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- #001: Meta Warned Us About This— Now They’re Apologizing For It.
#001: Meta Warned Us About This— Now They’re Apologizing For It.
Why Meta went on an apology tour, Florida’s legal fight over social media for kids, and how Every Inc.'s email assistant, Cora, can relieve us from our inboxes.
Siara Singleton
March 07, 2025
Read time: 4 minutes
 | REELS GONE ROGUE: Meta’s Dark Side ExposedInstagram Reels turned into a grotesque scene last week after a "glitch" inundated users worldwide with violent, NSFW videos (¹). Even those who cranked up their "sensitive content" filters got an unfiltered horror show. |
Meta rushed to patch the glitch and issued a mea culpa, but offered no explanation for how things went so wrong. This fiasco comes right off the heels of Meta ditching its fact-checking system, a move that mimicked X, which is now known for violent content slipping through its feeds. Here’s what Mark Zuckerberg said in his video announcing that change back in January:
"We're going to dramatically reduce the amount of censorship on our platforms. We're also going to tune our content filters to require much higher confidence before taking down content. The reality is that this is a trade-off. It means we're going to catch less bad stuff." (²)
Consider this a first look at that trade-off in action. If this was just a glitch, it was a particularly revealing one. A one-time flood of graphic content is one thing, but what happens when harmful material trickles through unchecked? For a trillion-dollar company, persistent moderation failures are more than just technical hiccups; they expose deeper flaws in the system.
We’ve learned from former content moderators that violent and disturbing content can severely impact the human psyche. If nothing else, consider this a reminder to be intentional about the platforms you trust with your attention, data, and well-being.
The Fight Over Florida’s Social Media Ban
In January, Florida passed one of the strictest social media laws in the country, banning kids under 14 from having accounts and requiring parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds. The law officially took effect on January 1, 2025, but its enforcement is on hold pending the outcome of a federal court challenge (³).
Governor Ron DeSantis says it’s about protecting kids’ mental health. Tech industry groups argue it’s an unconstitutional restriction on free speech. Now, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker is weighing whether to block the law before it takes effect.
What’s at stake? There is a broader debate over youth social media legislation and governments enacting age verification requirements. Some laws would require adults to submit government-issued documentation or biometric scans to gain access, raising concerns about privacy and implementation. This case could set a major precedent with more states pushing similar bills. If you’re a parent, this one’s worth watching.
Until legislation is made in your area, the decision is yours. You can choose to say no to social media for your kids or let them explore it. What matters most is having the right information to make an informed decision.
Right now, no one knows what’s best for your kids better than you.
Need help? Here are some resources:
Common Sense Media: Offers reviews and advice on age-appropriate media and technology use.
Family Online Safety Institute: Provides tools and resources to help parents navigate the online world safely.
American Academy of Pediatrics – Media and Children Communication Toolkit: Guidelines and tips for managing children's media use.
ARVIND NARAYANAN, CO-AUTHOR OF AI SNAKE OIL JOINS SIARA ON THE LOG OUT PODCAST TO DISCUSS AI LEGITIMACY AND ETHICS
def.
AI Snake Oil (noun):
Artificial intelligence (AI) that does not and cannot function as claimed.
 | What’s real, what’s hype, and what’s outright deception when it comes to AI? Arvind Narayanan, a computer science professor at Princeton and co-author of AI Snake Oil, joined the Log Out Podcast to explain how AI is often falsely sold to the public. Arvind will share clear examples of AI snake oil today, like hiring tools that claim to judge job candidates by their facial expressions and “robot lawyers” that don’t exist. We’ll also learn what AI can do, why predictive algorithms fail in high-stakes areas like criminal justice, and how to cut through AI’s marketing spin. Arvind is one of many guests Siara has interviewed in the past year. |
The first episode of the Log Out Podcast will air on March 13th.
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After two (long) months, I got off the waitlist for Every Inc’s email app, Cora. I’ve been using it with Gmail for two weeks, and I can’t imagine email without it.
 / | Cora is an email client that simplifies inbox management and, most importantly, cuts down on my screen time. |
One caveat: I’m not ready to use this for work email. Since the app filters out what it deems “unessential”, I am still building trust with its content filters. For now, I’ll just use it in my personal inbox.
My referral link is below, and the first five people to join get to skip the waitlist. Again, this is unsponsored; I just think they deserve the users.
TIKTOK VIDEO SHOWS 10-YEAR OLD DEAF GIRL WHO IS BLOWN AWAY BY SMART GLASSES THAT CAN SPEAK IN WRITTEN WORDSA breakthrough in assistive technology is changing the way deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals experience conversation. A 10-year-old girl recently tried a pair of captioning glasses that display spoken words in real time, allowing her to follow along effortlessly. Her reaction was pure joy and amazement, and it quickly went viral. It is a powerful reminder of how technology, when built with accessibility in mind, can open up the world in ways that once seemed impossible (³). |
This was the first issue of The Log Out Report. We really appreciate you being here for issue #1. I look forward to writing more and hope to learn more about your digital challenges (or triumphs). Feel free to email me with your feedback, questions, or thoughts.
Now go touch grass.
- Siara
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Have questions, want to contribute to the report, or have a guest suggestion for the Log Out Podcast? Email me at [email protected].
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