Social Media & Big Tech news and discussions

[firestar464]

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

[weatheriscool]

[caltrek]

Source: Grant Peace
@thx.bsky.social

[wjfox]

Elon Musk's X to clamp down on parody accounts

1 hour ago

X is bringing in stricter rules around parody accounts.

From 10 April, accounts which impersonate another user or person must use key words such as "fake" or "parody" at the start of their account names.

The platform will also require parody account holders to use different images to the X accounts belonging to those they seek to represent.

Some users have complained about confusion caused by parody accounts on the platform, such as those impersonating its owner Elon Musk.

"These changes are designed to help users better understand the unaffiliated nature of PCF accounts and reduce the risk of confusion or impersonation," the company said in a post on Saturday, external.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g37elkrxdo

[caltrek]

New Study Analyzes How Reddit Communities are Adapting to AI
April 7, 2025

Introduction:

(Eurekalert) ITHACA, N.Y. – Researchers at Cornell Tech have released a new report detailing how Reddit communities are evolving their policies to address a surge in AI-generated content.

One of the most striking discoveries is the rapid increase in subreddits with rules governing AI use. According to the research, the number of subreddits with AI rules more than doubled in 16 months, from July 2023 to November 2024.

The team collected metadata and rules from 300,000 public communities during two periods in July 2023 and November 2024. The researchers will present a paper with their findings at the Association of Computing Machinery's CHI conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.

“This is important because it demonstrates that AI concern is spreading in these communities. It raises the question of whether or not the communities have the tools they need to effectively and equitably enforce these policies,” said Travis Lloyd, a doctoral student at Cornell Tech.

The study found that AI rules are most common in subreddits focused on art and celebrity topics. These communities often share visual content, and their rules frequently address concerns about the quality and authenticity of AI-generated images, audio and video. Larger subreddits were also significantly more likely to have these rules, reflecting growing concerns about AI among communities with larger user bases.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1079645

[firestar464]

it's mostly just "AI BAD" (I get that it's definitely appropriate to ban genAI for some communities but a lot of subs seem to just be jumping on the bandwagon)

I like how r/Shrek actually has sensible policies on the matter. They kept a level head and understood that fan images and goofy concepts were not unduly harmful to the livelihoods of artists, nor was copyright an issue, as people technically violated copyright frequently long before the advent of genAI.

[firestar464]

Meta whistleblower tells senators Facebook worked "hand in glove" with Chinese government to censor posts

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/meta-whist ... committee/

[firestar464]

Notorious image board 4chan hacked and internal data leaked

https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/15/notor ... ta-leaked/

[caltrek]

The Little Democratic Engine That Could
by Joe Mathews
April 15, 2025

Introduction:

(Zócolo) In this dark moment of American dictatorship, California has turned on a small democratic light.

It’s called Engaged California, and it’s an online, nonpartisan tool for Californians to deliberate with one another and engage with their government.

At first glance, it might not seem like much. When you sign up with your email, pledge to behave with civility, and answer questions about your ideas and thoughts on issues related to the Los Angeles fires (the first use case for this tool), it might feel like just another online survey, with more open-ended questions.

But it is a big deal. Because the U.S., and California, have done little to encourage deliberative democracy, especially online. Which means that Engaged California could launch a new era in which technology gives people a chance to talk with each other, and to help determine more of the policies of their governments.

Before I go on, I should disclose that, since last year, I’ve been an unpaid advisor to the Engaged California project.

Read more here: https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/the ... fornia/



caltrek’s comment: I posted this not because I live in California (most of you live elsewhere) but because of the possibility it could serve as a model for other states and countries.

[firestar464]

EXCLUSIVE: Liz Truss to launch ‘free speech’ social media platform this summer

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/ ... er-392023/

I considered posting this in the "cringe" thread

[firestar464]

Hawley calls on Zuckerberg to appear before Congress following whistleblower testimony

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/524 ... ony-china/

[caltrek]

Can Social Media Improve Your Mental Health?
April 25, 2025

Introduction:

(Washington University Via Futurity) Social media can be an emotional minefield: the vitriol, the unrealistic portrayals of seemingly perfect lives, and the doomsday scenarios. Some corners of the internet seem designed to make people feel worse about themselves and their world.
But there’s another side to social media: puppies, recipes, Severance recaps, and meaningful connections.

A new study showed that young and middle-aged adults often turn to social media when they’re feeling sad, worried, or frustrated.

“It’s not just a coincidence,” says coauthor Alison Tuck, a PhD student in the psychological and brain sciences department at Washington University in St. Louis who is also a student therapist with the WashU Psychosocial Service Center. Tuck coauthored the study with Renee Thompson, an associate professor.

“Adults may be actively seeking out social media because they think it will make them feel better. In fact, people were more likely to say they intentionally used social media to try and influence their emotions during times that they felt worse,” Tuck says.

Read more here: https://www.futurity.org/can-social-me ... 78932-2

[firestar464]

Only thing I disagree with is the suggestion that the government doing its job to arrest predators and enforcing safety laws against social media companies is mutually exclusive. However, his other points are all spot-on.

[weatheriscool]

[firestar464]

[wjfox]

More than half of top 100 mental health TikToks contain misinformation, study finds

Guardian investigation reveals promotion of dubious advice, questionable supplements and quick-fix healing methods

Sat 31 May 2025 19.00 BST

More than half of all the top trending videos offering mental health advice on TikTok contain misinformation, a Guardian investigation has found.

People are increasingly turning to social media for mental health support, yet research has revealed that many influencers are peddling misinformation, including misused therapeutic language, “quick fix” solutions and false claims.

Those seeking help are confronted with dubious advice, such as eating an orange in the shower to reduce anxiety; the promotion of supplements with a limited evidence base for alleviating anxiety, such as saffron, magnesium glycinate and holy basil; methods to heal trauma within an hour; and guidance presenting normal emotional experiences as a sign of borderline personality disorder or abuse.

MPs and experts said the findings that social media platforms were riddled with unhelpful, harmful and sometimes dangerous mental health advice were “damning” and “concerning”, and urged the government to strengthen regulation to protect the public from the spread of misinformation.

The Guardian took the top 100 videos posted under the #mentalhealthtips hashtag on TikTok and shared them with psychologists, psychiatrists and academic experts, who took a view on whether the posts contained misinformation.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/202 ... tudy-finds