Social Media Apps

Snapchat gets simplified interface and new AI features: Check what's new

Alongside app changes, Snap introduced new augmented reality glasses, Spectacles, powered by the company's new SnapOS operating system, which is set to get OpenAI integration in coming months

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

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

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

Even Facebook couldn't compete with Google, says ex-ad chief Boland

Boland likened the technique to Google being able to select the 30 best apples from a crate before anyone else got the chance to buy

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

WhatsApp launches Meta Verified badges for small businesses in India

Meta Verified will now be available to all eligible small businesses in India using the WhatsApp Business app

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

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

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

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

Americans less supportive of TikTok ban ahead of govt deadline: Survey

Pew found that 38 per cent of US adults supported a ban last fall and 50 per cent were in favor in March 2023

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

Snapchat will show Sponsored Snaps and brand promotions in Maps tab soon

According to the note posted on the Snap's website, Sponsored Snaps from brands will appear in the chat inbox as a new Snap without a push notifications

Instagram allows publicly visible comments for stories but with limitations

Comments on stories will be viewable for 24 hours following the story's posting. If the story is saved as a highlight on the profile, the comments will remain

Kerala plans media campaign, bloggers' meet in Wayanad to attract tourists

The Kerala government is set to launch a "tremendous" promotional campaign along with a bloggers' meet in Wayanad in the run up to the Onam season to dispel tourists' concerns that the scenic district was no longer safe in the aftermath of the recent landslides. Kerala Tourism and Public Works minister P A Mohammed Riyas told PTI during an interview over the weekend that it was "sad" that the July 30 catastrophe in the northern district of the state was being called as "Wayanad disaster" while the fact was that it affected only one part of the picturesque destination. "Chooralmala is only a place in Wayanad but due to this news spreading that it is Wayanad disaster, everyone is searching this on Internet and thinking something was happening in Wayanad. This led to bookings at resorts being cancelled there. "The places that are best for tourism in Wayanad, and are about 50 km away from Chhoralmala, (even there) the bookings were cancelled. It is not right to say Wayanad disaster," he

Explained: Why Brazil's Supreme Court banned Elon Musk's X platform

Brazil's Supreme Court has banned the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) after Elon Musk refused to comply with orders to block accounts spreading 'fake news'.