France bans social media for teens under 15, no phones in school
Other European countries are drafting similar legislation
Big Tech is finally on trial for how it built its algorithms
A teen is suing Meta, TikTok, and YouTube over algorithmic harm – and thousands more cases are waiting
Why it matters: When jurors in Los Angeles walk into a courtroom this week, they'll confront a question technology companies have long sidestepped: can a line of code, an algorithmic feed, or a design pattern cause psychological harm? The case, K.G.M. v. Meta et al., marks the first personal-injury trial to test whether social media platforms themselves – not just the people who use them – bear responsibility for the mental-health fallout of the digital age.
TikTok quietly expands location tracking and ad targeting for US users
TikTok reshapes US data rules after spinout
TikTok's long-running US saga ends with a deal that averts a ban
Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX take the reins of TikTok's US business
Snap settles landmark lawsuit over claims its app harmed teen mental health
Lawsuit targeting infinite scroll and algorithmic engagement features raises stakes for other offenders like Meta, TikTok, and YouTube
Instagram asked millions to reset passwords, but Meta says it was just a bug
Emails were triggered by an API flaw, not a data breach
Meta shuts down over 500,000 accounts under Australia's under-16 ban, urges the government to end it
Meta complies with the law but questions whether blanket bans make children safer
Elon Musk promises to open-source X's algorithm in the next few days
X has made similar transparency pledges before, with mixed results
Grok is generating thousands of AI "undressing" deepfakes every hour on X
"X, the deepfake porn site formerly known as Twitter"
Instagram Reels went from TikTok clone to a $50 billion business for Meta
Video has become Meta's biggest growth engine
New York wants social media to carry tobacco-style health warnings
Governor Hochul stated that New Yorkers deserve safety and transparency
TikTok has finally agreed to a US sale
The TikTok ban saga ends with a US-led acquisition set to close January 22
Most Americans misjudge how many users share toxic content on social media
Maybe the web ain't so bad after all?
Meta knowingly took in billions from scam ads on Facebook and Instagram, says Reuters
Another day, another Meta controversy
In a nutshell: Meta has faced several controversies over the years, including the misuse of private data for political profiling, failing to stop the spread of fake news and hate speech, and ignoring the impact of Facebook and Instagram on the mental well-being of young people. A new report now claims the company has also knowingly accepted fraudulent and scam ads originating in China.
Reddit challenges Australia's age-verification law, says it's not social media
Reddit says it is a "collection of public fora"
2025's most-downloaded iPhone app is, you guessed it, ChatGPT
GenAI and social media dominate Apple's end-of-year list
Australia's under-16 social media ban triggers confusion, workarounds, and privacy fears
In brief: Australia's world-first social media ban on users under the age of 16 has come into effect, with mixed results and varied reactions. As other countries observe the rollout, the new law continues to draw criticism due to concerns about privacy and effectiveness.
US to demand five years of social media history from foreign travelers under new proposal
People are already canceling their US travel plans
We found 8 Nano Banana Pro images that show Google is the new benchmark in AI art
First look: Google's latest generative model comes with a ridiculous name, but it's powered by a surprisingly serious engine. Nano Banana Pro recently debuted inside Gemini bringing a major jump in image generation quality – and judging by the last week's worth of community samples, Google's image outputs aren't just competent… they're worryingly impressive, too.
Meta shut down an internal study that linked Facebook use to worse mental health
A hot potato: In 2020, Meta launched an internal research effort called Project Mercury to examine the psychological effects of Facebook use. Working with market research firm Nielsen, the company ran a survey-based experiment that asked selected users to deactivate their Facebook accounts for a week. Newly unsealed discovery documents reveal that those who stepped away reported noticeably lower levels of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and negative social comparison.
X launches paid marketplace for dormant usernames with complex access rules
Perhaps Elon thinks too highly of X
YouTube dominates, X stalls, Snapchat drops: survey reveals US social media preferences
Guess which platforms were most popular with kids and older users
TikTok is adding a slider to avoid AI junk, and invisible watermarks to make it work
Let's hope others follow suit
Video sharing platform Vine is being rebooted with a strict "no AI" policy
The new platform will build on Vine's original archive
Bluesky rolls out dislike feature as user base reaches 40 million
Dislikes, social neighborhoods, and a smarter feed