to fund local elections pose a risk of shifting votes toward liberal special interests. “We have allowed the private takeover of government election offices by... Read More

2023-12-21 16:41:42
by Tom Ramstack
Justice Dept. Accuses Real Estate Developers of Taking Advantage of Immigrants

HOUSTON — The Justice Department on Wednesday sued real estate developers behind a large housing complex outside of Houston the... Read More

HOUSTON — The Justice Department on Wednesday sued real estate developers behind a large housing complex outside of Houston the government has accused of taking advantage of immigrants. Colony Ridge promises the buyers secure housing but the Justice Department says... Read More

2023-11-21 20:25:23
by Tom Ramstack
Elon Musk’s X Sues Media Watchdog Over Accusations of White Supremacy

WASHINGTON — The world’s richest man fired back Monday against his accusers who say he supports white supremacy by filing... Read More

WASHINGTON — The world’s richest man fired back Monday against his accusers who say he supports white supremacy by filing a lawsuit against the liberal media watchdog group Media Matters for America. He says in the lawsuit filed in federal... Read More

2023-11-07 21:13:18
by Tom Ramstack
Whistleblower Says Meta Execs Knew Social Media Can Harm Kids

WASHINGTON — A whistleblower former employee of Meta Platforms Inc. told a Senate panel Tuesday that top executives of the... Read More

WASHINGTON — A whistleblower former employee of Meta Platforms Inc. told a Senate panel Tuesday that top executives of the social media giant knew their Facebook platform harmed young people but covered it up to avoid interfering with their profits.... Read More

2023-10-25 21:36:18
by Tom Ramstack
Meta Platforms Sued by States Over Alleged Harm to Children

WASHINGTON — Meta Platforms Inc. was sued Tuesday in federal court by states saying the company’s Facebook and Instagram social... Read More

WASHINGTON — Meta Platforms Inc. was sued Tuesday in federal court by states saying the company’s Facebook and Instagram social media use features that are addictive to children and threaten their mental health. Facebook and Instagram include interactive features that... Read More

2023-10-23 15:37:45
by Dan McCue
Justices Lift Restrictions on Biden Admin Contacts With Social Media Companies

WASHINGTON — A divided Supreme Court on Friday lifted a pair of lower court rulings that barred the Biden administration... Read More

WASHINGTON — A divided Supreme Court on Friday lifted a pair of lower court rulings that barred the Biden administration from communicating with social media companies while litigation over the government’s effort to thwart misinformation online winds its way through... Read More

Meta and X Questioned by Lawmakers Over Lack of Rules Against AI-Generated Political Deepfakes

Deepfakes generated by artificial intelligence are having their moment this year, at least when it comes to making it look,... Read More

Deepfakes generated by artificial intelligence are having their moment this year, at least when it comes to making it look, or sound, like celebrities did something uncanny. Tom Hanks hawking a dental plan. Pope Francis wearing a stylish puffer jacket.... Read More

Europe's Sweeping Rules for Tech Giants About to Kick In. Here's How They Work

LONDON (AP) — Google, Facebook, TikTok and other Big Tech companies operating in Europe are facing one of the most... Read More

LONDON (AP) — Google, Facebook, TikTok and other Big Tech companies operating in Europe are facing one of the most far-reaching efforts to clean up what people encounter online. The first phase of the European Union’s groundbreaking new digital rules will take... Read More

Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and Other Tech Firms Agree to AI Safeguards Set by White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and other companies that are leading the development of artificial intelligence technology have agreed to... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and other companies that are leading the development of artificial intelligence technology have agreed to meet a set of AI safeguards brokered by President Joe Biden's administration. The White House said Friday that it has... Read More

2023-07-20 14:44:03
by Kennedy Thomason
Young People Lobby Congress for More Online Protections

WASHINGTON — Youth advocates made their presence felt on Capitol Hill this week, planting signs on the west lawn of... Read More

WASHINGTON — Youth advocates made their presence felt on Capitol Hill this week, planting signs on the west lawn of the Capitol and visiting lawmakers, in pursuit of greater social media protections for youth.  Design It For Us, a coalition... Read More

RFK Jr. Will Testify at a House Hearing, GOP Elevates Biden's Rival

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans will be delving into claims of government censorship of online speech at a public hearing,... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans will be delving into claims of government censorship of online speech at a public hearing, asking Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to testify despite requests from outside groups to disinvite the Democratic presidential candidate after his recent antisemitic remarks.... Read More

2023-07-14 20:30:11
by Dan McCue
Appeals Court Stays Order Limiting Feds Contact With Social Media Firms

NEW ORLEANS — A federal appeals court on Friday afternoon stayed until further notice a lower court ruling that dramatically... Read More

NEW ORLEANS — A federal appeals court on Friday afternoon stayed until further notice a lower court ruling that dramatically curbed the Biden administration’s ability to talk to social media companies due to free speech concerns. The decision by the... Read More

Biden Administration Seeks Stay of Judge's Social Media Order, Saying It Could Cause 'Grave Harm'

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Louisiana-based federal judge's order broadly limiting executive branch communications with social media companies could cause “grave... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Louisiana-based federal judge's order broadly limiting executive branch communications with social media companies could cause “grave harm” by preventing the government from “engaging in a vast range of lawful and responsible conduct,” Biden administration attorneys said... Read More

What Is Threads? All Your Questions About Meta's new Twitter Rival, Answered

NEW YORK (AP) — Threads, a text-based app built by Meta to rival Twitter, is live. The app, billed as... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — Threads, a text-based app built by Meta to rival Twitter, is live. The app, billed as the text version of Meta's photo-sharing platform Instagram, became available Wednesday night to users in more than 100 countries — including the... Read More

2023-07-05 17:25:12
by Tom Ramstack
Judge Blocks Biden Administration From Influencing Social Media

NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge in Louisiana on Tuesday ordered the Biden administration and federal agencies to stop trying... Read More

NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge in Louisiana on Tuesday ordered the Biden administration and federal agencies to stop trying to influence posts on social media platforms. The president and some members of Congress have called for a regulatory crackdown... Read More

Microsoft's Media Literacy Program Aims to Empower Internet Users and Combat Online Misinformation

WASHINGTON (AP) — People are hungry for accurate and reliable information online and may just need help to find it,... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — People are hungry for accurate and reliable information online and may just need help to find it, according to a new media literacy project launched by Microsoft. The tech company worked with the Trust Project, a nonprofit... Read More

DeSantis 'Digital Town Square' Bogged Down With Tech Glitches

Elon Musk wants to turn Twitter into a “digital town square,” but his much-publicized Twitter Spaces kickoff event, with Florida Gov.... Read More

Elon Musk wants to turn Twitter into a “digital town square,” but his much-publicized Twitter Spaces kickoff event, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announcing his run for president, struggled with technical glitches and a near half-hour delay Tuesday. The billionaire Twitter owner... Read More

2023-05-24 17:48:44
by Dan McCue
Surgeon General Warns Social Media Poses ‘Profound Risk’ to Young People

WASHINGTON — While social media use may be beneficial to some people, the U.S. surgeon general warned Tuesday that not... Read More

WASHINGTON — While social media use may be beneficial to some people, the U.S. surgeon general warned Tuesday that not enough is being done to fully understand or address the likely harm it does to the mental health and well-being... Read More

2023-05-18 21:14:36
by Dan McCue
Supreme Court Holds Twitter, Google Not Responsible for ISIS Content

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against the family of a 2015 ISIS attack victim, saying they could... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against the family of a 2015 ISIS attack victim, saying they could not hold Google “directly” or “secondarily” liable for posts the terror group made to the tech giant’s YouTube site before... Read More

Twitter's New CEO is an NBCUniversal Executive With Deep Ad Industry Ties

Elon Musk confirmed that the new CEO for Twitter will be NBCUniversal’s Linda Yaccarino, an executive with deep ties to the advertising... Read More

Elon Musk confirmed that the new CEO for Twitter will be NBCUniversal’s Linda Yaccarino, an executive with deep ties to the advertising industry. “I am excited to welcome Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter!” Musk wrote in a Friday tweet.... Read More

Congress Eyes New Rules for Tech: What's Under Consideration

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most Democrats and Republicans agree that the federal government should better regulate the biggest technology companies, particularly... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most Democrats and Republicans agree that the federal government should better regulate the biggest technology companies, particularly social media platforms. But there is very little consensus on how it should be done. Should TikTok be banned? Should... Read More

2023-04-24 16:04:41
by Dan McCue
High Court to Decide When Officials Can Block People on Social Media

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to determine whether the First Amendment protects social media users from being... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to determine whether the First Amendment protects social media users from being blocked on the personal pages of government officials. Today’s decision consolidates two cases, one a lawsuit brought against two members... Read More

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