Media News Daily: Top Stories for 07/17/2026

Musk Says X Will Fully Open-Source Codebase

Elon Musk says X will fully open-source the platform’s codebase after completing a security review. Musk said the company will make the entire codebase public “with no exceptions” and invite third-party reviewers to verify that the open-source code matches what is running on the platform. The pledge follows earlier promises to open-source X’s algorithms, including a 2023 partial release of feed-ranking code that was not regularly updated. The latest announcement comes after a recent X algorithm change that gave more weight to content from accounts users follow. (Read More) (Social Media Today Rating)

FCC Chair Says Local TV Needs Ownership Flexibility

FCC Chair Brendan Carr says local television news needs more leverage over networks and greater ownership flexibility to survive. Speaking at the Hill Nation Summit, Carr said the FCC will vote August 6 on whether to allow case-by-case exemptions from the national cap that prevents any company from owning stations reaching more than 39% of U.S. households. Carr argued that the cap has limited broadcasters’ ability to scale and invest in local journalism, while cable networks and internet platforms face no comparable ownership limits. Critics have raised concerns about consolidation and Carr’s recent pressure on major broadcasters. (Read More) (The Hill Rating)

Meta Seeks Dismissal of Android Tracking Lawsuit

Meta is asking a federal judge to reconsider her earlier decision allowing Android users’ privacy claims to proceed over alleged covert tracking. The class-action lawsuit claims Meta secretly linked some users’ mobile web browsing activity to their Facebook and Instagram identities by exploiting Android’s localhost feature between September 2024 and June 2025. Meta argues users consented to the data collection through its privacy policy, while U.S. District Judge Rita Lin previously found that a reasonable user might not understand the policy to disclose the alleged tracking method. Plaintiffs are expected to respond to Meta’s renewed dismissal request by July 29. (Read More) (Mediapost Rating)