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T&S Early Warning News
Get ahead of new stories that are impacting the T&S industry.
Canada’s deputy prime minister called traitor in ‘disgusting display of abuse’
The Guardian | August 30, 2022
Company Listed: Social Media
Canadian police are investigating after the deputy prime minister, Chrystia Freeland, was subjected to a foul-mouthed tirade at a city hall meeting.
A video posted on Twitter shows a large man approach Freeland during the session in Grande Prairie, Alberta, swearing at her and calling her a “traitor″.
Facebook, Google told to release info on YouTube channel
Bworld Online | August 30, 2022
Company Listed: Facebook, Google and YouTube
A MANILA trial court on Tuesday ordered Google and Meta Platforms, Inc., Facebook’s parent company, to disclose information on a YouTube channel that allegedly promotes child sexual abuse.
The court allowed the Philippine National Police’s anti-cybercrime group to compel YouTube and Facebook to submit data on the said channel within 72 hours, according to a copy of the warrant posted by state-run news agency People’s Television Network on Twitter.
Building collapses in Nigeria; 8 people pulled from rubble
Washington Post | August 3, 2022
Company Listed: Social Media
ABUJA, Nigeria — A three-story building under construction collapsed Tuesday in northwestern Nigeria, trapping shoppers in a busy neighborhood. Emergency response workers told the Associated Press that at least eight people have been pulled from the rubble and they were searching for more.
The building in Kano state, northern Nigeria’s commercial hub, was being constructed as a business center though businesses were already operating on the ground floor, said Nura Abdullahi, head of Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency in Kano.
Saudi woman jailed for 45 years over social media use, says group
The Guardian | August 3, 2022
Company Listed: Social Media
Another Saudi Arabian woman has been sentenced to decades in prison by the kingdom’s terrorism court for using social media to “violate the public order”, according to court documents seen by a human rights group.
Nourah bint Saeed al-Qahtani was sentenced to 45 years in prison after a specialized criminal court convicted her of “using the internet to tear [Saudi Arabia’s] social fabric”, according to documents that were obtained and reviewed by Democracy for the Arab World Now (Dawn), an organization founded by Jamal Khashoggi.
Twitter’s attempt to monetize porn reportedly halted due to child safety warnings
Tech Crunch | August 31, 2022
Company Listed: Twitter
Despite serving as the online watercooler for journalists, politicians and VCs, Twitter isn’t the most profitable social network on the block. Amid internal shakeups and increased pressure from investors to make more money, Twitter reportedly considered monetizing adult content.
According to a report from The Verge, Twitter was poised to become a competitor to OnlyFans by allowing adult creators to sell subscriptions on the social media platform. That idea might sound strange at first, but it’s not actually that outlandish — some adult creators already rely on Twitter as a means to advertise their OnlyFans accounts, since Twitter is one of the only major platforms on which posting porn doesn’t violate guidelines.
T&S Policies & Regulations
Regulatory news and policy decisions impacting the T&S ecosystem.
Compare and review T&S Policies for dozens of companies here
Metaverse Technology Opens Up a Wider World of Privacy Concerns
Bloomberg Law | August 30, 2022
Company Listed: Social Media
The expansion of digital experiences accessible through immersive headsets and related technologies is generating concerns about the information that’s collected on people who wear the devices, and how to protect it.
The metaverse promises to bring innovation to sectors from education to e-commerce, with the potential to generate up to $5 trillion in economic impact by 2030, according to a June report by management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. Adopters of extended reality, or XR, technologies face the challenge of balancing the promise of its many uses with the possible privacy pitfalls of its many data points.
What California’s new ‘Kids’ Code’ means for the rest of the U.S.
Seattle Times | August 30, 2022
Company Listed: Social Media
Social media and game platforms often use recommendation algorithms, find-a-friend tools, smartphone notices and other enticements to keep people glued online. But the same techniques may pose risks to scores of children who have flocked to online services that were not specifically designed for them.
Now California lawmakers have passed the first statute in the nation requiring apps and sites to install guardrails for users younger than 18. The new rules would compel many online services to curb the risks that certain popular features — like allowing strangers to message one another — may pose to child users.
The Daily Reality Of Modern Privacy Problems
Forbes | August 30, 2022
Company Listed: Apple
Privacy concerns are definitely becoming more mainstream. Someone out there is trying to take advantage of our personal data—but who? The way we talk about privacy often disguises the true identity of the would-be data thief.
Earlier this year, Apple released a new TV ad targeting consumer concerns about online privacy. The ad promotes Apple's new privacy-focused features while highlighting the supposedly pernicious role that data brokers and other entities play in exploiting the various details of people's lives.
Data brokers invade Americans’ privacy. But does their business model violate federal law?
Fortune | August 3, 2022
Company Listed: Facebook
FTC officials on Monday sued one of the nation’s larger data brokers, Kochava, alleging the Idaho-based company has violated federal law by acquiring and selling data that tracks consumers’ precise movements through their mobile phones. Agency lawyers said in a complaint that Kochava’s customers can use the data to identify the addresses of tens of millions of people, as well as their visits to sensitive locations (medical offices, domestic violence shelters, places of worship, etc.).
The lawsuit comes after the FTC board’s new Democratic majority, led by Chair Lina Khan, filed the agency’s first blockbuster case since gaining power, claiming that Facebook parent Meta’s planned acquisition of an up-and-coming virtual reality fitness app violates federal antitrust laws. While Big Tech foes cheered the action, some legal analysts said the case rested on weak legal arguments, and Bloomberg reported that Khan overruled staff members who opposed the lawsuit. Several prominent entrepreneurs also argued that the Meta lawsuit, if successful, would chill investment in innovative companies.
California lawmakers pass landmark children’s online safety bill
Washington Post | August 30, 2022
Company Listed: TikTok
California state lawmakers passed a major children’s online safety measure on Tuesday that would require digital platforms to vet whether new products may pose harm to kids and teens before rolling them out and to offer privacy guardrails to younger users by default.
Children’s safety advocates say the legislation, the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act, would make the state a national leader in setting protections for kids and teens online. Its passage is part of a growing push nationwide to hold tech companies like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat accountable for how their services may affect children’s mental health and safety.
T&S Careers & Jobs
T&S jobs posted recently, often within the last 24 hours, looking for top talent.
Check out all the recent T&S job postings here.
Investigator II, Trust & Safety
Opendoor | Phoenix, AZ
Posted: August 31, 2022
3+ years of experience preferably in customer service, mediation / dispute resolution, fraud or risk investigations, crisis management, Trust & Safety, or a similar role.
Excellent communication skills, both written and spoken to engage with customers, external partners and senior company leadership in a tactful and diplomatic manner.
Excellent time management, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills.
Exceptional judgment, adaptability and level headedness.
Real passion for operational process improvement; you’re always thinking about how to scale.
Investigations Analyst, Spanish - Trust & Safety
TikTok | Mountain View, CA
Posted: August 31, 2022
Fluency in English & Spanish with understanding of Latin America political and social climates.
Knowledge on global affairs and its influence or impact on social media risk/trends.
Operational skillset and focus, combined with project management experience.
Maturity to handle difficult visual and audio content.
Ability to prioritise multiple ongoing tasks and asks.
T&S FAQs
What is T&S?
Great question (and one the industry hasn’t fully agreed upon). Think of Trust & Safety as the organization that protects social media and Big Tech companies and users from online abuse. As long as users are able to generate content online, time has told us that a minority of these users will create content that is offensive, scandalous, fraudulent, disingenuous, misinformative, hateful, spiteful, and harmful. T&S fights this with flexible policies, resilient operations, and informed detections.
Is T&S interesting?
That depends. If you enjoy stopping bad actors and keeping good people safe, then you’ll love T&S. It requires understanding new technologies and staying on top of breaking issues across society and the world. It also pays Big Tech salaries (no coding skills required).
How do you get into T&S?
That’s the tricky part. The short answer is: not easily. Most T&S orgs are part of Big Tech and (as a result) pay extremely well, so jobs are highly competitive. If you don’t know someone in the industry who can help refer you in, then you can learn more about T&S policies, current events, issues, regulations, and jobs at trustsafetyinstitute.com to improve your hiring chances and start doing meaningful work that helps people.