China
Experts Raise Alarm About China’s App Data Aggregation Potential
The Communist government has access to a vast trove from Chinese-made apps.
Social Media
Social media plays a powerful force in the lives of most adults and teenagers.
Infrastructure
State Broadcasters Want FCC to Revisit Regulatory Fee Structure, Expand Payer Base
State broadcasters associations want a proceeding in light of proposed fees it said unduly burdens the industry.
X (Twitter)
Judge Rules Exemption Exists in Section 230 for Twitter FOSTA Case
Latest lawsuit illustrates the increasing fragility of Section 230 legal protections.
TPI
Facebook’s Oversight Board Members Seek to Clarify the Organization’s Role and Impact
Often characterized in the media as the Supreme Court of Facebook, Oversight Board members explained how the board actually functions.
Marsha Blackburn
Justices Mull Social Media Review, US-EU Trade Summit, The Communicators Going Off Air
Supreme Court Justices call for social media review, aftermath of EU-US trade summit, popular TV program on American tech cancelled.
TikTok
Biden Revokes Chinese App Ban Order, Chinese Tech Counter Bill Passes Senate, Switch Data Centers
Biden revokes Chinese app ban EO, Senate passes spending bill to counter China, Switch building data centers.
Social Media
Automated Social Media Moderation In Focus Following Allegations Of Censorship
Panelists say they’ve been censored on social media — and they point to platforms’ auto moderation.
Bob Latta
Despite Speculation, Section 230 Is Here to Stay: Rep. Bob Latta
Republican representative Bob Latta said Section 230 is not going anywhere anytime soon.
FCC
Biden Revokes Trump-Era Executive Order Designed To Crack Down On Big Tech
Biden orders FCC and FTC to stand down on Trump-era order targeting social media companies.
Social Media
Josh Hawley Wants To Break Up Big Tech And Revisit How Antitrust Matters Are Considered
Senator Josh Hawley talks Section 230, antitrust reform, and the Capitol riots.
Social Media
Oversight Board Upholds Trump’s Ban From Facebook
The Oversight Board has sent the decision back to Facebook management, criticizing it for setting a “standardless” penalty.
Judiciary
Supreme Court Declares Trump First Amendment Case Moot, But Legal Issues For Social Media Coming
April 5, 2021—Despite accepting a petition that avoids the Supreme Court deliberating on whether a president can block social media users, Justice Clarence Thomas on Monday issued a volley that may foreshadow future legal issues surrounding social media in the United States. On Monday, the Supreme C
COVID
Pressed by Congress, Big Tech Defends Itself and Offers Few Solutions After Capitol Riot
March 26, 2021 – The heads of the largest social media companies largely defended their platforms, reiterated what they’ve done, and offered few solutions to the problems that ail them during a congressional hearing Thursday. But, under harsh questioning from the House Energy and Commerce Committee,
Free Speech
Experts Reexamining Role of Targeted Ads and Political Extremism in Wake of January 6 Attack
March 25, 2021—In the wake of rioters storming the Capital Building on January 6, experts and social media platforms are reexamining the role of targeted ads and content on virtual platforms. Experts are divided on how to proceed on the future of targeted content. Some cautioned that its nature allo
Expert Opinion
Trevor Wagener: State Regulation of Content Moderation Would Create Enormous Legal Costs for Platforms
Dozens of bills regulating internet content moderation have been proposed in at least 30 state legislatures, and one in Utah currently sits on the governor’s desk awaiting his veto or signature. If enacted, many of the bills would impose prescriptive state regulations governing internet content mode
Big Tech
Facebook’s Oversight Board Defends Against Critics Who Call It a Shield For Company
March 16, 2021 – A member of Facebook’s Oversight Board, which was created to provide content moderation decisions for the social media giant, defended itself Tuesday against critics who say it was created as a sort-of regulatory shield for the company. The board’s head of communications, Dax Hunter
