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Shannon Bond Shannon Bond is a correspondent at NPR, covering how misleading narratives and false claims circulate online and offline, and their impact on society and democracy.
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Shannon Bond

Tuesday

Technology

What's on the social media horizon in the year ahead

Congress held lots of hearings in 2021 about how it's time to finally regulate powerful tech companies. There has also been rare bipartisan unity on the concern over child safety on the web.

What's on the social media horizon in the year ahead

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Thursday

Facebook bans 7 'surveillance-for-hire' companies that spied on 50,000 users

Meta banned seven surveillance firms from Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp on Thursday, accusing the firms of using the platforms to spy on about 50,000 unsuspecting people. KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images

Technology

Facebook bans 7 'surveillance-for-hire' companies that spied on 50,000 users

The parent company of Facebook and Instagram says the firms used its platforms to spy on human rights activists, government critics, celebrities and journalists in more than 100 countries.

Facebook bans 7 'surveillance-for-hire' companies that spied on 50,000 users

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Thursday

Technology

Instagram CEO tells Senate panel it takes the mental health of children seriously

Adam Mosseri pushed back on research showing social media is harmful for mental health during testimony before the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Data Security.

Instagram CEO tells Senate panel it takes the mental health of children seriously

Listen · 3:36
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Wednesday

Business

Instagram CEO testified before Congress about the app's impact on young users

Instagram head Adam Mosseri appeared before a Senate panel examining the app's impact on young users. Internal company research shows the app can make mental health issues worse for some teens.

Instagram CEO testified before Congress about the app's impact on young users

Listen · 3:48
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Tuesday

Technology

Far right is using Twitter's new policy against extremism researchers and activists

Twitter recently launched a new policy in the U.S. to limit the sharing of photos and videos of people without their consent. Activists on the left say it limits public interest reporting.

Far right is using Twitter's new policy against extremism researchers and activists

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Wednesday

Facebook takes down China-based network spreading false COVID-19 claims

Meta has removed six networks of accounts for abusing its platforms, underscoring the ways bad actors around the world use social media as a tool to promote false information and harass opponents. Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images

Technology

Facebook takes down China-based network spreading false COVID-19 claims

The Chinese operation is one of six networks blocked from Facebook and Instagram after spreading false information and harassing opponents.

Tuesday

Meet Parag Agrawal, Twitter's new CEO

Parag Agrawal, a software engineer known to few outside Twitter, has replaced Jack Dorsey as CEO. Twitter hide caption

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Twitter

Technology

Meet Parag Agrawal, Twitter's new CEO

A software engineer known to few outside Twitter has replaced the company's eccentric co-founder Jack Dorsey, famous for his long beard, love of meditation and bitcoin.

Meet Parag Agrawal, Twitter's new CEO

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Technology

Twitter CTO Parag Agrawal succeeds Jack Dorsey as the company's CEO

Twitter's eccentric co-founder Jack Dorsey stepped down as CEO abruptly Monday. The new CEO is a company veteran who rose to chief technology officer.

Twitter CTO Parag Agrawal succeeds Jack Dorsey as the company's CEO

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Monday

Jack Dorsey steps down as Twitter CEO; Parag Agrawal succeeds him

Jack Dorsey is stepping down as the CEO of Twitter, which he co-founded. Here he's shown at a bitcoin convention in June. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Technology

Jack Dorsey steps down as Twitter CEO; Parag Agrawal succeeds him

Dorsey will continue to head Square, the financial payments service. He has been criticized for leading both companies at once.

Jack Dorsey steps down as Twitter CEO; Parag Agrawal succeeds him

Listen · 2:03
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Thursday

Friday

These researchers are trying to stop misinformation from derailing climate progress

Delegates attend the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images

The COP26 summit

These researchers are trying to stop misinformation from derailing climate progress

A global team of activists and researchers has been tracking false and misleading claims about climate change as world leaders meet at the U.N. climate conference in Glasgow.

These researchers are trying to stop misinformation from derailing climate progress

Listen · 3:59
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Tuesday

Facebook scraps ad targeting based on politics, race and other 'sensitive' topics

Facebook will no longer let advertisers target people with ads based on how interested the social network thinks they are in topics like politics, religion, or race. Jenny Kane/AP hide caption

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Jenny Kane/AP

Technology

Facebook scraps ad targeting based on politics, race and other 'sensitive' topics

Facebook will no longer let advertisers target people with ads based on how interested the social network thinks they are in topics like politics, religion, or race. The new rules begin in January.