U.S. states are making strides in regulating social media use among minors while Meta Platforms explores new AI training methods and ad formats, sparking both support and concern among users and experts.
States Move to Regulate Social Media Use Among Minors, Meta Tests New AI and Ad Formats
Regulation of Social Media Use Among Minors
Several U.S. states are advancing legislation to restrict social media use among children and teenagers. New York recently proposed a law empowering parents to limit algorithmically suggested posts for their children. This legislative push is part of wider discussions on the impact of social media and smartphones on youth.
Meta Utilizes Public EU Content for AI Training
Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced plans to use publicly shared content from Europe to train its generative artificial intelligence models. This initiative aligns Europe with Meta’s global data-use practices, despite stringent EU privacy regulations. Meta will notify users in the European Union and the United Kingdom about how their public posts contribute to AI development. However, the advocacy group NYOB contested this, arguing that EU rules require explicit user consent for such data usage.
Instagram Tests Unskippable Ads
Instagram, owned by Meta, is experimenting with unskippable ads within its app. This new ad format forces users to watch an ad before continuing to scroll, similar to YouTube’s ad model. The test has garnered mixed reactions, with some users expressing strong disapproval and considering abandoning the platform. Meta stated that it continually tests new advertising formats to enhance advertiser value but did not confirm the global scope or future implementation of this ad feature.
