Social Media Apps

Canada proposes to ban social media accounts for children under 16

Canada introduced legislation on Wednesday that could bar children younger than 16 from having social media accounts unless the companies show they can make their platforms safe. Canada is joining a growing global effort to tighten safety protections. Canadian government officials said social media platforms can obtain an exemption if they have put in place sufficient safeguards. "We are failing our children. Enough is enough," Marc Miller, Canada's culture minister, said. "We need basic protection in place." The legislation covers seven types of harmful content including content that induces children to harm themselves, content that incites violence and foments hatred and non-consensual intimate images. A new regulator, the Digital Safety Commission of Canada, will be created. Criteria for what exemptions would look like will be announced at a later date. Miller said setting up the regulator could take up to 18 months. Miller said platforms will need to prove they are safe. Age .

Ads to algos: Are IG, Snapchat and YT becoming new digital shopping malls?

Social media is no longer just shaping conversations. With creators, algorithms and commerce converging, platforms are increasingly influencing what consumers discover and buy

Malaysia enforces ban on social media accounts for children younger than 16

Malaysia on Monday began enforcing rules barring millions of children younger than 16 from owning social media accounts, joining a global effort to tighten online safety protections for young users. The rules require social media platforms to implement age-verification systems and block users under 16 from creating accounts. They apply to platforms with at least 8 million users, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Companies that fail to comply could face penalties of up to 10 million ringgit (USD 2.5 million). But parents whose children manage to bypass the law will not be penalised. The government said the measures are aimed at protecting children from harmful content, cyberbullying and platform features designed to encourage excessive use. Other countries including Australia,Brazil and Indonesia have introduced or announced age-based restrictions or requirements for children's access to social media. Countries including Britain, France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and

Social media giants to pay $27 mn to settle Kentucky school lawsuit

The settlements, which were announced earlier this month but without financial details, allowed the companies to avert the first trial in the nation over a school district's complaint

X cracks down on repost accounts, shifts payouts to original creators

X is changing its creator payout system to stop repost accounts from earning through copied viral videos, while shifting impressions and monetisation benefits to original creators

X introduces posting limits for unverified users: Here's what has changed

X has introduced new posting limits for unverified users, capping original posts and replies daily, as the platform cites system reliability and reduced downtime

YouTube expands AI deepfake detection tool to more creators: What is it

YouTube is rolling out its likeness detection tool to more creators, helping them identify AI-generated fake videos using their face and request removals

X's History tab now stores bookmarks, likes, videos and articles together

X's new History tab brings bookmarks, liked posts, watched videos, and articles into one place, making it easier for users to revisit content later

Soon, you can customise chat themes on WhatsApp Web client: What's new

WhatsApp is reportedly testing chat themes for its web client, allowing users to customise wallpapers, message bubbles, and chat colours directly from browsers

Meta strengthens age checks with AI after EU flags concerns over safeguards

Meta has introduced AI-powered age detection tools and expanded Teen Account protections after EU regulators raised concerns over underage users access to Instagram and Facebook despite safeguards

Threads gains another X-like feature with web DMs: Here is how it works

Threads has introduced direct messaging on the web, allowing desktop users to send one-on-one and group chats as Meta expands conversation features on the platform

Instagram introduces 'AI creator' tag to mark accounts posting AI content

Instagram has introduced 'AI creator' labels to show if content is made with AI, but creators don't have to use them, so many posts may still appear without clear tags

Instagram tests new 'Instants' app for one-time photo sharing: How it works

Instagram is testing a new "Instants" app that lets users share quick, unedited photos that disappear after one view, aiming to bring back more casual and real-time interactions

X introduces Grok AI-powered 'Custom Timelines' for personalised feeds

X has introduced Custom Timelines, allowing users to pin topics to their home feed, with Grok powering personalised content based on interests and activity, now in early access on iOS

Turkiye passes bill restricting social media access for children under 15

Turkish lawmakers passed a bill late Wednesday that includes restricting access to social media platforms for children under 15, state media reported. The legislation is the latest in a global trend to protect young people from dangerous online activity. Its passage comes a week after a 14-year-old boy killed nine students and a teacher at a middle school in Kahramanmaras, southern Turkiye, in a gun attack. Police are investigating the online activity of the perpetrator, who also died, in a bid to uncover his motivation for the attack. The bill will force social media platforms to install age-verification systems, provide parental control tools and require companies to rapidly respond to content deemed harmful, the state-run Anadolu news agency said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan must now accept the bill within 15 days for it to pass into law. He spoke in the wake of the Kahramanmaras killings of the need for to mitigate the online risks to children's safety and privacy.

XChat app to go live on April 25 for iPhone, iPad users: Check features

X is set to launch XChat, a standalone messaging app with encrypted chats, disappearing messages and large group support, moving beyond its existing in-app messaging system

Snapchat adds Place Loyalty on Snap Map to track visits and rank users

Snapchat has introduced Place Loyalty on Snap Map, a feature that tracks how often users visit places and ranks them into tiers, offering insights into frequent locations while keeping data private

Threads brings Live Chats for real-time group discussions: How it works

Threads has introduced Live Chats, letting users join public conversations during live events like sports and music releases, enabling real-time interaction instead of post-event reactions

Japan mulls social media age limits as global push for tighter curbs grows

Specific age thresholds were not discussed, with some experts noting that uniform age limits may not be the best approach given differences in risks associated with each platform

Quitting Facebook, Instagram? Study links deactivation to well being

A Stanford study suggests that quitting Facebook and Instagram, even briefly, can improve mental health and encourage better daily habits