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For more open and equitable public discussions on social media, try 'meronymity'Have you ever felt reluctant to share ideas during a meeting because you feared judgment from senior colleagues? You're not alone. Research has shown this pervasive issue can lead to a lack of diversity in public discourse, especially when junior members of a community don't speak up because they feel... Read more
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Meta shouldn't force users to pay for data protection: EU watchdogFacebook owner Meta and other online platforms must not force users to pay for the right to data protection enshrined in EU law when offering ad-free subscriptions, the European data regulator said Wednesday.... Read more
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Shadowbanning: Some marginalized social media users believe their content is suppressedSocial media allows users to express themselves through words, pictures, videos and emojis, but some marginalized groups say social media platforms restrict the visibility of their online posts, according to a new University of Michigan study.... Read more
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Google unveils new updates to make trip planning easier for travelersGoogle Maps is launching new updates that are intended to make finding travel inspiration and local recommendations in your destination easier. Users will start seeing these lists of suggestions popping up in Google Maps in more than 40 cities across the U.S. and Canada this week. These updates will also... Read more
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Meta 'temporarily' closes Threads network in TurkeyFacebook owner Meta said Monday it would "temporarily" shut down its Threads short-messaging service in Turkey after an order from Ankara's competition watchdog over data-sharing.... Read more
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Google yanks California news sites over proposed lawGoogle on Friday said it is testing removing links to California news sites for some users in the western US state as legislators mull making the online search giant pay for connecting people to news.... Read more
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Meta turns to AI to protect minors from 'sextortion' on InstagramMeta said on Thursday it was developing new tools to protect teenage users from "sextortion" scams on its Instagram platform, which has been accused by US politicians of damaging the mental health of youngsters.... Read more
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Google faces deluge of $10,000 Incognito mode lawsuits after class-action dealGoogle's legal troubles over whether the search giant duped users into believing its "Incognito" browsing mode was truly private aren't over yet: A week after settling a federal class-action suit, the Mountain View company is facing an avalanche of new lawsuits in San Jose from thousands of users who claim... Read more
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AI vs humans: Influencers face competition from virtual modelsSocial media influencers have embraced artificial intelligence to spice up their content but they are also facing growing competition from AI-generated Instagramers, TikTokers and YouTubers.... Read more
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Microsoft says China using AI to sow division in USChina is ramping up use of AI-generated content and fake social media accounts to inflame division in the United States and elsewhere, according to the latest report from Microsoft's threat center.... Read more
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Meta to start labeling AI-generated content in MayFacebook and Instagram giant Meta on Friday said it will begin labeling AI-generated media beginning in May, as it tries to reassure users and governments over the risks of deepfakes.... Read more
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X gives free blue check to big follower accountsUsers with big followings will receive a free subscription to X, formerly Twitter—and the platform's famous blue check, the company said in another policy U-turn.... Read more
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An anonymous coder nearly hacked a big chunk of the internet. How worried should we be?Outside the world of open-source software, it's likely few people would have heard about XZ Utils, a small but widely used tool for data compression in Linux systems. But late last week, security experts uncovered a serious and deliberate flaw that could leave networked Linux computers susceptible to malicious attacks.... Read more
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Elon Musk's X has a new safety leader, nine months after predecessor left the social media platformElon Musk's X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has named a new head of safety nine months after the last executive to hold the position departed from the social media company.... Read more
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Browsing in incognito mode doesn't protect you as much as you might thinkAlthough a private browsing mode known as "Incognito" in Google's widely used Chrome browser has been available for nearly a decade, a legal settlement involving the way it works has cast new attention on this commonly available setting.... Read more