Page 2 - Social Media Apps

Australia to ban social media for kids under 16 to protect mental health

Australia introduces new age limits on social media to protect youth mental health, holding platforms accountable for underage access, as part of broader tech regulations

TikTok's Canadian biz to be dissolved after govt order but app not blocked

Canada announced Wednesday it is ordering the dissolution of TikTok's Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media app but said it won't block access. Industry Minister Franois-Philippe Champagne said it is meant to address risks related to ByteDance Ltd.'s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc. The government is not blocking Canadians' access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content. The decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice," Champagne said. Champagne said it is important for Canadians to adopt good cybersecurity practices, including protecting their personal information. He said the dissolution order was made in accordance with the Investment Canada Act, which allows for the review of foreign investments that may harm Canada's national security. TikTok Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment. TikTok is wildly popular with young people, but

French families sue TikTok over alleged failure to remove harmful content

TikTok could not immediately be reached for comment on the allegations

US tech firms warn Vietnam's law to hamper data centres, social media

The draft law, being discussed in parliament, is also designed to ease authorities' access to information

Meta bans accounts tracking private jets for Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk

Accounts, which rely on publicly available information to track a jet's location and CO2 emissions, among other details, were banned without warning this week after Meta updated its privacy policy

Meta introduces 'Instagram Profile Card': Know what is it and how it works

Users can customise the background of their profile cards and share links and music, along with their profile picture, bio, and QR code linking to their profile

Meta to face lawsuits as states' claim it hooked kids to social media

The social media companies also face hundreds of lawsuits by public school districts alleging the platforms have created a public nuisance

TikTok designed to be addictive, harmful to kids: US states' lawsuits

More than a dozen states and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits against TikTok on Tuesday, saying that the popular short-form video app is designed to be addictive to kids and harms their mental health. The lawsuits stem from a national investigation into TikTok, which was launched in March 2022 by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from many states, including New York, California, Kentucky and New Jersey. All of the complaints were filed in state courts. At the heart of each lawsuit is the TikTok algorithm, which powers what users see on the platform by populating the app's main For You feed with content tailored to people's interests. The lawsuits note TikTok design features that they say addict children to the platform, such as the ability to scroll endlessly through content, push notifications that come with built-in buzzes and face filters that create unattainable appearances for users. They've chosen profit over the health and safety, well-being and future of our

Instagram down for several users across India, many users react on X

The Meta-owned platform, Instagram, was down for many users across India at around 11.15 am. According to Downdetector, many users said that they were facing issues while accessing the app

More than likes: Engagement speaks louder than social media followers

Actions, not followers, are new social currency for Indians online, reveals Comscore Social's mid-year review

Delhi HC seeks SOP from social media apps on supplying info to agencies

The Delhi High Court has asked social media platforms to place before it their standard operating protocol and timelines for dealing with requests for information from law enforcement agencies. A bench headed by Justice Prathiba M Singh observed that it is necessary that proper timelines are followed by the platforms to ensure that any delay does not impede the process of tracing out missing persons, who are sometimes even children. Noting that in some habeas corpus petitions there is a "lag" in relation to furnishing information to the police by the platforms, the court issued notice to several social media entities, including Google, Telegram and X, earlier called Twitter. The court passed the order while dealing with a habeas corpus by the parents of a 19-year-old boy who had allegedly been missing since January. "The platforms shall place on the next date their standard operating protocol for dealing with requests for information from law enforcement agencies including the ...

Spurned by social media, publishers now chase readers on WhatsApp

And some publishers are cautious about getting too enamored by Channels, Meta, which is also the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has a long and complicated history with news organisations

Harms of social media have created an 'epidemic' for youth: Prince Harry

Prince Harry said today's youth is in the midst of an epidemic of anxiety, depression and social isolation due to negative experiences online, as he brought his campaign to help children and their parents navigate cyberspace to this week's Clinton Global Initiative. These platforms are designed to create addiction, Harry said in remarks Tuesday in New York City. Young people are kept there by mindless, endless, numbing scrolling being force-fed content that no child should ever be exposed to. This is not free will. Beyond supporting parents and youth throughout this advocacy, The Duke of Sussex stressed the need for corporate accountability. He asked why leaders of powerful social media companies are still held to the lowest ethical standards" and called on shareholders to demand tangible change. Parenting doesn't end with the birth of a child. Neither does founding a company," Harry said. "We have a duty and a responsibility to see our creations through. Harry's contribution to

Snapchat gets simplified interface and new AI features: Check what's new

Alongside app changes, Snap introduced new augmented reality glasses, Spectacles, powered by the company's new SnapOS operating system, which is set to get OpenAI integration in coming months

Instagram rolls out teen accounts with parental controls as scrutiny mounts

Users of such accounts can only be messaged and tagged by accounts they follow or are already connected to, while sensitive content settings will be dialed to the most restrictive available

Social media age limits restricting children are too little too late

But research has shown that age limits for social media aren't the most effective way to protect teens from its potential harms

TikTok and US face off in court over law that could lead to platform ban

TikTok faced off with the US government in federal court on Monday, arguing a law that could ban the platform in a few short months is unconstitutional while the Justice Department said it is needed to eliminate a national security risk posed by the popular social media company. In a more than two hour appearance before a panel of three judges at a federal appeals court in Washington, attorneys for the two sides -- and content creators -- were pressed on their best arguments for and against the law that forces the two companies to break ties by mid-January or lose one of their biggest markets in the world. Andrew Pincus, a veteran attorney representing the two companies, argued in court that the law unfairly targets the company and runs afoul of the First Amendment because TikTok Inc. -- the US arm of TikTok -- is an American entity. After his remarks, another attorney representing content creators who are also challenging the law argued it violates the rights of US speakers and is .

Meta to enable Instagram comments to be shared directly to Threads: Report

Meta is set to introduce a feature enabling Instagram comments to be shared directly to Threads, aiming to enhance integration across its social media platforms

TikTok heads to court over US law that could ban popular platform

The US government and TikTok will go head-to-head in federal court on Monday as oral arguments begin in a consequential legal case that will determine if or how a popular social media platform used by nearly half of all Americans will continue to operate in the country. Attorneys for the two sides will appear before a panel of judges at the federal appeals court in Washington. TikTok and its China-based parent company, ByteDance, are challenging a U.S. law that requires them to break ties or face a ban in the U.S. by mid-January. The legal battle is expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court. The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, was a culmination of a years-long saga in Washington over the short-form video-sharing app, which the government sees as a national security threat due to its connections to China. But TikTok argues the law runs afoul of the First Amendment while other opponents claim it mirrors crackdowns sometimes seen in authoritarian countries abroad. In cour

Even Facebook couldn't compete with Google, says ex-ad chief Boland

Boland likened the technique to Google being able to select the 30 best apples from a crate before anyone else got the chance to buy