Social Media
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NGL becomes the first app banned from hosting minors by the FTC
On Tuesday, the FTC unanimously banned the social messaging app NGL from hosting minors as part of a $5 million settlement. The first-of-its-kind ban comes after revelations that the company actively marketed the app to children with bait-and-switch tactics and other offenses.
Will Shanklin07.09.2024
New York Governor signs two new bills into law protecting kids from social media
New York’s new social media laws are the first in the nation to address how youths interact with algorithmic social media feeds.
Danny Gallagher06.20.2024
You can now restrict Instagram Lives to Close Friends
Instagram has rolled out an option to limit the audience of a Live to Close Friends. You can also now add music to carousel posts that feature videos.
Kris Holt06.20.2024
Instagram is reportedly recommending sexual Reels to teens as young as 13
Instagram is recommending Reels with sexual content to teenagers as young as 13 even if they aren't specifically looking for racy videos, according to separate tests conducted by The Wall Street Journal and Northeastern University professor Laura Edelson.
Mariella Moon06.20.2024
US Surgeon General says that social media, like cigarettes, should come with warning labels
The US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, says that social media should come with warning labels about its potential health impacts much like warnings on tobacco products.
Karissa Bell06.17.2024
US military reportedly used social media to spread anti-vax propaganda in the Philippines
The US military used fake social media accounts to spread propaganda that was designed to discredit China’s COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines during the height of the pandemic, according to a bombshell report from Reuters.
Cheyenne MacDonald06.15.2024
BeReal, the buzziest app of 2022, has been bought by a mobile game publisher
Game publisher Voodoo has bought the social platform BeReal for €500 million. Although BeReal has fallen off the radar since its much-hyped peak, Voodoo says the app has grown to 40 million active users.
Will Shanklin06.11.2024
TikTok says it fixed a vulnerability that enabled a cyberattack on high-profile accounts
TikTok has stopped the malware attacks targeting high-profile users like CNN and Paris Hilton. The cyberattack involved direct messages laced with malicious code.
Lawrence Bonk06.07.2024
Bluesky plans to launch DMs for users
Bluesky should launch a DMs feature in the next couple months, among other updates.
Sarah Fielding05.08.2024
Threads now lets you control who can quote your posts
Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri announced the update this weekend, saying he hopes it will “help keep Threads a more positive place.” Users can choose to turn off quotes entirely or limit them only to people they follow.
Cheyenne MacDonald05.04.2024
Threads is getting its own Hidden Words feature
Threads is launching the Hidden Words feature for users, hiding offensive words, phrases or emojis.
Sarah Fielding04.25.2024
Snap is adding a watermark to AI-generated images
AI-created content that leaves Snapchat will get a sparkly ghost watermark.
Sarah Fielding04.17.2024
Bluesky now allows heads of state to join the platform
A post from the official Bluesky account on Friday notified users that it's lifted its ban on heads of state. The policy has been in place for the last year. Bluesky recently opened itself up to public signups after previously requiring invite codes.
Cheyenne MacDonald04.13.2024
X is giving blue checks to people with more than 2,500 Premium followers
Last night, several prominent journalists posted (complained in many cases) about unexpectedly regaining their verified blue checks on Elon Musk's X platform.
Steve Dent04.04.2024
Journaling app Palmsy offers fake likes from real friends
An oddball new app called Palmsy lets you post to a social media network full of adoring followers who only exist in your imagination.
Will Shanklin03.29.2024
Ron DeSantis signs bill requiring parental consent for kids to join social media platforms in Florida
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida just signed into law a bill that requires parental consent for kids under 16 to hold social media accounts. It also completely prevents children under 14 from joining these platforms.
Lawrence Bonk03.25.2024
Instagram porn bots’ latest tactic is ridiculously low-effort, but it’s working
Porn bots are pervasive across social media, despite platforms' best efforts to stamp them out. In order to avoid detection by moderation tools, the scammers behind them continually change their methods.
Cheyenne MacDonald03.22.2024
A Threads beta lets you share to Mastodon and other fediverse services
Fediverse support in Meta Threads is up and running in beta. Mark Zuckerberg said on Thursday that adult Threads users in eligible countries can turn on sharing to the fediverse — including Mastodon and other ActivityPub services.
Will Shanklin03.21.2024
Reddit is now a publicly traded company
Reddit is now a publicly traded company, 19 years after it first went live. It aimed to raise around $631 million in its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange.
Kris Holt03.21.2024
YouTube lays out new rules for 'realistic' AI-generated videos
YouTube creators now have to disclose if a realistic-looking video "is made with altered or synthetic media, including generative AI." The label rules don't apply to "clearly unrealistic" content.
Kris Holt03.18.2024