President Donald Trump said in a post Tuesday that his settlement with Paramount over a 60 Minutes interview has been paid and includes $20 million in ads, public service announcements and programming, on top of the $16 million donation to his presidential library that Paramount previously announced (see 2507020053). The company had denied that the settlement included PSAs or any payout beyond the $16 million, and it appeared to reaffirm that denial Tuesday.
Social Media
Social media platforms are facing intense scrutiny over how they collect, share and monetize user data. As new state and federal laws focus on age verification, parental controls and transparency requirements, social media companies face legal risks around algorithmic targeting, third-party tracking and children's safety. This page follows key legislation, investigations and lawsuits shaping privacy practices for major social platforms.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., several Senate Democrats and the Writers Guild of America are questioning whether CBS’ Thursday announcement that it’s canceling The Late Show, hosted by Stephen Colbert, stemmed from Trump administration pressure related to the federal review of Skydance’s $8 billion purchase of network owner Paramount Global. That company recently reached a $16 million settlement in President Donald Trump's lawsuit over CBS’ editing of a 60 Minutes interview last October with former Vice President Kamala Harris. Some attorneys see that settlement as aimed at easing the path to FCC approval of Skydance's deal, but Paramount has denied those claims (see 2507020053).
DOJ's statement of interest in the Children's Health Defense lawsuit against news outlets (see 2507110039) clearly supports the plaintiffs even while claiming neutrality, two International Center for Law & Economics scholars wrote Wednesday. The complaint alleges collusion by major news outlets and social media platforms, and "if there is a route for a successful antitrust case involving content moderation and sources of the news, this might well be it," Ben Sperry and Daniel Gilman wrote. However, the statement of interest "avoids or even obscures" major issues, such as how the plaintiffs could establish antitrust standing to bring the complaint and how antitrust remedies might be subject to First Amendment limitations, they said. DOJ didn't mention that the U.S. Supreme Court's 1945 Associated Press decision indicates antitrust remedies can't compel social media platforms to publish material they don't want to publish, Sperry and Gilman said.
Concessions from T-Mobile and Verizon that the companies offered as part of recent transactions were critical to getting major carriers to the table to address long-standing pricing issues, said Todd Schlekeway, president and CEO of NATE, an association representing infrastructure builders. The agreements also address concerns about workforce security and contractors who work on towers being fully vetted, he said.
Pennsylvania's Emergency Management Agency sent an alert Friday afternoon warning of a statewide intermittent 911 outage. The alert, which included "extreme" in the headline, asked individuals to contact their local 911 centers' non-emergency lines if they experience any issues. Individuals were also told to check their counties' social media and website for more information. "We are on top of the issue and working to restore full service as quickly as possible," wrote Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) on X.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Appeals Court agreed Thursday to hold in abeyance a legal challenge to an FCC ruling that lets schools and libraries use E-rate support for off-premises Wi-Fi hot spots and wireless internet services. The court's action came after the FCC reminded it that the agency's composition has changed since it adopted the school bus Wi-Fi ruling in 2023, and the current commission may no longer support the order (see 2507070012).
Trump Media and Technology Group's Truth+ streaming service is now available globally, it said Monday. Truth+ offers streaming channels and video on demand, as well as carrying the Newsmax cable news network, Trump Media said. The company -- which is majority owned by President Donald Trump -- also operates the social media platform Truth Social.
Paramount Global has agreed to a settlement in President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against CBS over its editing of a 60 Minutes interview last October with former Vice President Kamala Harris during the election, the company said.
President Donald Trump attacked AT&T on social media Monday after experiencing problems on a call with faith leaders. AT&T addressed the issue on X, saying, "We've reached out to the White House and are working to quickly understand and assess the situation."
In a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday upheld a Texas law requiring age verification for access to porn sites (see 2506270015 and 2501130012). The majority in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton sided with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) in support of HB-1181, which the adult industry trade association Free Speech Coalition said violates the First Amendment (see 2409170012).