The FTC’s final rule on fake reviews, which comes into effect in October, not only strengthens the existing ban on fake reviews but also targets the use of generative AI to create fake reviews at scale. The application of the rule is broad, covering owned websites, independent review sites, social media platforms and ads. Meanwhile, Google Maps is threatening to label businesses that persistently post fake reviews.
Bowing again to industry pressure, California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed an AI safety bill that passed the state legislature in August. The bill would have required disclosure of safety protocols and the development of “kill switches” for large AI models. This comes days after the Department of Justice revised its corporate compliance guidelines to advise companies to consider risks associated with AI.
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission fined Meta €91 million (US$102 million) for failure to protect users’ passwords that were exposed in a January 2019 breach – and for its two-month delay in notifying the Commission. The breach impacted 36 million Facebook and Instagram users in the European Economic Area.
Scope3 Media Reporting has raised $25 million in new funding to support its mission to measure media and advertising carbon emissions and suggest optimizations that will reduce them. Brands that use Scope3 to reduce their emissions include Coca-Cola, General Motors and Mastercard. It now plans to address the growing threat of emissions caused by the use of AI.