Zinger Key Points
- Meta partners with science group to study social media's effect on well-being amid child safety concerns.
- Ahead of Congress hearing, Meta tightens Instagram, Facebook rules for teens, responding to privacy and safety issues.
- Get New Picks of the Market's Top Stocks
Meta Platforms Inc META has partnered with the Center for Open Science ahead of a crucial congressional hearing on children’s online safety.
The Instagram and Facebook parent struggled to restrain a network of pedophile accounts. Instagram’s algorithms reportedly connected accounts involved in underage sex content creation and trading.
This collaboration involves sharing “privacy-preserving social media data” with select researchers focusing on well-being. Meta’s VP of Research, Curtiss Cobb, emphasized their commitment to contributing to scientific understanding while respecting user privacy.
Also Read: Meta Blocks Adults From Messaging Teens They Don’t Follow To Make It Safe For Young Users
The company has faced increasing pressure from academics and Congress to provide more data for research, especially concerning social media’s impact on mental health.
In response, Meta expanded access to data through the Meta Content Library, facilitating the analysis of public posts and interactions, TechCrunch reports.
Meta’s founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is set to testify before Congress on children’s online safety alongside leaders from other major social platforms.
In anticipation, Meta has introduced new measures on Facebook and Instagram, including messaging restrictions for users under 16 and parental controls over privacy settings.
The platform is also limiting exposure to harmful content related to self-harm, suicide, and eating disorders.
The urgency of these issues was further highlighted by a recent incident involving nonconsensual, pornographic deepfake images of Taylor Swift, which drew public and governmental attention.
Price Action: META shares traded higher by 0.47% at $402.90 premarket on the last check Tuesday.
Also Read: Facebook’s New Privacy Feature Faces Backlash Over Potential Abuse Risks
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo by Alexandros Michailidis on Shutterstock
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
