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U.S. states investigate Instagram’s mental health impact on kids

Published

2 years ago

November 19, 2021

The group will be analysing how Meta’s app attracts young people to its platforms and its impact on mental health

Meta, formally known as Facebook, is being investigated by 8 U.S. states for breaking consumer protection laws by trying to attract kids to its platforms.

The group includes attorney generals from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee and Vermont.

One attorney general says “Meta has failed to protect young people on its platforms and instead chose to ignore or, in some cases, double down on known manipulations that pose a real threat to physical and mental health — exploiting children in the interest of profit”.

The investigation will look into the methods that the company used to real kids into using and engaging with its social media networks as well as “the resulting harms caused by such extended engagement”.

Nebraska’s attorney general says the probe is vital “when social media platforms treat our children as mere commodities to manipulate for longer screen time engagement and data extraction”.

This follows reports that Instagram’s internal research highlighted the negative mental health impact of the platform on teens.

This led to court hearings where Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen blamed the company of “moral bankruptcy” after leaking thousands of pages of Facebook’s internal research to the media.

Facebook denies the allegations stating that the majority of users have a positive experience on their platforms.

News

Technological terror: China reveals uncanny AI romance film

Published

1 day ago

April 24, 2024

ticker NEWS

As competition intensifies in the streaming landscape, with players like Roku, Vizio, and Samsung launching their ad-supported platforms, TCL aims to carve its niche by offering compelling original content.

TCL, the renowned Chinese smart-TV manufacturer, announces its innovative use of generative artificial intelligence to produce original content for its streaming platform, TCLtvPlus.

Debuting this summer, “Next Stop Paris,” an AI-driven love story, marks the inaugural program from TCLtvPlus Studios

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Grindr application cruises into court over privacy concerns

Published

1 day ago

April 24, 2024

ticker NEWS

Grindr faces lawsuit over alleged privacy breaches

Grindr, the popular gay dating app, is under fire in London as hundreds of users claim their private information, including HIV status, was shared without consent. The lawsuit alleges commercial use of sensitive data, sparking concern within the LGBTQ+ community. Grindr vows to defend its practices while emphasising its commitment to user privacy and compliance with data regulations.

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The TikTok ban was just passed by the House. What could happen next?

Published

2 days ago

April 24, 2024

ticker NEWS

Washington D.C. has been under pressure to ban the popular Chinese-owned social media app TikTok.

TikTok users could soon find that the popular social media service is either under new ownership or could be outright banned in the U.S.

Calls are growing louder from many lawmakers and national security hawks to ban TikTok, over fears the app could censure content, influence users, and give Americans’ personal data to Beijing.

But the Chinese tech company, ByteDance—which owns TikTok— denies the allegations.

Dave Levinthal, the Editor-in-Chief of Raw Story joins Veronica Dudo to discuss.