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.

Saturday Night Live aired a new episode parodying the warm public exchanges between Donald Trump and New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, playing up their unlikely rapport after their recent White House meeting. The show also mocked Natalie Harp, a Trump aide, in the same episode. Clips and reactions from the sketches have been circulating widely across news and social media, with viewers weighing in on the portrayals.

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.

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 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 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 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 case brought by the 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 state and federal authorities 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.

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.

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.

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 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.