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Facebook Makes Move to Avoid Post-Election Chaos

'There could be a period of intense claims and counter-claims as the final results are counted'

(Newser) - Facebook says it is worried about civil unrest following a potentially disputed election. And so it is taking steps to help "protect our democracy." In a lengthy Facebook post Thursday, Mark Zuckerberg says the company will ban new "political and issue" ads during the final week before...

How a US Journalist Became a Tool of Russian Trolls

News website Peace Data sought to divide liberal voters with disinformation

(Newser) - Actors linked to Russia's Internet Research Agency recruited US journalists to contribute to a news website that was critical of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in an attempt to sow division among liberal voters, Facebook said Tuesday. Tipped off by the FBI, Facebook removed 13 accounts and two pages...

Zuckerberg, Chan Just Gave Huge Boost to Election Setup

Goal of $300M donation: 'to preserve the integrity of our elections'

(Newser) - Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan are donating $300 million to help secure the November election. The majority of that—some $250 million—will go to the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a nonprofit that seeks to modernize US elections, according to a Tuesday announcement, per Axios . The remaining $50...

Broken Drilling Gear Has Facebook in Hot Water
Broken Drilling Gear
Has Facebook in Hot Water
in case you missed it

Broken Drilling Gear Has Facebook in Hot Water

Company left behind equipment off coast of Oregon after mishap

(Newser) - A drill bit ran into trouble and the drill pipe broke. And in this case, the drill bit was being used by Facebook to drill a hole off the coast of Oregon to hook up a transcontinental fiber-optic cable, reports the Oregonian . Now the controversial project in the small seaside...

Facebook's Election Plans Include False Claim of Victory

Scenarios include president claiming election interference means he won a second term

(Newser) - Facebook is working on contingency plans to deal with a potential threat to American democracy from one of its most famous symbols: the White House. Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and top aides are meeting daily to decide what to do if President Trump loses the November election and then tries—...

Tech Giant Cracks Down on QAnon
Tech Giant
Cracks Down
on QAnon

Tech Giant Cracks Down on QAnon

Groups and accounts are getting banned

(Newser) - Facebook says it will restrict the right-wing conspiracy movement QAnon and will no longer recommend that users join groups supporting it, although the company isn't banning it outright, the AP reports. Facebook said Wednesday it is banning groups and accounts associated with QAnon and a variety of US-based militia...

Facebook Is Adding Labels to Posts About Voting

Users will be directed to the 'Voting Information Center'

(Newser) - Beginning Thursday, US Facebook users who post about voting may start seeing an addendum to their messages—labels directing readers to authoritative information about the upcoming presidential election. It's the social network's latest step to to combat election-related misinformation on its platform as the Nov. 3 election nears—...

After Video Yanked, Trump Sees Bias at Facebook, Twitter

'Any conservative Republican is censored,' he says

(Newser) - A day after Twitter and Facebook removed a Trump campaign video from their platforms, the president renewed his accusations of bias at social media companies. In an interview with Geraldo Rivera on Rivera's radio show, Trump said that "of course" he was being censored, reports Bloomberg . “They’...

Facebook, Twitter Remove Trump Coronavirus Post
Facebook, Twitter
Remove Trump Post

Facebook, Twitter Remove Trump Post

President posted a video in which he claimed children are 'virtually immune' to COVID-19

(Newser) - One of President Trump's social media posts has been removed by both Facebook and Twitter after the social media giants declared it misinformation. The Trump campaign posted video from a Fox News interview in which Trump, while urging schools to resume in-person classes in the fall, declared that kids...

Instagram Launches 'Uncannily Similar' TikTok Rival

Reels also allows users to share 15-second videos

(Newser) - Instagram has launched its own rival to TikTok—days after President Trump gave TikTok's owners a deadline either sell its US operations to a US firm or have the app shut down. The new feature, Reels, is part of Instagram instead of a standalone app, but it strongly resembles...

'Emperors of the New Economy' Grilled at Antitrust Hearing

'Simply put, they have too much power'

(Newser) - The CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google were sworn in remotely Wednesday for a historic antitrust hearing before House lawmakers. Rep. David Cicilline, chairman of the House Judiciary antitrust subcommittee, used his opening statement to accuse the tech giants of damaging the economy through excessive dominance, the New York ...

Big Tech CEOs Head to Congress for Historic Hearing

Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google on the defense over rising power

(Newser) - Chief executives of Facebook, Google, Apple, and Amazon are set to testify remotely before Congress on Wednesday as part of a hearing focusing on the size and power of the world's leading tech companies, following a yearlong investigation by the House judiciary’s antitrust subcommittee. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg...

Twitter Deletes Dicey Tweet Shared by Trump on COVID

'There is a cure,' woman in video claims, referring to hydroxychloroquine

(Newser) - President Trump had been striking a more sober tone about the coronavirus of late, but on Monday night he retweeted a video making so many controversial claims that Twitter deleted it, reports NBC News . "Tweets with the video are in violation of our COVID-19 misinformation policy," Twitter said...

Zuckerberg: I'm Not in Cahoots With the President

'Pretty ridiculous,' Facebook CEO tells Axios regarding whispers of a secret deal

(Newser) - Back in June, the New York Times started scratching its head over Mark Zuckerberg's "uneasy alliance" with the Trump administration, asking: "What's Facebook's deal with Donald Trump?" In an interview with Axios' Mike Allen, however, the Facebook CEO is now pushing back on those whispers,...

Big Advertisers, Social Media Giants Define Hate Speech

Alliance has agreement on 11 types of harmful content

(Newser) - Social media companies and many of their biggest advertisers have agreed to work together on hate speech—starting by identifying it. They report already having a consensus on 11 definitions of harmful content, Axios reports. The effort involves the Global Alliance for Responsible Media , created last year to ensure brand...

Amid Spread of Misinformation, Whispers on FB's Next Move

Sources tell Bloomberg the social media platform is considering banning political ads before election

(Newser) - Facebook has been struggling lately over a massive advertiser boycott , partly driven by the company's refusal to address political ads spreading misinformation on the platform. Now, people familiar with Facebook's thinking say the company is considering banning political ads in the days leading up to the November election,...

Facebook Meeting With Boycotters Was Rough

Zuckerberg and Co. wanted 'A for attendance,' met no real demands, activists say

(Newser) - Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg met virtually with civil rights and activist groups who've helped organize a massive advertiser boycott of the social network, and as CNN reports, "it did not go well." Facebook spokesman Andy Stone later expressed gratitude to the organizers "for their continued engagement"...

Facebook Groups Pivot to Attack 'Thugs' at BLM

Their language directly violates Facebook's hate-speech standards

(Newser) - A loose network of Facebook groups that took root across the country in April to organize protests over coronavirus stay-at-home orders has become a hub of misinformation and conspiracy theories that have pivoted to a variety of new targets. Their latest: Black Lives Matter and the nationwide protests of racial...

Facebook Employee Files Racial Bias Complaint

Staffer says company discriminates in hiring and promotions

(Newser) - A black Facebook employee, joined by two others who were denied jobs at the social network, has filed a complaint against the company, saying it discriminates against black workers and applicants in hiring, evaluations, promotions, and pay. The charge was filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by Oscar Veneszee...

Facebook Relents, Will Flag Rule-Breaking Posts
Facebook Relents Amid
Growing Boycott
UPDATED

Facebook Relents Amid Growing Boycott

Agrees to remove posts that break rules, even those by President Trump

(Newser) - The boycott appears to have worked. Facebook said Friday it will begin removing posts that it says incite violence or attempt to suppress voter turnout—even if they are from politicians including President Trump, reports the Washington Post . "There are no exceptions," CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a...

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