All the ways Instagram and Facebook are changing for teens
All the ways Instagram and Facebook are changing for teens

Meta just agreed to make sweeping changes for teens as part of a child safety settlement reached with attorneys general across the US. Under the agreement, Meta must apply new safeguards across Instagram and Facebook that will change how teens interact with the social media platforms, as well as restrict their use during certain times. […]

Meta agrees to sweeping changes to restrict kids’ access to its apps as part of settlement with states

One of the most notable changes is that Meta plans to implement a daily two-hour time limit for teens that can only be disabled with parental permission.

It’s about ethics in journalism, with Ben Smith
It’s about ethics in journalism, with Ben Smith

Today I’m talking to Ben Smith, the editor-in-chief of Semafor. Everywhere you go, people say they don’t trust the media — and yet they’ve never consumed more of it. Audiences have moved on from legacy names in favor of Substacks and podcasts and TikTok news influencers that seem to be everywhere in our feeds.  Why […]

Facebook officially rolls out its standalone Creator Studio app with AI tools for creators

The new app launches with Facebook’s AI creator assistant built into it, providing creators with personalized recommendations based on their content style, performance, audience engagement, and goals.

Zuckerberg’s yacht was closer, but someone else saved a stranded boat
Zuckerberg’s yacht was closer, but someone else saved a stranded boat

Earlier this week, the Alaskan cruise ship Wilderness Legacy rescued a small skiff stranded near Farragut Bay after running out of fuel. But, according to tracking data reviewed by the Alaska Beacon and Halifax Shipping News, the closest vessel was actually Mark Zuckerberg’s super yacht, Launchpad. Michael Love, a passenger on the Wilderness Legacy, posted […]

Meta served ads containing AI-generated child sexual abuse content, continuing years of child safety failures

Researchers found Meta’s ad library hosting AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery, some posted even after Meta was warned, part of a pattern stretching over multiple years.

The vertical video takeover is here
The vertical video takeover is here

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on all things vertical video, follow David Pierce. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes on Sunday at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started For a while, every social and media platform […]

Facebook debuts Seller app for Marketplace and tests a TikTok-style video feed

Facebook is rolling out a standalone Seller app for Marketplace power users and testing a video-first home screen that mirrors TikTok’s format.

Facebook is getting a free verified badge to help spot real people

Facebook is rolling out a free, selfie-based Verified badge so you know there’s a real person behind a profile before you swipe, chat, or buy.