Social Media Apps

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

Govt slashes online content takedown time to 2 hours for sensitive matters

The government has slashed the online content takedown time for sensitive matters to 2 hours from the earlier 24 hours given to social media platforms, an official statement said on Thursday. According to the statement, amendments were made on February 10, 2026, in the IT Rules 2021 to strengthen the regulatory framework to address harms arising from synthetically generated information (SGI), including deepfakes and AI-generated content. "Strengthening of timelines for compliance, including reduced timelines for removal of unlawful information upon actual knowledge upon valid reasoned intimation from the Appropriate Government or court orders (timeline reduced from 36 hours to 3 hours) and for grievance redressal (including special categories such as nudity/impersonation etc) (timeline reduced from 72 hours to 36 hours and 24 hours to 2 hours for sensitive matters, respectively)," the statement said. IT Rules mandates the significant social media intermediaries (SSMIs), platforms wi

Kejriwal seeks explanation as Meta restricts social media account in India

AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said his social media account has been restricted in India and questioned Meta over the reason behind the restriction. In a post on X, Kejriwal said enquiries at Meta's India office revealed that his account had been restricted and was unavailable in India. He claimed company officials did not provide any reason for the restriction or explain how it could be removed, while emails sent by him had received only routine acknowledgements. There was no immediate response available from Meta on the matter. Kejriwal also shared a screenshot of his account status page showing the message, "Unavailable in some locations". Calling the lack of clarity and response from the company "pretty bad service", he said in his post, "Don't bow down to the prime minister, else he will allow you to run only his own account in India.

Most Australian teens still on social media 3 months after ban began: Study

Children's continued ​social media use took place even as account ownership declined ​to 42% from 52%, with 'statistically significant' reductions across YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok in particular

Delhi Police registers FIR over abusive posts against PM, seeks details

Delhi Police has registered an FIR against several social media handles for allegedly posting "derogatory, malicious and defamatory content" targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought complete details of account holders from X, official sources said on Wednesday. The case was registered by the Special Cell's Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit, which also issued notices to X and directed it to remove or disable access to identified posts and preserve all related electronic records for investigation, the sources said. X, formerly Twitter, has been directed to remove or disable access to the content within three hours of receiving the notices while ensuring that all relevant data, logs and subscriber information are preserved, they said. The FIR against seven to eight handles has been filed under Sections 351(3) (criminal intimidation), 353(2) (circulating false information, rumours, or alarming news-including via electronic media) and 356(2) (whoever defam

Parliamentary panel summons Meta, Google, X over social media regulation

A Parliamentary panel has summoned representatives of major social media platforms, including Instagram, along with officials of the ministries of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Home Affairs, on August 3 to discuss regulation of social media and digital platforms. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who chairs the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, said the panel has called representatives of Meta (Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp), Google, X (formerly Twitter) and Snapchat to explain how they protect the privacy of women, children, farmers, rural residents, labourers and the general public, and ensure public order. The meeting comes days after social media, particularly Instagram, was extensively used by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to publicise and mobilise participants for its student protest at Jantar Mantar. The demonstrations, which were held over the NEET-UG paper leak and other issues, drew widespread attention online, ..

Best of BS Opinion: Nationwide youth protests push govt on to the backfoot

Shyam Saran and Shekhar Gupta examine the crisis in education, R Gopalakrishnan calls for a new enterprise model, and Devangshu Datta weighs social media age bans

The real debate is not about social media, but the age of personal choice

Social media bans raise a larger question. At what age should society stop regulating life choices and allow people to make their own?

Can India follow the global push to restrict social media for children?

As countries tighten children's access to social media, experts say India has legal options but faces major enforcement and privacy challenges

France approves social media ban for under-15s: Key details explained

The phased law bars new accounts from September, removes existing ones from January 2027, and signals a wider European push to tighten children's access to social media

Trump's media firm plans paid high-speed access to Truth Social posts

President Donald Trump's media company is planning to charge for special high-speed access to Truth Social posts, including possibly his own affecting national security and financial markets. The move announced Thursday would allow Wall Street trading firms and other institutions to get news from Truth Social contributors in milliseconds so they could profit off subsequent moves in stocks, bonds and interest rates. Called Truth PSI, it would mimic paid access at other platforms with one key difference: The most popular Truth Social poster is the president himself and, as the biggest shareholder of the public traded parent company, would directly benefit. "He's selling expedited, privileged access to information about what he is doing as president," said Kathleen Clark of Washington University School of Law and an expert in government conflicts of interest rules. "It's yet more brazen corruption, an improper exploitation of government power to enrich himself." The Trump family compan

Meta removes AI image feature days after launch following privacy backlash

Meta has withdrawn its new AI image-generation feature, launched earlier this week, after criticism over its use of public Instagram content and concerns that it was enabled by default

Meta challenges US jury verdict in teen social media addiction case

Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has appealed the verdict of a landmark social media addiction lawsuit in Los Angeles, challenging the jury's determination that the company designed its platforms to hook young users without concern for their well-being. Lawyers representing Meta filed a notice of appeal Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The lawyers will provide their arguments related to the appeal in subsequent court filings. The case centred on a 20-year-old woman who said she became addicted to social media as a child and that it worsened her mental health struggles. The jury found that negligence by both Meta and Google-owned YouTube, which was also a defendant in the case, was a substantial factor in causing harm to the young woman, identified in court only by her initials, KGM, and her first name, Kaley. The jury awarded her USD 3 million in damages and recommended an additional USD 3 million in punitive damages. Her lead attorney, Mark Lanier,

Govt to decide next steps after Meta responds on CSEAM issue: IT secretary

The government will await Meta's formal reply to notice served over Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) in paid advertisements on Instagram, IT Secretary S Krishnan said on Thursday, adding that a view will be taken basis the response given by the social media company. The government had issued notice to Meta on Saturday over the issue, with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology ordering Instagram to disable all ads and content promoting and facilitating access to CSEAM. IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had directed MeitY officials to summon Meta over Instagram ads allegedly promoting child sexual abuse material; the ministry demanded an explanation and information from the company on action that had been taken. Within days of the notice, Meta published a blog outlining its efforts to combat child sexual abuse material across its apps, highlighting AI-powered detection and large-scale enforcement actions. It also promised to continue investment in technolog

US lags in social media restrictions for kids, but a reform push is growing

Amy Neville describes Kristin Bride as her "soulmate." But the day that forged their bond - June 23, 2020 - was the worst of each of their lives. Both Bride and Neville lost their teen sons that day. Their kids lived a thousand miles apart and never met, but they both died from harms related to their social media use. When the two mothers met, early in their advocacy work to protect other kids, Bride said she had felt "totally alone." But they have since seen the online child safety movement blossom, with scores of other parents who lost kids pursuing stronger social media safeguards and legislation to protect children online. With that momentum, advocates say the tide seems to be turning. A pair of landmark jury verdicts this year showed a way forward for holding tech companies accountable. And while the U.S. is nowhere near embracing social media bans for children like those seen from Australia to Indonesia, a push for regulation is simmering again in Congress. "Moving forward fo

Zuckerberg eyeing prediction markets, Meta to create Polymarket-like app

Meta is developing a prediction-market app modelled on Polymarket and Kalshi as Zuckerberg seeks new avenues for growth beyond Facebook and Instagram

India's TikTok ban shows forcing teens off their phones isn't always good

As countries consider stricter controls on social media use by minors, India's experience suggests restrictions may shift users between platforms rather than reduce screen time

Social media ban for children spreading to more countries. Is India next?

The UK has joined a growing list of countries restricting social media access for children. India is debating similar measures, but its challenges are very different

Britain will ban social media apps for children under 16: Keir Starmer

Prime Minister Keir Starmer says Britain will ban under-16s from using a range of social media apps. Starmer says he will fight back if technology companies resist. He says he is "not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children." The move makes the UK part of a growing global movement to tighten online safety for children. Australia, Canada, Brazil and Indonesia have introduced legislation or announced age-based restrictions or requirements for children's access to social media.

From Reels to risks: How scammers are turning videos into malware traps

Cybercriminals are moving beyond email scams and into social media feeds, using tutorial-style videos on TikTok and Instagram to spread malware and steal credentials