facebook Facebook Commits $100 Million to Support Small Businesses During Pandemic Facebook launches a $100 million grant program to assist 30,000 small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The tech giant also expands its efforts to curb misinformation and supports various global relief funds.
fact check Trump Misleads Public on Scope of Google Coronavirus Screening Site President Trump and health officials misleadingly suggest Google is building a nationwide coronavirus screening website, when the project actually belongs to a sister company and is limited to the San Francisco Bay Area.
facebook Facebook and Instagram Direct Over a Billion Users to Authoritative COVID-19 Facts Facebook aggressively combats COVID-19 misinformation by directing over a billion people to authoritative health resources across its apps. The company provides free ads to the WHO and launches new fact-checking tools on WhatsApp.
apple news Apple News Launches Curated Coronavirus Section to Combat Misinformation Apple introduces a dedicated COVID-19 section in its News app to provide users with fact-based reporting from trusted publishers. The feature aims to curb dangerous misinformation by offering curated health guides, outbreak maps, and direct links to official resources.
twitter Twitter Sets New Rules Against Deepfakes Ahead of 2020 Election Twitter implements a new policy to combat synthetic and manipulated media, using a three-pronged test to determine if content causes harm. The platform plans to label or remove deceptive media to protect voters.
facebook Tech Giants Scramble to Combat Coronavirus Misinformation Online Major technology companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Google are actively working to limit the spread of false information about the coronavirus outbreak on their platforms.
instagram Instagram Expands Fact-Checking While Shielding Politicians Instagram partners with 45 fact-checking organizations to hide false content using interstitial warnings, yet it continues to exempt politicians from these rules. The platform also introduces anti-bullying alerts for captions and enforces strict age verification for new users.
instagram Instagram Automatically Flags False Content Shared From Facebook Instagram expands its fact-checking program worldwide and automatically labels known false content shared from Facebook. The platform also penalizes repeat offenders by removing them from Explore and hashtag pages.
youtube YouTube CEO Draws Fire Over Narrow Definition of Harmful Content YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki faces intense criticism after stating that videos promoting white supremacy do not violate platform policies unless they explicitly call for discriminatory action. Critics argue the company leverages its massive resources poorly when it comes to policing misinformation.
twitter Twitter Dismantles 6,000-Account Saudi Propaganda Network Twitter takes down nearly 6,000 accounts linked to a Saudi marketing firm that spreads state-backed messaging. The takedown reveals a growing trend of governments outsourcing social media influence campaigns to third-party contractors.
twitter Twitter Proposes Warning Labels for Deepfakes Instead of Removal Twitter reveals a new draft policy that warns users about synthetic media but refuses to remove most deepfakes. The platform only considers taking down manipulated content that poses a direct threat to physical safety.
twitter Twitter's Political Ad Ban Masks Deeper Platform Issues Twitter bans political ads while Facebook embraces unchecked paid lies, but neither approach solves the underlying ethical failures of major social platforms.
twitter Twitter Bans Political Ads, Directly Contrasting Facebook's Stance Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announces a complete ban on political advertising, arguing that paying for reach compromises democratic infrastructure. The decision sets Twitter apart from Facebook, which continues to allow politicians to run targeted ads without fact-checking.
facebook Facebook Employees Demand Action Against Political Ad Misinformation Over 250 Facebook employees sign an open letter demanding CEO Mark Zuckerberg address lies in political ads. The workers propose solutions like fact-checking and limiting microtargeting to prevent the platform from profiting off misinformation.
facebook Facebook Prioritizes Algorithmic Outrage Over Genuine Free Speech Mark Zuckerberg claims Facebook defends free expression, but the platform actually provides algorithmic amplification optimized for engagement and outrage rather than equal voice.