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‘Don’t pander to the tech giants!’ How a youth movement for digital justice is spreading across Europe
Gen Z are the first generation to have grown up with social media, they were the earliest adopters, and therefore the first to suffer its harms. Now they are fighting back Late one night in April 2020, towards the start of the Covid lockdowns, Shanley Clémot McLaren was scrolling on her phone when she noticed…
Ofcom urges social media platforms to combat abuse and limit online ‘pile-ons’
New guidance from UK regulator aims to combat misogynist abuse and ‘revenge porn’ Social media platforms are being urged to limit internet “pile-ons” under new guidelines to protect women and girls online. The guidance from Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, to combat misogynist abuse, coercive control and the sharing of intimate images without consent comes…
Meta could face millions in fines for not signing content deals in Australia
Labor’s proposed media bargaining incentive to apply to platforms with Australian-derived revenue of at least $250m, according to Treasury Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Meta and other tech companies refusing to sign content deals with Australian news outlets face millions…
Facebook’s job ads algorithm is sexist, French equality watchdog rules
Regulator found ads for mechanics skewed towards men while those for preschool teachers targeted women The French equalities regulator has ruled that Facebook’s algorithm for placing job adverts is sexist, after an investigation found that adverts for mechanic roles skewed towards men while those for preschool teachers were targeted at women. The Défenseur des Droits…
Meta found in breach of EU law over ‘ineffective’ complaints system for flagging illegal content
European Commission initial finding says Facebook and Instagram introduced unnecessary steps for users to submit reports Instagram and Facebook have breached EU law by failing to provide users with simple ways to complain or flag illegal content, including child sexual abuse material and terrorist content, the European Commission has said. In a preliminary finding on…
Parents will be able to block Meta bots from talking to their children under new safeguards
Measures come amid concern generative AI characters are having inappropriate conversations with under-18s Parents will be able to block their children’s interactions with Meta’s AI character chatbots, as the tech company addresses concerns over inappropriate conversations. The social media company is adding new safeguards to its “teen accounts”, which are a default setting for under-18…
Inside the everyday Facebook networks where far-right ideas grow
The Guardian spent a year studying an online community trading in anti-immigration sentiment and misinformation. Experts say such spaces can play a role in radicalisation Far-right Facebook groups are engine of radicalisation in UK, data investigation suggests Far-right ideas are gaining ground. They are thriving in online worlds which are not easily visible to large…
Facebook and Instagram to charge UK users £3.99 a month for ad-free version
Subscription service is Meta’s response to regulatory warnings over crunching users’ data to serve targeted ads Facebook and Instagram users in the UK are to be offered advert-free versions of the social networks for up to £3.99 a month. Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta has responded to regulatory warnings over personalised adverts, in which users’ data is…
Meta exposé author faces bankruptcy after ban on criticising company
Exclusive: Sarah Wynn-Williams faces $50,000 fine every time she breaches order banning her from criticising Meta A former Meta executive who wrote an explosive exposé making allegations about the social media company’s dealings with China and its treatment of teenagers is said to be “on the verge of bankruptcy” after publishing the book. An MP…
‘If I felt Zuckerberg and Sandberg were monsters, I wouldn’t have worked at Meta’: Nick Clegg on tech bros, AI and Starmer’s half measures
When Britain’s former deputy PM took a job at Meta, nothing could have prepared him for the ‘cloying conformity’ of the tech world. So why does he still think social media is a force for good? • Read an exclusive extract from Nick Clegg’s new book here The rain is just starting to fall from…