Social Media

Instagram rolls out teen accounts with parental controls as scrutiny mounts

Users of such accounts can only be messaged and tagged by accounts they follow or are already connected to, while sensitive content settings will be dialed to the most restrictive available

Jio is down; users complain about network disruption on social media

Jio Down: Thousands of users are complaining about the network issue on social media. The users are also not able to connect to the internet

Social media age limits restricting children are too little too late

But research has shown that age limits for social media aren't the most effective way to protect teens from its potential harms

TikTok and US face off in court over law that could lead to platform ban

TikTok faced off with the US government in federal court on Monday, arguing a law that could ban the platform in a few short months is unconstitutional while the Justice Department said it is needed to eliminate a national security risk posed by the popular social media company. In a more than two hour appearance before a panel of three judges at a federal appeals court in Washington, attorneys for the two sides -- and content creators -- were pressed on their best arguments for and against the law that forces the two companies to break ties by mid-January or lose one of their biggest markets in the world. Andrew Pincus, a veteran attorney representing the two companies, argued in court that the law unfairly targets the company and runs afoul of the First Amendment because TikTok Inc. -- the US arm of TikTok -- is an American entity. After his remarks, another attorney representing content creators who are also challenging the law argued it violates the rights of US speakers and is .

Meta to enable Instagram comments to be shared directly to Threads: Report

Meta is set to introduce a feature enabling Instagram comments to be shared directly to Threads, aiming to enhance integration across its social media platforms

Viral Video: Arizona man finds a Lego piece stuck in his nose for 3 decades

An Arizona man shared a video on his Instagram account stating that in the 1990s, at the age of "six or so," he dislodged a Lego piece stuck in his nose for 26 years.

TikTok heads to court over US law that could ban popular platform

The US government and TikTok will go head-to-head in federal court on Monday as oral arguments begin in a consequential legal case that will determine if or how a popular social media platform used by nearly half of all Americans will continue to operate in the country. Attorneys for the two sides will appear before a panel of judges at the federal appeals court in Washington. TikTok and its China-based parent company, ByteDance, are challenging a U.S. law that requires them to break ties or face a ban in the U.S. by mid-January. The legal battle is expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court. The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, was a culmination of a years-long saga in Washington over the short-form video-sharing app, which the government sees as a national security threat due to its connections to China. But TikTok argues the law runs afoul of the First Amendment while other opponents claim it mirrors crackdowns sometimes seen in authoritarian countries abroad. In cour

India key priority market; reels, biz messaging supercharging growth: Meta

Social media giant Meta counts India among its key priority markets globally, as the rising popularity of its offerings - from Reels to business messaging - and increased engagement on AI tools is supercharging growth, according to Meta India Vice President Sandhya Devanathan. In an interview with PTI, Devanathan said India is the leading market for short-form video Reels' watch-time on Instagram. The Facebook and Instagram parent Meta is upbeat about the pace and extent to which Reels has caught on with creators and brands alike. "Reels is big for Meta globally, but Reels is certainly huge for Meta in India," Devanathan said. Having recognised the power of Reels in influencing buying decisions, brands are including it early in their campaign blueprint and customer outreach plans, Devanathan said. According to her, Reels is now in the consideration set for brands as they conceptualise their campaigns, marking a big shift in the way campaigns are being designed. "Not only are we se

Elon Musk calls Australian govt 'fascists' over social media laws

The proposed legislation is the latest fight between Australia's government and global tech giants

Australia threatens fines for social media giants enabling misinformation

The bill is part of a wide-ranging regulatory crackdown by Australia, where leaders have complained that foreign-domiciled tech platforms are overriding the country's sovereignty

25 travel agents booked for illegally advertising jobs: Punjab police

Twenty-five travel agents in Punjab have been booked for illegally advertising employment opportunities on social media, said police on Wednesday. The action came after the Protector of Emigrants under the Ministry of External Affairs red-flagged the advertising on social media for jobs in foreign countries by such unscrupulous travel agencies. In a statement, Additional Director General of Police (NRI Affairs) Praveen K Sinha said these travel agencies were advertising jobs abroad without possessing the requisite licence and permissions. "We checked the online platforms, verified their credentials covertly and registered FIRs against them," he said, adding that a total of 20 FIRs have been registered under the Emigration Acts at various NRI police stations in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Patiala, Sangrur and SAS Nagar. The ADGP said this operation specifically targeted those illegal travel agents, who were advertising on online platforms, offering promisi

Australia to legislate minimum age for social media usage, says PM Albanese

Albanese said that it's about supporting parents and keeping kids safe

Instagram adds photo editing, sticker creation features in DMs: Know more

The new features will let users draw on photos to edit them or add stickers prior to sharing them via direct messages

Elon Musk dares the world to take on X as he scoffs at Brazil's ban

Musk's feud with controversial Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes over the order barring X intensified an ideological war

Nepal lifts ban on social media app TikTok after 10 months of restrictions

With some pre-conditions, Nepal has lifted its ban on TikTok, effective Friday, which was initially imposed on November 12 last year

Why 'lonely' Brazilian men are turning to plastic surgery for six-pack abs

In Brazil, more men are seeking six-pack abs through plastic surgery due to social media, isolation, and advanced techniques. Men now make up one-third of surgery patients, a report reveals

MeitY urges swift removal of fake content by intermediaries after HC order

The Bombay High Court ordered the deletion of false information following the circulation of fake videos featuring NSE's MD and CEO Ashishkumar Chauhan

Growing pains aided criminal abuse on platform: Telegram CEO Durov

The social media billionaire was charged in France last week for failing to stop the spread of illicit content on the app

WhatsApp to make viewing of status updates more convenient and quick soon

The new feature will allow users to simply tap the profile picture of the contact in viewers' list to view their status updates

HC seeks CBI report on nasty social media posts on medic rape-murder victim

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed the CBI to file a report by September 18 on detestable posts being made on social media regarding the rape-murder victim of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. The court noted that nasty comments, which are far from being acceptable to any member of the society, have been made with the photograph of the victim as found in the copies of the offending posts provided by the petitioner. The body of the on-duty trainee doctor was found in the seminar room of the state-run hospital on August 9, triggering nationwide outrage. The CBI is investigating the case from the second week of August on an order of the high court. The petitioner prayed in the PIL that the CBI be directed to investigate the cyber offences in connection with the "unfortunate and brutal incident." The court asked the Additional Solicitor General Asok Kumar Chakrabarti, representing the central agency, whether it could find a way to block these types of posts. The division