Foreign

US Senate passes first major online child safety bills in years

Published

2 months ago

July 31, 2024

Admin

The US Senate passed a sweeping social media safety package Tuesday that would force tech companies to do more to protect children – the first major legislation targeting Silicon Valley in a generation.

Social media giants like Meta and X have been confronting a torrent of political anger for not putting in guardrails to thwart online dangers for children, including from sexual predators and teen suicide.

A rare sign of cross-party unity in an increasingly rancorous election year, the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) were passed in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote with just three dissenters.

But the bills face an uncertain path through the House of Representatives, where Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has spoken broadly in favor of the package but has not scheduled a vote.

“Today is a momentous day. The Senate keeps its promise to every parent who has lost a child because of the risks of social media,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.

While there is widespread agreement in a politically divided Congress on curbing the negative impacts of social media, there has never been a united path on how to go about doing so.

The legislation was drawn up in consultation with parents of teens who had been bullied or sexually exploited but has been opposed by some free speech groups worried it could lead to censorship.

– ‘Duty of care’ –
House members are on their summer recess and will almost certainly be focusing on averting a looming government shutdown when they return in September.

But Schumer called on the lower chamber to pass the bills immediately on its return, urging lawmakers to “seize the opportunity to send them to the president’s desk.”

KOSA would establish a “duty of care” obligation on the online platforms that would demand special provisions be put in place to shield minors from toxic content.

Supported by Microsoft, X and Snap, the company that owns Snapchat, the legislation would require companies to give users a dedicated page to report harmful content — including sexual exploitation, online bullying, the promotion of suicide and eating disorders.

In January, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg gave a public apology to the families of victims at the Senate Judiciary Committee as hostile lawmakers grilled tech CEOs over the dangers that children face on social media.

“I’m sorry for everything you have all been through,” he said. “No one should go through the things that your families have suffered.”

– Censorship fears –
Seven LGBTQ advocacy groups initially opposed to the bill changed their position after changes they said mitigated concerns that teens would be limited in accessing information about gender identity, sexuality and reproductive health.

But free speech groups including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have argued the definition of harm is too broad and that it could lead to censorship.

“KOSA compounds nationwide attacks on young peoples’ right to learn and access information, on and offline,” said Jenna Leventoff, senior policy counsel at the ACLU.

Evan Greer, director of Fight for the Future, told reporters that KOSA was “a blank check for censorship of any piece of content that an administration could claim is harmful to kids.”

COPPA 2.0 would beef up legislation passed in 1998, in the earlier days of the internet.

It would require privacy standards for Americans aged under 17 and outlaw online advertising targeted at children and teens – requiring companies to allow users to delete personal information.

“Too many kids experience relentless promotion of suicide or substance abuse material. Too many kids have their personal data collected and then used nefariously,” Schumer said.

“With studies showing that kids today spend more time on social media than ever before, now is the moment to pass KOSA, pass COPPA, and instill guardrails that protect kids from these risks.”

AFP

Foreign

Meta shuts down Russia’s State-media accounts

Published

12 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Facebook parent company Meta is banning RT and other Russian state media networks from its platforms over claims they carried out covert operations to influence social media users.

The ban, which was announced on Monday, will globally block the accounts from Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Threads users over the coming days.

“After careful consideration, we expanded our ongoing enforcement against Russian state media outlets,” said Meta, which already restricted activity from the accounts.

“Rossiya Segodnya, RT and other related entities are now banned from our apps globally for foreign interference activity.”

Rossiya Segodnya runs news brands including Sputnik and Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

RT had responded to Sky News agency that Meta “censoring information flow to the rest of the world”

“Don’t worry, where they close a door, and then a window, our ‘partisans’ (or in your parlance, guerrilla fighters) will find the cracks to crawl through,” their spokesperson said.

“It’s cute how there’s a competition in the West – who can try to spank RT the hardest, in order to make themselves look better,” they added.

The Kremlin said Meta was “discrediting itself” by banning the networks from its platforms.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Such selective actions against Russian media are unacceptable.”

He added the move complicated prospects for Moscow normalising relations with the company.

The ban comes after the United States filed money-laundering charges earlier this month against two RT employees for what officials said was a scheme to hire an American company to produce online content to influence the 2024 election.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that countries should treat the activities of Russian state broadcaster RT as they do covert intelligence operations.

“We’re exposing how Russia deploys similar tactics around the world,” Mr Blinken said.

“Russian weaponisation of disinformation to subvert and polarise free and open societies extends to every part of the world.”

In July, the US Department of Justice shut down nearly 1,000 social media bot accounts it said were created to spread Russian disinformation in the US.

It linked the accounts to RT, a state-owned broadcaster, accusing one of their senior employees of creating the bot farm which was used to “advance the mission of the FSB and the Russian government”.

When the media company was asked for a response to those allegations, RT replied: “Farming is a beloved pastime for millions of Russians.”

Foreign

Kamala Harris reacts to Trump’s assassination attempt; Says, ‘I am glad he is safe’

Published

2 days ago

September 17, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Following the second assassination attempt of Former President Donald Trump in the Florida golf course ahead of the US Presidential elections, US Vice President Kamala Harris stated,‘ I am glad he is safe’. The shooting took place at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. After the news broke out, Kamala Harris shared a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and said there is no place for violence in America.

“I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) September 15, 2024

According to the White House, both the Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden have been informed about the security incident of the Former President when he was golfing on Sunday and are both “relieved to know” that Donald Trump is safe, reported CNN.

“The President and Vice President have been briefed about the security incident at the Trump International Golf Course, where former President Trump was golfing. They are relieved to know that he is safe. They will be kept regularly updated by their team,” stated the White House.

Meanwhile, the suspect involved in Sunday’s shooting incident at Trump’s Florida Golf Course has been taken into custody, CNN reported, citing a Facebook post from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.

Meanwhile, a suspect, who, according to the officials, is connected to Sunday’s shooting incident at Trump’s Florida Golf Course, has been taken into custody, CNN reported, citing a Facebook post from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.

The sheriff’s office “has stopped a vehicle and taken a suspect into custody,” the post said. According to the office, a portion of Interstate 95 close to State Route 714 in Martin County is closed. Trump is “safe following gunshots in his vicinity,” the Trump Campaign said in a statement on Sunday, CNN reported.

Foreign

Suspect in Trump assassination attempt charged with gun crimes

Published

3 days ago

September 17, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

A man suspected of plotting to assassinate former US president Donald Trump was charged with federal gun crimes on Monday.

Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was charged with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number at his initial court appearance.

Routh, who was arrested on Sunday after an alleged abortive bid to shoot the former president at his West Palm Beach golf course, is expected to face further charges at a later arraignment.

Routh appeared calm during the brief court hearing, answering “yes” in a soft voice to several questions from District Judge Ryon McCabe of the Southern District of Florida.

Routh was arrested on Sunday after a US Secret Service agent noticed the barrel of a rifle pointing out of shrubbery at the Trump International Golf Course.

Agents, who were deployed in a moving security bubble extending about one or two holes ahead of the former president, “engaged” an individual, the US Secret Service’s Rafael Barros said.

Support for Trump, questions for Harris in pro-fracking Pennsylvania
Trump was unharmed.

Police said Routh fled in a vehicle and was arrested shortly after.

Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said police recovered a “AK-47-style” rifle equipped with a scope, two backpacks, and a GoPro camera from the scene.

Routh is reported to be a self-employed affordable housing builder based in Hawaii, with an arrest record spanning decades.

He regularly posted about politics and current events on social media, including criticism of Trump, according to US media.

AFP