Social Media Apps

How the EU's new age-verification app will keep children safe online

The EU is proposing more than age limits for children online, with a common verification system and rules designed to make platforms safer by default

Delhi HC asks govt about policy to regulate addictive social media designs

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to respond whether it was contemplating a policy to regulate addiction-causing design features on social media platforms like infinite scroll and autoplay. A bench of Justices Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Amit Sharma said it would hear after three weeks a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking constitution of an expert committee to examine engagement-maximising and addiction-causing design features on social media platforms. On being asked by the court whether the Centre was contemplating framing a policy on the issue, additional solicitor general Chetan Sharma said he does not have specific instructions on this. To this, the bench orally said, "you take instructions whether you are contemplating framing of a policy and we will have the matter after three weeks". Sharma also said that the PIL does raises some issues but it will be in the domain of the policy makers to consider and suggested that the petition could give a representati

Terms of engagement

If Meta is forced to abandon the engagement-algorithm for its most committed users, and if other platforms follow suit, the industry will undergo a tectonic shift

Meta's new teen safety rules: What changes on Instagram and Facebook

The new protections will first apply in participating US states and territories, subject to judicial approval. Meta has not announced these measures as a global rollout

Meta's campaign on teen safeguards puts TikTok, YouTube, Snap on back foot

In a public callout to TikTok and YouTube that included a plan to publish open letters in newspapers, Meta said it's seeking to set a 'new industry standard'

US Federal Trade Commission probes YouTube over social media policies

The antitrust and consumer protection agency has been probing YouTube since last year and is in the final stages of preparing a potential lawsuit

Meta settlement opens new front in global fight over social media harm

Meta's up to $18 billion settlement with nearly all US states over social media harm to teenagers has opened a new front in a global government fight to protect children and curb addiction

Instagram automates Reels creation on iPhone with First Draft: How it works

Instagram's new First Draft feature creates a rough Reel from selected clips, trimming footage and removing pauses automatically, with iPhone users able to edit and refine the video before publishing

Meta's teen safety deal facing big hurdle: Knowing who's under 18

In a landmark deal with state attorneys general across the US, Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion and implement design changes

Meta's $18 billion social media settlement: Numbers behind the deal

Of the overall amount, the company has pledged to shell out about $12.7 billion in installments to states over the next 10 years as a starting point

Meta to pay up to $16.7 billion to settle social media addiction cases

The deal requires Meta to put new guardrails on its platforms, including restricting how much time youths can scroll and preventing them from switching off certain safety settings

Australia teens return to TikTok 8 months after under-16 social media ban

Some 26% of children between the ages of 13 and 15 were on TikTok as of last month, just one percentage point below the rate prior to Australia's groundbreaking rules coming into effect

Meta Platforms' trial: Victims' families see pivotal moment for safety

Parents say this trial, in which the attorneys general from four states are seeking billions of dollars in damages for social media harms to children, marks a significant moment.

Audiences and platforms push back on AI slop as AI reshapes creator economy

AI is making content creation faster and cheaper, but the rise of synthetic influencers and mass-produced posts is pushing platforms, creators and brands to focus on originality, disclosure and trust

Govt pressure on CSAM prompts Meta to step up action, sensitivity

The government's hard talk with Meta has led to action and increased sensitivity on the issue of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), IT Ministry sources said on Tuesday, adding that the Centre has been unequivocal that such content is a clear violation and there is no safe harbour when law is violated in this manner. Sources said the government's intent is not about censorship or restricting coverage in any way, but ensuring Indian laws and norms are followed and that social media harms are mitigated. "The message has gone home," they said. During discussions, Meta explained how its algorithms and systems work, ministry sources said, noting that discussions are on and such matters involve "judgment calls, and tweaks". On the WhatsApp username row, sources said the matter is under examination as it doesn't involve just that particular platform, but other messaging apps as well. Sources said concerns over social media harms is not something specific only to India, it is a concern sha

Meta faces landmark US trial over child safety on Facebook, Instagram

Of the thousands of lawsuits Meta faces over child safety on its platforms, none may be more consequential than one going to trial this week in California. US states are seeking extensive financial damages that could, in theory, total as much as USD 1.4 trillion, plus changes to how the company operates Facebook and Instagram. The lawsuit accuses the social media giant of contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features that get children addicted to its platforms. It also claims that Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents' consent, in violation of federal law. "Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens. Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximise its financial gains," the lawsuit says. Dozens of states filed the lawsuit three years ago. The trial set to begin Tuesday in federal court in Oakland, California, features four of

Govt departments form QRTs to counter fake, misleading social media content

Government departments are constituting Quick Response Teams (QRT) to ensure a timely response to misleading or fake contents on social media, an official said. There is a need to engage with people through social media in a constructive manner and to ensure that responses to rumours, misinformation, fake content, and misleading posts are issued in a timely manner, the official said. The objective is to promptly scrutinise, coordinate and respond to such content, while effectively monitoring matters related to the works and functions of government departments on social media. The functions and responsibilities of the respective teams include responding to fake/misleading content on social media. Departments such as power, agriculture and commerce have already constituted their QRTs. "Ideally, the response from the ministries should go in two hours of noting such content," the official said, adding that the monitoring of social media and relevant digital platforms would be undertak

X opens algorithm to public that determines how posts are ranked, filtered

X is opening more of the code behind its 'For You' feed and adding a tool that lets eligible users check whether labels on their accounts or posts could be limiting their visibility

Trump sued over paid early access to US policy posts on Truth Social

President Donald Trump was sued in federal court Wednesday to stop him from making money off a new, paid service at his Truth Social company offering early, exclusive access to his posts on US policy. The lawsuit alleges that Trump's deal to post first on his own company's site about US policy decisions on war, tariffs and other issues violates the Constitution and that official announcements should be made available to everyone at the same time. The suit comes after his media company, Trump Media & Technology, rolled out a new subscription service earlier this month charging Wall Street firms as much as USD 100,000 a month to get his posts faster so they can trade off them. "A president selling priority access to news he himself generates for the benefit of a private company he controls is so blatantly corrupt and unconstitutional that it would have been hard to even fathom just a few years ago," said Seth Stern, chief of advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation, a plaintiff ..

Centre asks Meta to act against deepfakes, probes role of algorithms

Government may seek legal opinion on further action against Meta after reviewing outcome of recent meetings; other digital platforms could also come under scrutiny