social media

Documentary distributor Bleecker Street says YouTube, TikTok and Meta have all rejected paid ads for Alex Gibney's 'Musk', set for release on Oct. 9, citing their policies on political content. X, owned by Elon Musk, has reportedly refused even to respond to the distributor's inquiries. Bleecker Street is appealing the rejections as the film's premiere approaches.

The European Union is moving to restrict social media use for children under 15. The proposal would set a bloc-wide minimum age for platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, part of growing EU efforts to protect minors online. Officials argue age limits are needed to address risks to children's mental health and safety, though enforcement and the response of major platforms remain key questions.

Major social media platforms have declined to run paid advertising for a documentary about Elon Musk. Mashable reports the ad rejections, which complicate the film's promotional push ahead of its release. The refusals have drawn attention because the subject of the documentary is himself the owner of one of the platforms reportedly declining the ads, raising questions about how the film will reach audiences.

Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu has reportedly withdrawn from the national squad, with reports linking the decision to his conscience over the situation in Gaza. The claim is circulating widely on social media, drawing debate about players taking a stand on political and humanitarian issues and what it means for Ireland's upcoming fixtures.

The European Union says it will stand firm against Elon Musk's social media platform X after the United States backed a legal challenge to EU content rules. The dispute centers on the EU's Digital Services Act enforcement against X, and Brussels insists it will defend its regulatory authority in court despite Washington's intervention.

Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah, widely known as Balen, is reportedly under tight security arrangements amid claims that the United States has given him special importance. Nepali-language coverage ties his name to discussions involving Donald Trump, Rabi Lamichhane and Sudan, though no official confirmation of the US attention has been reported. The story is drawing heavy engagement among Nepali audiences.

A new essay published by MIT Press Reader argues that laws banning teenagers from social media are misdirected, and that the focus on age restrictions distracts from deeper problems with how social media platforms are designed and operated. The piece questions whether outright bans protect young people, or simply treat symptoms while leaving the underlying incentives of attention-driven platforms untouched.

TikTok has agreed to pay at least $100 million to settle a lawsuit with the US state of Alabama, according to TechCrunch. The agreement marks another significant legal and financial setback for the social media company in the United States, where it faces ongoing scrutiny from multiple state attorneys general over its practices.

TikTok has reached an agreement with Alabama, days before a scheduled trial, under which it must implement changes for teenagers in the state. These include a two-hour daily time limit, pauses after 15 minutes of continuous use, and stricter age verification checks. The deal is drawing attention as part of wider US scrutiny of social media's effects on young users, with some questioning why parents cannot set the limits themselves.

TikTok has agreed to pay Alabama $100 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the platform of addicting young users to its social media app. The settlement resolves claims that the company designed its products to keep minors engaged for harmful lengths of time. It marks another legal and financial setback for TikTok as US states continue pressing tech companies over youth safety and addictive design.

A new CDC report indicates that sadness among teenagers is falling, at a time when claims that social media is driving a youth mental health crisis have reached a peak. Commentators argue the findings undercut the narrative linking teen distress to platforms like Instagram and TikTok, and the news is being shared widely in debates over proposed restrictions on social media for minors.

A social media user is drawing a comparison between Covid vaccination approaches and the Netherlands' policy of offering vaccines only to people over 70 and narrowly defined at-risk groups. The post, tagged with messages including 'CovidIsNotOver' and calls to keep wearing masks, frames the Dutch approach as a contrast to broader vaccination strategies. Little further context is available about what the original post argued or how others responded.

A newly released book about Tom Brady claims the retired quarterback made a pointed social media move that was intended as a 'middle finger' to his ex-wife, supermodel Gisele Bündchen. The claim is drawing attention to the couple's much-publicized 2022 divorce and to Brady's post-retirement life, with readers and sports media weighing in on the details revealed in the book.

A new study on gaming finds that playing alone does not necessarily lead to feelings of loneliness. The research challenges common assumptions that solitary gaming is linked to social isolation, suggesting that people who game by themselves may not be worse off emotionally than those who play with others.

Open-source intelligence researchers are documenting frontline developments faster than military and government officials acknowledge them, raising questions about operational security. Analysts argue that publicly available evidence, from satellite imagery to social media geolocation, now routinely reveals battlefield facts before official statements. The debate highlights the tension between public accountability and the risk of exposing troop movements to adversaries.

A survey reported by Mashable indicates that teenagers favor iPhones over Android devices and Instagram over Snapchat when it comes to their phones and social media habits. The findings reinforce Apple's strong grip on the youth market, where owning an iPhone is often seen as a status symbol, while Instagram remains the dominant platform for teen social sharing.

TikTok has agreed to pay more than $100 million to settle a lawsuit over its impact on users' mental health, according to Alabama's attorney general. The settlement marks one of the larger legal reckonings yet for the short-video platform, which faces ongoing scrutiny in the United States over allegations that its design harms young users. Details of the settlement terms and how the money will be distributed have not been disclosed.

A woman in India who regularly showed off her gold jewellery and cash on social media has reportedly lost goods worth around Rs 1 crore in a burglary at her home. Police believe the thieves may have targeted her after seeing her posts. The case has reignited debate about the risks of displaying wealth online.

The UN General Assembly has voted on using a fairer world map, and the result was far from unanimous: 164 votes in favour, one against, with six abstentions. The lone dissenting vote is drawing particular attention on social media, with users highlighting how overwhelming but not complete the support was. The debate touches on how maps represent Africa and the global south more accurately.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul defended his meeting with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, saying in comments reported by Tagesschau that 'you have to negotiate with opponents.' The remarks, circulating on German-language social media, touch a sensitive nerve in the Ukraine debate, where any high-level contact with Moscow is closely watched for signals of a shift in Germany's stance on talks with Russia.

France's Catholic Church is seeing a surge in adult baptisms, driven in part by young evangelists dubbed 'digital missionaries' who spread faith content online. Their social media outreach is credited with drawing new converts, particularly among young adults, in a country long considered one of Europe's most secular. Observers say the trend marks a notable reversal for the Church.