X has sent cease-and-desist letters to Nitter, the open source project behind privacy-friendly X front ends, demanding its instances and code repository be taken down over alleged scraping. https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/25/x-sends-cease-and-desist-to-open-source-project-nitter-over-alleged-scraping/ #Media #SocialMedia #Privacy
Forwarded from eicker.news ᳇ tech news
#Meta Platforms agreed to a $16.68 billion #settlement with 29 #USstates over claims that #Facebook and #Instagram were designed to #addict #children, #misled #consumers about safety, and improperly collected #childrensdata. The settlement includes daily #usagelimits and #restrictions on nighttime usage for children on these platforms. Meta denied wrongdoing but will implement changes to address the concerns raised. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/meta-settles-with-us-states-over-social-media-harms-2026-08-26/?eicker.news #tech #news #ainews
An investigation reveals Amazon operates a warehouse where it scans thousands of books for AI training data before destroying them. The facility in Las Vegas receives books from libraries and sellers worldwide, cuts off their spines and scans the pages before discarding them. https://www.404media.co/inside-the-warehouse-where-amazon-scans-and-destroys-books-for-ai-training/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI
Meta has agreed to pay up to 18 billion USD to settle claims from 29 US states that Facebook and Instagram deliberately addicted children. The settlement includes mandatory time limits, night-mode blocks and hiding likes for teen users. https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/26/meta-settles-for-18-billion-in-lawsuit-brought-by-29-states-over-social-media-harms-to-children/ #Media #DataPrivacy #Meta
Moonbug Entertainment, the studio behind Cocomelon and Blippi, has told its animators to start experimenting with AI while maintaining a human in the loop for creative decisions. The company says AI will assist rather than replace human artists. https://www.404media.co/cocomelons-studio-tells-its-artists-to-start-experimenting-with-ai/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI
Bluesky has introduced an algorithmic opt-out feature, letting users choose to see posts only from people they follow rather than algorithmic recommendations. The platform says the option is for those who simply want to post to their followers without going viral. https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/27/bluesky-adds-an-algorithmic-opt-out-feature-for-those-who-dont-want-to-go-viral/ #Media #SocialMedia #Bluesky
UN says reform of all social media should come with Meta-style changes, as California Attorney General looks to ensure TikTok and YouTube adopt similar teen safety measures to those Meta agreed to in its 18B USD settlement. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c17j00lnn41o #Media #SocialMedia
Instagram is introducing new tags to identify AI-generated profiles, helping users distinguish between real accounts and artificial intelligence characters. The move comes as AI-generated content becomes increasingly prevalent on social platforms. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-updates-tags-for-ai-profiles/829235/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI
Kyla's 2008 garage track Do You Mind, sampled by Drake in his 2016 hit One Dance, has been named TikTok's UK song of the summer. The track has seen a resurgence in popularity through the platform's viral trends. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crm97yjw2peo #Media #SocialMedia #ShortFormVideo
Reddit has launched a new 15-second video views ad goal, complementing its existing 6-second option. The feature is designed to maximise video view time for advertisers and is currently in beta, with brands able to run split tests. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/reddit-launches-15-second-video-views-ad-goal/829375/ #Media #SocialMedia #ShortFormVideo
New York's Republican governor candidate Bruce Blakeman posted an AI-generated video showing the Democratic candidates in bizarre scenarios. The state's Democratic Party has filed a complaint with the Board of Elections alleging violations of election law requiring AI-generated content to be labelled. https://www.404media.co/bruce-blakeman-ai-campaign-video-mamdani-hochul/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI
TikTok has signed a multi-year deal with the NFL to expand the football league's presence on the platform. The partnership will add new game day hubs, host more highlights and archival moments, and offer advertisers new opportunities to tap into NFL-related trends. Posts using the #NFL tag increased by more than 32% during the past year. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktok-signs-multi-year-nfl-deal/829506/ #Media #SocialMedia #ShortFormVideo
Flock, a US surveillance company, taught police how to surveil protests and events in a webinar, showing how its network of over 4,800 cities can monitor people through licence plate cameras, drones and AI-powered search. https://www.404media.co/flock-taught-cops-how-to-surveil-no-kings-protesters/ #Media #SocialMedia #DataPrivacy
Search engines, social media and AI models should be treated as critical infrastructure like water and electricity, writes former San Diego Supercomputer Center director Francine Berman. She argues these technologies are essential to modern life but lack the safety standards applied to other critical systems, and should be regulated accordingly. https://theconversation.com/essential-digital-technologies-are-critical-infrastructure-they-are-not-always-built-and-managed-that-way-288580 #Media #SocialMedia #AI
BookTok, the TikTok community dedicated to book recommendations and reviews, is driving a new generation of young readers to pick up books. The viral trend has led to increased book sales and even spawned dedicated sections in bookstores. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ced7y169ll9o #Media #SocialMedia #ShortFormVideo
Dolly Parton's sister has urged people to stop posting AI-generated content about the singer following her death in late August. Dozens of AI-generated songs, images and videos have appeared online since. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1wxppnrqlqo #Media #SocialMedia #AI
Instagram creators are being targeted by scammers using fake copyright claims to hijack accounts and demand ransom payments, with some losing thousands of pounds. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy8z57dz9nzo #Media #SocialMedia
Australia is planning to force social media platforms to let users switch off algorithmic recommendations, describing it as 'My feed, my way'. Critics have labelled the move censorship, while the government says it simply gives users choice. https://theconversation.com/australians-may-soon-be-able-to-switch-off-social-media-algorithms-is-that-censorship-291359 #Media #SocialMedia #DataPrivacy
Pennsylvania is suing TikTok for deliberately designing addictive features that harm young users, including infinite scroll and notifications engineered to trigger dopamine release. The case echoes tobacco and opioid litigation patterns. https://theconversation.com/pennsylvania-is-suing-tiktok-over-addictive-features-but-thats-messier-than-it-sounds-290898 #Media #SocialMedia #AI
First person convicted under the Take It Down Act has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. James Strahler was found with over 3,000 real and AI-generated sexually explicit images of victims. https://www.404media.co/first-take-it-down-act-sentencing-case/ #Media #AI