Page 2 - Social Media Apps

TikTok: When an unstoppable app meets an immovable political force

TikTok has been banned in the US since January 2025. There have been back-and-forth negotiations about an enforced selloff of TikTok US for years

Threads brings 100+ communities with new custom features: How it works

Meta brings 100+ communities to Threads, offering topic-based spaces with custom emojis, public membership tags, and new ways to connect over shared interests

Soon, WhatsApp will support usernames: What is it, how to reserve, and more

Reportedly, WhatsApp will let people reserve usernames early, giving everyone a fair chance to pick names and stopping beta users from grabbing the popular ones first

Meta to use AI chats to target ads and content across its platforms

Starting December, Meta will factor your chats with its AI into ad targeting and content suggestions, making feeds more personalised while excluding sensitive topics like politics, religion, race

Facebook introduces 'Fan' Challenges, Custom Badges for creators: Details

Facebook's new update adds challenges, custom badges, and community tools, aiming to boost interaction and give users more recognition on the platform

X to challenge Karnataka HC order upholding Sahyog portal validity

Elon Musk's X will challenge the Karnataka High Court verdict that upheld the Centre's Sahyog portal, which allows online content takedowns without judicial review

Musk's X 'deeply concerned' by HC content takedown order, plans appeal

X owner Elon Musk, a free-speech absolutist, has often clashed with authorities, but the firm's India lawsuit challenges the very foundation of the country's tightened internet regulation

Instagram tests Reels-first experience on mobile app in India: What's new

After rolling it out on iPads, Instagram is testing a Reels-first app layout in India, with quick access to Reels, new tabs, DMs, and simplified navigation

YouTube Premium users get new features: Improved audio, tools for Shorts

With YouTube Premium, users can now access high-quality audio on music videos, faster playback speed on app, Jump ahead on TV app and more

WhatsApp, Reddit hit by Australia's social media ban; check full list here

eSafety Commissioner has written to 16 firms, warning that the ban may apply to their services and encouraging them to use the 'self-assessment' tool

Social media firms lose bid to stop expert testimony on how it harms youth

LA judge said testimony for all but one of 11 proposed witnesses could be presented at trial, but that all of the experts would be prohibited from discussing the intent of the social media companies

YouTube made it simpler to edit shorts and generate AI videos: What is new

For creators on the platform, YouTube has announced Veo 3 Fast integration, AI editing, motion effects, and Speech to Song tools, making Shorts creation faster and more playful

YouTube Live adds creators-focused features, including games: What is new

Update focused on YouTube livestream feature brings Playables - a set of lightweight interactive games, AI-created highlights in the form of shorts, dual-format streaming, side-by-side ads, and more

Brand value flickers for mid-tier celebs as influencers steal stage

A-list celebrities have not yet succumbed to the rise of influencers, as they continue to hold their own sway over audiences

Australia warns social media firms over age checks before ban on children

Australian authorities said Tuesday that social media platforms should not demand age verification for all account holders starting from December, when a ban on children under 16 having accounts goes into effect in the country. The government released guidelines on how platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram should apply the world's first ban on children using social media from December 10. It says verifying the ages of all account holders would be unreasonable. We think it would be unreasonable if platforms reverified everyone's age, said Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, who drafted the guidelines. Her use of the word reverified" suggested the platforms usually already had sufficient data to verify a user was older than 16. She said the platforms have targeting technology to focus on those under 16. "They can target us with deadly precision when it comes to advertising. Certainly they can do this around the age of a child, she ...

New York unveils draft rules to curb addictive social media feeds for kids

New York's attorney general on Monday proposed regulations for its crackdown on addictive social media feeds for children, including rules for verifying a user's age. The Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act, passed last year, prohibits social media companies from showing feeds personalised by algorithms to users under 18 unless they have a parent's consent. Instead, feeds on apps like TikTok and Instagram would be limited to posts from accounts young users follow. The law also bars companies from sending notifications to users under 18 between midnight and 6 am. The proposed rules for implementing the provisions include standards for determining a user's age and parental consent. "Companies may confirm a user's age using a number of existing methods, as long as the methods are shown to be effective and protect users' data," Attorney General Letitia James' office said. Options for confirming a user is at least 18, for example, include requesting an uploaded image

Snapchat adds forever chats and group streaks for snappers: How it works

Snapchat rolls out Infinite Retention for saving chats and Group Streaks for collaborative streaks, giving users more control and flexibility in conversations

India's reliance on US software, cloud services poses economic risks: GTRI

India's reliance on US software, cloud services, and social media platforms poses a major economic and security vulnerability in times of geopolitical tensions, think tank GTRI said on Sunday. Washington is in a position to cut off services or access to data, disrupting banking, governance, and defence systems, while controlling public discourse through foreign platforms, it said. "India's economy and security are deeply reliant on US software, cloud, and social media platforms, creating a major vulnerability in times of geopolitical tension," the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said. To address this, the government should launch a "Digital Swaraj Mission", with sovereign cloud, indigenous OS (operating system), homegrown cybersecurity, and data-driven AI leadership at its core," GTRI founder Ajay Srivastava said. He added that Europe is already building sovereign cloud and enforcing the Digital Markets Act. China, too, has replaced foreign code in government, defence, and

Nutrition myths on social media drive emotional ties to certain foods

In today's social media world, endless online wellness hacks, fad diets and nutrition misinformation are spreading faster than ever

Reddit explores in-app article reading option and tools for publishers

Reddit is positioning itself as a news hub, testing in-app article viewing and rolling out Pro publisher tools globally next year for story sharing and insights