Author: Newark Independent

Big tech seems to be getting out of the censorship business, and it’s about time. After years of increasingly awkward attempts to placate demands from activist groups and the government to suppress allegedly hateful speech and an amorphous category of “disinformation,” Facebook owner Meta is joining X (formerly Twitter) in substituting user-generated community notes on contested posts for top-down muzzling. There’s no doubt that political shifts in the U.S. heavily influenced the rediscovery of respect for free speech. But whatever the reason, we should celebrate the change and work to make it permanent. You are reading The Rattler, a weekly…

This week, internet royalty old (eBay) and new (Meta) joined forces, with the companies announcing a partnership that will see eBay listings tested on Facebook’s Marketplace platform.Given the size difference here — Meta’s market cap is nearly 50x eBay’s — the deal was seen as something of a coup for eBay, allowing it to tap into Marketplace’s billion-plus monthly visitors, sending its stock up 10% on Wednesday to its highest point in over three years. That builds on a great 2024 for the OG e-commerce company, when its stock gained 42%.You might be asking: what’s in it for Meta?The answer,…

Good Morning Four States! Happy snowy Friday! As usual, Howie and Bubba share with us the celebrity and local birthdays for today and another check at our new Facebook Question of the day. Also, we… This article was originally published by a www.fourstateshomepage.com . Read the Original article here. .

Mark Zuckerberg set the internet abuzz this week when the Meta CEO announced that the tech giant would no longer conduct independent fact-checking. The program, implemented in 2016, will be replaced with Meta’s own version of Community Notes, a crowdsourced approach to reviewing online content employed by  X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter. So what exactly is Community Notes, and how does it work?How Community Notes worksMeta hasn’t released specifics about how it will empower users of Facebook, Instagram and other social platforms to monitor content, said Melissa Mahtani, executive producer at CBS News Confirmed.On X, Community Notes…

Mark Zuckerberg’s shock announcement on Monday that the company would scrap its fact-checking programme has sparked renewed fears over the dangers of social media.Zuckerberg’s move will also see the removal of curbs on discussions on Facebook and Instagram around topics such as immigration and transgender issues.It could lead to a host of negative effects, and real-world harm in the UK, including inspiring extremist views and body dysmorphia, Dr Kaitlyn Regehr of University College London told Yahoo News.The change – which will affect Facebook, Instagram and Threads – will retire a fact-checking programme launched in 2016 and is seen as the…

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could get CBD into your system and enjoy its potential benefits without having to drop everything you’re doing to stick a few drops of one of the leading CBD oils under your tongue? Fortunately, you can now do this, thanks to the evolution of vape pens. CBD vape pens are available to those looking for a more convenient way to consume CBD quickly. Broad-spectrum CBD and full-spectrum CBD vapes are everywhere at the moment. This should make it easier than ever before for you to begin vaping CBD with a disposable vape pen.  We’ve…

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (WPTV) – A lithium-ion battery in a vape pen started a fire at a Florida home on Monday, officials said.Marc Theaman, who is renting the home with his family, said it was around noon when he heard a loud noise coming from the backyard.“And I could smell the smoke, and I could see the flames from the backyard had made their way into the dining room,” he said.The home’s owner, Kayla Ogilbee, said firefighters told her a vape pen’s lithium-ion batteries caused the fire.“Just such a small device could cause this type of damage is unbelievable…

Two U.S. states have paused enforcement of new PMTA registry laws, set to take effect early this year, following legal challenges from vaping industry interests. Utah and Iowa were among the six states that passed PMTA registry laws (described below) last year, as Big Tobacco lobbyists flooded state legislatures with campaign donations in exchange for introducing bills that would hamstring the independent vaping industry. More than two dozen registry bills were introduced in 2024 state legislative sessions.Utah: a temporary restraining order granted just in timeUtah passed SB 61 last March, which included both a PMTA registry and a flavor ban. The legislation was quickly signed…

Democratic lawmakers in Washington are pushing this year to ban flavored tobacco products, with the support of the state schools chief. State Rep. Kristine Reeves, D-Federal Way, filed the legislation Wednesday on the House side. State Sen. T’wina Nobles, D-University Place, is set to sponsor the Senate version. Their proposal includes bans on flavored electronic cigarettes, also called vapes, menthol cigarettes and nicotine pouches, like Zyn. The ban would be effective Jan. 1, 2026. The legislation, House Bill 1203, also targets so-called “entertainment vapor products” that include video games or music. “The prevalence of flavored products is bringing way too…

SEQUIM, Wash. — Local audiophile and longtime smoker Dale McGovern preferred the crackling sound and imperfections of cigarettes to the glossy frequency of a vape, confirmed sources who immediately tried to get out of a conversation with him. “Nothing compares to the imaging response tonality and balanced output resolution of a Parliament Light,” said McGovern before asking his friend to turn off the vinyl record they were playing so that he could listen to his lit cigarette. “It just has a much warmer and richer sound than a Juul. Plus, it’s how nicotine was meant to be inhaled. Vapes are…