Topic: content moderation
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YouTube Reinstates Creators Banned for COVID Misinfo
YouTube is reversing its policy by allowing some previously banned creators, who spread COVID-19 and election misinformation, to return to the platform. The company attributes the change to a commitment to free expression, citing past political pressure and the evolution of its community guidelin...
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Inside the Hellscape of American Content Moderation
The film "American Sweatshop" explores the psychological toll on content moderators who filter harmful online content, highlighting their role in maintaining usable digital spaces. It focuses on a moderator's mental unraveling after viewing disturbing material, using indirect visuals to emphasize...
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Meta Apologizes to GOP in Hearing as Google Holds Firm
Meta apologized to Republican lawmakers for not more forcefully opposing the Biden administration's content moderation requests, committing to defend its standards against future government pressure. Google maintained its standard practice of frequently denying government takedown requests, empha...
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Report: Trump admin may deny H1-B visas to content moderators
The U.S. State Department has directed consular officials to scrutinize H1-B visa applicants with backgrounds in content moderation or fact-checking, potentially deeming them ineligible if linked to "suppression of protected expression." This policy shift, part of broader immigration changes, has...
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Meta's 17-strike rule for sex trafficking revealed by ex-safety exec
A former Meta safety executive testified that the company allowed accounts involved in human trafficking and sexual solicitation to accumulate sixteen violations before suspension, prioritizing user engagement over safety. The lawsuit alleges that Instagram lacked a specific reporting system for ...
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Hinge's New Policy Makes Account Bans More Fair
Hinge is implementing a new policy that removes only specific rule-breaking content instead of immediately banning entire accounts, allowing users to correct issues while their profiles are temporarily hidden. The platform will notify users of violations via email, push notifications, and in-app ...
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YouTube Reinstates Banned Channels: Advertiser Impact Explained
YouTube is reinstating channels previously banned under old COVID-19 and election rules, marking a major shift in moderation toward free expression. Reinstated channels can monetize content again, expanding ad inventory but raising brand-safety concerns for advertisers. The policy change allows s...
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Charlie Kirk's Death Sparks Debate on Content Moderation
The shooting of activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University sparked widespread circulation of graphic videos on social media platforms, often without warnings or consent, and was accompanied by an AI-generated misinformation report about his survival. Researchers and experts criticize platfor...
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House Advances New KOSA Bill to Protect Kids Online
The House Energy and Commerce Committee has introduced a package of 19 bills aimed at enhancing child safety online, potentially creating the most significant internet regulations in years and reigniting debates over online speech and platform responsibility. A revised Kids Online Safety Act (KOS...
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A Year After Trump's Win, Democrats Still Struggle Online
The Democratic Party continues to struggle with a rigid, top-down digital strategy that hinders authentic voter engagement, despite internal reviews and investments in influencer partnerships. Initiatives like the DNC's "Daily Blueprint" YouTube show have failed to attract significant viewership,...
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EU Defies Trump Tariff Threats, Cracks Down on Meta
The EU accuses Meta of violating the Digital Services Act by providing inadequate tools for reporting illegal content and challenging moderation decisions, potentially leading to a multi-billion dollar fine. Meta's platforms are criticized for using "dark patterns" in their reporting systems and ...
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EU Accuses Instagram and Facebook of Breaking Content Rules
European regulators have accused Meta's Facebook and Instagram of violating the Digital Services Act due to inadequate content moderation systems and lack of transparency regarding illegal material and researcher data access. The platforms were criticized for implementing confusing systems and da...
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OpenAI Adds Parental Controls for Teen ChatGPT Users
OpenAI has launched parental controls for ChatGPT, enabling parents to receive alerts if teens discuss self-harm or suicide, and law enforcement may be notified in urgent cases. Enhanced content protections are automatically applied to teen accounts, restricting exposure to graphic material, harm...
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Character AI Ends Kids' Chatbot Feature
Character.AI is ending open-ended chatbot conversations for users under 18 to address safety concerns, following tragic incidents linked to teen suicides from prolonged AI interactions. The platform will shift its focus from AI companions to role-playing and creative tools like storytelling and v...
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Trump's YouTube Ballroom Deal: How He Made Them Pay
YouTube settled a $24.5 million lawsuit with Donald Trump and allied MAGA channels over alleged First Amendment violations, without admitting wrongdoing, despite legal experts deeming the case meritless. Trump directed $22 million of the settlement to fund a new White House ballroom project, with...
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AI-Generated Content Is Overwhelming Reddit
AI-generated content is flooding Reddit, threatening the authenticity of user discussions and overwhelming moderators, particularly in communities like r/AmItheAsshole. Moderators estimate a significant portion of content may now be AI-created or polished, with fabricated, emotionally manipulativ...
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Russia Bans Roblox for 'LGBT Propaganda' and Extremism
Russian authorities have blocked the online gaming platform Roblox, citing concerns over extremist content and "LGBT propaganda" that allegedly threatens children's development. This action is part of a broader pattern of restrictions on foreign digital services in Russia, following scrutiny of i...
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Judge Moves to Break Google's Ad Monopoly Before Deadline
A federal judge is considering whether to break up Google's ad technology business after hearing final arguments in a landmark antitrust case alleging monopoly practices in online advertising. The Justice Department is pushing for structural changes including selling Google's AdX exchange and pub...
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Lawmakers Propose Letting Users Sue Over Harmful Social Media Algorithms
The Algorithm Accountability Act, introduced by Senators Curtis and Kelly, would create a legal "duty of care" for large social media platforms, making them liable for physical harm caused by their recommendation algorithms and carving out an exception to Section 230 protections. The legislation ...
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Instagram ordered to stop using 'PG-13' teen accounts
The Motion Picture Association has demanded Meta stop using its "PG-13" trademark to describe content restrictions for teen Instagram accounts, calling the comparison inaccurate and misleading. The MPA argues that Meta's use of the rating threatens public trust in its established system and did n...
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YouTube Denies AI Role in Bizarre Tech Tutorial Takedowns
YouTube has denied using artificial intelligence in the recent removal of instructional videos, stating that both initial decisions and appeals were handled without automation. Technology creators saw long-standing educational videos, such as those on installing Windows 11, abruptly flagged as "d...
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Apple Removes Controversial Dating Apps Tea & TeaOnHer From App Store
Apple removed the dating safety apps Tea and TeaOnHer from its App Store due to content moderation failures and privacy violations, including sharing minors' data without consent, though they remain on Google Play. The apps breached Apple's guidelines by lacking proper reporting tools, mishandlin...
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Facebook Removes ICE-Tracking Page After U.S. Government Request
Meta removed a Facebook page tracking ICE activities in Chicago after a DOJ request, citing policy violations against coordinated harm, following similar actions by Apple and Google. The removal has sparked debate over potential government overreach and "jawboning," raising constitutional questio...
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ChatGPT to Enable Adult-Only Intimate Conversations, Says Sam Altman
OpenAI will allow age-verified adult users to engage in adult-oriented conversations, including erotica, as part of a policy shift to treat adults like adults, with implementation planned for December. The company is reintroducing a more personable ChatGPT version to address user feedback that re...
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Misinformation Code: Fact or Fiction?
The Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation is undergoing a major review by the Digital Industry Group (Digi), following criticism that it has failed to protect Australians from false information. A Reset Australia report from May 2024 condemned the code as a "complete fa...
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Fictional Characters Are Coming to OpenAI's Sora
OpenAI is planning official collaborations with fictional characters for its Sora video platform to address unauthorized and inappropriate content that has emerged since its launch. The company is shifting from an opt-out to an opt-in copyright model, giving rights holders more granular control o...
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OpenAI's New Parental Controls: What You Need to Know
OpenAI has launched parental controls for ChatGPT, allowing parents to manage teen accounts by limiting sensitive content, disabling features like memory and voice mode, and adjusting privacy settings. Parents can link their account to their teen's but cannot read their conversation history, exce...
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Is the Misinformation Code Spreading Lies?
Australia's primary framework for tackling online false information, the Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation, is deemed a failure, prompting a review and potential reforms led by the Digital Industry Group (Digi). An evaluation by Reset Australia identified systemic f...
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OpenAI's Deepfake TikTok Blurs Reality Beyond Recognition
OpenAI's Sora 2 AI video tool generates highly realistic deepfake videos, including convincing clips of real people, raising concerns about digital authenticity and misinformation. The platform features significant upgrades such as synchronized audio generation, improved accuracy, and a social ap...
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AI Helps US Investigators Spot AI-Generated Child Abuse Images
Federal investigators are using AI to identify AI-generated child sexual abuse material, helping them focus on rescuing real children from harm. A contract with Hive AI provides specialized detection algorithms to handle a dramatic surge in generative AI-related incidents overwhelming traditional...
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Meta's Child Safety Leak: A Damaging Turn for the Worse
Whistleblowers revealed that Meta is actively suppressing research on child safety risks in VR to avoid legal liability, rather than addressing known dangers. Despite official age restrictions, children under 13 routinely access Meta's VR platforms, where immersive technology poses uniquely invas...
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Roblox Unveils Short-Form Video Feed & AI Creator Tools
Roblox introduced a new short-form video feature called "Roblox Moments" for users aged 13 and above, enabling gameplay recording, editing, and sharing within a community feed. The platform is increasing monetization for developers by raising the DevEx rate, allowing creators to earn 8.5% more wh...
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My Slippery Slope Into Sora's World
OpenAI's new Sora app enables users to create ten-second AI-generated videos from any concept, including digital cameos of people, and has quickly become a top free app on the Apple App Store. Public and internal reactions are mixed, with concerns about misinformation from hyper-realistic videos ...
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YouTube Tightens Rules on Video Game Violence
YouTube is introducing stricter age restrictions on November 17th, blocking users under 18 and those not signed in from viewing videos that focus on realistic human characters involved in mass violence or torture in video games. The platform will assess factors like the duration and prominence of...
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Pornhub Settles CSAM Allegations for $5 Million
Pornhub and its parent company Aylo have agreed to a $5 million settlement with the FTC and Utah over allegations of enabling illegal content distribution, including child sexual abuse material and nonconsensual videos. The platform was found to have inadequate content moderation, such as delayin...
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Horror Game 'Horses' Pulled from Stores Amid Censorship Fears
The horror game 'Horses' was abruptly banned from major storefronts like Steam and Epic Games, with each platform citing different and often vague policy violations, creating confusion for its developers. This incident highlights a trend where platforms, influenced by external pressure from advoc...
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Anthropic's AI Safety Research Faces Growing Pressure
Anthropic's small societal impacts team investigates AI's potential harms, but its independence is questioned within the profit-driven company. The team's existence aligns with Anthropic's safety-focused brand, yet it faces pressure to avoid findings critical of its own products or political inte...
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GOG Defends Player Choice Amid Gaming Controversy
GOG is distributing the controversial game *Horses* after its rejection by Steam, positioning itself as a supporter of player choice and artistic freedom. *Horses* is a horror game exploring themes like familial trauma and ethics, set on a farm where humans are kept as livestock, and was banned b...
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YouTube is Testing a Highly-Requested DM Feature
YouTube is testing a new direct messaging feature in Ireland and Poland for users aged 18 and over, allowing them to share and discuss videos within the mobile app. This feature addresses a highly requested user capability, enabling sharing of long-form videos, Shorts, and live streams while main...
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Apple Pulls Women's Dating Safety App from App Store
Apple removed the women's dating safety app Tea from its App Store for violating terms related to content moderation and user privacy, including the exposure of minors' personal information. Tea experienced multiple security breaches that exposed users' driver's licenses, selfies, and private mes...
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Your Face Is the Next Legal Battleground for AI
AI technology is rapidly outpacing existing legal frameworks, creating a regulatory battleground over the use of personal likenesses, such as faces and voices, in generated content. In response, states like Tennessee and California have passed laws to protect against unauthorized digital replicas...
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Get Paid to Chat: Rent a Cyber Friend at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
Francesco Vitali initially doubted the idea of paying for conversation but trusted his partner's vision, leading to the creation of Rent a Cyber Friend, a video chat platform where users pay per minute for verified companions or specialized discussions. The platform has grown organically to three...
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Master Your AI Video Presence with Sora
OpenAI has introduced new user controls for Sora, its AI video platform, allowing individuals to restrict how their digital likenesses are used, such as blocking appearances in political content or with specific language. The platform, often compared to a "TikTok for deepfakes," enables the creat...
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AI Hunts "Zero Day" Bugs, Apple Pulls ICE App
AI is now being used to detect zero-day software vulnerabilities, advancing cybersecurity, while OpenAI's parental controls are easily bypassed with delayed alerts for harmful teen conversations. Venture capital investment in AI startups hit $192.7 billion, raising concerns about a market bubble,...
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Platforms React to Charlie Kirk Shooting Incident
Graphic footage of Charlie Kirk's fatal shooting spread on social media, leading major platforms to address content moderation policies. The incident has sparked debate over platform responsibility, user safety, and balancing free speech with harmful content. Public opinion is split between calls...
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Disney to Pay $10M for Illegally Collecting Kids' Data on YouTube
Disney will pay $10 million to settle FTC allegations that it mislabeled children's content on YouTube, enabling illegal data collection from young viewers. The mislabeling bypassed YouTube's child privacy protections, violating COPPA by allowing targeted ads and data gathering without parental c...
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Kids' Safety Bill Poison Pilled, Supporters Allege
A major House committee effort to create a federal child online safety framework by bundling 19 bills has stalled, facing criticism for weakening core provisions like the Kids Online Safety Act's (KOSA) "duty of care" mandate. The revised House version replaces the duty of care with a broad preem...
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Unions Fight Trump's Plan to Deport Immigrants Over Social Media
A coalition of labor unions, represented by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, is suing the Trump administration over a policy that uses AI to scan immigrants' social media for visa revocation, arguing it unlawfully suppresses free speech for both noncitizens and U.S. citizens. The policy has le...
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Cruz Bill Seeks Damages for Government Censorship
Senator Ted Cruz is proposing legislation that would allow citizens to sue for monetary damages if they believe the government has unlawfully restricted their speech, while maintaining exemptions for official investigations and certain unprotected expressions. The bill's development follows contr...
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Google Restricts AI Searches on Trump and Dementia
Google has restricted AI search summaries for queries about Donald Trump's mental health, showing no AI Overview for terms like dementia, Alzheimer's, or senility. This limitation does not uniformly apply to other political figures, as similar searches for Joe Biden or Barack Obama can generate A...
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