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Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
U.S. Senators Demand Investigation Into Meta (META) Over Child Safety and AI Policies
Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is one of the . On August 14, two Republican U.S. senators called for a congressional investigation into Meta Platforms after an exclusive Reuters report that uncovered an internal policy document. The document revealed that Meta permitted the company's chatbots to 'engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual.' The news has sparked widespread public outrage, raising urgent questions about how generative AI should be governed, particularly with vulnerable users. The company has since confirmed the authenticity, stating that after receiving questions earlier this month from Reuters, it had removed portions which stated it is allowed for chatbots to flirt and engage in romantic roleplay with children. Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay 'So, only after Meta got CAUGHT did it retract portions of its company doc. This is grounds for an immediate congressional investigation.' -Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, said in a post on social media site X. A spokesperson for Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, said that she supports the investigation too. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Meta noted how 'the examples and notes in question were and are erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed.' 'When it comes to protecting precious children online, Meta has failed miserably by every possible measure. Even worse, the company has turned a blind eye to the devastating consequences of how its platforms are designed.' While we acknowledge the potential of META as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: and Disclosure: None.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
US senators call for Meta probe after Reuters report on its AI policies
By Jody Godoy (Reuters) -Two Republican U.S. senators called for a congressional investigation into Meta Platforms on Thursday after Reuters exclusively reported on an internal policy document that permitted the company's chatbots to 'engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual.' Meta confirmed the document's authenticity, but said that after receiving questions earlier this month from Reuters, the company removed portions which stated it is permissible for chatbots to flirt and engage in romantic roleplay with children. "So, only after Meta got CAUGHT did it retract portions of its company doc," Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, said in a post on social media site X. "This is grounds for an immediate congressional investigation," Hawley said. A spokesperson for Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, said she supports an investigation into the social media company. A spokesperson for Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Blackburn also added that the report illustrates the need to pass reforms to better protect children online, such as the Kids Online Safety Act, a bill she co-sponsored which the Senate passed last year but which failed in the U.S. House of Representatives. 'When it comes to protecting precious children online, Meta has failed miserably by every possible measure. Even worse, the company has turned a blind eye to the devastating consequences of how its platforms are designed," Blackburn said. KOSA would make explicit a "duty of care" that social media companies have when it comes to minors using their products, focusing on design of the platforms and regulation of the companies. The standards described in the Meta document don't necessarily reflect 'ideal or even preferable' generative AI outputs, the document states. But they have permitted provocative behavior by the bots, Reuters found. In one example, the document notes that it would be acceptable for a bot to tell a shirtless eight-year-old that 'every inch of you is a masterpiece – a treasure I cherish deeply.' Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, called the policies "deeply disturbing and wrong," adding that Section 230, a law that shields internet companies from liability for the content posted to their platforms, should not protect companies' generative AI chatbots. "Meta and Zuckerberg should be held fully responsible for any harm these bots cause,' he said. Senator Peter Welch, a Democrat of Vermont, said the report "shows how critical safeguards are for AI — especially when the health and safety of kids is at risk." The Senate voted 99-1 in July to remove a provision in President Donald Trump's sweeping tax-cut and spending bill that would have effectively barred states from passing AI regulation. In the absence of federal laws regulating AI, states have passed legislation, including bans on using the technology to create child sexual abuse material. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
US senators call for Meta probe after Reuters report on its AI policies
By Jody Godoy (Reuters) -Two Republican U.S. senators called for a congressional investigation into Meta Platforms on Thursday after Reuters exclusively reported on an internal policy document that permitted the company's chatbots to 'engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual.' Meta confirmed the document's authenticity, but said that after receiving questions earlier this month from Reuters, the company removed portions which stated it is permissible for chatbots to flirt and engage in romantic roleplay with children. "So, only after Meta got CAUGHT did it retract portions of its company doc," Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, said in a post on social media site X. "This is grounds for an immediate congressional investigation," Hawley said. A spokesperson for Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, said she supports an investigation into the social media company. Blackburn also added that the report illustrates the need to pass reforms to better protect children online, such as the Kids Online Safety Act, a bill she co-sponsored which the Senate passed last year but which failed in the U.S. House of Representatives. 'When it comes to protecting precious children online, Meta has failed miserably by every possible measure. Even worse, the company has turned a blind eye to the devastating consequences of how its platforms are designed," Blackburn said. KOSA would make explicit a "duty of care" that social media companies have when it comes to minors using their products, focusing on design of the platforms and regulation of the companies. The standards described in the Meta document don't necessarily reflect 'ideal or even preferable' generative AI outputs, the document states. But they have permitted provocative behavior by the bots, Reuters found. In one example, the document notes that it would be acceptable for a bot to tell a shirtless eight-year-old that 'every inch of you is a masterpiece – a treasure I cherish deeply.' Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, called the policies "deeply disturbing and wrong," adding that Section 230, a law that shields internet companies from liability for the content posted to their platforms, should not protect companies' generative AI chatbots. "Meta and Zuckerberg should be held fully responsible for any harm these bots cause,' he said. Sign in to access your portfolio
CNA
4 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
US senators call for Meta probe after Reuters report on its AI policies
Two Republican U.S. senators called for a congressional investigation into Meta Platforms on Thursday after Reuters exclusively reported on an internal policy document that permitted the company's chatbots to 'engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual.' Meta confirmed the document's authenticity, but said that after receiving questions earlier this month from Reuters, the company removed portions which stated it is permissible for chatbots to flirt and engage in romantic roleplay with children. "So, only after Meta got CAUGHT did it retract portions of its company doc," Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, said in a post on social media site X. "This is grounds for an immediate congressional investigation," Hawley said. A spokesperson for Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, said she supports an investigation into the social media company. Blackburn also added that the report illustrates the need to pass reforms to better protect children online, such as the Kids Online Safety Act, a bill she co-sponsored which the Senate passed last year but which failed in the U.S. House of Representatives. 'When it comes to protecting precious children online, Meta has failed miserably by every possible measure. Even worse, the company has turned a blind eye to the devastating consequences of how its platforms are designed," Blackburn said. KOSA would make explicit a "duty of care" that social media companies have when it comes to minors using their products, focusing on design of the platforms and regulation of the companies. The standards described in the Meta document don't necessarily reflect 'ideal or even preferable' generative AI outputs, the document states. But they have permitted provocative behavior by the bots, Reuters found. In one example, the document notes that it would be acceptable for a bot to tell a shirtless eight-year-old that 'every inch of you is a masterpiece – a treasure I cherish deeply.' Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, called the policies "deeply disturbing and wrong," adding that Section 230, a law that shields internet companies from liability for the content posted to their platforms, should not protect companies' generative AI chatbots. "Meta and Zuckerberg should be held fully responsible for any harm these bots cause,' he said.
Bloomberg
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Harvard-Educated Democrats Urge Resistance to Columbia-Like Deal
Harvard University is facing increasing pressure from some Democratic lawmakers, faculty and alumni to reject a White House settlement similar to those struck by its Ivy League counterparts. More than a dozen Democrats in the US Senate and House of Representatives, all of whom attended Harvard, urged the university on Friday to refuse any demands that might compromise its independence and warned that any settlement that's perceived to be in response to 'unjustified political threats' could warrant a congressional investigation.
