#digitalmedia — Public Fediverse posts

Zuckerberg lied about concern for child safety, Meta whistleblower testifies at landmark trial
By Dara Kerr

Arturo Béjar, former Meta safety engineer, tells jury tech company was aware of products’ potential harm to children

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/19/meta-safety-trial-whistleblower-testimony

#Meta #MarkZuckerberg #LawUS #Technology #California #USnews #WestCoast #Internetsafety #Socialmedia #Children #Digitalmedia #Worldnews #TheGuardian #DaraKerr

Roblox commits to privacy overhaul after eSafety discovers adults can contact children via gaming platform https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/20/roblox-esafety-commissioner-children-adults-ntwnfb #AustraliaNews #Roblox #Technology #SocialMedia #SocialMediaBan #DigitalMedia

Roblox commits to privacy overhaul after eSafety discovers adults can contact children via gaming platform
By Josh Taylor Technology reporter

Regulator says verifiable safety measures are ‘critical’ to the online service’s viability

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/20/roblox-esafety-commissioner-children-adults-ntwnfb

#Australianews #Roblox #Technology #Socialmedia #Socialmediaban #Digitalmedia #TheGuardian #JoshTaylorTechnologyreporter

Social media on trial as $200bn case against Facebook and Instagram begins
By Aisha Down

Twenty-nine US states are seeking huge damages, claiming Meta’s platforms were addictive by design

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/18/meta-facebook-instagram-trial

#Meta #Facebook #Technology #Worldnews #Socialmedia #Media #Digitalmedia #USnews #Google #Alphabet #TheGuardian #AishaDown

Social media on trial as $200bn case against Facebook and Instagram begins https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/18/meta-facebook-instagram-trial #Meta #Facebook #Technology #WorldNews #SocialMedia #Media #DigitalMedia #UsNews #Google #Alphabet

Revealed: Toby Young free speech group crowdfunded over £60,000 for legal case fought by pro-bono lawyer
By Aisha Down

Staff members said Free Speech Union would “need to explain” how it spent money donated by its supporters

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/aug/18/toby-young-free-speech-union-60000-gbp

#TobyYoung #Police #UKnews #Socialmedia #Digitalmedia #TheGuardian #AishaDown

US states take on Meta in pivotal trial over child social media addiction claims https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/18/meta-child-safety-addiction-lawsuit-states #Meta #Technology #SocialMedia #Media #California #DigitalMedia #UsNews #WestCoast #MarkZuckerberg #Instagram #Children #MentalHealth #LawUs #WorldNews

Meta faces $200bn trial over child data and social media addiction by 29 states
By Dara Kerr

State attorneys general allege that tech company intentionally designed addictive products that harm young people

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/18/meta-child-safety-addiction-lawsuit-states

#Meta #Technology #Socialmedia #California #Media #Digitalmedia #USnews #WestCoast #MarkZuckerberg #Instagram #Children #Mentalhealth #LawUS #Worldnews #TheGuardian #DaraKerr

Democracy v the machine: the birth of the digital age and the warnings that were ignored
By Jill Lepore

Many hoped that the march of technology would usher in an egalitarian utopia – but some foresaw the threat it would pose to liberal society. Why did nobody listen?

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/aug/18/the-long-read-democracy-v-the-machine-digital-age-warnings-computer-history-technology

#Technology #Internet #Computing #SiliconValley #Worldnews #Socialmedia #Digitalmedia #TheGuardian #JillLepore

Democracy v the machine: the birth of the digital age and the warnings that were ignored https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/aug/18/the-long-read-democracy-v-the-machine-digital-age-warnings-computer-history-technology #Technology #Internet #Computing #SiliconValley #WorldNews #SocialMedia #DigitalMedia

New Mexico’s attorney general pushes new social media safety laws after $900m court victory over Meta https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/17/raul-torrez-new-mexico-meta-social-media-safety-laws #Meta #NewMexico #Technology #Children #UsNews #SocialMedia #UsPolitics #WorldNews #DigitalMedia #Media #Society #InternetSafety

New Mexico’s attorney general pushes new social media safety laws after $900m court victory over Meta
By Katie McQue

Exclusive: Raúl Torrez is drafting two bills with state lawmakers to bolster consumer protections and child safety online, building on state’s landmark case against Meta

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/17/raul-torrez-new-mexico-meta-social-media-safety-laws

#Meta #NewMexico #Technology #Children #USnews #Socialmedia #USpolitics #Worldnews #Digitalmedia #Media #Society #Internetsafety #TheGuardian #KatieMcQue

‘Our children are less cognitively capable,’ says neuroscientist who wants to cut screen use in schools https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/aug/16/neuroscientist-screen-use-schools-educational-technology-jared-cooney-horvath #Schools #Teaching #Education #UkNews #Technology #DigitalMedia

‘Our children are less cognitively capable,’ says neuroscientist who wants to cut screen use in schools
By Sally Weale Education correspondent

Jared Cooney Horvath argues that educational technology undermines how children learn and develop

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/aug/16/neuroscientist-screen-use-schools-educational-technology-jared-cooney-horvath

#Schools #Teaching #Education #UKnews #Technology #Digitalmedia #TheGuardian #SallyWealeEducationcorrespondent

French court blocks Macron’s social media ban for under-15s
By Dan Milmo Global technology editor

Constitutional council says curbs infringe freedom of expression and privacy as president vows to rework legislation

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/14/french-court-blocks-macron-social-media-ban-under-15s

#Socialmediabans #France #EmmanuelMacron #Socialmedia #Digitalmedia #EuropeanCommission #Worldnews #EuropeanUnion #Europe #Law #Media #Socialmediaban #Socialmediaban #Australianews #Freedomofspeech #UrsulavonderLeyen #Youngpeople #Society #Children #TheGuardian #DanMilmoGlobaltechnologyeditor

French court blocks Macron’s social media ban for under-15s https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/14/french-court-blocks-macron-social-media-ban-under-15s #SocialMediaBans #SocialMedia #EmmanuelMacron #France #DigitalMedia #EuropeanCommission #WorldNews #EuropeanUnion #Europe #Law #Media #SocialMediaBan #SocialMediaBan #AustraliaNews #FreedomOfSpeech #UrsulaVonDerLeyen #YoungPeople #Society

New York Times journalism costs $2bn a year. AI reads it for nothing: Kopit Levien set a $2bn annual production cost against AI compute budgets. A bot disclosure bill, curation's quiet death and token caps followed within days. https://ppc.land/new-york-times-journalism-costs-2bn-a-year-ai-reads-it-for-nothing/ #NewYorkTimes #Journalism #AI #DigitalMedia #MediaIndustry

Meta faces expensive child safety reckoning https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/10/meta-child-safety-google-executives-ai-techscape #Meta #Technology #SocialMedia #Google #AiArtificialIntelligence #Openai #Anthropic #Computing #DigitalMedia #Alphabet #Media

‘I’m giving people a happy space’: the man clearing gardens for free – and letting light into strangers’ lives
By Emily Retter

When he saw a messy yard being criticised on social media, Stephen Jalland grabbed his trimmer and decided to help. An overgrown garden, he discovered, often hides an overwhelmed owner

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/aug/11/clearing-gardens-for-free-stephen-jalland

#Volunteering #Socialcare #Society #Gardens #Cambridgeshire #Lifeandstyle #Socialmedia #Mentalhealth #Loneliness #Health #Digitalmedia #UKnews #TheGuardian #EmilyRetter

Trump’s media company, which also owns Truth Social, reports $238m loss https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/10/trump-media-company-loss #DonaldTrump #UsNews #SocialMedia #DigitalMedia

Trump’s media company, which also owns Truth Social, reports $238m loss
By Maanvi Singh and agencies

Company also announced a paid service for early access to president’s posts on policies to the social media site

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/10/trump-media-company-loss

#DonaldTrump #USnews #Socialmedia #Digitalmedia #TheGuardian #MaanviSingh #agencies

The Qobuz music store has a sale going on until the end of the month. While most of the sale discounts are mediocre—and some of it is literally cheaper to buy on CD and pay shipping—there are a few good deals scattered in.

https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/page/qobuz-summer-fest-2026

Some notable highlights:
- Ubisoft game soundtracks are mostly $5 each, with some at $2. (Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon by Power Glove!) Some unexpected deep cuts in the mix, too, like the Wii game Red Steel.
- Kid Katana Records also has some decent OST discounts: TMNT Shredder's Revenge, Jusant, Absolum, etc.
- Fire Records has some stuff ~$5: The Lemonheads, Pere Ubu, Spacemen 3, etc.
- Erased Tapes has some Nils Frahm on sale at various price points, not familiar with the rest of the label.

#Music #DigitalMedia

Barack Obama launches podcast about books that ‘shaped his worldview’ https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/aug/10/barack-obama-launches-podcast-about-books-that-shaped-his-worldview #Books #Podcasts #BarackObama #Media #Culture #Podcasting #ToniMorrison #JohnLeCarr #JamesBaldwin #CormacMccarthy #MarilynneRobinson #TelevisionRadio #UsNews #DigitalMedia

Barack Obama launches podcast about books that ‘shaped his worldview’
By Ella Creamer

The former US president will host six episodes of A Great Book for Audible, discussing work from Toni Morrison and John le Carré to James Baldwin

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/aug/10/barack-obama-launches-podcast-about-books-that-shaped-his-worldview

#Books #Podcasts #BarackObama #Media #Culture #Podcasting #ToniMorrison #JohnleCarr #JamesBaldwin #CormacMcCarthy #MarilynneRobinson #Televisionradio #USnews #Digitalmedia #TheGuardian #EllaCreamer

A TikTok PM may seem laughable – but reaching young people like me might just keep Labour in office | Lucy O’Brien
By Lucy O’Brien

Andy Burnham and his social media team know how to connect with us. We’re no fools, though – this has to be backed by serious policies

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/10/tiktok-young-people-labour-andy-burnham-social-media

#AndyBurnham #Socialmedia #Youngpeople #Politics #TikTok #Instagram #Digitalmedia #Media #Technology #UKnews #TheGuardian #LucyOBrien

A TikTok PM may seem laughable – but reaching young people like me might just keep Labour in office | Lucy O’Brien https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/10/tiktok-young-people-labour-andy-burnham-social-media #AndyBurnham #SocialMedia #YoungPeople #Politics #Tiktok #Instagram #DigitalMedia #Media #Technology #UkNews