Facebook and Google have sharply restricted the ways that advertisers can tailor messages to minors on their sites. In a video from The New York Times Opinion section, journalists made the case that Congress should copy the British regulations. Children’s advocates are mostly over the moon about it. lawmakers are debating updated laws to protect kids online and scolding the head of Instagram, as they did on Wednesday, the horse has partly left the barn. “I think they can see the writing on the wall,” Sonia Livingstone, a professor at the London School of Economics who studies children’s digital rights, told Wired this year. law for comprehensive online child protection, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. “Why not here?” Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, asked at Wednesday’s hearing Involving the head of Instagram Adam Mosseri in his and Meta’s plan to create Instagram for Kids while referencing the British code. Some of the guidelines are vague, partly by design, and that’s one reason the technology industry said it fought the British code. To comply with the British code, Facebook, Google and other companies could have changed features only for kids who live in that country. The British regulations are effectively here already, but without the force of U.S. Among other guidelines, the code requires websites and apps to turn on the highest possible privacy settings by default for people under 18, and to turn off features that track children’s locations. The idea behind the Children’s Code is that companies must build products with the best interests of children in mind, and it makes companies accountable to protect them. The regulations don’t take all control and responsibility from parents and caregivers, but they are a backstop for families. As in the examples above, the British regulations – formally called the Age-Appropriate Design Code or the Children’s Code – are also changing the internet experience for kids and families in the U.S. Although the breaking up tech companies seems to still be a far-off hope to protect children from damaging internet structure seems to be picking up momentum

If you thought the flat earth conspiracy was outlandish, you might want to sit down while I break down the very real group who is trying to bring down the “bird-geoisie.” “The Bird aren’t Real” movement was created by Peter McIndoe a college dropout in Memphis in 2017 for media performance reasons. The movement believes that birds are no longer real bird organisms rather drone-like machines mimicking this particular life form, for government surveillance use. Birds are Real, has seen a significant rise over the last few years on platforms like Instagram Twitter and Tik Tok, possibly due to the normalization of misinformation and citizen reporting. Just last month the group organized in protest outside Twitter’s headquarters in San Francisco, in order to get the company to change their logo andmascott. What truly baffled me about researching this topic is the statements from key members of the movement stating they know the message is a joke but still fervently believe in the spreading of their message. Some members describe this phenomenon as a parody social movement, knowing that their particular claim is false but there overarching distrust in the government’s ability to handle survivance equipment to be the underlying and border issue. However, the contextualization to make this conspiracy theory real is anything but a joke. Leader Peter McIndoe, hired an actor to portray a former C.I.A. agent who confessed to working on bird drone surveillance. Although a lie the video has more than 20 million views on TikTok.He also hired multiple actors to play “adult bird truthers” in videos to boost support over Instagram. McIndoe, has gone as far as to create merch for the movement which he projects off over in order to pay for living expenses.

Although the idea of birds we see every day being mini gadgets to supply the government sounds like a laughable youtube video, this movement has proved the virality of misinformation. It will be interesting to see if they clout-chasing cults will become a new modern phenomenon or die off with the advancements of healthier news cycles.

According to CNN, “the US will provide new funding to protect reporters targeted because of their work and support independent international journalism.”

Announced at the Summit for Democracy on December 8, 2021, Secretary of State Blinken explained that the US government wanted to support journalists and their work through funding, more than any other government.

Fox News argues that Biden is using taxpayer dollars to fund journalism, which has caused a stir within the Republican Party.

According to The Guardian, the newly announced Trump Media & Technology Group, or TMTG, has been in collaboration with a company called Digital World Acquisition Corporation, which is a blank-check acquisition firm. But what is a blank-check acquisition firm?

“Blank-check companies like Digital World, also called special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, sell their shares to investors first and then go looking for a business to merge with. They aren’t supposed to have a deal lined up before selling shares,” says The New York Times.

Regulators from the SEC are now investigating documents related to TMTG, but have stated that this investigation has not been prompted by a violation of the law.

Want to watch performances from Carnegie Hall in the comfort of your own home? You’re in luck!

Carnegie Hall is launching a new on-demand video platform to share recorded content from the performances that take place in the legendary theatre.

According to Voice of Alexandria, “Carnegie Hall+, created in a partnership Unitel, was to launch Wednesday night. It costs $7.99 monthly and is available through the Apple TV app and smart televisions, Roku, Amazon Fire and other devices.”

Performances available via Carnegie Hall+ feature operas, ballets, and concerts.

The iconic designer not only worked for Louis Vuitton, but also founded his own brand, Off White. Breaking barriers and being an innovator is what Virgil was known for, adored by his family, friends, and fans. According to The New York Times, “Mr. Abloh transformed not just what consumers wanted to wear, bridging hypebeast culture and the luxury world, but what brands wanted in a designer — and the meaning of “fashion” itself.”

His work was prominent in the media industry, especially through his collaboration and friendship with Kanye West. Many wonder who will replace Virgil Abloh as Creative Director of Louis Vuitton, and some have even rumored that Kanye West will step in his place.

As the fashion industry mourns the loss of a genius, Virgil’s creations and memory will never leave us. His impact on fashion, the media industry, and the world will never be forgotten.

What is an MLM?

Multi-Level Marketing Plans, commonly known on the internet as MLM’s, are nothing new to frequent users of Instagram and Facebook. Certain savvy users with a business idea can consistently utilize their platform to influence others to buy in to a product and sell it to others. The catch is that these products cannot be bought in-store- you must purchase them from a “friend”, or someone who already works for the business. This process ultimately makes the person at the top richer by leveraging field sales and marketing to the likely naive end of the line customer.

Images of creating an empire, working from home, and “being your own boss” are built around successful clients-turned-salespeople. The technique of roping internet users in can cause tremendous financial, emotional, and social damage in the long run. Whether it is hair products, clothing, or weight loss shakes, we have all been witness or potentially fallen victim to buying into an MLM. The most obscure scheme yet has been a business that sells bags of dirt for $110 each, claiming that they “cure” cancer and autism.

Getting Their Hands Dirty

Black Oxygen Organics, otherwise known as “BOO”, encouraged its users to bathe, wear, and even drink the dirt that they were somehow successfully selling. The dirt, or “magic mud”, was sold in capsules, powder and liquid through users who claimed its magical benefits. Claims were made that the substance from a trench in Ontario could potentially cure all known ailments. Tests were run on this soil through The Ohio State University’s labs in which high levels of lead and arsenic were found, leading to FDA investigation of the product. These elements are not rare to find in soil, which is a valid reason that we should not consume such a substance.

The Downfall of BOO

Groups of anti-MLM enthusiasts banded together through the internet and conducted an insider investigation in order to shut the brand down. Some members of these internet forums attempted to join the group in efforts to gather information that would help their case in spreading awareness of the harmful product. The group gained the attention of the FDA, FTC, and Health Canada, resulting in a recall of the product.

This story proves the power of the internet for uses that are both harmful and productive. The psychologically manipulative tactics that MLMs use to prey on consumers were shut down by regular people against such organizations. Without the internet this surely would not have happened, but there would have been less of a chance of it ending as well.