social media platforms

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.

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.

The first US lawsuit over TikTok to reach trial will examine claims that the platform's design contributed to a teen mental health crisis. The case is seen as a test of whether courts will hold social media companies liable for harms to young users, with broader implications for pending litigation against other platforms.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.