<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/twitter">Twitter</a> announced that parts of its source code was leaked online, making it potentially vulnerable to hackers, and the platform&#8217;s officials suspect a disgruntled insider is to blame.
The social media company on Friday <a href="https://github.com/github/dmca/blob/master/2023/03/2023-03-24-twitter.md">notified</a> GitHub, an online hosting service for software development, that it had allowed Twitter code to be posted in violation of copyright law, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/26/technology/twitter-source-code-leak.html">reported.</a> Twitter filed a motion in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California asking it to order GitHub to identify the person behind the leak and anyone else involved in the caper, the Times reported.
GitHub responded to the Twitter filing by asking for a description of the copyrighted code that had allegedly been infringed, prompting Twitter to say the material was “proprietary source code for Twitter&#8217;s platform and internal tools.” The platform acknowledged that it had no measures in place to control access to the content.
The source code is the critical software behind Twitter&#8217;s programming functions. Threat analyst Brett Callow told the Times that the public posting of Twitter’s source code could help hackers by making  “it a little bit easier and speedier to probe for vulnerabilities.”
GitHub took the posting down on Friday, but it had reportedly been up for months. It was not known when Twitter became aware that the code had been posted before bringing it to GitHub&#8217;s attention. In the Friday filing, Twitter asked GitHub to save any data that could be relevant to determining who was behind the act, including contact info, IP addresses or other information.
According to the Times, the person who leaked Twitter’s source code apparently self-identified as “FreeSpeechEnthusiast” on GitHub.
Twitter owner Elon Musk has said he intends to make critical parts of the company&#8217;s code &#8220;open source,&#8221; or accessible to the public by the end of this month.
“Twitter will open source all code used to recommend tweets on March 31st. &#8230; We’re developing a simplified approach to serve more compelling tweets, but it’s still a work in progress,&#8221; Musk tweeted on March 17. &#8220;That’ll also be open source. Providing code transparency will be incredibly embarrassing at first, but it should lead to rapid improvement in recommendation quality. Most importantly, we hope to earn your trust.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Our “algorithm” is overly complex &amp; not fully understood internally. People will discover many silly things , but we’ll patch issues as soon as they’re found!
We’re developing a simplified approach to serve more compelling tweets, but it’s still a work in progress. That’ll also…
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1636838845894279168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Musk has slashed Twitter&#8217;s workforce since acquiring the company in October. By the end of February, Twitter had reduced its staff from 7,500 to fewer than 2,000 employees. Musk said Friday that despite the company’s worth having dropped to $20 billion, he thought it could be worth $250 billion in the future.

Tesla Gigafactory – Elon Musk

Twitter Claims Parts Of Its Source Code Leaked, Insider Suspected

Twitter Claims Parts Of Its Source Code Were Leaked

Elon Musk

Leak

Social Media

Twitter

U.S.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairwoman Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/your-platform-should-be-banned-congresswoman-rips-into-tiktok-ceo-for-targeting-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cathy McMorris Rodgers</a> (R-WA) said Sunday that Congress should pass a ban on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> and a federal data privacy law.
Appearing on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; Sunday, McMorris Rodgers said that TikTok&#8217;s relationship with the Chinese company ByteDance is a threat to the privacy and safety of American citizens but added that the U.S. needs a national data privacy law to stop other tech giants from stealing Americans&#8217; data.
&#8220;What we are seeing is that TikTok and Mr. Chew have repeatedly been caught in this lie that there&#8217;s not a connection to ByteDance and ultimately the [Chinese Communist Party],&#8221; McMorris Rodgers said. &#8220;So they cannot be trusted to protect our data. They cannot be trusted to ensure that our children&#8217;s mental health is a priority.&#8221;
&#8220;We need a national data privacy standard also,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;And that&#8217;s what Ranking Member [Frank] Pallone (D-NJ) and I have worked on and we&#8217;re going to introduce this Congress, because we need to take action, whether it&#8217;s TikTok, big tech, or other data brokers, to restrict the amount of data that they&#8217;re collecting to begin with.&#8221;
&#8220;We need to ensure that individuals have the right to know what their profile might be or it &#8212; or to be alerted if their information, their personal data is being accessed or transferred to another country like China. We need to protect kids, and we have the strongest protections for kids in the privacy proposal that we have been working on to protect anyone under the age of 17. And we need to stop this listening on devices of people.&#8221;
McMorris Rodgers said that a ban on TikTok should take priority.
&#8220;I would say there&#8217;s an immediate threat via TikTok from the Chinese Communist Party, that is the reason that I believe we need to ban TikTok immediately.&#8221;
New York Democratic Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aoc-takes-to-tiktok-to-defend-chinese-owned-app-from-possible-nationwide-ban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</a> called for a national data privacy law on Saturday while at the same time defending TikTok from a bipartisan effort to ban the Chinese-owned app.
AOC said that banning TikTok “doesn’t really address the core of the issue, which is the fact that major social media companies are allowed to collect troves of deeply personal data about you that you don’t know about, without really any significant regulation whatsoever.”
“In fact, the United States is one of the only developed nations in the world that has no significant data or privacy protection laws on the books,” she said. Instead of banning TikTok, which has 150 million users, outright, the answer is to “actually protect Americans from this kind of egregious data harvesting that companies can do without your significant ability to say no,” she added.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew Testifies At U.S. House Hearing

Top GOP Rep. Says Congress Should Pass A TikTok Ban And A Federal Data Privacy Law

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Big Tech

Congress

House Republicans

Privacy

State of the Union

TikTok

Utah Republican Governor Spencer Cox said Sunday that placing age limit restrictions on social media use is not fool-proof.
In an interview on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/full-utah-governor-enforcing-social-media-laws-for-minors-isn-t-fool-proof-166858309843" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meet the Press</a>,&#8221; Cox admitted that enforcing a new state law requiring a parent&#8217;s permission for a child under 18 to use social media would be tough to enforce because kids can find ways around the rules.
&#8220;We understand that there are definitely going to be enforcement issues,&#8221; Cox told host Chuck Todd. &#8220;Any time you wade into this type of an industry, it&#8217;s going to be tough. And we don&#8217;t expect that we&#8217;re going to be able to prevent every young person from getting around this. Kids are really smart. That&#8217;s one of the problems.&#8221;
&#8220;I would prefer that Congress act,&#8221; Cox continued. &#8220;That&#8217;s where this should happen, and I think it will,&#8221; he said, pointing to a <a href="https://stewart.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1166" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bill</a> authored by Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT) that would raise the minimum age to use social media to 16.
&#8220;[There is] broad bipartisan support,&#8221; he went on. &#8220;The president, in his State of the Union, said we need to do this. So I have President Biden, I have very conservative members of Congress working on this together. But the states have to lead out on this, and that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re doing &#8230; and then that helps Congress kind of coalesce and come to an agreement on how we prevent these terrible harms from happening.&#8221;
Cox argued that the new law is necessary to protect the health and safety of children.
&#8220;We know this is killing our kids,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We have to start there. The harm being done to our children far outweighs — and this started well before COVID, since 2012 — especially among young women, the rates of suicide, depression, anxiety, self-harm, have skyrocketed, and every research institution that has looked at this is pointing to social media as the cause.&#8221;
Cox signed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/utah-gov-signs-new-restrictions-on-social-media-use-for-kids-as-congress-questions-tiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two bills into law</a> on Thursday that would regulate children’s use of social media as lawmakers in Congress questioned TikTok&#8217;s CEO over the platform&#8217;s effect on kids and national security. The legislation, which is the first of its kind in the nation, is expected to be challenged in court by social media companies. The laws, House Bill 311 and Senate Bill 152, were passed by the Republican-controlled Utah legislature earlier this year.
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Included in the new legislation, which goes into effect in 2024, is a ban on social media use by children from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., which parents will have the liberty to adjust. Additionally, children will not show up in search results under the new law and will not be able to receive direct messages from those they are not friends with or following.
A provision in HB 311 allows children to sue for damages related to social media use. This takes aim at “addictive” features in social media, including “a $250,000 fine for social media companies which use addictive design features” and “a penalty of up to $2,500 per child exposed to an addictive feature.” For those under 16, there will be a presumption of harm unless proven otherwise, according to the Utah government.
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.

US President Joe Biden hosts governors and their spouses in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington

‘Kids Are Really Smart’: Utah GOP Governor Says Age Restrictions On Social Media Use Aren’t Fool-Proof

Utah Republican Governor Says Age Restrictions On Social Media Use Aren't Fool-Proof

Children

governor

Meet the Press

Politics

Republican

Utah

Republican <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/utah" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Utah</a> Gov. Spencer Cox signed two bills on Thursday that would regulate children&#8217;s use of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/social-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social media</a>, as lawmakers in Congress question <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> over its effect on kids and national security. 
Cox said that the purpose of the new regulations, which included not allowing a minor to open a social media account without parental consent, is to protect kids&#8217; mental health. 
“We’re no longer willing to let social media companies continue to harm the mental health of our youth,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/GovCox/status/1639015949964840960?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Twitter. “Utah’s leading the way in holding social media companies accountable – and we’re not slowing down anytime soon.”
The legislation, which is the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-utah-kids-84bd1f6481071726327bce25cf3e7522" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first of its kind</a> in the nation, is expected to be challenged in court by social media companies. The laws, House Bill 311 and Senate Bill 152, were passed by the Republican-controlled Utah legislature earlier this year. 
Included in the new legislation, which goes into effect in 2024, is a ban on social media use by children from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., which parents will <a href="https://socialmedia.utah.gov/">have</a> the liberty to adjust. Additionally, children will not show up in search results and will not be able to receive direct messages from those they are not friends with or following under the new law.
A provision in HB 311 allows children to sue for damages related to social media use. This takes aim at “addictive” features in social media, including “a $250,000 fine for social media companies which use addictive design features” and “a penalty of up to $2,500 per child exposed to an addictive feature.” For those under 16, there will be a presumption of harm unless proven otherwise, according to the Utah government. 
Tech lobbyists have said the legislation would be a violation of the First Amendment and that private data could be compromised as a result of the requirements. 
Other states, like Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, and New Jersey are also looking at legislation that would increase regulation of young people’s social media use. 
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At the federal level, some lawmakers are also looking to reign in social media, with TikTok CEO Shou Chew appearing before Congress on Thursday as lawmakers consider a ban on the social media platform. 
Democratic and Republican lawmakers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/squad-member-defends-tiktok-amid-debate-over-possible-ban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have raised concerns</a> over allegations that user data on TikTok, which is owned by Chinese technology company ByteDance, can be accessed by associates of the Chinese Communist Party.

Utah Gov. Signs New Restrictions On Social Media Use For Kids As Congress Questions TikTok

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/tiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> CEO Shou Zi Chew neglected to provide a clear answer on whether individuals associated with ByteDance, the social media platform’s <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese</a> parent company, helped him prepare for a Thursday morning hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Democrats and Republicans have raised concerns over allegations that user data on TikTok can be accessed by associates of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ccp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese Communist Party</a>. Lawmakers from both parties questioned Chew on the links between TikTok and ByteDance, as well as the extent to which authorities in China maintain authority and influence over both entities.
Chew was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4PAmW0PHdU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pressed</a> by Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) on whether any employees of ByteDance directly provided “input, help, or instruction” for his testimony. Chew responded that his “phone is full of well wishes” but said that he prepared for the hearing with his team in Washington, D.C.
“Can you guarantee that no one at ByteDance had a role when preparing you for today’s hearing?” Burgess pressed. “Like I said, Congressman, this is a high-profile hearing,” Chew responded. “A lot of people from around the world were sending me wishes and unsolicited advice, but I prepared for this hearing with my team here in D.C.”
Burgess asked whether the attorneys who represent TikTok also represent ByteDance. “Yes, I believe so,” Chew admitted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
TikTok CEO won&#8217;t say if Chinese officials &#8220;had a role&#8221; in preparing his testimony to Congress<a href="https://t.co/IdUTTPYqn1">pic.twitter.com/IdUTTPYqn1</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1638918230436634625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Some officials have called for a wholesale ban on TikTok, while others have asked the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a board that evaluates the national security implications of international investments, to force a divestiture from ByteDance. TikTok committed in one recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-states-orders-chinese-company-behind-tiktok-to-sell-the-platform-or-face-nationwide-ban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposal</a> called Project Texas to spend $1.5 billion protecting user data and ensuring that Chinese officials cannot access user information; the CFIUS has reportedly rejected the proposal.
President Joe Biden and several state officials have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-unanimously-votes-to-ban-tiktok-on-government-devices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned</a> TikTok from government devices over data security and surveillance concerns after reports <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tiktoks-parent-company-in-china-planned-to-use-platform-to-track-locations-of-specific-americans-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicated</a> that ByteDance staffers in China used the platform to monitor the locations of specific American users.
Chew said in his prepared <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tiktok-ceo-swears-company-is-not-an-agent-of-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remarks</a> to the House Energy and Commerce Committee that “ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country,” even as he acknowledged that the firm has Chinese founders. “Divestment does not address the fundamental concerns that I have heard, as a change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access,” he told lawmakers. “This is not an issue of nationality.”
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Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, asserted in her opening <a href="https://energycommerce.house.gov/posts/chair-rodgers-to-tik-tok-ceo-your-platform-should-be-banned" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> that Chinese law requires ByteDance and other social media companies to conduct surveillance on its behalf. “From the data it collects to the content it controls, TikTok is a grave threat of foreign influence in American life,” she commented. “It&#8217;s been said it is like allowing the Soviet Union the power to produce Saturday morning cartoons during the Cold War but much more powerful and much more dangerous.”
Chew has frequently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tiktok-ceo-makes-direct-appeal-to-americans-as-lawmakers-threaten-to-ban-platform" target="_blank" rel="noopener">touted</a> the runaway popularity of TikTok in the United States as he seeks to dissuade lawmakers from taking action against the company. Rodgers added that the massive scale of the platform only “emphasizes the urgency for Congress to act.”

Shou Zi Chew

TikTok CEO Refuses To Say Whether Officials At Chinese Parent Company Helped Him Prepare For Hearing

TikTok CEO Shou Chew Responds To Company's China Links

China

Chinese Communist Party

National Security

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/tiktok?_gl=1*131pl1c*_ga*NzUzNDA5ODIxLjE2NzkzMjkzNzM.*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTY3OTQxNzIyNi43LjEuMTY3OTQyNTY4Ni4zLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> CEO Shou Zi Chew appealed to the 150 million users of the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/social-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social media</a> platform in the United States as lawmakers consider a forced sale or prohibition.
Democratic and Republican members of Congress have voiced concerns over reports that members of the Chinese Communist Party have access to American user data through TikTok, on which American young people <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tiktok-creates-new-default-time-limit-for-users-under-18" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spend</a> more time than any other social media platform. Chew, who is scheduled to testify before lawmakers on Thursday morning, touted the platform’s enormous reach in the United States as he called for support from users.
“I’m super excited to announce that more than 150 million Americans are on TikTok,” Chew commented in a <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@tiktok/video/7212953186724842795?_r=1&amp;amp%3B_t=8aombXgCDlu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video message</a> filmed in Washington, D.C., and posted to the platform. “This includes more than 5 million businesses that use TikTok to reach customers.”
He also made reference to the 7,000 individuals employed by TikTok in the United States as he noted that the firm faces a “pivotal moment.” The vertical video platform is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese technology firm headquartered in Beijing.
“Some politicians have started talking about banning TikTok,” he continued. “Now this could take TikTok away from all 150 million of you. I’ll be testifying before Congress later this week to share all that we’re doing to protect Americans using the app and deliver on our mission to inspire creativity and to bring joy.”
TikTok vowed in one recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-states-orders-chinese-company-behind-tiktok-to-sell-the-platform-or-face-nationwide-ban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposal</a> to spend $1.5 billion protecting user data and ensuring that Chinese officials could not access the information. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a board composed of nine cabinet-level officials who evaluate the national security implications of international investments, nevertheless rejected the proposal and reportedly ordered ByteDance to sell the platform last week.
Lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are expected to question Chew regarding the platform’s privacy and security practices, as well as relations with the Chinese Communist Party and impacts on the health of young users.
“Americans deserve to know the extent to which their privacy is jeopardized and their data is manipulated by ByteDance-owned TikTok’s relationship with China,” House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) said in a <a href="https://energycommerce.house.gov/posts/energy-and-commerce-brings-tik-tok-ceo-before-committee-to-testify" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> last week. “What’s worse, we know Big Tech companies, like TikTok, use harmful algorithms to exploit children for profit and expose them to dangerous content online. We need to know what actions the company is taking to keep our kids safe from online and offline harms.”
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Beyond the proposals to force the divestiture of TikTok to an American company, other lawmakers have contended that the platform should be entirely prohibited. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) introduced <a href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2022/12/rubio-gallagher-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-ban-tiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legislation</a> banning TikTok and other platforms deemed to be under the influence of adversarial nations.
President Joe Biden and several state-level officials previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-unanimously-votes-to-ban-tiktok-on-government-devices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned</a> TikTok from government devices. The European Union and the United Kingdom recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-bans-tiktok-for-government-mobile-devices-over-cybersecurity-concerns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made</a> similar moves.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) publicized <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tiktok-whistleblower-says-chinese-communist-party-can-access-american-user-data" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accusations</a> earlier this month from a former TikTok employee who claimed that workers at the firm, including members of the Chinese Communist Party who are on the company’s payroll, can easily switch between viewing Chinese and American data. The platform allegedly has software backdoors inserted by employees in China.

Key Speakers at the Day Two of the Bloomberg New Economy Forum

TikTok CEO Makes Direct Appeal To Americans As Lawmakers Threaten To Ban Platform

TikTok CEO Appeals To Users As Lawmakers Threaten To Ban Platform

Business

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/meta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meta</a> has unveiled a verification system on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/facebook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/instagram" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a> similar to the one created by Twitter.
Meta Verified was rolled out on the company&#8217;s social media platforms Friday. Instead of giving out blue checkmarks to accounts because the user is a prominent public figure, the checkmark is open to any user as a means to verify that the account is authentic. The system is similar to Twitter Blue, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musks-new-twitter-verification-process-devolves-into-a-confusing-mess" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subscription service</a> unveiled by Elon Musk after he took over Twitter.
&#8220;The meaning of the verified badge has been updated to represent authenticity,&#8221; Instagram said on its <a href="https://help.instagram.com/854227311295302" target="_blank" rel="noopener">help website</a>. &#8220;An Instagram account with a verified badge next to its name now means that Instagram has confirmed that it is the authentic presence for that person or brand. Previously, the verified badge also required the person or brand to be notable and unique.&#8221; The company said that users who were verified under the old rules will still have their blue checkmarks.
&#8220;The verified badge is a tool to help people find the real accounts of people and brands,&#8221; Instagram added. &#8220;If an account has the verified badge, we&#8217;ve confirmed that it represents who it says it does. A verified badge is not a symbol to show importance, authority or subject matter expertise. We don’t use the verified badge verified to endorse or recognize public figures or brands.&#8221;
Like Twitter Blue, public figures who subscribe to Instagram Verified cannot change their username, or transfer their blue checks to a different account.
Facebook has not updated its help site in accordance with new policies yet, but <a href="https://about.meta.com/technologies/meta-verified?campaign_id=19725375025&amp;extra_1=s%7Cc%7C649036315322%7Ce%7Chow%20can%20i%20get%20my%20instagram%20verified%7C&amp;placement=&amp;creative=649036315322&amp;keyword=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meta</a> provided some additional details on its website. In addition to the blue check, users get proactive account protection from impersonation, exclusive features on Facebook and Instagram stories, and a direct connection to support teams on both platforms.
Meta Verified is much more expensive than Twitter Blue, however. Twitter Blue is $8 a month for web users, and $11 for iOS and Android. Meta Verified is $11.99 a month on the web and $14.99 on mobile; users must also pay to be verified on each platform separately.
Meta is not simply rolling out services comparable to Elon Musk&#8217;s Twitter. The parent company of Facebook and Instagram is considering a decentralized, text-based social media platform as an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meta-working-on-alternative-to-elon-musks-twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alternative to Twitter</a> after some users, many of whom are Left-leaning, are seeking alternatives to the platform after Musk&#8217;s takeover.
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The initiative, codenamed P92, could be accessed by Facebook and Instagram users with their existing credentials. Adam Mosseri, who oversees Instagram, is leading the project.
The revelation comes weeks after Instagram introduced a notes feature through which users can create short posts using text and characters.
The new social media site would be centered upon verification badges, followers and likes, posts with previews, and other features similar to those currently offered by Twitter, according to a report from MoneyControl, which first broke the news of the initiative.
Meta revealed the plans for the new platform as disillusioned Twitter users seek alternatives. A handful have created accounts on Mastodon, which features a number of independently run nodes with their own codes of conduct, privacy policies, and content moderation standards.
Ben Zeisloft contributed to this report.

RUSSIA-US-INTERNET-META

Meta Rolls Out New Verified System Similar To Twitter Blue

Facebook

Instagram

TikTok And Flags Photo Illustrations

TikTok Could Make Massive Move To Stay In The United States Despite National Security Concerns

TikTok Could Divest Itself If American Regulators Hesitate On Current National Security Plan

World

Facebook&#8217;s parent company, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/meta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meta</a>, is considering a decentralized, text-based <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/elon-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social media</a> platform comparable to <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> after some users, many of whom are Left-leaning, are seeking alternatives due to the company’s acquisition by <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/elon-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk</a>.
The initiative, codenamed P92, could be accessed by Facebook and Instagram users with their existing credentials. Adam Mosseri, who oversees Instagram, is leading the project.
“We’re exploring a standalone decentralized social network for sharing text updates,” Meta said in a <a href="https://www.platformer.news/p/meta-is-building-a-decentralized?publication_id=7976&amp;post_id=107445508&amp;isFreemail=false" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> provided to The Platformer. “We believe there’s an opportunity for a separate space where creators and public figures can share timely updates about their interests.”
The revelation comes weeks after Instagram <a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2022/12/sharing-features-on-instagram-notes-group-profiles-and-more/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> a notes feature through which users can create short posts using text and characters.
The new social media site would be centered upon verification badges, followers and likes, posts with previews, and other features similar to those currently offered by Twitter, according to a <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/startup/meta-mulls-a-twitter-competitor-codenamed-p92-that-will-be-interoperable-with-mastodon-10223961.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from MoneyControl, which first broke the news of the initiative. “The team is also discussing whether to have the ability to reshare content like Twitter apart from business and creator accounts,” one source told the outlet. “A rights manager will be integrated from the beginning for first party content, but probably not for third party content from other apps and servers.”
Meta revealed the plans for the new platform as disillusioned Twitter users seek alternatives. A handful have created accounts on Mastodon, which features a number of independently run nodes with their own codes of conduct, privacy policies, and content moderation standards.
Some 37% of Americans approve of the way Musk is operating Twitter, while 37% disapprove and 25% did not offer an opinion, according to a <a href="https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3863" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> from Quinnipiac University released in December. Roughly 55% of respondents disapproved of the manner in which the world’s richest man handles purported misinformation.
Musk previously <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1585619322239561728" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> advertisers that he acquired Twitter to “have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence.” He has meanwhile expressed a desire to refrain from promoting what he deems to be radical Left-wing and Right-wing content on the site and vowed that the social media platform would not become a “free-for-all hellscape” where users could breach the law with impunity or splinter into “echo chambers.”
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Amendments to the company’s former content moderation policies have been especially unpopular among left-of-center users. Net favorability for Tesla, the electric automaker led by Musk, decreased 20.3% among Democrats between October and November 2022, the time frame of the acquisition, according to a <a href="https://morningconsult.com/2022/11/17/elon-musks-politically-polarizing-effect/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> from Morning Consult. Net favorability among Republicans increased 3.9% over the same period.
Though a number of conservative accounts have been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/babylon-bee-ceo-we-now-have-more-twitter-followers-than-ever-because-we-stubbornly-refused-to-bend-the-knee-for-tyrants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">restored</a> to the platform since Musk assumed control, including those belonging to DailyWire+ host Jordan Peterson and Christian satire site The Babylon Bee, some censorious actions appear to have continued. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) were each suspended from Twitter in recent weeks; the former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-is-being-fixed-musk-responds-after-gop-senator-was-locked-out-of-twitter-over-hunting-picture" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changed</a> his profile picture to an image from a hunting trip, while the latter was incorrectly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/utah-senator-mike-lee-suspended-from-twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flagged</a> as an impersonator.

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Meta Working On Twitter Alternative

There’s a controversy raging over the use of a new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tiktok">TikTok</a> filter called “Bold Glamour,” which uses <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/artificial-intelligence">artificial intelligence</a> technology to create a new, improved version of the user’s face with eerie accuracy.
While social media filters of the recent past were obvious and even silly, with dog ears being among the most popular, Bold Glamour is a very different concept. This new TikTok filter doesn’t disappear or get distorted when the user turns their face to the side, giving it a more realistic look. 
Critics say that Bold Glamour encourages impossible beauty standards.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
tiktok Bold Glamour filter.. the more you know 😂 <a href="https://t.co/S0TtlPteeD">pic.twitter.com/S0TtlPteeD</a>
&mdash; ᴀɴᴅʏ #ᴡꜰʜ (@andychester_) <a href="https://twitter.com/andychester_/status/1632733825901142017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;It is different,&#8221; Luke Hurd, an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/technology">augmented reality</a> consultant who has worked on filters for Instagram and Snapchat said of the filter, per <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/03/10/1162286785/does-the-bold-glamour-filter-push-unrealistic-beauty-standards-tiktokkers-think-">NPR</a>.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not cartoon-y. It&#8217;s not drastically aging you, or turning you into a child, or flipping your gender on its head,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And there are a lot of times where you have to look down in a corner and see, &#8216;is there a filter on this person?&#8217; And lately it&#8217;s been yes.&#8221;
Hurd explained how the filter technology uses a &#8220;generative adversarial network,&#8221; comparing the user&#8217;s face to a massive array of similar faces to create an airbrushed version. The result is often gives users higher cheekbones, a slimmer nose, brighter eyes, and a smoother complexion.
&#8220;It is simply taking images that have been fed into it and targeting parts of your face and then trying to essentially match them,&#8221; he said.
The personal care company Dove is starting a campaign against the filter, claiming it can be detrimental to TikTok users&#8217; self-esteem and sense of self-worth. They started promoting the #TurnYourBack and #NoDigitalDistortion hashtags in direct response to the Bold Glamour TikTok filter becoming so popular.
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“No filter should tell you how to look. 80% of girls are already using filters by the age of 13. It’s no wonder their perception of beauty and their self-esteem are distorted,” the personal care brand <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@dove/video/7208223549947923758">wrote</a> in a post.
Influencer Alex Light also cautioned users against Bold Glamour.
&#8220;Filters like this create a brand new and unrealistic comparison that blurs the lines of reality and sets a new standard for how we think we should look,&#8221; she <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CpSa5J7Id2Y/">shared</a> with more than half a million followers on Instagram. &#8220;It’s vital that we push back against these increasingly toxic beauty standards and show young girls that it’s OK to be their authentic, beautiful selves.&#8221;
The filter has been used to create nearly 17 million videos since it was introduced last month, AdAge <a href="https://adage.com/article/digital-marketing-ad-tech-news/dove-challenges-tiktoks-bold-glamour-filter/2478826">reported</a>, and has been interacted with more than 400 million times. Despite the backlash, creators have been sharing their Bold Glamour videos all over social media. 
Whether they were in favor of the results or not, most users expressed shock at how real it looked.

Beautiful woman face, AI concept

Critics Complain About New Hyperrealistic ‘Bold Glamour’ TikTok Filter: ‘Blurs The Lines Of Reality’

Critics Complain About New Hyperrealistic 'Bold Glamour' TikTok Filter: 'Blurs The Lines Of Reality'

Artificial Intelligence

Technology

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> announced on Wednesday that the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/social-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social media</a> company would establish a default one-hour time limit for minor users in an effort to reduce young people’s time on the platform.
The announcement comes as TikTok, owned by <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese</a> technology company ByteDance, faces scrutiny for negative effects on children and national security concerns. TikTok said in a <a href="https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-gb/tiktok-teen-screen-time-family-pairing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> that every user younger than 18 years old will be subject to a default 60-minute daily screen time limit, after which “teens will be prompted to enter a passcode to continue watching, requiring them to make an active decision to extend that time.”
TikTok will also encourage young users to create a daily screen time limit if they spend more than 100 minutes on the platform each day. Parents and guardians will be permitted to more easily view screen time on a dashboard and customize daily limits for their children based on school schedules, holiday breaks, and other commitments. “Every teen is different, and so is every family. That&#8217;s why we remain focused on reaching parents with the information they need about TikTok,” the company said. “We hope these features will continue to help families establish an ongoing dialogue about safety and well-being in our digital world.”
Republican and Democratic lawmakers have floated nationwide prohibitions on TikTok for government employees and the general population. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) <a href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2022/12/rubio-gallagher-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-ban-tiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> the application “digital fentanyl” last year, a reference to the addictive properties of the limitless stream of vertical videos offered by the platform. Children and teenagers spent an average of 99 minutes per day on TikTok as of 2021, far exceeding the amount of time spent on YouTube and other social media platforms, according to <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/07/13/kids-and-teens-watch-more-tiktok-than-youtube-tiktok-91-minutes-in-2021-youtube-56/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from Qustodio.
American officials have also noted that Chinese authorities seem to understand the effects of TikTok: children under 14 years old who use Douyin, the version of TikTok available in China, are only permitted 40 minutes of screen time each day and cannot access the platform at night, according to an <a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/zp43DhzwanDApoPCIgCvJQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement</a> from ByteDance issued two years ago.
Beyond the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-unanimously-votes-to-ban-tiktok-on-government-devices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prohibition</a> of TikTok on federal devices issued by President Joe Biden and similar actions from several state governments, lawmakers have urged regulators and companies to limit access to the platform: Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-senator-urges-apple-and-google-to-ban-tiktok-from-app-stores" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged</a> Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores over national security concerns, while Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-and-democrat-senators-join-forces-in-call-for-tiktok-crackdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to force ByteDance to divest from TikTok.
Lawmakers often note how ByteDance admitted at the end of last year that staff members have “spied on the private data of journalists and others in order identify sources behind articles critical of the company.” The revelation confirmed an earlier <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tiktoks-parent-company-in-china-planned-to-use-platform-to-track-locations-of-specific-americans-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Forbes which indicated that ByteDance planned to track the location of specific American citizens.
Renewed controversy over TikTok also occurs after at least one Chinese surveillance balloon recently traversed the continental United States. The vessel crossed Montana, the location of many defense assets and missile silos, then <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chinese-spy-balloon-flies-out-of-montana-and-over-new-u-s-state" target="_blank" rel="noopener">traveled</a> over states such as Kansas and Missouri before the object was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-military-shoots-down-chinese-spy-balloon-after-biden-let-it-travel-across-country" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot down</a> by the American military off the coast of the Carolinas. The balloon was reportedly one of several deployed over military sites across the planet.
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TIkTok

TikTok Creates New Default Time Limit For Users Under 18

TikTok Sets One-Hour Default Time Limit For Users Under 18

Communist China

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> Safety rolled out a new policy Tuesday afternoon to tackle the problem of threats and violence on the platform, saying that the company has a zero-tolerance policy toward the offenses.
&#8220;We’ve made a few changes to our policies around violent content and similar language,&#8221; the company said in a statement. &#8220;Today, we’ve officially launched our Violent Speech policy, which prohibits violent threats, wishes of harm, glorification of violence, and incitement of violence.”
&#8220;Twitter has a zero-tolerance approach towards Violent Speech, and in most cases, we will suspend any account violating this policy,&#8221; the statement added. &#8220;For less severe violations, we may require you to delete the content before you can access your account again.&#8221;
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Twitter has a zero-tolerance approach towards Violent Speech, and in most cases, we will suspend any account violating this policy. For less severe violations, we may require you to delete the content before you can access your account again.
&mdash; Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterSafety/status/1630660504992489475?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The company&#8217;s new policy explicitly states that users are not allowed to &#8220;threaten to inflict physical harm on others, which includes (but is not limited to) threatening to kill, torture, sexually assault, or otherwise hurt someone.&#8221;
&#8220;This also includes threatening to damage civilian homes and shelters, or infrastructure that is essential to daily, civic, or business activities,&#8221; the new policy stated.
The policy also states that users are not allowed to &#8220;wish, hope, or express desire for harm,&#8221; which includes and is not limited to, &#8220;hoping for others to die, suffer illnesses, tragic incidents, or experience other physically harmful consequences.&#8221;
&#8220;You may not incite, promote, or encourage others to commit acts of violence or harm, which includes (but is not limited to) encouraging others to hurt themselves or inciting others to commit atrocity crimes including crimes against humanity, war crimes or genocide,&#8221; the policy stated. &#8220;This also includes using coded language (often referred to as &#8216;dog whistles&#8217;) to indirectly incite violence.&#8221;
The policy also prohibits users from glorifying, praising, and celebrating acts of violence, praising violent entities, and perpetrators who commit crimes.
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The company said that it believes in free speech, including allowing &#8220;expressions of violent speech when there is no clear abusive or violent context, such as (but not limited to) hyperbolic and consensual speech between friends, or during discussion of video games and sporting events.&#8221;
&#8220;We also allow certain cases of figures of speech, satire, or artistic expression when the context is expressing a viewpoint rather than instigating actionable violence or harm,&#8221; the policy states. &#8220;We make sure to evaluate and understand the context behind the conversation before taking action.&#8221;
If users violate the policy, they will in most cases be permanently suspended or, in less severe cases, they will be temporarily locked out of their accounts and the content removed before they can tweet again.

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Twitter Unveils New Changes On Platform Surrounding Its Policy On Violence

Violence

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