Facebook parent Meta begins offering cloud-based WhatsApp chat integration for businesses, as it looks for new revenue opportunities
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Russia ‘Not Planning To Block YouTube’ Says Minister
Digital minister says Russia not planning to block YouTube in the country as Russian users would suffer, amidst mounting tensions with West
Twitter Fights Back Over Musk Bot Allegations
Twitter chief executive Parag Agrawal defends company's estimates of fake accounts as Elon Musk says renegotiating deal not 'out of the question'
Musk Criticises Twitter Feed Algorithm, Checks For Bots
After suspending his $44bn deal to buy Twitter Elon Musk criticises company's algorithmically defined Home feed, saying it 'manipulates' users
Texas Social Media Law Restored By US Appeals Court
Social networking firms can be sued by Texas officials or local residents over moderation decisions, after Appeals Court restores local law
Musk Lays Out Twitter Plans In Leaked Document
Elon Musk lays out plans for Twitter in leaked presentation for potential investors, including revenue and subscriber growth, and mysterious product 'X'
Influencer Industry Must Be Regulated, Say MPs
Boom in social media influencer industry has exposed children to exploitation and without adequate protections around advertising, MPs find
Musk ‘In Talks’ With Potential Partners For Twitter Financing
Elon Musk reportedly in talks with large investment firms and wealthy individuals to help fund the cash portion of massive $44bn Twitter buyout
Snap Releases Pocket-Sized ‘Flying Camera’ For Selfies
Snap releases Pixy 'flying camera' drone that can take selfies while flying around the user, as social media companies compete over hardware add-ons
Congress Republicans Ask Twitter To Conserve Musk Bid Records
Republicans in US Congress formally ask Twitter to conserve records related to Elon Musk's proposed buyout of company amidst 'concern' over free speech implications
Twitter Confirms Development Of Edit Button
Worse kept secret? Twitter finally confirms it is developing an edit button so users can change their tweets after posting them
Consulting Company Responds Over Facebook ‘Smear’ Report
Meta/Facebook allegedly paid consulting firm Targeted Victory to spread negative reports about rival TikTok, says Washington Post
Australia To Give Media Regulator New Powers In Misinformation Push
Australian media regulator Acma to be able to force tech companies to hand over data relating to misinformation and disinformation efforts
Heineken Launches Virtual Beer In Metaverse
Brewer launches virtual beer Heineken Silver to highlight strengths and limitations of metaverse, in what it calls an 'ironic joke'
Meta Bars Calls For Death Of Head Of State In Policy Shift
Meta narrows Facebook and Instagram rules to bar calls for death of head of state, while allowing other 'calls for violence'
Russia Shuts Down Instagram Due To ‘Calls For Violence’
Influencers post tearful farewells as Russia media regulator shuts down Instagram after parent company Meta allows calls for violence
Russia Limits Access To Twitter Amidst Ukraine Invasion
Russian regulator slows down access to Twitter across country amidst spat with Facebook over fact-checking and labelling of Russian media posts
Trump’s ‘Truth Social’ Launches On Apple App Store
Former US President Donald Trump launches 'Truth Social' platform on Apple's App Store in latest effort to get around social media ban
Online Safety Bill Targets Social Media Giants
Changes to proposed online safety bill require companies such as Twitter and Facebook to take proactive steps and add more criminal offences
Twitter Shake-Up Sees Departure Of Top Security Staff
Twitter says head of security no longer at company and chief information security officer to depart shortly, as chief executive Parag Agrawal makes changes
Roblox To Rebuild China App After Pulling Plug
Roblox says it will construct new version of China version of platform after removing it from app stores as it faces regulatory crackdown on gaming sector
Trump’s ‘Truth Social’ App To Launch Next Month
App store listing reveals Donald Trump is to launch his 'Truth' social media app in February, after his Twitter, Facebook ban
TikTok Beats Google To Top US Traffic Spot
Social media app TikTok for first time replaces Google as site with most US visitors in 2021, as pandemic pushes surge in online entertainment
Lawmakers Say Instagram’s Promises ‘Won’t Cut It’
US Senators say laws are needed to protect young people online, rejecting proposal by Instagram head Adam Mosseri of industry self-regulatory body
Meta Releases Horizon Worlds Amidst VR Push
Meta's social world-building flagship game Horizon Worlds comes out of invite-only beta as company formerly known as Facebook pushes into virtual reality
US Senators Propose Data Transparency Bill For Social Media
Bipartisan bill to require social networking firms such as Meta (Facebook) have to provide researchers with access to its data
Facebook Tests Giving Users More Control Over News Feed
Facebook tests giving users more control over News Feed amidst political pressure, after whistleblower says algorithmic ranking 'amplifies divisive content'
Instagram Re-Introduces Twitter Card Previews
Instagram re-introduces image previews on Twitter, nine years after pulling plug on feature shortly after being acquired by Facebook
WeChat Fixes Content ‘Glitch’ Amidst Regulatory Pressure
Tencent fixes 'loophole' that allowed Bing and Google to temporarily display WeChat results, as China regulators seek to open up tech giants' walled gardens
Twitter Finds Algorithms Give More Prominence To Political Right
Twitter finds its own news-feed algorithms give more amplification to mainstream political right than left, as social media firms face bias criticism