Social Media Apps

Threat to fair trial: SC expresses concern over cops posting videos online

The Supreme Court has expressed its concern over the trend of people instantly uploading videos shot on mobile phone on social media and said that such activities pose a serious threat to a fair trial. The remark was made by a bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi on Friday. The bench was hearing a PIL that alleged that police upload videos and photographs of the accused on social media and create a bias in people's minds. The PIL argued that the court, in another case, had already asked the states to frame guidelines for media briefing by the police, and it would cover social media posts as well. The bench suggested the petitioner Hemendra Patel to await the outcome of those guidelines, and agreed with senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for Patel, that every person nowadays with a mobile phone has become media. The senior counsel flagged the recent trend of police posting the images of accused persons being ...

Instagram adds AI voice effects for voice notes in DMs: Step-by-step guide

Instagram now lets users add AI voice effects to voice notes in DMs, making chats more interactive by allowing recipients to reuse the same effects in replies

WhatsApp's 'Guest' chats could soon let you message non-users: What is it

WhatsApp's Guest chats feature lets users reach non-WhatsApp users through secure links, enabling simple, temporary, end-to-end encrypted messaging without app installation

Meta revises Facebook rules to curb copied content in Feed, Reels and more

Meta said that it is prioritising original content on Facebook Feed and Reels while reducing the reach of copied posts and adding new tools to help creators report impersonation

Instagram tests clickable links in post captions for paid users: Report

Meta is testing clickable links in Instagram post captions for Meta Verified subscribers, a move that could reduce users' reliance on "link in bio" tools like Linktree

Meta lays out roadmap for in-house AI chips to power expanding data centers

The new chips are part of the company's Meta Training and Inference Accelerator (MTIA) program and the first of the new chips, called the MTIA 300 is in use

Instagram down: Multiple users report problems accessing app, loading feed

Instagram is down for several users, with many reporting problems accessing direct messages while chat themes disappeared from conversations during the disruption

Idea is not to ban social media but regulate it for teens: Priyank Kharge

Priyank Kharge says the move targets excessive screen time and online risks for children, stressing stakeholder consultations and age-verification challenges before framing guidelines

Your WhatsApp chats may soon get refreshed with updated chat bubbles

Reportedly, WhatsApp is rolling out redesigned chat bubbles in the latest Android beta, introducing softer, fully rounded message bubbles and a refreshed interface for text, images and videos

Karnataka's plan to ban social media for teens needs review: MeitY secy

MeitY Secretary S Krishnan says social media and online gaming fall under the Centre's jurisdiction as it examines state proposals to ban teen access; consultations on DPDP Act compliance window conti

Karnataka proposes social media ban for children under 16 in Budget

Karnataka has proposed banning social media use for children under 16, with Andhra Pradesh and the Centre weighing similar curbs as concerns grow over digital addiction and harmful content

Karnataka social media ban: Meta says it should cover all apps teens use

Karnataka proposes banning social media for children below 16 in its 2026-27 budget; Meta says restrictions should apply uniformly across apps

Siddaramaiah announces social media ban for kids below 16 yrs in Karnataka

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said that usage of social media will be banned for children under the age of 16 and strict action will be taken to prevent drug abuse in schools, colleges and universities. Presenting the state budget for 2026-27, he assured that 15,000 vacant posts of teachers in schools and colleges will be filled next fiscal. "With the objective of preventing adverse effects of increasing mobile usage on children, usage of social media will be banned for children under the age of 16," he said. He announced that a grant of Rs 565 crore will be provided for the construction of new rooms and repair works in government primary, high schools, and Pre-University Colleges, Rs 75 crore for the construction of toilets and Rs 25 crore for the procurement of furniture in schools. A grant of Rs 125 crore will be made for the maintenance of government primary schools, high schools, and Pre-University Colleges. Stressing that schools, colleges and universities

Instagram to notify parents of teen self-harm searches online: How it works

Instagram will alert parents if teens repeatedly search for suicide or self-harm-related terms, expanding its supervision tools with new safety notifications

Social media platforms must take responsibility for content: Vaishnaw

Vaishnaw said platforms must ensure user safety, curb deepfakes and share revenue fairly with content creators, as the government pushes stronger rules and faster takedown timelines

Digital platforms responsible for online content, kids' safety: Vaishnaw

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday asserted that digital platforms must take responsibility for the content they host, stressing that ensuring the online safety of children and citizens is their obligation. Addressing the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) Conclave here, Vaishnaw said platforms need to "wake up" and understand the importance of reinforcing trust in the institutions that human society has built over thousands of years. "Platforms must take responsibility for the content that is hosted by them. The online safety of children, the online safety of all citizens is the responsibility of the platforms," he said. The minister cautioned that non-adherence to these principles would make these platforms accountable, noting that the nature of the internet has changed now. He also underlined the need to regulate the use of AI-generated content, saying such material should not be generated without the consent of the person whose face, voice or personality is ...

Soon, you can scroll Instagram reels on Google TV devices: What's new

Instagram is expanding its TV app to Google TV devices in the US, allowing users to browse and watch Reels on a bigger screen, similar to YouTube Shorts

YouTube Premium Lite gets Background Play and Downloads in India: Details

Priced at Rs 89 monthly, YouTube now offers Background Play and Downloads with its Premium Lite plan in India

Social media firms face legal reckoning over mental health harms to kids

For years, social media companies have disputed allegations that they harm children's mental health through deliberate design choices that addict kids to their platforms and fail to protect them from sexual predators and dangerous content. Now, these tech giants are getting a chance to make their case in courtrooms around the country, including before a jury for the first time. Some of the biggest players from Meta to TikTok are facing federal and state trials that seek to hold them responsible for harming children's mental health. The lawsuits have come from school districts, local, state and the federal government as well as thousands of families. Two trials are now underway in Los Angeles and in New Mexico, with more to come. The courtroom showdowns are the culmination of years of scrutiny of the platforms over child safety, and whether deliberate design choices make them addictive and serve up content that leads to depression, eating disorders or suicide. Experts see the reckon

Meta to shut down standalone Messenger website from April: What changes

Meta will shut down its Messenger website (messenger.com) in April 2026, redirecting users to Facebook for web chats, marking another step in merging Messenger back into the main platform