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Still looking for that picture book you loved as a kid? Try asking Instagram

12:34pm December 27, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

Some people spend years or longer trying to track down favorite books from childhood. An Instagram account called My Old Books uses crowdsourcing to make the connection.

Former Facebook data scientist Frances Haugen speaks during a hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday.

Politics & Government

Here are 4 key points from the Facebook whistleblower's testimony on Capitol Hill

9:53pm October 05, 2021

by Bobby Allyn

Former Facebook employee Frances Haugen electrified Washington on Tuesday with testimony about what she says were as the harms the company knew about and decided to hide.

Former Facebook employee Frances Haugen testified before a Senate subcommittee after leaking internal research showing the company knew about Instagram's negative impact on some teens. She says that Facebook consistently chooses profit over safety.

Politics & Government

Whistleblower tells Congress that Facebook products harm kids and democracy

1:28pm October 05, 2021

by Shannon Bond

A former Facebook employee compared the social network to Big Tobacco at a Senate hearing on Tuesday, saying the company has hidden what it knows about the problems its products cause.

An update to Facebook's routers that coordinate network traffic went wrong on Monday, sending a wave of disruption and effectively shutting down Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.

National

Why Facebook and Instagram went down for hours on Monday

12:42pm October 05, 2021

When a company can't use the internet's core protocols, it's as if its online domains simply don't exist. That happened to Facebook, creating a cascade of problems.

Elaine Thompson-Herah, of Jamaica, reacts after winning the final of the women's 200-meters at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, in Tokyo.

Sports

Instagram Accidentally Blocked Elaine Thompson-Herah For Posting Her Own Sprint Wins

10:29pm August 04, 2021

by Josie Fischels

The fastest woman in the world was temporarily blocked from the platform after posting videos of her races. The company says it was an accident.

The majority of anti-vaccine claims on social media trace back to a small number of influential figures, according to researchers.

Health & Safety

Just 12 People Are Behind Most Vaccine Hoaxes On Social Media, Research Shows

12:18pm May 14, 2021

by Shannon Bond

The majority of false claims about COVID-19 vaccines on social media trace back to just a handful of influential figures. So why don't the companies just shut them down?

Queue Listen Now

Clifford and his owner, Amanda Rong, are frequent "patrons" of StarPups Cafe in Toronto.

National

A Dog Café Has Created Connections And Community During The Pandemic

4:01pm May 12, 2021

by Ziad Buchh

From dog biscuits to beef liver bites, StarPups Café in Toronto has more offerings than you can shake a stick at — and it also has those. There's a "stick library" with sticks of all sizes.

Queue Listen Now

A new report by GLAAD highlights the high rate of harassment and hate facing LGBTQ users on social media. In this photo, demonstrators rally in favor of LGBTQ rights outside the U.S. Supreme Court in 2019.

National

Social Media Hate Speech, Harassment 'Significant Problem' For LGBTQ Users: Report

1:19pm May 10, 2021

by Jaclyn Diaz

LGBTQ social media users encounter hate speech and harassment at higher rates than all other identity groups at 64%, according to GLAAD's inaugural social media index report.

Researchers are concerned that Instagram's new "suggested posts" feature is contributing to the spread of misinformation.

Instagram Suggested Posts To Users. It Served Up COVID-19 Falsehoods, Study Finds

12:46pm March 09, 2021

by Shannon Bond

The photo-sharing app owned by Facebook recommended posts and accounts making false claims about COVID-19, vaccines and the 2020 U.S. election.

Instagram has blocked the account of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., saying he used it to spread misinformation about vaccines. He's seen here last summer, speaking to a crowd in Berlin, at an event that highlighted coronavirus skepticism and conspiracy theories.

Instagram Bars Robert F. Kennedy Jr. For Spreading Vaccine Misinformation

3:12pm February 11, 2021

by Bill Chappell

"We removed this account for repeatedly sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines," says a spokesperson for Facebook, which owns Instagram.