Culture

Facebook messes with your emotions in CNET UK podcast 395

Facebook has owned up to manipulating moods of its users, while Uber has dodged court in the UK.

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor

Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.

Expertise Films, TV, Movies, Television, Technology

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Richard Trenholm

July 4, 2014 4:14 a.m. PT

Watch this: Facebook messes with your emotions in CNET UK podcast 395

28:56

I get so emotional, baby, as a great lady once sang, and Facebook has been taking notes. The popular social network is in trouble for manipulating the moods of its users, messing with our minds without telling us.

Academics and researchers at Facebook manipulated news feeds and discovered that happy posts in your news feed lead you to say happy things -- and vice versa.

Other folks getting emotional this week include British Airways, which is testing a mood-sensing blanket, and the BBC's Robert Peston, who spotted that a story he'd written had been ""="" shortcode="link" asset-type="article" uuid="2fac069e-7b56-4f24-a0c7-492225413570" slug="google-right-to-be-forgotten-is-going-to-get-messy-after-bbc-story-disappears" link-text="removed from Google's search results under the EU's " section="news" title="Google right to be forgotten 'to get messy' after BBC story disappears" edition="us" data-key="link_bulk_key" api="{"id":"2fac069e-7b56-4f24-a0c7-492225413570","slug":"google-right-to-be-forgotten-is-going-to-get-messy-after-bbc-story-disappears","contentType":null,"edition":"us","topic":{"slug":"online"},"metaData":{"typeTitle":null,"hubTopicPathString":"Tech^Services and Software^Online","reviewType":null},"section":"news"}"> But the removal may backfire as the Streisand Effect comes into effect...

Meanwhile in London controversial e-hailing app Uber has dodged a day in court -- but only because six Uber drivers are already in the dock. And speaking of court, we've been behind the scenes at Wimbledon too.

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Facebook messes with your emotions in CNET UK podcast 395

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