Page 9 - Social Media Apps

Australia passes law to impose ban on social media for children under 16

The law forces tech giants from Instagram and Facebook owner Meta to TikTok to stop minors logging in or face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million)

Australian Senate debates first social media ban for children under 16

The Australian Senate was debating a ban on children younger than 16 years old from social media Thursday after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly supported the age restriction. The bill that would make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to A$ 50 million (USD 33 million) for systemic failures to prevent young children from holding accounts. It is likely to be passed by the Senate on Thursday, the Parliament's final session for the year and potentially the last before elections, which are due within months. The major parties' support for the ban all but guarantees the legislation will become law. But many child welfare and mental health advocates are concerned about unintended consequences. Unaligned Sen Jacqui Lambie complained about the limited amount of time the government gave the Senate to debate the age restriction, which she described as undercooked. I thought this was a good idea. A lot of people out there

Australia draws the line: New bill bans social media for children under 16

Australian parliament passes strict new rules: Social media platforms will face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars if they fail to prevent children under 16 from holding accounts

TikTok decision expected soon as Jan 19 divestment deadline looms

President-elect Donald Trump has said he will not allow TikTok, which is used by 170 million Americans, to be banned

Meta, TikTok, Google oppose Australia's proposed under-16 social media ban

In submissions to the Senate inquiry, tech companies warned of unintended, negative consequences from the rapidly-drafted laws

Social media platforms urge Australia to delay ban on children under 16

An advocate for major social media platforms told an Australian Senate committee Monday that laws to ban children younger than 16 from the sites should be delayed until next year at least instead of being rushed through the Parliament this week. Sunita Bose, managing director of Digital Industry Group Inc., an advocate for the digital industry in Australia including X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, was answering questions at a single-day Senate committee hearing into world-first legislation that was introduced into the Parliament last week. Bose said the Parliament should wait until the government-commissioned evaluation of age assurance technologies is completed in June. Parliament is asked to pass a bill this week without knowing how it will work, Bose said. The legislation would impose fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) on platforms for systemic failures to prevent young children from holding accounts. It seems likely to be passed by Parliament by Thur

Elon Musk blasts Australia's proposed law to ban social media for children

Australia plans to try an age-verification system to enforce a social media age cut-off, some of the toughest controls imposed by any country to date

Australia introduces world-first social media ban for children under 16

Australia's policy sets the highest age restriction on social media globally, surpassing France's recent ban on under-15s, which allowed exceptions with parental consent

Social media giants to pay fines worth $32 million under Australia ban

Australia is following a number of other countries that have attempted to restrict access to social media for children, with mixed success

Meta to appeal against CCI's Rs 213 crore penalty, diktat on data share

On Monday, CCI imposed a penalty of Rs 213.14 crore on Meta for abusing its dominant position

Here's how Bluesky, alternative to X is handling explosive growth

Over the past week, Bluesky's growth has exploded, more than doubling to 15 million-plus users as people seek alternatives to X, Facebook and Threads

FIRs registered for 'social media campaigns against Jharkhand, CM Soren'

The Jharkhand Police have registered FIRs against operators of two social media accounts for allegedly running campaigns to malign the image of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and that of the state, a senior officer said on Saturday. The FIRs were registered after Soren and the ruling JMM accused the BJP of running "shadow" campaigns to malign the CM's and the state's image. "Two FIRs have been registered for campaigns against the CM's and the state's image," a police officer said. Soren had alleged that the saffron camp has been "spending crores of money on various social media platforms" and "created 95,000 Whatsapp groups" to campaign against the JMM-led coalition in the state. We have lodged two complaints against social media platforms for shadow campaigns at Gonda and Ratu police stations in Ranchi, JMM spokesperson Vinod Pandey told PTI. The JMM had also taken up the matter with the Election Commission. Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar told PTI that the commission has take

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