Sources: Barry Diller is exploring a bid to take control of Paramount; his digital media conglomerate, IAC, has signed NDAs with National Amusements (New York Times)

Mediagazer: Sources: Barry Diller is exploring a bid to take control of Paramount; his digital media conglomerate, IAC, has signed NDAs with National Amusements (New York Times)

Top News:

New York Times:

Sources: Barry Diller is exploring a bid to take control of Paramount; his digital media conglomerate, IAC, has signed NDAs with National Amusements— Mr. Diller, a digital media pioneer, lost a bidding war for Paramount Pictures decades ago. Now, he's making a run at its parent company.
Discussion: The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter and @benmullin

Discussion:

Reuters:

Preliminary findings: the EU says Meta's pay or consent ad model breaches the DMA; Meta faces a fine of up to 10% of its global annual turnover if found guilty— Meta Platforms (META.O) was charged by EU antitrust regulators on Monday for failing to comply with landmark tech rules …

Discussion:
The Guardian, European Commission, The Register, @thierrybreton, Financial Times, @eu_competition, @Jeremiah@alpaca.gold, @eu_commission, New York Post, @jason_kint, @benedictevans@threads.net, @andrewpardoe@threads.net, MarTech, @tjasa_pet, @florian4gamers, @Jeremiah@alpaca.gold, The Verge, @Frederik_Borgesius …, @vestager, @jefflonsdale, @pernillet@mastodon.online, Benedict Evans on LinkedIn, @GottaLaff@mastodon.social, CNN, @maik.zumstrull.net, @benedictevans@threads.net, TechCrunch, Wired, The Information, Quartz, @beuc, Engadget and TVNewsCheck, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Dan Milmo /
The Guardian: Meta accused of breaking EU digital law by charging for ad-free social networks European Commission: Commission sends preliminary findings to Meta over its “Pay or Consent” model for breach of the Digital Markets Act

Brandon Vigliarolo /
The Register: Antitrust cops cry foul over Meta's pay-or-consent ultimatum to Europeans

Thierry Breton /
@thierrybreton: The #DMA is here to give back 🇪🇺 users the power to decide over their #data #Meta has forced millions of users across EU into a binary choice : “pay or consent”. In our preliminary conclusion this is a breach of the DMA. Today we take an important step to ensure Meta complies. [image]

Javier Espinoza /
Financial Times: Brussels follows up Apple charges with Meta ‘pay or consent’ case @eu_competition: #EUCompetition #DMA #DigitalMarketsAct Commission 🇪🇺 sends preliminary findings to Meta over its “Pay or Consent” model for breach of the Digital Markets Act 👇 🔗➡️ https://europa.eu/!yjjm9k [image]

Jeremiah Lee /
@Jeremiah@alpaca.gold: @Techmeme One benefit of applying DMA instead of GDPR is that DMA only applies to massive companies like Meta. — Many EU newspapers introduced “forced consent” after the EU Court of Justice's ruling last July contained a 6-word loophole for Meta to provide an alternative to tracking “if necessary, for an appropriate fee.” … @eu_commission: The “Pay or Consent” advertising model of Meta fails to comply with the Digital Markets Act. Our preliminary findings show that this choice forces users to consent to the combination of their personal data and fails to provide them a less personalised but equivalent version of [image]

Thomas Barrabi /
New York Post: Meta charged with violating Europe's landmark tech competition law, faces billions in fines

Jason Kint /
@jason_kint: HUGE FT scoop on EU regulators finding that Meta is violating the new DMA (gatekeeper law) by forcing users to subscribe/pay if they don't want Meta's ubiquitous surveillance of them. Meta's comment here is deceptive based on a non-binding comment deep in a prior option. /1 [image]

Benedict Evans /
@benedictevans@threads.net: The interesting problem is that the EU is telling Meta that it must offer a product that 1: does not use relevant ads and 2: that has an equivalent experience... B+ut a product with irrelevant ads is not equivalent to one with with relevant ads. it's worse.

Andrew Pardoe /
@andrewpardoe@threads.net: Is the EU's position really “supply Facebook without a revenue source”? This isn't my area: I have little stake in this (except for the obvious.) What incentive would Meta have to continue in the EU? Or any other ad-supported business, for that matter?

Constantine von Hoffman /
MarTech: EU says Meta ad model violates Digital Markets Act @tjasa_pet: Not surprisingly, Commission's preliminary findings indicate Meta's pay or consent model does not comply with Article 5(2) DMA, as it fails to provide users with a less personalised but equivalent version of Meta's social networks.

Florian Mueller /
@florian4gamers: Unlike the EU, Meta can't finance its service through taxes. That's why there has to be a working revenue model, some quid pro quo between Meta and users. The DMA doesn't outlaw letting users pay for services.

Jeremiah Lee /
@Jeremiah@alpaca.gold: While we continue to wait for the Irish Data Protection Commissioner to do its job enforcing GDPR after the European Data Protection Board opined as strongly as legally permitted against ‘consent or pay’ models in April, the EU Commission now is using the DMA to rid of this scourge. …

Wes Davis /
The Verge: Facebook and Instagram's ‘pay or consent’ ad model violates the DMA, says the EU

Frederik Borgesius /
@Frederik_Borgesius …: EU 'Commission has informed Meta of its preliminary findings that its “pay or consent” advertising model fails to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). In the Commission's preliminary view, this binary choice forces users to consent to the combination of their personal data and fails …

Margrethe Vestager /
@vestager: 📢We informed @Meta of our preliminary finding that its “pay or consent” model fails to comply with the Digital Markets Act 👉It forces users to consent to the combination of their personal data, and fails to provide a less personalised equivalent 📰 https://www.shorturl.at/jCj8Y

Jeff Lonsdale /
@jefflonsdale: The question is how long can the EU fine these global tech companies on a percentage of their global revenue without them strategizing how to exit the market. The companies won't leave all at once, first they will offer nerfed products rather than leave a hole in the market for

Pernille Tranberg /
@pernillet@mastodon.online: Meta's “pay or consent” advertising model, which it invented because it did not comply with the GDPR for 6 years, is not compliant with the DMA either. Can be fined now of up to 10% of Meta's global turnover. #meta #dma #gdpr #privacy — https://ec.europa.eu/...

Benedict Evans /
Benedict Evans on LinkedIn: As expected, the EU says the Meta is allowed to charge, or use interest based advertising, but must also offer the product for free with ads ‘using less user data’ - which means little or no revenue. …

Laffy /
@GottaLaff@mastodon.social: Meta Platforms (META.O) was charged by EU antitrust regulators on Monday for failing to comply with landmark tech rules as they took aim at the U.S. company's newly introduced pay or consent advertising model, already the target of privacy regulators and activists' ire. — https://www.reuters.com/...

Olesya Dmitracova /
CNN: Meta accused of breaking European law with its ‘pay or consent’ model

Maik Zumstrull /
@maik.zumstrull.net: The elephant in the room on this is that hundreds of EU based press outlets are illegally using pay-or-accept on their websites. — By citing the DMA as the issue, and not the more appropriate GDPR, they can avoid enforcing the law against their client media - which aren't DMA gatekeepers. …

Benedict Evans /
@benedictevans@threads.net: So... Meta is allowed to charge, or use interest based advertising, but must also offer the product entirely for free. Why? Of course, the model the EU is objecting to here is one that's been used without controversy by a whole bunch of European newspapers for years now. …

Natasha Lomas /
TechCrunch: Meta's ‘pay or consent’ model fails EU competition rules, Commission finds

Morgan Meaker /
Wired: Meta's Pay-for-Privacy Model Is Illegal, Says EU

Sylvia Varnham O'Regan /
The Information: EU Regulators Charge Meta with Breaching New Tech Rules @beuc: Good news the @EU_Commission is taking enforcement action based on #DMA against Meta's pay-or-consent model! It comes on top of various, recent complaints the BEUC network launched against Meta for breaches of consumer law and data protection law. ➡️ https://www.beuc.eu/...

Sarah Fielding /
Engadget: Meta could get slapped with a massive fine for violating the EU's Digital Markets Act

Kim Mackrael /
TVNewsCheck: Meta Hit With EU Charges Over Targeted Advertising

Vanity Fair:

A look at WSJ's rocky reboot under Emma Tucker, who addressed editing bottlenecks and pushed for ambitious stories, while unnerving the newsroom with layoffs— The British-born editor has injected America's business paper of record with ambition and verve, while unnerving the newsroom with unapologetic cuts.

Discussion:
@mlcalderone, @charlottetklein and New York Post

Discussion:

Michael Calderone /
@mlcalderone: Deep look into the Wall Street Journal from @charlottetklein, who spoke to editor Emma Tucker and more than two dozen current/former staffers about layoffs, morale, and the future of the paper https://www.vanityfair.com/...

Charlotte Klein /
@charlottetklein: My last piece for VF is a look inside Emma Tucker's Wall Street Journal: https://www.vanityfair.com/...

CNBC:

Sources: Paramount Global is in discussions with other companies about merging Paramount+ with their streamers; WBD is interested in merging Max and Paramount+— Paramount Global is holding talks with other entertainment companies about merging its Paramount+ streaming service with an existing platform.

Discussion:
Variety, The Desk, Alex Sherman on LinkedIn, Media Play News, Cord Cutters News and BGR

Discussion:

Todd Spangler /
Variety: Could Max and Paramount+ Merge? Warner Bros. Discovery Open to Exploring Paramount Streaming Joint Venture

Matthew Keys /
The Desk: WBD expresses interest in unifying Max, Paramount Plus

Alex Sherman /
Alex Sherman on LinkedIn: Paramount Global is looking for a partner for Paramount+. Warner Bros Discovery has interest in a deal. …

Erik Gruenwedel /
Media Play News: Paramount Global Reportedly Discussing Merging Paramount+ With Third Party Platforms

Luke Bouma /
Cord Cutters News: Paramount+ & Max Are Reportedly In Talks to Merge Streaming Services

José Adorno /
BGR: Apple TV+ overtakes Paramount+ in the US

TechCrunch:

Meta changes its “Made with AI” label to “AI info”, to indicate images were not necessarily created with AI but that AI editing tools may have been used— After Meta started tagging photos with a “Made with AI” label in May, photographers complained …

Discussion:
Fast Company, Engadget and The Verge, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Hunter Schwarz /
Fast Company: Meta's making a change to the way it labels AI on its apps. Here's why

Karissa Bell /
Engadget: Meta changes its labels for AI-generated images after complaints from photographers

Richard Lawler /
The Verge: Instagram's ‘Made with AI’ label swapped out for ‘AI info’ after photographers' complaints

New York Times:

Terence Samuel, the EIC of USA Today, is leaving “effective today”, after a year in the role; Caren Bohan, the executive editor of politics, will be interim EIC— Terence Samuel, a veteran journalist, had been in the role for a year. — Terence Samuel, the editor in chief of USA Today …

Discussion:
The Wrap, USA Today, MediaPost, The Hill, TVNewsCheck, @davidfolkenflik, @katie_robertson and Deadline

Discussion:

Ray Schultz /
MediaPost: ‘USA Today’ Editor Terence Samuel Is Leaving Post

Katie Robertson /
TVNewsCheck: USA Today's Top Editor Abruptly Steps Down

David Folkenflik /
@davidfolkenflik: News: USAToday editor-in-chief Terence Samuel @terencesamuel ousted, one week shy of a year in the role, according to two people with knowledge of events. Managing Editor @carenbohan said to lead newsroom on interim basis.

Katie Robertson /
@katie_robertson: NEW: Terence Samuel @terencesamuel tells me his exit from USA Today was sudden: “I wished that this had lasted a lot longer because it was a great year. We did great things in that newsroom and I wish them the very best.” https://www.nytimes.com/... https://x.com/...

Press Gazette:

B2B information and data provider Wilmington sells its UK healthcare business, which includes Health Service Journal, to PE firm Inspirit Franklin for £26M— HSJ has been owned by Wilmington since 2017. — Health Service Journal will move under private equity ownership following a sale by owner Wilmington.

TechCrunch:

YouTube rolled out a policy change that will let people request the takedown of AI-generated or other synthetic content that simulates their face or voice— Meta is not the only company grappling with the rise in AI-generated content and how it affects its platform.

Discussion:
Engadget, @baekdal and Mashable, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Will Shanklin /
Engadget: New YouTube policy lets you request the removal of AI-generated content that uses your likeness

Thomas Baekdal /
@baekdal: This is a good first step, but fundamentally, it should be illegal to do this at all without explicit prior consent from the person being used. We need legislation around AI.

Elizabeth de Luna /
Mashable: YouTube says Gen Z may love fan-made content more than original content

The Hollywood Reporter:

Some Hollywood writers and actors are struggling to meet salary or work requirements to keep their union's health insurance plans, following the 2023 strikes— After the 2023 work stoppages and amid a larger industry contraction, creatives face difficulties meeting minimums to keep their union plans …

Reuters:

Google says it will require advertisers to disclose election ads that use digitally altered content that depicts real or realistic-looking people or events— Google (GOOGL.O) said on Monday it would make it mandatory for advertisers to disclose election ads that use digitally altered content …

Discussion:
Google Help Center and Reuters, more at Techmeme »

CBS News:

SCOTUS orders lower courts to take another look at Texas' and Florida's social media laws, says neither lower court conducted proper analysis of 1A challenges— Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday ordered lower courts to take another look at a pair of laws from Florida and Texas …

Discussion:
Engadget, MediaPost, SCOTUSblog, The Register, NPR, Reason, @nicoperrino, New York Post, Quartz, @jordanonrecord, @steve_vladeck, Reclaim The Net, Reuters, @sandeepvaheesan, @daphnehk, @mjs_dc, Fox News, @ishapiro, @joshgerstein, @anupamchander, Associated Press, @jamescz19, @attorneynora, @bykatiebuehler, @neil_chilson, TechCrunch, @willoremus, @sdkstl, @zephyrteachout, @thomas_a_berry, @jeffjarvis, @crumbler@threads.net, @jameeljaffer, @tracethelaw, @mjs_dc, @aricohn, @mjs_dc, @jess_miers, @pat_hedger, @zephyrteachout, Forbes, @robpwj, CNBC, @robertfreundlaw, @matthewstoller, Media Play News, Politico and Semafor, more at Techmeme »

Discussion:

Karissa Bell /
Engadget: Supreme Court remands social media moderation cases over First Amendment issues

Thomas Claburn /
The Register: Supreme Court orders rethink on Texas, Florida laws banning web moderation

Ilya Somin /
Reason: Supreme Court Remands Texas and Florida Social Media Cases—But Strongly Suggests the States' Laws Violate the First Amendment

Nico Perrino /
@nicoperrino: The majority opinion in @NetChoice reminds us of three core First Amendment principles: 1) Principles don't vary with new technologies. 2) States can't violate speech rights to achieve desired ideological balance. 3) Content publishers have the right to editorial discretion.

Ryan King /
New York Post: Supreme Court sends challenge to Florida, Texas laws restricting social media regulation back to lower courts

Laura Bratton /
Quartz: The Supreme Court won't decide Big Tech's free speech fight with Florida and Texas

Jordan Fischer /
@jordanonrecord: Another day, another Fifth Circuit benchslap from SCOTUS (from today's Moody v. NetChoice decision). [image]

Steve Vladeck /
@steve_vladeck: Justice Kagan has the consolidated ruling in NetChoice, holding for a unanimous-ish(!) Court that *neither* the Fifth Circuit *nor* the Eleventh Circuit applied the right test, and remanding for proper application of the standard for facial relief: https://www.supremecourt.gov/ ...

Dan Frieth /
Reclaim The Net: Supreme Court Demands Deeper Look at Social Media Anti-Censorship Laws

Reuters:
The Supreme Court will decide if Florida and Texas are violating social media First Amendment rights

Sandeep Vaheesan /
@sandeepvaheesan: Concerning line in Moody v. NetChoice for all public regulation of communications networks: Can AT&T as an ISP block certain content and prioritize other content and claim it is engaged in protected “expressive” activity? [image]

Daphne Keller /
@daphnehk: Alito's NetChoice concurrence is literally (mis)citing the part of Packingham he criticized at the time as “undisciplined dicta[.]” [image]

Mark Joseph Stern /
@mjs_dc: I would deem the NetChoice decision a significant, albeit incomplete, victory for the social platforms, and a loss for Florida and Texas; perhaps the biggest winners are the platforms' lawyers, who get to continue litigating these cases in the lower courts and billing for it. Fox News: Supreme Court dismisses state challenges to red state restrictions on social media platforms

Ilya Shapiro /
@ishapiro: 1. On NetChoice: The five opinions will take a while to digest, but the fact that SCOTUS was able to speak with one voice to send the cases back to lower courts to further consider the 1A issues here signals that justices are taking seriously our brave new social-media world.

Josh Gerstein /
@joshgerstein: BREAKING: 2nd opinion from #SCOTUS this AM: Netchoice. TX and FL social media laws. Kagan writes. Newsfeeds and home pages are like newspapers “protected expressive activity.” Other parts of sites maybe not. Remanded to both appeals courts https://www.supremecourt.gov/ ...

Anupam Chander /
@anupamchander: Justice Kagan's majority opinion in Moody v NetChoice, on quick read, will protect against excessive government speech regulation of internet platforms' editorial decisions made through their algorithms. Consider this extensive list of editorial activity by internet platforms: [image]

Mark Sherman /
Associated Press: Supreme Court keeps hold on Texas and Florida efforts to limit how social media platforms regulate user content

James Czerniawski /
@jamescz19: I love this line from the #NetChoice case: “The government may not, in supposed pursuit of better expressive valance, alter a private speaker's own editorial choices about the mix of speech it wants to convey.” It is not the government's job to do the balancing act. That's on us.

Nora Benavidez /
@attorneynora: Supreme Court has vacated the NetChoice cases. A slight sigh of relief for our First Amendment. Government regulation should have no business dictating private speech. Statement from us at @freepress pending.

Katie Buehler /
@bykatiebuehler: BREAKING: A 9-0 Supreme Court punts on constitutionality of FL & TX laws barring social media platforms from removing content/users based on viewpoint, returning it to lower courts. (Moody v. NetChoice/NetChoice v. Paxton, No. 22-277/22-555) #SCOTUS https://www.supremecourt.gov/ ... [image]

Neil Chilson /
@neil_chilson: The Internet survives! [image]

Aisha Malik /
TechCrunch: Supreme Court sends Texas and Florida social media regulation laws back to lower courts

Will Oremus /
@willoremus: The Supreme Court vacates and remands the lower court rulings on both the Texas and Florida social media content moderation laws, essentially punting on any kind of substantive First Amendment ruling. Here's the decision: https://www.supremecourt.gov/ ...

Staci D Kramer /
@sdkstl: >>HOWEVER: Kagan's opinion for the court holds that content moderation IS “expressively activity” and that social media platforms ARE protected by the First Amendment, no matter their size, from state intrusion. That's a major holding.<<

Zephyr Teachout /
@zephyrteachout: The Netchoice remand today is a big win for the child social media laws being pushed around the country. Phew.

Thomas Berry /
@thomas_a_berry: Although the Supreme Court's opinion in the NetChoice cases did not reach the merits, this passage from Justice Kagan's majority opinion is hugely important and a victory for the view that both NetChoice and Cato urged. https://www.supremecourt.gov/ ... [image]

Casey Newton /
@crumbler@threads.net: Content moderation is still legal ... for now

Jameel Jaffer /
@jameeljaffer: I was prepared for disaster, but the Netchoice decision is good. It rejects the broadest arguments made by the states and the platforms. It recognizes that platforms are ‘editors’ but dismisses the argument that regulation in this sphere is categorically unconstitutional. /1

Trace Mitchell /
@tracethelaw: While SCOTUS did not definitively rule on the constitutionality of the laws at issue, the majority makes clear that platforms do have constitutionally protected editorial rights. That is both correct and an important victory for anyone who cares about the First Amendment!

Mark Joseph Stern /
@mjs_dc: Kagan says social media platforms engage in protected speech when moderating content posted by third parties, and Texas' alleged interest in interfering with that practice amounts to the “suppression of free expression, and it is not valid” under the First Amendment. [image]

Ari Cohn /
@aricohn: Upshot: SCOTUS vacates and remands the NetChoice cases because of the facial challenge irregularity that came up at oral arguments, but the Court takes the time to explain how it views the First Amendment principles at issue, with a not-at-all-disguised swipe at the 5th Circuit. [image]

Mark Joseph Stern /
@mjs_dc: The Supreme Court's second decision is NetChoice. Justice Kagan's complicated opinion for the court remands both cases to the appeals courts for the proper analysis of a First Amendment facial challenge, which, she says, they flunked the first time. https://www.supremecourt.gov/ ...

Jess Miers /
@jess_miers: SCOTUS attached a massive warning to their remand of the Netchoice cases: Laws that interfere with the editorial discretion of private online services, including their curation decisions, shall face a tremendous First Amendment hurdle. https://www.supremecourt.gov/ ... [image]

Patrick Hedger /
@pat_hedger: Key takeaway from the NetChoice cases. Florida and Texas went too far and their social media laws' days are numbered.

Zephyr Teachout /
@zephyrteachout: So Netchoice loses big in three ways 1) They actually lose (Remand) 2) Kagan says that “Texas's asserted interest relates to the suppression of free expression” which is a finding not applicable to most laws 3) Barrett is the swing here and leaves a lot of room

Alison Durkee /
Forbes: Supreme Court Throws Out ‘Social Media Censorship’ Cases In Florida And Texas

Robert Winterton /
@robpwj: NetChoice, CCIA, and the First Amendment WON at SCOTUS today in the NetChoice cases. The SCOTUS decision holds that social media sites have a constitutional right to decide what content they host. Here's a thread 🧵 highlighting quotes that explicitly defend these First [image]

Rob Freund /
@robertfreundlaw: Save this snippet from Netchoice for future conversations where people claim platforms are violating the First Amendment by “censoring” them. [image]

Matt Stoller /
@matthewstoller: Court in NetChoice has a weird ruling, saying that NetChoice failed to prove the laws it is challenging on platform censorship are unconstitutional. Then the court adds a lot of (non-binding) commentary on how those laws are unconstitutional. https://www.supremecourt.gov/ ...

Erik Gruenwedel /
Media Play News: U.S. Supreme Court Puts Hold on Texas, Florida Laws Regulating Social Media

Caroline Anders /
Semafor: SCOTUS punts on social media case, bars states from moderating content for now

Bloomberg:

BlackRock has agreed to buy Preqin, a UK-based provider of private markets data, for £2.55B in cash— The acquisition deepens BlackRock's ability to oversee risks and analyze data across fast-growing markets for private assets, and also expands its Aladdin technology systems …

Discussion:

Alexandra Tremayne-Pengelly /
Observer: BlackRock's Preqin Acquisition Will Create a Billionaire Richer Than Larry Fink

Matthew G. Podlesak /
Matthew G. Podlesak on LinkedIn: BlackRock is acquiring Preqin, one of the leading private capital databases. The acquisition underscores how BlackRock sees private markets …

Paula Seligson /