TikTok denied request to halt potential US ban
If the app is not sold to an approved buyer by mid-January, it will be shut down.
Nearly half of US teens say they are online ‘almost constantly,’ survey finds
Despite the increasing evidence of the negative impacts constant social media consumption has on young people’s mental health, nearly half say they are online “almost constantly."
Meta apologizes for Facebook, Instagram outages
Meta issued an apology after a widespread outage affected Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger on Wednesday.
Wikipedia's most-viewed articles in 2024
Politics dominated Wikipedia’s most-viewed articles this year, but here’s a look at what else people were interested in reading about in 2024.
Is TikTok getting banned in the US? What to know
TikTok’s future in the U.S. is uncertain.
TikTok ban: Federal appeals court upholds law requiring sale of app in the U.S.
A federal appeals court panel on Friday upheld a law that could lead to a ban of TikTok in the U.S. by Jan. 19.
Social media user discovers Olive Garden breadstick with mysterious letters, numbers
A breadstick from popular restaurant chain Olive Garden has drawn attention on social media for seemingly having a few alphanumeric characters on it.
Social media ban in Australia for those under 16
A social media ban for children under 16 passed the Australian Parliament on Friday in a world-first law. The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts. The Senate passed the bill on Thursday 34 votes to 19. The House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved the legislation by 102 votes to 13.
Australia is about to ban social media for anyone under 16; how it will work
The law would fine social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, X, and Instagram for failing to stop children younger than 16 years old from having accounts.
Why are people 'holding space' for 'Defying Gravity’, and what does that even mean?
As if “Wicked” hasn’t already taken over the internet enough, a moment from one of the stars’ press interviews has turned into the latest meme. Here’s an explainer.
Very demure: Dictionary.com chooses 2024 Word of the Year
Dictionary.com has chosen its 2024 Word of the Year – and it’s from that massive TikTok trend this summer.
Is Reddit down? Outage reported by social media users
There was a spike of more than 46,000 error reports Wednesday afternoon for Reddit, according to Downdetector.
Suspect in custody after allegedly kidnapping child he met on social media, police say
The suspect, only identified as a juvenile male, led police on a chase before crashing into the back of a police car.
What is Bluesky? Social network sees user surge post-election
Bluesky, a social media platform similar to X, gained over 1 million users in the week following the U.S. election as former X users look for alternative online spaces.
Georgia residents reporting disturbing racist messages before, after election
Multiple Georgia residents contacted FOX 5 Atlanta after receiving an alarming text message about upcoming enslavement or being informed about a potential threat from white supremacists and KKK members.
Are ballot selfies legal? Here's a state-by-state guide for 2024 election
Depending on which state you vote in, ballot selfies may or may not be allowed.
When is Spotify Wrapped? Streamer chimes in about counting rumor
The streaming giant clarified recently a much-debated element about its beloved Spotify Wrapped.
Chick-fil-A launching family entertainment app with animated shows, podcasts, games
Chick-fil-A is entering the family entertainment space with a new app containing animated shows, podcasts and games.
Doomscrolling costs us 3 days a month, survey finds
The average American spends six hours consuming some type of media every day, and there’s a correlation between excessive media scrolling and “very poor” mental health, a new survey reveals.
X returns to Brazil after monthlong shutdown — what’s next for the platform?
After a monthlong suspension, X (formerly Twitter) has resumed operations in Brazil. The platform, owned by Elon Musk, complied with local laws and court orders to restore service in one of its biggest markets.