INSIDER
EU slaps Meta with a nearly 800 million euro fine for engaging in 'abusive' Marketplace practices
Read full article: EU slaps Meta with a nearly 800 million euro fine for engaging in 'abusive' Marketplace practicesEuropean Union regulators hit Facebook parent Meta with a fine of nearly 800 million euros on Thursday for what it calls “abusive practices” involving its Marketplace online classified ads business.
Facebook and Instagram users in Europe can opt for less personalized ads
Read full article: Facebook and Instagram users in Europe can opt for less personalized adsFacebook and Instagram users in Europe will get the option to see less personalized ads if they don’t want to pay for an ad-free subscription.
Meta's third-quarter profit surges 35% reflecting strong ad revenue and its AI push
Read full article: Meta's third-quarter profit surges 35% reflecting strong ad revenue and its AI pushMeta Platforms Inc. has posted stronger-than-expected third-quarter results fueled by its advertising revenue growth and its push to incorporate artificial intelligence.
TikTok let through disinformation in political ads despite its own ban, Global Witness finds
Read full article: TikTok let through disinformation in political ads despite its own ban, Global Witness findsJust weeks before the U.S. presidential election, TikTok still approved advertisements that contained election disinformation even though it has a ban on political ads.
Independent in key House race suspends campaign, saying he was 'pawn' in election fraud scheme
Read full article: Independent in key House race suspends campaign, saying he was 'pawn' in election fraud schemeA congressional candidate who says he was tricked by Democrats into running as a spoiler in a competitive House race in Minnesota is suspending his campaign and endorsing his Republican rival.
Facebook, YouTube and TikTok users in Europe get forum to challenge social media content decisions
Read full article: Facebook, YouTube and TikTok users in Europe get forum to challenge social media content decisionsSocial media users across the European Union will soon have a new forum to challenge decisions by platforms to remove posts and videos for breaking their rules or leave up others that may violate them.
Austrian activist Schrems wins privacy case against Meta over personal data on sexual orientation
Read full article: Austrian activist Schrems wins privacy case against Meta over personal data on sexual orientationThe European Union’s top court has said that social media company Meta can’t use public information about a user’s sexual orientation obtained outside its platforms for personalized advertising under the bloc’s strict data privacy rules.
A secretive group recruited far-right candidates in key US House races. It could help Democrats
Read full article: A secretive group recruited far-right candidates in key US House races. It could help DemocratsSeveral little-known pro-Trump candidates are running for Congress in key races as independents, and an Associated Press review finds they were recruited and backed by the same shadowy group.
Zuckerberg says the White House pressured Facebook over some COVID-19 content during the pandemic
Read full article: Zuckerberg says the White House pressured Facebook over some COVID-19 content during the pandemicMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says senior Biden administration officials pressured Facebook to “censor” some COVID-19 content during the pandemic.
Criminal cyber attack behind McLaren Health Network IT collapse
Read full article: Criminal cyber attack behind McLaren Health Network IT collapseAccording to McLaren Northern Michigan's Facebook page, the disruption to their information technology and phone systems reported on Tuesday resulted from a criminal cyber attack.
Meta agrees to $1.4B settlement with Texas in privacy lawsuit over facial recognition
Read full article: Meta agrees to $1.4B settlement with Texas in privacy lawsuit over facial recognitionOfficials say Meta has agreed to a $1.4 billion settlement with Texas in a privacy lawsuit over allegations that the tech giant used biometric data of users without their permission.
Violent clashes erupt between police and protesters in Dhaka even after 6 die during campus protests
Read full article: Violent clashes erupt between police and protesters in Dhaka even after 6 die during campus protestsSeveral major universities in Bangladesh have agreed to shut their doors after at least six people died in violent campus protests.
Facebook lifts restrictions on Trump, giving him equal footing with Biden on the social media site
Read full article: Facebook lifts restrictions on Trump, giving him equal footing with Biden on the social media siteFacebook has lifted restrictions imposed on Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Political ads on social media rife with misinformation and scams, new research finds
Read full article: Political ads on social media rife with misinformation and scams, new research findsA deep dive into political ads on Facebook by researchers at Syracuse University has revealed a sprawling web of advertisements that contain misleading information or scams.
Supreme Court will take up Meta's bid to end lawsuit over Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal
Read full article: Supreme Court will take up Meta's bid to end lawsuit over Cambridge Analytica privacy scandalThe Supreme Court has agreed to consider shutting down a multibillion-dollar class action investors’ lawsuit against Facebook parent Meta stemming from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm.
Spain proposes law to improve online safety for children, including virtual restraining orders
Read full article: Spain proposes law to improve online safety for children, including virtual restraining ordersSpain’s government has proposed a law to protect children from online threats that includes virtual restraining orders for felons and a higher age for opening social media accounts.
What we know about the young missionaries and religious leader killed in Haiti
Read full article: What we know about the young missionaries and religious leader killed in HaitiA spokesperson for the families of a young missionary couple from the U.S. says their bodies are going to be transported to Missouri this week.
Popular Facebook group catches Macomb County man sending graphic texts, pics to young girl, cops say
Read full article: Popular Facebook group catches Macomb County man sending graphic texts, pics to young girl, cops sayA popular Facebook group helped catch a Macomb County man in the act of sending graphic messages and pictures to someone he thought was an 11-year-old girl, police said.
Facebook and Instagram face fresh EU digital scrutiny over child safety measures
Read full article: Facebook and Instagram face fresh EU digital scrutiny over child safety measuresThe European Union opened fresh investigations into Facebook and Instagram over suspicions that they’re failing to protect children online, in violation of the bloc’s strict digital regulations for social media platforms.
Democratic officials criticize Meta ad policy, saying it amplifies lies about 2020 election
Read full article: Democratic officials criticize Meta ad policy, saying it amplifies lies about 2020 electionSeveral Democrats serving as their state’s top election officials have sent a letter to the parent company of Facebook, asking it to stop allowing ads that claim the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Read full article: Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external toolsDo social media users have the right to control what they see — or don’t see — on their feeds.
Meta under fire from European Union for not doing enough about election disinformation
Read full article: Meta under fire from European Union for not doing enough about election disinformationThe European Union says it’s investigating Facebook and Instagram for suspected violations of the bloc’s digital rulebook, including not doing enough to protect users from foreign disinformation ahead of EU-wide elections.
Meta more than doubles Q1 profit but revenue guidance pulls shares down after-hours
Read full article: Meta more than doubles Q1 profit but revenue guidance pulls shares down after-hoursFacebook and Instagram parent company Meta says its first-quarter profit more than doubled, boosted by higher advertising revenue and a 6% increase on the average price of ads on its platforms.
Meta's newest AI model beats some peers. But its amped-up AI agents are confusing Facebook users
Read full article: Meta's newest AI model beats some peers. But its amped-up AI agents are confusing Facebook usersGenerative AI is advancing so quickly that the latest chatbots available today could be out of date tomorrow.
Two tribal nations sue social media companies over Native youth suicides
Read full article: Two tribal nations sue social media companies over Native youth suicidesTwo tribal nations are accusing social media companies of contributing to high rates of suicides that disproportionately affect Native American youth.
Facebook News tab will soon be unavailable as Meta scales back news and political content
Read full article: Facebook News tab will soon be unavailable as Meta scales back news and political contentMeta will be sunsetting Facebook News in early April for users in the U.S. and Australia as the platform further deemphasizes news and politics.
Reddit poised to make its stock market debut after IPO prices at $34 per share amid strong demand
Read full article: Reddit poised to make its stock market debut after IPO prices at $34 per share amid strong demandReddit will enter a new era as a publicly traded company with a market value of $6.4 billion.
Supreme Court weighs how far federal officials can go to combat controversial posts on hot topics
Read full article: Supreme Court weighs how far federal officials can go to combat controversial posts on hot topicsThe Supreme Court is taking up a dispute between Republican-led states and the Biden administration over how far the federal government can go to combat controversial social media posts on topics like COVID-19 and election security.
House Republicans move ahead with TikTok vote even as Trump voices opposition to possible ban
Read full article: House Republicans move ahead with TikTok vote even as Trump voices opposition to possible banHouse Republicans are moving ahead with a bill that would require Chinese company ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban in the United States even as former President Donald Trump is voicing opposition to the effort.
Most teens report feeling happy or peaceful when they go without smartphones, Pew survey finds
Read full article: Most teens report feeling happy or peaceful when they go without smartphones, Pew survey findsNearly three-quarters of U.S. teens say they feel happy or peaceful when they don’t have their phones with them, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center.
State AGs send letter to Meta asking it to take 'immediate action' on user account takeovers
Read full article: State AGs send letter to Meta asking it to take 'immediate action' on user account takeoversA group of 40 state attorneys general have sent a letter to Instagram and Facebook parent company Meta expressing concern over what they say is dramatic uptick of consumer complaints about account takeovers and lockouts.
Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Threads logins restored after widespread outage
Read full article: Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Threads logins restored after widespread outageA technical issue had caused widespread login issues for more than an hour across Meta’s Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Messenger platforms on Tuesday.
Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley begin annual campaign on International Women’s Day
Read full article: Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley begin annual campaign on International Women’s DayStarting at 9 a.m., teams will build up the walls of a project at 966 N. Prospect Rd. in Ypsilanti for a future buyer.
Oversight board urges Meta to rethink its policy on manipulated media in high-stakes election year
Read full article: Oversight board urges Meta to rethink its policy on manipulated media in high-stakes election yearAn oversight board is criticizing Facebook owner Meta's policies on manipulated media as “incoherent” and insufficient to address online disinformation in a major election year.
Mark Zuckerberg's long apology tour: A brief history
Read full article: Mark Zuckerberg's long apology tour: A brief historyMark Zuckerberg has accumulated a long history of public apologies, often issued in the wake of crisis or when Facebook users rose up against unannounced — and frequently unappreciated — changes in its service.
What happened during Day 2 of trial for mother of Oxford High School shooter
Read full article: What happened during Day 2 of trial for mother of Oxford High School shooterProsecutors in the Jennifer Crumbley trial are using witnesses, text messages, and Facebook Messenger to paint her as someone more concerned about herself than her son, the Oxford High School shooter.
British man seeks Detroit family that turned him into Lions fan during Ireland trip in 1985
Read full article: British man seeks Detroit family that turned him into Lions fan during Ireland trip in 1985Detroit Lions fever is taking hold of America -- but one fan from across the ocean is hoping to find his fanhood roots.
Suspect in killing of 8 people in suburban Chicago has fatally shot himself in Texas, police say
Read full article: Suspect in killing of 8 people in suburban Chicago has fatally shot himself in Texas, police sayA man suspected of shooting and killing eight people in suburban Chicago fatally shot himself after a confrontation at a gas station with law enforcement officials in Texas.
Court documents underscore Meta's 'historical reluctance' to protect children on Instagram
Read full article: Court documents underscore Meta's 'historical reluctance' to protect children on InstagramNewly unredacted documents from New Mexico’s lawsuit against Meta underscore the company’s historical reluctance to keep children safe on its platforms.
Meta to hide posts about suicide, eating disorders from teens' Instagram and Facebook feeds
Read full article: Meta to hide posts about suicide, eating disorders from teens' Instagram and Facebook feedsMeta says it will start hiding inappropriate content from teenagers’ accounts on Instagram and Facebook.
A judge has temporarily halted enforcement of an Ohio law limiting kids’ use of social media
Read full article: A judge has temporarily halted enforcement of an Ohio law limiting kids’ use of social mediaA federal judge has temporarily halted enforcement of an Ohio law that would require children under 16 to get parental consent to use social media apps.
A group representing TikTok, Meta and X sues Ohio over new law limiting kids' use of social media
Read full article: A group representing TikTok, Meta and X sues Ohio over new law limiting kids' use of social mediaA trade group representing TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and other major tech companies has sued Ohio over a pending law that requires children to get parental consent to use social media apps.
Social media companies made $11 billion in US ad revenue from minors, Harvard study finds
Read full article: Social media companies made $11 billion in US ad revenue from minors, Harvard study findsA study from Harvard says social media companies collectively made over $11 billion in U.S. advertising revenue from minors last year.
Meta's initial decisions to remove 2 videos of Israel-Hamas war reversed by Oversight Board
Read full article: Meta's initial decisions to remove 2 videos of Israel-Hamas war reversed by Oversight BoardA quasi-independent review board has ruled that Facebook parent company Meta should overturn two decisions it made this fall to remove posts “informing the world about human suffering on both sides” of the Israel-Hamas war.
Pew survey: YouTube tops teens' social-media diet, with roughly a sixth using it almost constantly
Read full article: Pew survey: YouTube tops teens' social-media diet, with roughly a sixth using it almost constantlyTeen usage of social media hasn’t dropped much, despite rising concerns about its effects on the mental health of adolescents.
Chinese navy ships are first to dock at new pier at Cambodian naval base linked to Beijing
Read full article: Chinese navy ships are first to dock at new pier at Cambodian naval base linked to BeijingChinese naval vessels have become the first ships to dock at a new pier at a Cambodian naval base that the United States and some international security experts say is destined to serve as a strategic outpost for Beijing’s navy.
Facebook parent sued by New Mexico alleging it has failed to shield children from predators
Read full article: Facebook parent sued by New Mexico alleging it has failed to shield children from predatorsNew Mexico's attorney general is suing the parent company of Facebook and Instagram claiming it failed to protect underage users from exposure to child sexual abuse material and let adults solicit pornographic imagery from them.
Spanish newspaper association files multimillion-euro suit against Meta over advertising practices
Read full article: Spanish newspaper association files multimillion-euro suit against Meta over advertising practicesA Spanish association representing more than 80 newspapers has filed a lawsuit against Facebook parent Meta accusing it of unfair competition in online advertising by allegedly ignoring European Union rules on data protection.
Facebook parent Meta sues the FTC claiming 'unconstitutional authority' in child privacy case
Read full article: Facebook parent Meta sues the FTC claiming 'unconstitutional authority' in child privacy caseThe parent company of Instagram and Facebook has sued the Federal Trade Commission in an attempt to stop the agency from reopening a 2020 privacy settlement with the company that would prohibit it from profiting from data it collects on users under 18.
Thousands of fake Facebook accounts shut down by Meta were primed to polarize voters ahead of 2024
Read full article: Thousands of fake Facebook accounts shut down by Meta were primed to polarize voters ahead of 2024Meta says it has found and disabled thousands of fake Facebook accounts linked to China that were used to spread politically partisan content in the United States before next year’s election.
TikTok and Meta challenge Europe's new rules that crack down on digital giants
Read full article: TikTok and Meta challenge Europe's new rules that crack down on digital giantsTikTok and Meta are filing legal challenges against new European Union rules designed to counter the dominance of digital giants and make online competition fairer by giving consumers more choice.
Meta rolls out paid ad-free option for European Facebook and Insta users after privacy ruling
Read full article: Meta rolls out paid ad-free option for European Facebook and Insta users after privacy rulingFacebook and Instagram users in Europe are getting the option to pay for ad-free versions of the social media platforms as a way to comply with the continent’s strict data privacy rules.
Facebook parent Meta posts sharply higher profit in 3Q thanks to increase in ad revenue
Read full article: Facebook parent Meta posts sharply higher profit in 3Q thanks to increase in ad revenueFacebook parent Meta has posted sharply higher earnings for the third quarter, boosted by an increase in advertising revenue and lower expenses after it laid off thousands of workers.
Kenyan Facebook moderators accuse Meta of not negotiating sincerely
Read full article: Kenyan Facebook moderators accuse Meta of not negotiating sincerelyThe lawyer representing 184 former Facebook content moderators based in Kenya who have sued the site's parent company, Meta, over working conditions and pay has told the judge that Meta was not sincere in trying to reach an out-of-court settlement as agreed in the last court session.
Facebook and Instagram users in Europe could get ad-free subscription option, WSJ reports
Read full article: Facebook and Instagram users in Europe could get ad-free subscription option, WSJ reportsMeta plans to give Facebook and Instagram users in Europe the option of paying for ad-free versions of the social media platforms as a way to comply with the continent’s strict data privacy rules.
Answering 14 Detroit Lions fan questions: Dreading SOL, injury concerns, rookies
Read full article: Answering 14 Detroit Lions fan questions: Dreading SOL, injury concerns, rookiesThe Detroit Lions got back in the win column last week and are about to take on the Packers for sole possession of first place in the NFC North.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg kicks off developer conference with focus on AI, virtual reality
Read full article: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg kicks off developer conference with focus on AI, virtual realityMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg kicked off the tech giant’s Connect developer conference on Wednesday with a focus on virtual and augmented reality and artificial intelligence.
UK's new online safety law adds to crackdown on Big Tech companies
Read full article: UK's new online safety law adds to crackdown on Big Tech companiesBritish lawmakers have approved an ambitious but controversial new internet safety law with wide-ranging powers to crack down on digital and social media companies like TikTok, Google and Facebook and Instagram parent Meta.
Why didn’t Detroit Lions go for the win? Where’s the holding penalty? Answering 15 fan questions
Read full article: Why didn’t Detroit Lions go for the win? Where’s the holding penalty? Answering 15 fan questionsWhether it’s Dan Campbell’s decision making, the defensive play calling, officiating, or all the Patrick Mahomes commercials, Detroit Lions fans have plenty of frustrations after the loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Supreme Court pauses order curbing Biden administration efforts to block social media posts
Read full article: Supreme Court pauses order curbing Biden administration efforts to block social media postsThe Supreme Court has temporarily blocked enforcement of a lower court order curbing Biden administration efforts to combat controversial social media posts.
Court sides with Norwegian regulator's $100K daily fine imposed on Meta over ad privacy concerns
Read full article: Court sides with Norwegian regulator's $100K daily fine imposed on Meta over ad privacy concernsMeta has lost a legal battle to freeze an order from Norway’s data protection authority that imposes hefty fines on the Facebook and Instagram owner over advertising practices deemed to violate user privacy.
EU targets Apple, Amazon, Meta and other Big Tech in next phase of digital crackdown
Read full article: EU targets Apple, Amazon, Meta and other Big Tech in next phase of digital crackdownThe European Union is targeting six Big Tech companies including Amazon, Apple and Microsoft under new digital rules aimed at reining in the market power of online companies.
Elon Musk says X, formerly Twitter, will have voice and video calls, updates privacy policy
Read full article: Elon Musk says X, formerly Twitter, will have voice and video calls, updates privacy policyElon Musk says his social network X, formerly known as Twitter, will give users the ability to make voice and video calls on the platform.
Thailand threatening to shut down Facebook, alleging it doesn't screen ads well enough
Read full article: Thailand threatening to shut down Facebook, alleging it doesn't screen ads well enoughA Thai Cabinet minister is threatening to try to shut down Facebook in the country, saying the social media platform does not do enough to screen the advertisements it runs, leaving people vulnerable to costly scams.
Europe's sweeping rules for tech giants have kicked in. Here's how they work
Read full article: Europe's sweeping rules for tech giants have kicked in. Here's how they workGoogle, Facebook, TikTok and other Big Tech companies operating in Europe must comply with one of the most far-reaching efforts to clean up what people see online.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slams Facebook for blocking Canada wildfire news
Read full article: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slams Facebook for blocking Canada wildfire newsCanadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Facebook of putting profits over people’s safety during Canada’s wildfire emergencies.
Items listed for sale on Facebook might have been posted by scammers who hacked an account
Read full article: Items listed for sale on Facebook might have been posted by scammers who hacked an accountScammers are hacking into people’s Facebook accounts and posting items for sale as a way to steal money from would-be buyers.
For Mark Zuckerberg's Threads, the real rival is still TikTok -- not the former Twitter
Read full article: For Mark Zuckerberg's Threads, the real rival is still TikTok -- not the former TwitterThreads, the simple, bare-bones text-based social network created by Facebook owner Meta, burst onto the scene during a particularly bad week for the rival then still known as Twitter.
Man accused of gun crime in Oakland County after wearing same tank top on both Facebook accounts
Read full article: Man accused of gun crime in Oakland County after wearing same tank top on both Facebook accountsA man with previous convictions is facing a new charge in Oakland County after he posted a picture with a gun on an alternate Facebook account while wearing the same tank top as the one in his actual profile picture, authorities said.
Georgia kids would need parental permission to join social media if Senate Republicans get their way
Read full article: Georgia kids would need parental permission to join social media if Senate Republicans get their wayChildren in Georgia would need their parents' permission to create social media accounts if some top Republicans in the state get their way next year.
Facebook owner Meta carries out threat to block news in Canada. Google plans to do the same
Read full article: Facebook owner Meta carries out threat to block news in Canada. Google plans to do the sameFacebook and Instagram parent company Meta is keeping its promise to block news content in Canada on its platforms in response to a new law that requires tech giants to pay publishers for linking to or otherwise repurposing their content online.
Deep dive into Meta's algorithms shows that America's political polarization has no easy fix
Read full article: Deep dive into Meta's algorithms shows that America's political polarization has no easy fixA team of some of the world's leading social media researchers has published four studies looking at the relationship between the algorithms used by Facebook and Instagram and America's widening political divide.
Republican-led committee calls off vote to hold Meta's Mark Zuckerberg in contempt
Read full article: Republican-led committee calls off vote to hold Meta's Mark Zuckerberg in contemptA House committee has called off a vote on a recommendation that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg be held in contempt of Congress for failing to fully supply documents related to an investigation into supposed censorship of conservatives by tech companies.
Facebook parent Meta posts higher profit, revenue for Q2 as advertising rebounds
Read full article: Facebook parent Meta posts higher profit, revenue for Q2 as advertising reboundsFacebook parent company Meta Platforms posted stronger-than-expected results for the second quarter on Wednesday, buoyed by a rebound in online advertising after a post-pandemic slump.
Are you a Facebook user? You have one month left to apply for a share of this $725M settlement
Read full article: Are you a Facebook user? You have one month left to apply for a share of this $725M settlementU.S. Facebook users have one more month to apply for their share of a $725 million privacy settlement that parent company Meta agreed to pay late last year.
Cambodia's leader returns to Facebook weeks after an acrimonious breakup with the platform
Read full article: Cambodia's leader returns to Facebook weeks after an acrimonious breakup with the platformCambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's Facebook account has been reactivated, three weeks after he announced he was forsaking the social media giant in favor of posting on the Telegram messaging app.
Facebook parent Meta makes public its ChatGPT rival Llama
Read full article: Facebook parent Meta makes public its ChatGPT rival LlamaFacebook parent company Meta Platforms has built an artificial intelligence system that rivals the likes of ChatGPT and Google’s Bard but it’s taking a different approach: releasing it for free.
‘Only my dead friends’: 40 human skulls found decorating Kentucky home linked to body part sales
Read full article: ‘Only my dead friends’: 40 human skulls found decorating Kentucky home linked to body part salesA man told officials the only other people inside his Kentucky apartment were his “dead friends” moments before they found dozens of human skulls decorating the furniture, including the bed where he slept.