Regulating social media companies is a popular idea, but doing so in a way that respects the First Amendment is complicated. Nilay Patel explains why this week on The Vergecast. Subscribe: http://goo.gl/G5RXGs Like The Verge on Facebook: https://goo.gl/2P1aGc Follow on Twitter: https://goo.gl/XTWX61 Follow on Instagram: https://goo.gl/7ZeLv Watch The Vergecast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/40RFRkg The Vergecast Podcast: https://bit.ly/3WQDexZ Decoder with Nilay Patel: http://apple.co/3v29nDc More about our pod ...

Core Viewpoint - New Mexico's jury verdict against Meta holds the company liable for violating consumer protection laws and endangering children, resulting in a $375 million penalty, and sets the stage for potential court-ordered changes to Meta's platforms aimed at enhancing child safety [2][3]. Group 1: Legal Proceedings and Implications - A jury found Meta liable for enabling child sexual exploitation, leading to a significant financial penalty and a subsequent phase of the trial focused on claims of public nuisance [2][3]. - The upcoming bench trial in May may result in court-ordered changes to the design of Meta's platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, to better protect minors [2][4]. - New Mexico's case is distinct from numerous private lawsuits, as it seeks to compel product changes rather than just financial compensation [2][3]. Group 2: Proposed Changes and Regulatory Actions - New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez outlined potential changes, including restricting content recommendations for minors, limiting social media notifications, and tightening age verification procedures [4][5]. - The state may also propose measures to mitigate harm already caused by Meta's products, with the possibility of seeking a greater financial award in the second phase of the trial [5][7]. - The state is considering appointing an independent monitor to oversee Meta's compliance with consumer protection laws over several years [5]. Group 3: Broader Context and Industry Impact - The verdict empowers other states to pursue similar actions against tech companies, particularly in light of legislative efforts to enforce stricter age-checking measures and algorithmic restrictions for young users [3][8]. - The use of public nuisance law by attorneys general reflects a growing trend to hold industries accountable for social harm, similar to actions taken against opioid manufacturers [8]. - Meta has made safety upgrades to its platforms in response to the lawsuit, including features aimed at protecting teen users, although the effectiveness of these changes remains under scrutiny [10][12].

Indonesia to ban social media and other online platforms for under 16s https://t.co/pEf09ypQgk ...

Implementing new rules for teens on social media will be trickier than their advocates predict. Already, some unintended consequences are becoming obvious https://t.co/0WUp8iyiy5 ...

RT Bloomberg en Español (@BBGenEspanol)Sin cuentas en TikTok, Instagram o X antes de los 16. Australia ya aplica una prohibición nacional y el mundo la observa.@ethomson1 explica cómo funciona la medida y qué implica: https://t.co/mdExCJtl0b https://t.co/P1fVJNwUH8 ...

India tightened the rules governing social media content and their platforms, especially for artificially generated and manipulated material https://t.co/6Kn0TeKWDG ...

8) A telling moment in the 2020 intelligence hearing was Castro egging on Joan Donovan (don't get me started), who ran Harvard's Misinformation Review, to get her to suggest as an expert that the government needed to do more to regulate social media, to force content moderation https://t.co/N5cbyDWJpQ ...

Core Viewpoint - Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff emphasizes the need for regulation of artificial intelligence, citing alarming instances where AI has been linked to suicide coaching [1] Group 1: Regulation of AI - Benioff advocates for regulatory measures for AI, similar to past calls for social media regulation [1] - He highlights the serious implications of unregulated AI, referencing documented cases of suicide associated with AI technologies [1] Group 2: Historical Context - In 2018, Benioff compared social media to a health issue, suggesting it should be regulated like cigarettes due to its addictive nature [2] - He notes that the negative consequences of unregulated social media are now being mirrored in the realm of artificial intelligence [2]

One concern is that children who have been kicked off mainstream social-media apps may sign up for others that are less well known—and perhaps less well regulated https://t.co/RN3jpLaRUo ...

from December 10. If you're under 16, you're no longer allowed to have a social media account. Spend quality time with your friends and your family face to face.>> I'm Sha. I'm 15 years old. >> I'm Eleanor. I'm about to turn 15.>> I'm a singer songwriter and I advertise my music on social media. >> And I primarily use social media to connect with other people and to promote my social life as well as on my journey in sports. I think some of the good parts of social media is you get to kind of escape from rea ...