Topic: tech policy
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Texas App Store Age Verification Law Blocked by Judge
A federal judge has blocked a Texas law requiring app stores to verify user ages, issuing a preliminary injunction and indicating the law likely violates First Amendment free speech protections. The law, part of a novel state legislative model, would have made app stores like Apple's and Google's...
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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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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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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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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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Trump administration defends barring content moderation experts from US
A legal battle is underway after the Trump administration defended its authority to bar foreign researchers and content moderation experts from the U.S., with a judge hearing arguments on a preliminary injunction sought by the Coalition for Independent Technology Research (CITR) to block the poli...
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Warren: Democrats Must Ditch Big Tech to Win
Senator Elizabeth Warren argues the Democratic Party must shift away from tech corporation influence and toward economic populism, prioritizing affordability for working families over wealthy donor preferences. She advocates for a platform focused on lowering costs and challenging corporate power...
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Google Takes on Defamation Fight Meta Abandoned
Google is defending against a defamation lawsuit from activist Robby Starbuck, who claims its AI systems falsely associated him with sexual assault and white nationalism. Starbuck previously settled a similar case with Meta, which involved him as an advisor to address AI bias, and no U.S. court h...
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Disney Loses $4 Million Daily in YouTube TV Blackout
Disney is losing an estimated $4.3 million daily in revenue due to the blackout of its channels on YouTube TV, which has now lasted twelve days. Google is also affected, with nearly a quarter of surveyed consumers canceling or planning to cancel their YouTube TV subscriptions over the dispute. Bo...
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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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How iPhone Fold Could Worsen Concert Experiences
Apple’s potential entry into the foldable iPhone market raises concerns that unfurled screens could significantly obstruct audience views at live music events. Skepticism surrounds recent AI hardware claims for Mac devices, while critics argue that current folding phone technology remains too imm...
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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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Meta's Super PAC Fights AI Regulation Amid State Push
Meta is investing tens of millions into a new super PAC to oppose state-level AI regulations, aiming to protect innovation from legislative hurdles it deems harmful. The bipartisan-run super PAC will support candidates from both parties who align with Meta's goals of promoting U.S. tech leadershi...
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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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Meta's Attack on Jonathan Haidt Sparks Backlash
Leaked internal documents reveal Meta’s 2023 "Whisper strategy" to undermine Jonathan Haidt, the author of "The Anxious Generation", by covertly attempting to turn academics against his research on social media's impact on teen mental health. Prominent scholars like Candice Odgers and Andrew Gelm...
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Samsung Galaxy Unpacked: Z Fold 8, Flip 8, Watch 9, and More
Samsung's July 2026 Galaxy Unpacked event will highlight the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Flip 8, and Galaxy Watch 9, with the Fold 8 expected to feature a lighter chassis, improved hinge, and better camera, while the Flip 8 may get a larger external display and stronger battery. The Galaxy Watch 9 is anti...
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OkCupid settles facial recognition data sharing lawsuit
The FTC settled with OkCupid for allegedly sharing nearly three million user photos and data with facial recognition firm Clarifai without proper consent, violating its own privacy policy. The settlement requires OkCupid and parent company Match Group to avoid future misrepresentations about data...
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Zuckerberg Testifies as Social Media Faces Trial
A landmark trial in Los Angeles centers on allegations that Meta and Google's YouTube deliberately designed addictive platforms, with grieving parents present to confront executives over the human cost. Parents, including those who lost children to suicide and fentanyl poisoning, attended to witn...
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DOJ Antitrust Chief Exits Ahead of Live Nation Trial
The head of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division, Gail Slater, has resigned just weeks before a major monopoly trial against Live Nation-Ticketmaster is set to begin, introducing significant uncertainty into the case. Slater's tenure was marked by internal conflict, including the dismissal...
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Victims of nonconsensual deepfakes can now sue under new Senate bill
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the DEFIANCE Act, creating a civil legal pathway for victims to sue creators of nonconsensual, sexually explicit deepfake images for damages. The bill specifically targets the producers of forged content and builds on existing laws, introduced amid controversy o...
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