Digital Government

Meta Settles With Justice On Discriminatory Housing Ads

The historic complaint marks the first time federal prosecutors challenged a company over algorithmic bias related to housing discrimination.

Emerging Tech

FTC Fines Twitter For ‘Deceptive’ User Data Sharing

The Federal Trade Commission has cracked down on the social media company before, and now demands $150 million in penalty fees for sharing user information.

Policy

House Dems urge social media networks not to delete evidence of possible Russian war crimes in Ukraine

Automated and artificial intelligence-enabled systems may be removing and permanently erasing evidence of potential Russian war crimes in Ukraine, lawmakers said this week.

Policy

What’s at Stake for Trump, Twitter and Politics if the Tweeter-In-Chief Returns from Banishment

Analysis of Trump’s post-Twitter communications suggest that the former president has not moderated his messaging style. So what does that mean if he were to go back on Twitter?

Emerging Tech

Elon Musk’s Plans for Twitter Could Make its Misinformation Problems Worse

Under new ownership, Twitter may reduce its content moderation, which could have major consequences for discourse.

Ideas

Interesting Federal Social Media Accounts You May Not Know About

Federal agencies have come a long way from the bureaucratic rules that often hampered effective social media use.

Artificial Intelligence

Data From Friends and Strangers Show Where You Are

Movement patterns of people you know contain 95% of the information needed to predict your location.

Cybersecurity

Russian Disinformation: All Bot But No Bite?

Bots targeting the U.S. slowed their anti-vax campaigns while accelerating pro-Russia messaging, which doesn’t stick as well in the West.

Emerging Tech

FTC, Justice Say Weight Watchers Parent Group Illegally Collected Child Health Data

Federal prosecutors filed a complaint against children’s weight loss app Kurbo, alleging it collected health data without parental consent in an effort to market weight management services for use by children.

Emerging Tech

State Attorneys General Open Investigation Into TikTok

The bipartisan group of state officials wants to know if the social media platform with more than 1 billion users could be harmful to children and young adults.

Policy

Privacy and Child Endangerment are Major Congressional Motivators for Regulating Big Tech

The House Energy and Commerce Committee heard witness testimony on the need for better transparency and government coordination in the tech industry.

Digital Government

Moscow Retaliates as Online Giants Take Steps to Stem Disinformation

As Kremlin limits access to Twitter and Facebook, Western observers say the tech companies' moves are years late.

Cybersecurity

FTC Warns of 18-Fold Surge in Investment, ‘Romance’ Scams on Social Media

More than 95,000 Americans were bilked over social media in 2021 resulting in losses approaching $1 billion.

Emerging Tech

Team Links Social Media Use to Worse Physical Health

Increased social media use led to more doctor visits and higher levels of chronic inflammation.