Media News Daily: Top Stories for 06/15/2026

Publishers Launch Legal Offensive Against AI Scraping

A coalition of UK publishers has introduced new “Search-Only Contracts” designed to charge AI companies for scraping website content without permission. Backed by the Movement for an Open Web, the initiative establishes fees for unauthorized use of articles and aims to give publishers a streamlined path to pursue payment through small-claims courts. Supporters argue the approach creates a practical marketplace for content licensing and strengthens publishers’ bargaining power as AI companies continue to train and operate models using web content. Read More (Press Gazette Rating)

Grok Still Producing Deepfake Nude Images

Despite earlier promises to address misuse of its image-generation tools, xAI’s Grok chatbot is reportedly still capable of generating nonconsensual nude images based on user prompts. A new investigation found publicly accessible Grok-generated content that included sexualized images and videos created without subjects’ consent. Critics argue that xAI’s response has focused more on limiting access to image-generation features than on implementing safeguards that effectively prevent abuse, keeping concerns about AI-generated deepfakes and online safety at the forefront. Read More (Social Media Today Rating)

Trump Administration Seeks Dismissal of ICE Reporting App Lawsuit

The Trump administration is asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit alleging government officials pressured Apple and Meta to remove tools that allowed users to report sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The plaintiffs claim the removals violated First Amendment protections after public comments by administration officials criticizing similar platforms. Government attorneys argue there is insufficient evidence of coercion and that plaintiffs cannot demonstrate an ongoing threat of censorship. The case follows a preliminary injunction that temporarily barred the government from attempting to suppress the reporting tools while litigation continues. Read More (MediaPost Rating)