social media companies

Meta has blocked Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's Facebook page and campaign advertising just two weeks before Brazil's election. The restriction, affecting a sitting head of state's official channels at a critical moment in the campaign, is drawing widespread attention and debate about platform power over political speech in Brazil.

The first US trial against TikTok is set to test claims that the platform fueled a teen mental health crisis. The case will examine whether the app's design and algorithms contributed to harm among young users, and its outcome could shape the wave of similar lawsuits and regulatory pressure facing social media companies in the United States.

The United States has filed to formally intervene in the European Union's regulatory decision concerning Elon Musk's social media platform X, according to the Wall Street Journal. The move escalates a transatlantic dispute over the EU's handling of the platform, which has faced scrutiny under the bloc's content moderation rules. The intervention signals rising tension between Washington and Brussels over digital regulation of American tech companies.

A New Mexico jury on Friday found Facebook liable for deceiving users about privacy protections on its platform, delivering another legal setback to the social media company. The Associated Press reported the verdict, which adds to the company's mounting legal troubles over how it handled user data and its privacy claims, and observers are weighing its implications for future privacy litigation against major tech firms.

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, reported by NewsNation and The Hill, is drawing attention as US states continue legal action against social media companies over harms to young people.

Indonesia's government is pressing Meta to follow through on its child safety commitments while drafting regulations that would impose administrative fines on 'high-risk' platforms that fail to comply. The move signals tighter oversight of social media companies operating in Indonesia and comes amid growing global scrutiny of how platforms protect children online.

Meta has launched Muse, a new AI agent, according to reports circulating on social media. Details about what Muse does, which platforms it will run on, and how it compares to rival AI assistants have not been confirmed. Observers are watching for an official announcement from the company clarifying the product's capabilities and rollout plans.

OpenAI is paying a broad network of social media influencers to promote ChatGPT and portray the company as beneficial to the world, according to Business Insider reporting on the company's marketing strategy. The effort includes sponsored content and partnerships aimed at shaping public perception of the AI firm as it faces scrutiny over AI's societal impact.

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

A high-profile Japanese anime voice actor has taken TikTok to court, alleging the platform hosted videos featuring an artificial intelligence clone of his voice without his consent. The case highlights growing tension between voice performers and AI companies over unauthorised replication of their voices, and could set a precedent for how Japanese law treats voice rights in the age of generative AI.

Social media platforms have refused to run paid advertising for a documentary about Elon Musk titled 'Musk'. The rejection means the film's promoters cannot buy promoted placements to reach audiences on the major platforms. The documentary examines Musk's life and influence, and the ad refusals have raised questions about whether platforms are uncomfortable promoting content centred on one of their most prominent figures.

TikTok has agreed to pay Alabama $100 million to settle a lawsuit alleging the company designed its platform to be addictive, particularly for young users. The settlement marks another legal setback for the social media company as US states continue pressing tech firms over the mental health effects of their products on children and teenagers.

Australia is moving to restrict social media use, particularly among young people, as part of a broader regulatory crackdown on major platforms. Analysts are now asking whether Apple stands to gain from the shift, as users spend more time on devices and services rather than social networks. The discussion highlights how tighter platform regulation could reshape where attention and advertising money flow.

Meta is presenting artificial intelligence as a way to address a long-standing trust problem with its platforms, arguing that public concerns about the company are often misunderstood. The move comes as scrutiny of social media companies' handling of misinformation, privacy and content moderation remains intense.

A National Review commentary argues that Donald Trump's profiteering through Truth Social can only be addressed by Congress, which holds constitutional tools to check a sitting president's financial entanglements. The piece frames congressional action as the sole viable avenue, since conventional enforcement mechanisms are constrained by Trump's control over the Justice Department and regulatory agencies.

Meta stock is trading lower today, drawing attention from investors tracking big tech moves. The decline comes as traders reassess sentiment around the social media company's shares, though no single company announcement has been clearly tied to the drop. Market watchers are watching whether the weakness spreads across other mega-cap technology names.

Trump Media, the company behind Donald Trump's social platform Truth Social, is drawing attention again in US news coverage. The company, majority-owned by the former president, has been a volatile stock market player and remains closely tied to Trump's political and business fortunes. No specific new development was detailed in the coverage.

A viral cookie chain has exited a key market and closed all of its stores there. The move signals a pullback for a brand that saw rapid, social-media-driven growth, though the company's stated reasons and which locations are affected remain unspecified in initial reports.