Policy

Facebook removed 88 ads Thursday posted by the accounts of President Donald Trump, the Trump campaign and Vice President Mike Pence that the social media giant said were “violating our policy against organized hate.” Continue Reading →

In an effort to help clarify where news posted on Facebook is originating, Facebook announced that it will place labels on posts from state-controlled media outlets. Continue Reading →

Independent contractors in California now have to pass a "test" to maintain their independence. This may be good for a few Uber and Lyft drivers, but it is a stinging blow to companies and workers that rely on the financial flexibility of contract work. Continue Reading →

France just fined Google 150 million euros (approx. $167 million) for having unclear advertising on the Google Ads page, as well as for anti-competitive behavior. This is a trend in the EU. If you remember, the French government settled a fraud probe with Google for about a billion euros. The EU doesn't like the fact that Google hoovers up over 90 percent of online advertising. Continue Reading →

Robocalls are so universally hated that the United States House of Representatives (a group not known for their bipartisan approach to legislating) passed the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (TRACED) 417-3. I am wondering what the three representatives who did not vote in favor of the bill like about robocalls... Continue Reading →

The State of New Jersey charged Uber $530 million in unpaid unemployment and disability insurance from 2014-2018 and tacked on $119 million in interest. Some characterized this as a "fine." I wish it was. That would make this a one-time thing. Instead, this tax ruling sets a precedent for the future of the gig economy in New Jersey that other states are sure to follow. California has already started down this path and it is going to be a huge problem for individuals who do contract work. Continue Reading →

Twitter’s CEO, Jack Dorsey, announced that Twitter will no longer accept paid political advertising. He tweeted his reasons, “This isn’t about free expression. This is about paying for reach. And paying to increase the reach of political speech has significant ramifications that today’s democratic infrastructure may not be prepared to handle. It’s worth stepping back in order to address.” Continue Reading →

Facebook is being pilloried for its unwillingness to remove a paid advertisement by President Trump’s reelection campaign after Facebook was notified by the Biden campaign that the ad contained false statements about Joe Biden and his son. On the surface, this seems simple, and Facebook’s decision not to remove the ad seems wrong. But there is much more to the story. Continue Reading →