IT & Technology News
Reporting on information technology, cybersecurity, and tech policy. The Daily Signal includes analysis, commentary, and opinion on technology’s impact.
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news
California’s Volunteer Fire Unit Vanishes From Web, Social Media After Controversial Dismantling
Fire-ravaged California is grappling with the threat of floods, mudslides, and toxic ash this week as the state’s embattled leaders face more questions about their decision to dismantle an emergency response volunteer firefighting unit—and now attempt to erase its existence. In the latest twist, the website and social media accounts for the firefighting unit, known… -
opinion
The Fall of the Censorship Wall at Facebook
Since Donald Trump won reelection, the fiercest Trump-bashers in the press have raged against any sign of media titans softening their approaches before the second term begins. Visits to Mar-a-Lago? Outrageous! Donating to Trump’s inauguration? Unconscionable! Then Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced his Meta sites would be abandoning the censorship of “fact-checkers,” in place since… -
news
Why Michigan Republicans Side With Democrat AG Who Threatened to Prosecute Over Facebook Posts
The Donald Trump-backed candidate for state attorney general says he supports the move by his former opponent—Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat—to threaten to prosecute a GOP township candidate over her Facebook posts. Matthew Deperno, Nessel’s former opponent and the lawyer for Michigan’s Kalamazoo County Republican Party, said Kerry Lynn Elieff likely broke a… -
opinion
‘You Need to Make Your Products Safe for Kids,’ Tennessee AG Demands of Social Media Giants
Instagram’s parent company, Meta, knew the harm the platform was inflicting on minors and did nothing to mitigate it, according to a lawsuit filed against the social media giant. In 2023, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc., calling on the company to prioritize the protection of minors. “Over about… -
opinion
Florida Can and Should Lead on Social Media Safety for Kids
Kids’ social media safety is at a crossroads in Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis is considering whether to sign HB 1, which—if it becomes law—would become the new national gold standard for protecting kids online. Critics claim that the bill, which the Florida Legislature approved on Feb. 22, is inconsistent with privacy and parental rights, but… -
news
Moms Inadvertently Expose Daughters to Predators on Instagram
Mothers inadvertently are exposing their young daughters to male predators on Instagram in a quest to garner money and fame, an investigation published Thursday by The New York Times found. The Instagram accounts, numbering in the thousands, reveal how social media platforms are altering the definition of childhood and the increasing commodification of young girls,… -
news
Graham to Social Media Execs: ‘You Have Blood on Your Hands’
Sen. Lindsey Graham on Wednesday told Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other social media executives to their faces, “You have blood on your hands” and that their product “is killing people.” The CEOs of the largest social media companies testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about online child exploitation. The CEOs in the committee hot… -
news
Americans Turn on TikTok: 54% Support Banning Social Media App
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—TikTok might be popular among America’s youth, but a majority of voters view it as a threat to the United States. An even higher percentage favor a federal ban of the social media platform. RMG Research, a polling firm led by Scott Rasmussen, shared its latest survey data exclusively with The… -
opinion
‘Fog of War’ Intensified by AI and Social Media, Tech Policy Expert Says
As the war between Israel and Hamas rages on, Jake Denton, research associate for The Heritage Foundation’s Tech Policy Center, breaks down the role of artificial intelligence in the conflict. “I think the one that everyone jumps to is the AI-generated content, deepfakes, things of that nature,” Denton says on this episode of “The Daily… -
news
EXCLUSIVE: As White House Pushed Facebook to Censor COVID-19 Vaccine Content, Facebook Employees Leaked to White House
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL: Facebook staffers were leaking to the White House as the tech company and the Biden administration battled over COVID-19 vaccine content and whether Facebook should be censoring it, according to emails obtained by The Daily Signal. In an April 18, 2021, email that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, produced… -
opinion
Popular Social Media Platform’s New AI Feature Gives ‘Advice’ to Kids About Gender Confusion
It’s attractive, easily accessible, and easily understood. It’s also nearly impossible to remove from this popular social media app. And it’s primed to deliver dangerous gender ideology narratives to vulnerable children. Meet Snapchat’s latest feature, which goes by the catchy name “My AI” (artificial intelligence). Snapchat is an instant messaging smartphone application that allows users… -
news
‘Incredibly Irresponsible,’ Tech Expert Says of Whitmer’s TikTok Use After Michigan’s Ban
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is still using the popular Chinese-owned app TikTok despite a ban in her state for state-owned devices that went into effect on March 1. “It is banned for state devices,” Jayson Cavendish, Michigan’s acting chief security officer, said in an interview with the MLive media group. The ban applies to state-owned devices except… -
news
Google Tries to Discredit Study Showing Google News’ Left-Wing Bias
Google News heavily skewed in favor of left-leaning media outlets—both in the news articles featured on its homepage and in the search results for specific topics—in five of the days leading up to the 2022 midterm elections, according to an AllSides study Google criticized as "deeply flawed" in comments to The Daily Signal. "Imbalanced or… -
news
Federal Agencies Must Ban Chinese-Owned TikTok, White House Memo Says
Government agencies have less than a month to ban the popular Chinese-owned app TikTok from federal devices, according to an Office of Management and Budget memorandum issued Monday. OMB Director Shalanda Young issued the memorandum for executive departments and agency heads about implementation guidance for banning TikTok on government-issued devices, Reuters first reported. "The Consolidated… -
news
Libs of TikTok Creator’s New Book Aims to Protect Kids From ‘Predators’ Who Seek to ‘Sexualize Them, Confuse Them About Their Identity’
Libs of TikTok creator Chaya Raichik is set to release a children’s book aimed at protecting children from those who she says want to “sexualize them and confuse them about their identity.” “We need to be proactive in this fight. Instead of reacting to all the new ideas from bad actors who are talking to children, we need to… -
opinion
Supreme Court to Decide Future of Section 230 Protection for Social Media Platforms
Social media companies might have to make significant changes to their platforms, depending on the outcomes of two Supreme Court cases. This week, the justices hear arguments in two cases that involve a federal law referred to as Section 230, which protects social media platforms from being held liable for the content users post. The… -
opinion
Rogue Censorship Regime Tries to Shut Down Conservative News Sites Using ‘Disinformation’ Label
There’s a movement brewing to shut down conservative websites that offer views and information contradicting left-wing orthodoxy. Investigative reporter Gabe Kaminsky did an excellent job of uncovering how activist organizations, some partnered with the State Department, work to blacklist and defund conservative media. His ongoing series at the Washington Examiner is worth reading and explains… -
news
‘A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing’: Cybersecurity Expert Raises the Alarm About China’s Cyber Actors
FBI Director Christopher Wray is re-upping concerns over how “non-Chinese companies operating in China” are treated, specifically noting that “the Chinese government takes advantage of its laws and regulations to enable its stealing.” A Heritage Foundation expert highlighted these concerns, warning of China’s cyber actors as “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Wray zeroed in on… -
news
House Republicans Subpoena Big Tech to Reveal How the Government ‘Coerced and Colluded’ With Them to Censor Speech
The House Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed five Big Tech executives to produce documents by late March about collusion with federal government agencies to suppress free speech. “To develop effective legislation, such as the possible enactment of new statutory limits on the Executive Branch’s ability to work with Big Tech to restrict the circulation of content… -
opinion
CNN Remains Unreliable Source on Conservatives Being Censored by Big Tech
In the Trump years, CNN oppressively promoted the conspiracy theory of Donald Trump’s “collusion” with the Russian government to get elected in 2016. So, it was heartbroken when Robert Mueller’s investigation ended with a negative verdict: “The investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in…