Converse apologizes and pulls sneaker ad that critics said included racist imagery
The sneaker company Converse has removed a social media ad that sparked outrage among critics who viewed it as evoking the Ku Klux Klan and lynching. The Instagram ad photo showed K-pop singer Karina wearing a skirt and holding a pair of Chuck 70 X sneakers. Critics lashed out online, saying that a white triangular […]
Converse apologizes and pulls sneaker ad that critics said included racist imagery
The sneaker company Converse has removed a social media ad that sparked outrage among critics who viewed it as evoking the Ku Klux Klan and lynching. The Instagram ad photo showed K-pop singer Karina wearing a skirt and holding a pair of Chuck 70 X sneakers. Critics lashed out online, saying that a white triangular […]
EU chief proposes bloc-wide social media ban for kids under 13
BRUSSELS | The European Union’s top official proposed on Wednesday banning children under 13 across the 27-nation bloc from using social media sites and imposing limits for older teens on accessing the platforms. The plan outlined by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen adds to global efforts to protect young people using platforms such […]
Australian social media users to be offered choice to opt out of algorithms
CANBERRA, Australia | Australian social media users would be given a choice to opt out of algorithms under proposed laws announced by the government Tuesday that would let users have more control over what they see on their social media feeds. “We’ll require social media platforms to provide user empowerment tools that give people over […]
‘Divorce-tok’ fills social media as creators find audiences — and support — by sharing heartbreak
On Instagram feeds that are often teeming with curated, contrived content, a recent post from Monette Wagner stood out for her disarming openness. Looking into the camera, Wagner, a 36-year-old mother of three, said in the video: “Divorce can feel like a death.” In what resembles a digital journal, Wagner has posted videos in real […]
Colorado to get $615 million as Meta reaches $18 billion settlement in teen social media addiction trial
OAKLAND, Calif. | Meta agreed Wednesday to pay up to $18 billion and add stronger child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms as part of a landmark legal settlement that ended a trial over teen social media addiction and settled claims filed by nearly every state. Under the settlement, Colorado will receive about $615 […]
Denmark’s prime minister blasts unsolicited beauty advice from plastic surgeon on Instagram
COPENHAGEN, Denmark | Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is fed up with getting unsolicited beauty advice. The 48-year-old wrote Monday on Instagram that she had just returned back home from a trip to Ukraine, where she was exposed to air raid sirens in the ongoing war, only to find a message by a plastic surgeon […]
Meta defends its child safety efforts but critics say the social media giant falls short
CHICAGO | Meta insists it has a long history of protecting its youngest customers as it defends itself against a swath of lawsuits alleging its social media empire harms children. In the latest such instance, the social media giant is fighting allegations in a California federal court that it contributes to the youth mental health […]
Opening statements set to begin in Meta’s federal trial over child safety
OAKLAND, Calif. | Opening statements are set to kick off Tuesday in a pivotal trial for Meta Platforms in a California federal court, where states are seeking billions of dollars in damages for social media harms to children. Attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey are seeking a financial penalty that could, in […]
States take Meta to trial in California in the biggest fight yet over social media harms to children
Of the thousands of lawsuits Meta faces over child safety on its platforms, none may be more consequential than one going to trial this week in California. States are seeking extensive financial damages that could, in theory, total as much as $1.4 trillion, plus changes to how the company operates Facebook and Instagram. The lawsuit […]