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California’s Newsom accuses TikTok of suppressing Trump criticism

/in /tarafından

California Governor Gavin Newsom has accused TikTok of suppressing content critical of President Donald Trump, launching a review to determine whether the platform’s moderation practices violate California law. Newsom’s office said it had received and independently confirmed reports that posts criticizing Trump were being limited following recent structural changes at TikTok.

The allegations emerged shortly after TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, finalized a deal to create a majority U.S.-owned joint venture designed to secure American user data and avoid a nationwide ban. The arrangement, which was praised by Trump, places U.S. and global investors in control of more than 80% of the venture, with ByteDance retaining a minority stake.

TikTok rejected the accusations, saying the issues stemmed from a technical failure caused by a data center power outage that led to broader system disruptions. The company said the outage resulted in bugs, slower performance and delayed posting for some users, and denied any intentional suppression of political content.

The dispute adds to long-standing political tensions surrounding TikTok in the United States, where the app has faced years of scrutiny over national security, data privacy and influence concerns. Newsom, a Democrat, and Trump, a Republican, have frequently clashed, underscoring the political sensitivity of the platform’s role in public discourse.

Brazil Gives Musk’s xAI 30 Days to Tackle Fake Sexualized Content From Grok

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Brazilian authorities have given xAI, founded by Elon Musk, 30 days to prevent its Grok chatbot from generating and circulating fake sexualized content, warning of further legal action if the company fails to comply.

In a joint statement, Brazil’s consumer protection agency Senacon, data protection authority ANPD, and the Office of Federal Prosecutors said xAI must introduce technical measures to identify, review, and remove inappropriate content created by Grok. Authorities also demanded the removal of accounts linked to the production of such material within the same timeframe.

The move follows concerns that Grok has continued to generate hyper-realistic sexualized imagery, sometimes described as deepfakes. While xAI has previously restricted image editing features and rolled back public posting of such imagery on the X platform, a Reuters test showed that the chatbot could still privately generate the content on request.

Brazilian officials said they may pursue administrative or judicial measures if the company does not meet the deadline. The action forms part of a broader global crackdown, as governments and regulators increase scrutiny of AI-generated sexual content, launching probes, imposing bans, and demanding stronger safeguards to prevent the spread of illegal material.

The case highlights mounting pressure on AI developers to balance innovation with effective content moderation as increasingly powerful generative tools enter public use.

Motion Picture Association Orders Meta to Drop “PG-13” Label from Instagram Teen Filters

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The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Meta, accusing the social media giant of misleadingly using the film industry’s “PG-13” rating in its new content filters for teen users on Instagram. The group said Meta’s claim that its filters are modeled on the movie rating system is “literally false and highly misleading.”

Meta announced last month that it would restrict what users under 18 see on Instagram by applying filters “inspired by the PG-13 rating system.” The MPA, however, says the comparison is inappropriate, emphasizing that its rating process involves a curated, consensus-driven assessment by human reviewers — not automated algorithms.

In an October 28 letter to Meta Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Newstead, the MPA demanded that the company immediately stop using the “PG-13” mark and disassociate its Teen Accounts and AI moderation tools from the film rating system, warning that unauthorized use could undermine public trust in movie ratings. The association asked Meta to resolve the issue by November 3.

A Meta spokesperson said the company had no intention of implying a partnership with the MPA and hopes to “work constructively” with the association to address concerns. Meta said the filter initiative was designed to give parents greater control over what teenagers see on its platforms.

The dispute comes as Meta faces growing scrutiny from regulators and advocacy groups over the safety of its younger users. The company has also faced lawsuits alleging that its social platforms expose minors to harmful content.