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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

Thursday

Democrats Want To Hold Social Media Companies Responsible For Health Misinformation

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is co-sponsoring a bill that seeks to hold social media platforms responsible for the proliferation of health misinformation during a public health emergency. Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images hide caption

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Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images

Untangling Disinformation

Democrats Want To Hold Social Media Companies Responsible For Health Misinformation

Democratic senators have introduced a bill that would hold Facebook, YouTube and other social media companies responsible if they promote harmful health claims on their platforms.

Thursday

The NPR Politics Podcast

Trump's Social Media Lawsuit Is Mostly Messaging, But Tech Regulation Is Coming

Former president Donald Trump filed a lawsuit this week claiming that his rights are violated by social media bans, claims legal experts say are spurious. But there has long been a push for big tech regulation in Washington, and it appears that the wheels are starting to turn.

Trump's Social Media Lawsuit Is Mostly Messaging, But Tech Regulation Is Coming

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Wednesday

Donald Trump Sues Facebook, YouTube And Twitter For Alleged Censorship

Former President Donald Trump has announced that he is suing three of the country's biggest tech companies: Facebook, Twitter and Google's YouTube. Here, he walks onstage during a rally on July 3 in Sarasota, Fla. Jason Behnken/AP hide caption

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Jason Behnken/AP

Technology

Donald Trump Sues Facebook, YouTube And Twitter For Alleged Censorship

The former president filed suit against three of the nation's biggest tech giants, alleging they wrongfully kicked him off their platforms after a mob of his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol.

Donald Trump Sues Facebook, YouTube And Twitter For Alleged Censorship

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Thursday

New FTC Chair Lina Khan Wants To Redefine Monopoly Power For The Age Of Big Tech

Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan is one of the most prominent progressive voices calling for more aggressive curbs on the dominance of big companies. Saul Loeb/POOL/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Saul Loeb/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Technology

New FTC Chair Lina Khan Wants To Redefine Monopoly Power For The Age Of Big Tech

The new Federal Trade Commission chair's first big challenge will be rewriting a lawsuit against Facebook that a federal court tossed out earlier this week.

Monday

Facebook Gets Reprieve As Court Throws Out Major Antitrust Complaints

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies remotely during a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing on October 28, 2020. Pool/Getty Images hide caption

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Technology

Facebook Gets Reprieve As Court Throws Out Major Antitrust Complaints

The decision is a blow to the Federal Trade Commission and 48 state attorneys general, who were pushing for the federal court to break up the social media giant.

Facebook Gets Reprieve As Court Throws Out Major Antitrust Complaints

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Friday

Social Audio Began As A Pandemic Fad. Tech Companies See It As The Future
Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Analysis

Technology

Social Audio Began As A Pandemic Fad. Tech Companies See It As The Future

Live conversations on Clubhouse and Twitter took off during the pandemic, connecting people online when they couldn't in real life. Now social media companies are scrambling to launch audio features.

Social Audio Began As A Pandemic Fad. Tech Companies See It As The Future

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Thursday

India And Tech Companies Clash Over Censorship, Privacy And 'Digital Colonialism'

The government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in a standoff with social media companies over what content gets investigated or blocked online, and who gets to decide. Bikas Das/AP hide caption

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Bikas Das/AP

Asia

India And Tech Companies Clash Over Censorship, Privacy And 'Digital Colonialism'

India's new social media rules give the government broad powers to block some content and break encryption. It's the latest in a standoff with tech companies over censorship, privacy and free speech.

India And Tech Companies Clash Over Censorship, Privacy And 'Digital Colonialism'

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Tuesday

Asia

India Demands Social Media Firms Help It Track Misinformation Online

India's new social media rules give the government power to block certain content and break encryption. It's the latest in a standoff over censorship, privacy and free speech.

India Demands Social Media Firms Help It Track Misinformation Online

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Saturday

Politics

Facebook Suspends President Trump For 2 Years, Changes Rules For Politicians

Facebook is keeping former President Donald Trump off its platform until at least January 2023, and it is ending a policy of treating politicians differently from other users.

Facebook Suspends President Trump For 2 Years, Changes Rules For Politicians

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Friday

Trump Suspended From Facebook For 2 Years

Facebook says former President Donald Trump cannot use its social media platforms until at least Jan. 7, 2023. Pool/Getty Images hide caption

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Technology

Trump Suspended From Facebook For 2 Years

Facebook says former President Donald Trump is locked out of its platform and Instagram until at least Jan. 7, 2023. It will reinstate him only "if the risk to public safety has receded."

Trump Suspended From Facebook For 2 Years

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Wednesday

Senate Democrats Urge Google To Investigate Racial Bias In Its Tools And The Company

Democratic senators, led by Cory Booker of New Jersey, say they worry about how Google's products and policies may perpetuate bias. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption

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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

America Reckons With Racial Injustice

Senate Democrats Urge Google To Investigate Racial Bias In Its Tools And The Company

The senators say products such as Google Search and YouTube may "perpetuate racist stereotypes" and the tech giant may not be a safe workplace for Black employees.

Parents To Facebook: Don't Make A Kid-Only Instagram, Just A Better Instagram

Parents and tech companies are both struggling with how to handle underage kids using social media apps. Rick Bowmer/AP hide caption

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Rick Bowmer/AP

Analysis

Technology

Parents To Facebook: Don't Make A Kid-Only Instagram, Just A Better Instagram

Facebook says it's working on a safer version of Instagram just for kids. Many parents worry about their kids' use of social media — but they don't trust Facebook's solution.

Parents To Facebook: Don't Make A Kid-Only Instagram, Just A Better Instagram

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Tuesday

Technology

Parents Say There Doesn't Need To Be A Kid-Only Instagram, Just A Kid-Friendlier One

Facebook says it's working on a version of Instagram for preteens because kids are lying about their age to get on its regular app. Many parents aren't sure Facebook's solution is the right one.

Parents Say There Doesn't Need To Be A Kid-Only Instagram, Just A Kid-Friendlier One

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Thursday

Just 12 People Are Behind Most Vaccine Hoaxes On Social Media, Research Shows

The majority of anti-vaccine claims on social media trace back to a small number of influential figures, according to researchers. Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Untangling Disinformation

Just 12 People Are Behind Most Vaccine Hoaxes On Social Media, Research Shows

The majority of false claims about COVID-19 vaccines on social media trace back to just a handful of influential figures. So why don't the companies just shut them down?

Just 12 People Are Behind Most Vaccine Hoaxes On Social Media, Research Shows

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