Topic: content moderation
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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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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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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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Sora for iOS: 3 New Features Coming Soon
The Sora app update will introduce Character Cameos, allowing users to personalize videos with custom elements and see trending creations in real-time. New video editing capabilities will enable users to stitch multiple clips together, with plans for more advanced tools in future updates. Channel...
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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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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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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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Sora: Why You Should Join the Competition
Sora, a new AI-powered social video app from ChatGPT's creators, has generated massive demand with 627,000 iOS downloads in its first week, even before its Australian launch. The app creates highly realistic synthetic videos, blurring the line between fact and fiction and raising significant conc...
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The Dawn of AI Sexting: What It Means for You
AI sexting platforms are enabling intimate user-chatbot relationships, with services like Replika and Character.ai fostering emotional attachments and bypassing content restrictions despite guidelines. The rise of AI companions raises serious psychological and safety concerns, including risks for...
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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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Doja Cat's Fortnite Account Sparks Controversy After Deleted Post
Fortnite's official social media posted a suggestive message referencing adult toys under Doja Cat's profile picture, which she quickly disavowed as "cringe" and claimed she had advised against its release. The incident sparked debate on whether it was a marketing mistake or a deliberate strategy...
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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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Japan Demands OpenAI Stop Using Manga Without Permission
Japan has formally demanded that OpenAI stop unauthorized use of Japanese manga and anime content, citing intellectual property rights violations and the cultural significance of these art forms. The government's intervention follows criticism from officials over AI training practices using copyr...
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ChatGPT to Allow Erotica for Adults, Says Sam Altman
OpenAI will relax ChatGPT's content policies to allow erotic content for age-verified adults, aligning with its principle of treating adults as adults while maintaining protections for vulnerable users. This policy shift follows past incidents where AI interactions posed mental health risks, prom...
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California Boosts Fake Nude Penalties to $250K to Protect Kids
California has introduced groundbreaking legislation to regulate AI companion bots and increase penalties for nonconsensual deepfake pornography, aiming to protect children from psychological harm and cyber exploitation. The law requires companion bot platforms to implement safety protocols for u...
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OpenAI's Sora Surpasses 1 Million Downloads
Sora, OpenAI's social AI video app, achieved over one million downloads in under five days, outpacing ChatGPT's initial adoption despite being invite-only and launching on iOS in the U.S. and Canada. The app features a "cameos" function for personalizing videos and has generated a mix of memes, d...
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Google's AI Ambitions Clash with Search Regulation
A federal court has mandated Google to reduce aggressive promotion tactics for its search engine, but the company is resisting new restrictions that could limit its expansion into artificial intelligence. The court approved measures to foster competition, including sharing search data with rivals...
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Google AI Bug Bounty Offers $30K Rewards
Google has launched a new bug bounty program offering up to $30,000 for finding security flaws in its AI systems, focusing on vulnerabilities that manipulate AI to cause harm or exploit weaknesses. The program targets specific exploits like unauthorized actions through prompt injections, such as ...
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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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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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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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OpenAI's Sora Sparks Unexpected Copyright Controversy
OpenAI's Sora video generation tool sparked copyright debates, leading to a policy shift from opt-out to letting rightsholders control usage after unauthorized characters like Nazi SpongeBob emerged. The platform introduced granular user controls for digital likenesses and improved watermarking t...
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Sora 2 Resurrects Dead Celebrities in AI Videos
OpenAI's Sora 2 video generator blocks depictions of living public figures by default but allows the creation of AI-generated videos featuring deceased celebrities, leading to their use in bizarre scenarios. Despite a moving watermark to identify AI content, the practice has drawn criticism from ...
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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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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 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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Google pulls ICE-tracking app after Apple ban
Google removed the Red Dot app from the Play Store, following Apple's lead in taking down similar ICE-tracking tools, citing policies against sharing location data of vulnerable groups. Apple removed the ICEBlock app after pressure from the Department of Justice, which argued it endangered ICE ag...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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YouTube Music Tests AI Radio Hosts for Trivia & Commentary
YouTube Music is testing AI hosts that provide trivia and commentary about the music you're playing, aiming to create a more engaging listening experience. This feature builds on similar AI initiatives like Spotify's DJ and is being tested through YouTube Labs, initially available to a limited U....
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Meta's 'Vibes' Feed: AI-Generated Short Videos Arrive
Meta is launching "Vibes," a new feed for AI-generated short videos within its Meta AI app and website, similar to TikTok but populated entirely by AI-created content. The platform will feature personalized, algorithm-curated videos that users can create, remix, and share, with Meta partnering wi...
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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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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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The Best Smart Glasses Just Got Even Better
The Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Gen 2 smart glasses offer significant upgrades in battery life and functionality, providing a polished user experience for wearable tech enthusiasts. Vivaldi 7.6 browser update emphasizes deep customization for a personalized experience, while Google for Windows reemerge...
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Google to Block Nonconsensual Intimate Images from Search
Google has partnered with StopNCII.org to proactively identify and block non-consensual intimate images from its search results, aiming to protect individuals from digital abuse. The initiative uses hashing technology to detect such content without storing or viewing it, prioritizing user privacy...
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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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Regulators Target AI Companions & Meet the Innovator of 2025
The focus of AI concerns is shifting from theoretical risks to immediate emotional and psychological dangers, particularly regarding AI companionship among youth. Recent lawsuits and studies highlight alarming trends, including teen suicides linked to AI and widespread use of AI for emotional sup...
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IBC2025: Why Supply Chain Fixes Can't Save Legacy Media
The broadcast industry is at a critical inflection point, facing economic pressures and a struggle for relevance against dominant streaming platforms and big tech companies. Legacy media must adopt cloud-native, agile production and AI-driven operational efficiencies to reduce costs and meet mode...
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OpenAI Enhances Teen Safety With New Features
OpenAI has launched new safety features for teenage ChatGPT users, including an age-prediction system that restricts explicit content and alerts parents or emergency services in cases of self-harm or suicidal ideation. Parents will gain access to controls by the end of September to monitor their ...
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Google AI Staff Fired in Working Conditions Dispute
Over 200 contractors refining Google's AI systems were abruptly terminated without notice due to a pay and working conditions dispute, despite their critical role in enhancing products like the Gemini chatbot. These specialists, employed through outsourcing firm GlobalLogic, were tasked with impr...
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Elon Musk Accused of Silencing Microsoft Critics of Charlie Kirk
Elon Musk publicly called on Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to investigate Blizzard employees who criticized commentator Charlie Kirk online following his death. Conservative figures, including Representative Clay Higgins, supported consequences for those who spoke negatively about Kirk, with some 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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FTC Demands AI Firms Disclose Chatbot Risks to Children
The FTC has issued a formal demand to seven major AI companies, including OpenAI and Meta, to disclose how their chatbots affect the safety and well-being of children and teenagers. This action follows tragic incidents where teens reportedly engaged in harmful conversations with AI, prompting bip...
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