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META Found To Deliberately Conceal Data Misuse and Profit from False Content
A recent investigation has revealed that META, formerly known as Facebook, intentionally narrowed its definition of data misuse to avoid notifying users when apps misused their data. Out of 2,000 unique apps associated with data misuse, only two were reported to users, according to Matthew, the whistleblower. The company also continued to profit from pages containing misinformation and hate speech, with a significant amount of misleading and false content found internally.
In response to these findings, META buried its research and deceived users in various ways, such as falsely claiming that all users received equal treatment compared to celebrities and influencers. Moreover, certain groups of users were warned to remove infringing content before others, and decisions were often reversed for harmful content.
As AI products like Muse from META become more prevalent, there is a growing need for regulatory enforcement to protect users from potential harm. Hegde emphasized the importance of having regulators with the courage to enforce laws and prevent data abuse by tech companies.
Moving forward, Torres, a representative for New Mexico, pledged to continue monitoring and enforcing consumer protection laws to prevent data abuse by big tech companies. The recent verdict in the case against META serves as a reminder that businesses operating in the state must abide by the law and respect the rights of its citizens.
Source: arstechnica.com
