Latest news with #MediaMatters
The Verge
02-07-2025
- The Verge
Racist videos made with AI are going viral on TikTok
Racist videos that appear to be created with Google's AI video generation tool Veo 3 have raked in millions of views across TikTok, according to findings from the nonprofit media watchdog Media Matters. The AI-generated videos uncovered by the organization are filled with racist tropes, many of which target Black people. Media Matters determined that the videos — one of which received 14.2 million views — were generated with Google Veo 3 because of the 'Veo' watermark in the corner of the clips. Some users also listed hashtags, captions, or usernames pertaining to Veo 3 or AI, according to Media Matters. Each clip found by the organization lasted just eight seconds, or was 'composed of multiple clips each lasting no more than 8 seconds,' which tracks with Veo 3's eight-second limit. Veo 3, launched by Google in May, allows users to generate AI video clips and audio with just a text prompt. On its website, Google says it will 'block harmful requests and results.' TikTok's rules similarly state that 'hate speech and hateful behavior has no place on TikTok,' and that the platform 'will not recommend content that contains negative stereotypes about a person or group with a protected attribute.' The Verge found some of the videos highlighted by Media Matters were also on YouTube but with fewer views, while Wired also discovered similar, racist AI-generated videos on Instagram. Other videos found by Media Matters contain anti-Semitic content and racist depictions of immigrants and Asian people. It's not clear whether TikTok has removed the videos flagged by Media Matters or if Google is aware of Veo 3's harmful outputs. Neither Google nor TikTok immediately responded to The Verge's request for comment.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Media Matters' lawsuit against the FTC is likely to be important
One of the more unsettling developments of Donald Trump's second term involves the number of investigations that have been launched against Democrats and organizations affiliated with progressive politics. That includes Media Matters, a media watchdog organization, which found itself facing a Federal Trade Commission probe in late May. This week, as The New York Times reported, the group pushed back — in court: Media Matters, a liberal advocacy organization, sued the Federal Trade Commission on Monday, claiming that the agency was waging a 'campaign of retribution' against the group on behalf of the Trump administration and Elon Musk. ... Media Matters said in its lawsuit that the Federal Trade Commission had employed 'sweeping governmental powers to attempt to silence and harass an organization for daring to speak the truth.' Media Matters' filing argued that the FTC's tactics were intended to restrict the organization's First Amendment rights, and it asked a federal court in Washington, D.C., to block the federal probe. Angelo Carusone, Media Matters' president, said in a statement, 'The Trump administration has demonstrated that it will not hesitate to abuse the powers of the federal government to undermine the First Amendment and stifle dissent. This highly politicized FTC investigation is part of that playbook. This is a significant free speech issue, and Media Matters will not back down from this fight. If the Trump administration is allowed to use this unlawful investigation to punish legitimate reporting on behalf of a political ally, then there is nothing to stop it from targeting anyone who stands up and exercises their rights.' For its part, the FTC hasn't commented, but we have a sense of the agency's perspective. Indeed, when the commission opened its investigation last month, the Times reported that the FTC's letter to Media Matters said it was exploring whether the organization 'illegally colluded with advertisers.' And this appears to be the heart of the matter. Trump's top campaign donor, Elon Musk, first sued the progressive media watchdog a couple of years ago, raising similar allegations, accusing Media Matters of playing a role in advertisers steering clear of the Musk-owned social media platform. It was against this backdrop that the Trump administration not only launched an investigation into the group but also asked Media Matters to turn over all the documents related to Musk's litigation. I won't pretend to know where all of this is headed, but it's a case worth watching. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on
The Hill
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Hill
Media Matters fights back against FTC
The Big Story Media Matters for America sued the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Monday to block the agency's investigation into the progressive media watchdog group, arguing the probe amounts to unlawful retaliation. © AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File The group received a request from the FTC last month for documents and communications related to several advertising and watchdog groups, as well as its legal battle with Elon Musk's social platform X. 'Media Matters faces an ongoing campaign of retribution for exercising its First Amendment rights,' the lawsuit reads. 'For the third time, Media Matters must ask this Court to halt this 'government campaign of retaliation.'' X sued the watchdog group in 2023 over a report that outlined how the social media site had placed ads for mainstream brands next to hateful content. The report, combined with controversial comments from Musk at the time, prompted advertisers to halt their spending on the platform. Texas and Missouri followed suit, opening investigations into Media Matters and requesting documents from the group that were later blocked in court. 'Now the Federal Trade Commission seeks to punish Media Matters for its journalism and speech in exposing matters of substantial public concern,' the group wrote in its complaint. 'The campaign of retribution against Media Matters must stop.' Media Matters argues the FTC's request is 'overbroad and designed to be maximally burdensome. The FTC did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. Read more at Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter, we're Miranda Nazzaro and Julia Shapero — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future: Ford recalls 197,000 cars over issue that can trap passengers Ford has recalled more than 197,000 Mustang Mach-Es because of an issue that can leave passengers trapped inside vehicles. The hazard affecting model years 2021-2025 is especially dangerous for children, who could end up stuck in the back seat during extreme heat, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The issue affects door latches inside the electric vehicles. If the car's battery gets … Anthropic wins ruling on AI training in copyright lawsuit but must face trial on pirated books In a test case for the artificial intelligence industry, a federal judge has ruled that AI company Anthropic didn't break the law by training its chatbot Claude on millions of copyrighted books. But the company is still on the hook and must now go to trial over how it acquired those books by downloading them from online 'shadow libraries' of pirated copies. U.S. District Judge William Alsup of San Francisco said in a ruling … WhatsApp banned on House staffer devices Messaging app WhatsApp has been banned on congressional staffers' government devices, the House's chief administrative officer confirmed Monday. 'Protecting the People's House is our topmost priority, and we are always monitoring and analyzing for potential cybersecurity risks that could endanger the data of House Members and staff,' Chief Administrative Officer Catherine Szpindor said in a statement … The Refresh News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: Crypto Corner Senate takes steps toward market structure bill © Greg Nash Welcome to Crypto Corner, a daily feature focused on digital currency and its outlook in Washington. The Senate is slowly but surely taking steps toward making its market structure bill a reality. Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) released a set of 'principles' Tuesday to guide the development of legislation that seeks to divvy up oversight of the digital asset market. This includes: The principles are meant to serve as 'an important baseline for negotiations on this bill,' said Scott, who serves as chair of the Senate Banking Committee. 'I'm hopeful my colleagues will put politics aside and provide long-overdue clarity for digital asset regulation,' he added. The movement on market structure legislation comes after the Senate passed the GENIUS Act last week, which aims to create a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins. The Trump administration and GOP lawmakers have made passing stablecoin and market structure legislation a key priority, with hopes of getting both across the finish line by August. The Hill Jobs Interested in exploring a new career? Visit The Hill Jobs Board to discover millions of roles worldwide, including: Director of Government and Political Affairs — National Mining Association, Washington, D.C. Apply Federal Policy Director — AAHOA, Washington, D.C. Apply Deputy Policy Director — U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC), Washington, D.C. Apply Partner, Government Relations — Forward Global, Washington, D.C. Apply Click here to get your job mentioned What Others are Reading Two key stories on The Hill right now: Trump's 'both sides' approach to Israel, Iran comes into question President Trump's strategy of playing both sides is coming into question as he fumed over Israel and Iran's continued fighting while demanding peace … Read more House torpedoes Rep. Al Green's effort to impeach Trump over Iran strikes The House on Tuesday overwhelmingly torpedoed an effort by Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) to impeach President Trump over the U.S. strikes on Iran, underscoring … Read more What Others are Reading Opinions related to tech submitted to The Hill: You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here
The Hill
24-06-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Media Matters sues FTC to block probe
Media Matters sued the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Monday to block the agency's investigation into the progressive media watchdog group, arguing the probe is unlawful retaliation. The group received a request from the FTC last month for documents and communications related to several advertising and watchdog groups, as well as its legal battle with Elon Musk's X. 'Media Matters faces an ongoing campaign of retribution for exercising its First Amendment rights,' the lawsuit reads. 'For the third time, Media Matters must ask this Court to halt this 'government campaign of retaliation.'' X sued the watchdog group in 2023 over a report that outlined how the social media site had placed ads for mainstream brands next to hateful content. The report, combined with controversial comments from Musk at the time, prompted advertisers to halt their spending on the platform. Texas and Missouri followed suit, opening investigations into Media Matters and requesting documents from the group that were later blocked in court. 'Now the Federal Trade Commission seeks to punish Media Matters for its journalism and speech in exposing matters of substantial public concern,' the group wrote in its complaint, adding, 'The campaign of retribution against Media Matters must stop.' Media Matters argues the FTC's request is 'overbroad and designed to be maximally burdensome' and 'constitutes a fishing expedition into the most sensitive areas' of its work, seeking information about the group's finances, editorial process and newsgathering activities. The FTC did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. Notably, the agency no longer has any Democratic commissioners, after President Trump fired commissioners Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya in March. The pair, who argue their firings are illegal, have sued the president.
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Media Matters sues to block FTC probe over Musk's X boycott claims
HighlightsMedia Matters has filed a lawsuit to block the Federal Trade Commission's investigation into alleged coordination of advertising boycotts against Elon Musk's social media platform, X. The Federal Trade Commission is demanding Media Matters to provide communications with other advocacy groups and documents related to lawsuits involving accusations of orchestrated advertiser boycotts of X. Media Matters claims that the investigation is retaliatory for its critical reporting on Elon Musk, alleging that the government is attempting to intimidate and harass the organization for its journalism. Media Matters asked a court on Monday to block the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's probe into whether media watchdogs coordinated advertising boycotts, calling it retaliation for the group's criticism of Elon Musk , a major donor to Donald Trump's presidential campaign. The FTC demanded Media Matters hand over communications with other groups that evaluate misinformation and hate speech and documents related to lawsuits where Musk 's social media platform, X, has accused some groups of orchestrating advertiser boycotts. Media Matters, a Washington, DC-based liberal advocacy group, said there is no basis to accuse it of coordinating a boycott, and that the FTC's demands have chilled its ability to publish articles on the agency and Musk. "The Court should put an end to the latest effort by the Trump Administration and Elon Musk's government allies to punish, intimidate, and harass Media Matters for publishing reporting they do not like," the group said. The FTC probe, first reported by Reuters on May 22, marked an escalation in U.S. government scrutiny into whether groups like Media Matters helped advertisers coordinate to pull ad dollars from X after Musk bought the social media site formerly known as Twitter in 2022. Media Matters said in its lawsuit on Monday that the court should block the request, as it did similar investigations by Republican attorneys general in Texas and Missouri. X sued Media Matters in 2023, accusing the organization of defaming it in an article that said ads for major brands had appeared next to posts on X that touted far-right extremist content. Media Matters has denied the allegations, and sued X earlier this year, accusing it of abusive, costly and meritless lawsuits to punish the group for its reporting on advertising on X after Musk purchased the site. The Media Matters said it found advertisements by IBM, Apple, Oracle and Comcast's Xfinity placed alongside posts touting Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. "X initiated a vendetta-driven campaign of libel tourism, spanning three jurisdictions in three countries, all arising from the same conduct: Media Matters' use of X's platform in accordance with X's Terms of Service and its truthful reporting on the results," the complaint said.
