YouTube expanded its medical misinformation policies today to include new guidelines that ban vaccine misinformation. The Google-owned video platform had previously banned over 1 million videos spreading dangerous COVID-19 misinformation. Now, YouTube says it will also remove content that spreads misinformation about vaccine safety, the efficacy of vaccines and ingredients in vaccines. The platform previously […]
Facebook’s Effort To Attract Preteens Goes Beyond Instagram Kids, Documents Show
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Wall Street Journal: Facebook has come under increasing fire in recent days for its effect on young users and its efforts to create products for them. Inside the company, teams of employees have for years be…
Social media firms serve as gateway for scammers, says finance watchdog
FCA threatens action unless platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram do not toughen up against fraudstersSocial media sites such as Facebook and Instagram serve as a “gateway” for fraudsters, the City watchdog has warned, as it demanded they t…
Ex-Fox host claims Facebook defamed him by fact-checking climate change videos
Former Fox Business host says his ad revenue has taken a hit.
Amazon introduces Amazon Glow, an interactive, video calling device for kids and families
Amazon today introduced Amazon Glow, a new, interactive device aimed at families that allows kids to interact with family members and other remote loved ones over video calls. While something of a competitor to Facebook’s line of Portal devices, which are also largely aimed at connecting families over video, Amazon Glow differentiates itself by providing […]
Should Mark Zuckerberg be scared of Peter Thiel?
Unless you’ve been in a cave over the last week, you’ve likely read a review or some discussion about The Contrarian, a new book about billionaire investor Peter Thiel by longtime Bloomberg Businessweek features editor and tech reporter Max Chafkin. It isn’t surprising. Thiel has become an increasingly powerful figure in the U.S., and Chafkin […]
TikTok reached 1 billion monthly active users
TikTok announced in a blog post today that 1 billion people use TikTok every month. That means that on this big rock in space that we call home, about one in seven-and-a-half people are regularly watching short-form videos of dancing, dangerous “milk crate challenges” and even actual educational content. For context, Facebook said that in […]
UK clears Facebook’s purchase of CRM maker, Kustomer
The UK’s competition watchdog has cleared Facebook’s acquisition of Kustomer, a maker of CRM tools. The purchase was announced last November — with a price-tag we reported as $1BN — but is pending closing after facing regulatory scrutiny. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened an inquiry on the proposed merger this summer, at […]
Facebook pauses work on Instagram Kids after teen mental health concerns
Move follows WSJ revelations that Facebook-commissioned research showed Instagram could affect girls’ mental healthFacebook has halted work on its Instagram Kids project after revelations about the photo-sharing app’s impact on teen mental health.Insta…
Facebook’s wearable glasses can succeed where Google Glass flopped
While Google tried to invent the design of its new glasses — using its imagination about what people wanted — Facebook leveraged a design that already has some certainties around it.