Social Media Apps

Instagram introduces 'trial reels' feature: What it is, how it works, more

Trial reels allow creators to experiment with content by sharing reels with non-followers first, said Instagram

TikTok's Canada unit seeks judicial review of govt's shutdown orders

Chinese-owned social media app requested the court set aside a government order requiring TikTok to wind-up its business in Canada, a filing dated Dec 5 showed

President-elect Trump wants Truth Social deal lawsuit to be put on hold

Trump has sought to have criminal cases against him thrown out in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling in July that former presidents are immune for some official actions taken while in office

Federal appeals court upholds law requiring sale or ban of TikTok in US

A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok in a few short months, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the US. The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied TikTok's petition to overturn the law which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January and rebuffed the company's challenge of the statute, which it argued had ran afoul of the First Amendment. The First Amendment exists to protect free speech in the United States, said the court's opinion, which was written by Judge Douglas Ginsburg. Here the Government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary's ability to gather data on people in the United States. TikTok and ByteDance another plaintiff in the lawsuit are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court, though its unclear whethe

Bluesky isn't new Twitter, its resemblance to old one is drawing users

Though media and popular attention has been focused on Bluesky, Threads, which has nearly 300 million users, saw even more new sign-ups in November than Bluesky's entire user base. Nevertheless, even

Australia banning social media for people under 16: All you need to know

It is an ambitious social experiment of our moment in history one that experts say could accomplish something that parents, schools and other governments have attempted with varying degrees of success: keeping kids off social media until they turn 16. Australia's new law, approved by its Parliament last week, is an attempt to swim against many tides of modern life formidable forces like technology, marketing, globalisation and, of course, the iron will of a teenager. And like efforts of the past to protect kids from things that parents believe they're not ready for, the nation's move is both ambitious and not exactly simple, particularly in a world where young people are often shaped, defined and judged by the online company they keep. The ban won't go into effect for another year. But how will Australia be able to enforce it? That's not clear, nor will it be easy. TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram have become so ingrained in young people's lives that going cold turkey will be ...

Pakistan govt to implement steps to stop terrorists from using social media

Pakistan government on Tuesday said it will take comprehensive steps to curb the activities of banned terrorist organisations from operating on social media platforms. During a meeting of the National Action Plan (NAP) Coordination Committee, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said in collaboration with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the government will work to block the accounts of terrorist groups. Provinces are also expected to implement a cohesive strategy to prevent the usage of illegal SIM cards. Naqvi strongly condemned the recent terrorist incidents in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, calling them "deeply regrettable and condemnable". He said to counter terrorism, the professional capabilities of Counter Terrorism Forces (CTFs) in these regions will be enhanced through full cooperation. The minister said efforts to strengthen law enforcement agencies such as the police and the Frontier Constabulary would be prioritised to improve security. "To imp

Govt blocks record 28,000 URLs in 2024; Facebook, X face maximum takedowns

The Indian government blocked over 28,000 URLs in 2024 under IT Act's Section 69A, targeting pro-Khalistan content, hate speech, and threats to national security across major social media platforms

Australia 'rushed' social media ban for those under 16, says Big Tech

Govt had warned Big Tech of its plans, and first announced the ban after parliamentary inquiry earlier this year that heard testimony from parents of children who had self-harmed after cyber bullying

TikTok, Meta brace for Australian social media ban for those under 16

A number of other nations and US states have attempted to curb children's access to social media, with limited success

Australia bans social media ban for under-16s with world-first law

A social media ban for children under 16 passed the Australian Parliament on Friday in a world-first law. The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts. The Senate passed the bill on Thursday 34 votes to 19. The House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved the legislation by 102 votes to 13. The House on Friday endorsed opposition amendments made in the Senate, making the bill law. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the law supported parents concerned by online harms to their children. Platforms now have a social responsibility to ensure the safety of our kids is a priority for them, Albanese told reporters. The platforms have one year to work out how they could implement the ban before penalties are enforced. Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said the

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