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The Australian government recently passed legislation that bans social media for anyone under 16. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed the legislation for putting “the onus on social media platforms — not young people or their parents” — for protecting youth from online harms. Australia is... Read Full article on HadNews.com

In the immediate hours after the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump on July 13, 2024, social media users posted the same videos, images and eyewitness accounts but used them as evidence for different rumors or theories that aligned with their political preferences. Among the deluge of rumors, one TikTok creator narrated the instantly iconic photo of Trump raising his fist, ear bloodied as he emerged from the Secret Service scrum. “People are wondering if this photo is staged?” His answer: “Yes.” People across the political spectrum, including President Joe Biden, questioned why the Secret Service had failed to pr...... Read Full article on HadNews

The attempted assassination of Donald Trump on July 13, 2024, added more fuel to an already fiery election season. In this case, political violence was carried out against the party that is most often found espousing it. The incident shows how uncontrollable political violence can be – and how dangerous the current times are for America. Part of the complication is the contentious and adversarial nature of American politics, of course. But technology makes it more difficult for Americans to understand sudden news developments. Gone are the days when only a handful of media outlets reported the news to broad swaths of society after rig...... Read Full article on HadNews

Many parents are worried about how much their children use social media and what content they might encounter while using it. Amid proposals to ban teenagers under 16yrs from social media and calls to better educate them about being safe online, how can you tell if your child’s social media use is already a problem? And what steps can take to help if there is an issue? It is easy to get hooked These platforms are designed in a way that releases dopamine (the “feel-good” hormone) for users. This can make it especially difficult for adolescents to resist. As psychologists explain, from the onset of puberty until the mid-20’s, our b...... Read Full article on HadNews

Twitch is taking a leaf out of TikTok’s book as they officially roll out a new discovery feed to all users this week. The streaming company announced on Tuesday (April 30) that the feature is ‘finally here.’ The launch highlights another platform that has adopted short-form content which has seen TikTok rise to huge heights and popularity. The likes of Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and even UberEats have involved some sort of short-form video feed to their platforms, with Twitch now being the latest to be added to the list. In a blog post on the company website, they describe the feature as being a “scrollable feed in the Twi...... Read Full article on HadNews

There is currently a bipartisan push from state and federal governments to introduce laws in Australia banning young people under 16 from accessing social media platforms. Politicians are citing fears that minors are exposed to harmful or inappropriate content online. The proposed reform has been accompanied by federal government plans to pilot “age assurance” technologies. Proposed tools for age verification range from uploading ID documents to the use of biometric face-scanning technologies. Most of these methods are fraught with problems, including privacy risks. Research from overseas has already raised concerns about the potenti...... Read Full article on HadNews

Most Americans are wary of social media companies and their role in politics and the future of the country, according to a new survey of U.S. adults. The Pew Research Center has published findings from a study looking at social media’s impact on politics and the country, political censorship and bias, and the government regulation of technology companies. Since 2020, more Americans now believe social media companies wield too much political power, with Democrats heavily falling into the ‘too much’ category. “Roughly eight-in-ten Americans (78%) say these companies have too much power and influence in politics today,” according to the su...... Read Full article on HadNews

UK technology firms have been told to ‘tame toxic algorithms’ and implement practical steps for children’s safety online. This all comes under Ofcom’s new measures titled ‘Children’s Safety Codes of Practice,’ which must be followed by social media sites, apps, and search engines. Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for broadcasting, telecommunications, and postal industries within the United Kingdom. One of the first elements listed is age checks, with “much greater use of highly-effective age-assurance” needed. Anything that promotes suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, or pornography is classed as ...... Read Full article on HadNews

A fast-track schedule has been set by the U.S. appeals court to consider legal challenges to the new law requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest U.S. assets by January 19 or face a ban in its biggest market. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has ordered the case that looks at the arguments against the ban to take place in September. This comes after ByteDance, TikTok, and a group of content creators asked the Justice Department earlier in April to ask the court for a quick schedule. A lawsuit was filed on May 14 by the creators as they say the app has had “a profound effect on American life,” after ...... Read Full article on HadNews

You’re hard at work, lying in a hammock, composing the perfect selfie on the beach. The turquoise sea sets off the idyllic sunset, and just visible though the fronds of a palm tree is the logo of the hotel which is paying you to promote it to your millions of followers on Instagram. Click. The perfect shot. And another typically perfect day in the life of an influencer. Or is it? Certainly a career as an influencer can seem appealing. The work generally involves promoting products or services through sponsored social media posts or “branded content”, and communicating with people who are interested in what you do. The industry is ...... Read Full article on HadNews

The US House has voted 360-58 in support of a bill that would ban the video-sharing app TikTok if Chinese owners ByteDance fail to sell within 270 days. The bill, part of a larger foreign aid bill that includes aid for Ukraine, also includes the option to extend the timeframe by 90 days if a deal is in progress. US officials allege that ByteDance is subservient to the Chinese Communist Party and as a result, the app poses a threat to US security. The next step for the controversial bill is to be approved by the Senate, which will return from recess on April 29. From there, President Joe Biden has expressed his support for the bill. Tik...... Read Full article on HadNews

Threads is coming to the Fediverse — and it’s happening sooner than you think. On Thursday (Mar.21) Meta, the owners of Threads, announced a beta that allows users in certain countries to share their Threads posts on numerous other platforms. The ability to share Threads posts on other platforms is all down to them being on servers that are compliant with something called ActivityPub. ActivityPub is an open, decentralized protocol that enables social networks to become interoperable. So, for instance, users could share a Threads post on another ActivityPub-compliant server like Mastodon. Protocols like this are nicknamed the ‘Fediverse...... Read Full article on HadNews

TikTok has encountered a barrage of bans, and the U.S. is close to joining the list. Discussions of a ban started last year, gaining attention, especially after a high-profile congressional hearing featuring TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew. By 2024, the House of Representatives, with a significant majority, approved legislation requiring parent company ByteDance to sell its interest in the app or risk being banned in the United States. There has already been a swathe of countries that have imposed varying degrees of limitations on the app, primarily due to privacy and cybersecurity issues linked to its parent company ByteDance and its conne...... Read Full article on HadNews

Instagram is taking significant steps to stop the receiving and sending of nude images to teens by announcing plans to automatically detect and blur explicit photos through its DM (direct messaging) service. The function is expected to be tested in the coming weeks to be rolled out across the globe in the next few months, reports the Wall Street Journal. It’s the latest move from parent company Meta to fight harmful content on its platforms directed at minors. In January the social media giant behind Facebook and Instagram, implemented DM restrictions to curtail adults being able to message under 18s. The latest plan aims to discourage ...... Read Full article on HadNews

With the ban looming, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is trying to diversify by promoting its other social media platform named Lemon8. According to the New York Post, the company is paying influencers to suggest the other app via TikTok. Often described as being similar to Pinterest, Lemon8 allows users to share photos and look for inspiration from others. It’s said to be very similar to the Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu. A content creator spoke exclusively to The Post saying she was offered $200 for a brand deal where she was asked to upload ‘a video that promotes Lemon8 on TikTok.’ While she didn’t take ByteDance up on the ...... Read Full article on HadNews

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill into law to effectively ban young children from social media. The restrictive measure for minors has been introduced as a response to the growing concerns over the negative influence of various apps on young people in the United States. Under the new legislation to be introduced on 1 January 2025, Florida will prohibit children aged 13 and under from having access to social media, whilst 14 and 15-year-olds will require parental consent to be online. Speaking on Monday (25 March), Governor DeSantis explained his administration is merely “trying to help parents navigate this very diffic...... Read Full article on HadNews

Despite a litany of legal cases against him, former US President Donald Trump’s net worth is now greater than it has ever been and the businessman has earned a place as one of the 500 richest people on the planet. What is Donald Trump’s net worth? The incredible boost to Trump’s fortunes comes after the recently completed merger between Trump’s social media company Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) and the special purpose acquisition firm Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC). The deal, completed on Monday (Mar. 25) has seen the 77-year-old’s total wealth rise to $6.5bn according to Bloomberg. Trump owns nearly 80 million share...... Read Full article on HadNews

Wake up. Brush teeth. Exfoliate. Drink a glass of pineapple “coochie juice”? That’s the advice from the latest viral trend on TikTok claiming to help women alter the smell and taste of their vulva and vagina. A wave of short videos on the social media platform suggest strategies, including consuming large amounts of pineapple and banana, to make vaginas smell and taste sweeter. One video suggests a home-brewed pineapple concoction taken three times daily for “vagina cleansing” and to make the vulva “smell good” will have benefits such as a “tighter”, “sweeter” vagina. But what are we to make of these claims? Is “coochie juice” b...... Read Full article on HadNews

Our digital world is bigger and more connected than ever. Social media isn’t just a daily habit – with more than 5 billion users globally, it’s woven into the very fabric of our existence. These platforms offer entertainment, connection, information and support, but they’re also battlegrounds for misinformation and online harassment. Platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok vie for our attention, each boasting user counts in the billions. But what do these numbers actually tell us, and should we care? What is an active user or a unique user? Behind the impressive statistics lies a complex reality. While global social ...... Read Full article on HadNews

Australia’s eSafety commissioner has sent legal notices to Google, Meta, Telegram, WhatsApp, Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) asking them to show what they’re doing to protect Australians from online extremism. The six companies have 49 days to respond. The notice comes at a time when governments are increasingly cracking down on major tech companies to address online harms like child sexual abuse material or bullying. Combating online extremism presents unique challenges different from other content moderation problems. Regulators wanting to establish effective and meaningful change must take into account what research has shown us ab...... Read Full article on HadNews