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Details from New Mexico's lawsuit against Snap show site failed to act on reports of sextortion
Read full article: Details from New Mexico's lawsuit against Snap show site failed to act on reports of sextortionSnapchat has failed to act on rampant reports of child grooming, sextortion and other dangers to minors on its platform.
13-year-old student charged with terroristic threat against Willis ISD schools
Read full article: 13-year-old student charged with terroristic threat against Willis ISD schoolsA 13-year-old student from Lynn Lucas Middle School has been charged with making terroristic threats against Willis High School, Brabham Middle School, and Lynn Lucas Middle School via Snapchat.
How social media became a storefront for deadly fake pills
Read full article: How social media became a storefront for deadly fake pillsFentanyl overdoses have become a leading cause of death for minors in the last 5 years or so — and social media, where tainted, fake prescription drugs can be obtained with just a few clicks, is part of the problem.
Snapchat Inc. to pay $15 million to settle discrimination and harassment lawsuit in California
Read full article: Snapchat Inc. to pay $15 million to settle discrimination and harassment lawsuit in CaliforniaSnapchat Inc. will pay $15 million to settle a lawsuit brought by California’s civil rights agency.
How this Texas law was used to charge a Fort Bend Co. Commissioner candidate with faking social media attacks
Read full article: How this Texas law was used to charge a Fort Bend Co. Commissioner candidate with faking social media attacksA law that was passed by the Texas Legislature in 2009 has helped play a roll in the arrest of Democrat Taral Patel, who is accused of portraying himself as someone he is not over the internet.
Spain proposes law to improve online safety for children, including virtual restraining orders
Read full article: Spain proposes law to improve online safety for children, including virtual restraining ordersSpain’s government has proposed a law to protect children from online threats that includes virtual restraining orders for felons and a higher age for opening social media accounts.
Instagram, YouTube the biggest likely winners of TikTok ban but smaller rivals could rise too
Read full article: Instagram, YouTube the biggest likely winners of TikTok ban but smaller rivals could rise tooWhile a bill to ban TikTok if it doesn't change owners has received President Joe Biden's signature, it could still be years before the popular video-sharing app is actually blocked from U.S. app stores — if it is blocked at all.
Two tribal nations sue social media companies over Native youth suicides
Read full article: Two tribal nations sue social media companies over Native youth suicidesTwo tribal nations are accusing social media companies of contributing to high rates of suicides that disproportionately affect Native American youth.
4 Canadian school boards sue Snapchat, TikTok and Meta for disrupting students' education
Read full article: 4 Canadian school boards sue Snapchat, TikTok and Meta for disrupting students' educationFour of the largest school boards in the Canadian province of Ontario have launched lawsuits against TikTok, Meta and SnapChat alleging the social media platforms are disrupting student learning.
A judge has blocked enforcement of an Ohio law limiting kids’ use of social media during litigation
Read full article: A judge has blocked enforcement of an Ohio law limiting kids’ use of social media during litigationA federal judge has extended his block on enforcement of an Ohio law that would require children under 16 to get parental consent to use social media apps while a legal challenge proceeds.
Nevada attorney general launches go-it-alone lawsuits against social media firms in state court
Read full article: Nevada attorney general launches go-it-alone lawsuits against social media firms in state courtNevada’s attorney general has launched a go-it-alone legal fight accusing TikTok, Snapchat and Meta of creating what one lawsuit calls “an addiction machine” that exploits children too young to have self-control.
A judge has temporarily halted enforcement of an Ohio law limiting kids’ use of social media
Read full article: A judge has temporarily halted enforcement of an Ohio law limiting kids’ use of social mediaA federal judge has temporarily halted enforcement of an Ohio law that would require children under 16 to get parental consent to use social media apps.
A group representing TikTok, Meta and X sues Ohio over new law limiting kids' use of social media
Read full article: A group representing TikTok, Meta and X sues Ohio over new law limiting kids' use of social mediaA trade group representing TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and other major tech companies has sued Ohio over a pending law that requires children to get parental consent to use social media apps.
Social media companies made $11 billion in US ad revenue from minors, Harvard study finds
Read full article: Social media companies made $11 billion in US ad revenue from minors, Harvard study findsA study from Harvard says social media companies collectively made over $11 billion in U.S. advertising revenue from minors last year.
Pew survey: YouTube tops teens' social-media diet, with roughly a sixth using it almost constantly
Read full article: Pew survey: YouTube tops teens' social-media diet, with roughly a sixth using it almost constantlyTeen usage of social media hasn’t dropped much, despite rising concerns about its effects on the mental health of adolescents.
Kids and social media: What parents should consider before saying no to screen time
Read full article: Kids and social media: What parents should consider before saying no to screen timeAre you tired of your kids spending too much time on social media? A Houston area psychiatrist is handing out some healthy tips and explaining how the use of social media could be beneficial to some kids.
Georgia kids would need parental permission to join social media if Senate Republicans get their way
Read full article: Georgia kids would need parental permission to join social media if Senate Republicans get their wayChildren in Georgia would need their parents' permission to create social media accounts if some top Republicans in the state get their way next year.
Why social media is being blamed for fueling riots in France
Read full article: Why social media is being blamed for fueling riots in FranceSocial media companies are once again under scrutiny, this time in France as the country’s president blames TikTok, Snapchat and other platforms for helping fuel widespread riots over the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old driver.
The Snapchat AI feature makes me want to delete the app
Read full article: The Snapchat AI feature makes me want to delete the appI’m very much aware that I have no control over the decisions social media apps and organizations make, but it would have been nice to know that a strange little AI bot was going to show up as a Snapchat friend.
Mental health apps in trouble for giving away personal information after promising to keep it secret
Read full article: Mental health apps in trouble for giving away personal information after promising to keep it secretMental health apps Betterhelp and Cerebral are facing big penalties after private information was given to companies like Tiktok, Facebook (Meta) and Snapchat.
School lawsuits over social media harm face tough legal road
Read full article: School lawsuits over social media harm face tough legal roadLike the tobacco, oil, gun, opioid and vaping industries before them, the big U.S. social media companies are now facing lawsuits brought by public entities that seek to hold them accountable for a huge societal problem in the mental health crisis among youth.
Seattle schools sue tech giants over social media harm
Read full article: Seattle schools sue tech giants over social media harmThe public school district in Seattle is suing the tech giants behind TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat, seeking to hold them accountable for the mental health crisis among youth.
Group urges feds to investigate Snapchat over fentanyl sales
Read full article: Group urges feds to investigate Snapchat over fentanyl salesAs the U.S. deals with its deadliest overdose crisis to date, a national crime-prevention group is calling on the Justice Department to clamp down on social media’s role in the spread of fentanyl, the drug largely driving a troubling spike in overdose deaths among teenagers.
Snap cutting 20% of staff as ad sales continue to dry up
Read full article: Snap cutting 20% of staff as ad sales continue to dry upThe parent company of social media platform Snapchat said Wednesday that it is letting go of 20% of its staff as it reorganizes and tries to reduce costs in the face of declining ad sales.
Social media offers parents more controls. But do they help?
Read full article: Social media offers parents more controls. But do they help?As concerns about social media’s harmful effects on teens continue to rise, platforms from Snapchat to TikTok to Instagram are bolting on new features designed to make their services safer and more age appropriate.
Social media hammered by mounting questions over advertising
Read full article: Social media hammered by mounting questions over advertisingSocial media has had a rough 2022 with lingering questions about advertising spending and a $44 billion takeover of Twitter that may or may not be happening, depending on which Elon Musk tweet you read.
These are 14 apps Harris County law enforcement agency says parents should be aware of
Read full article: These are 14 apps Harris County law enforcement agency says parents should be aware ofThere are some apps parents may need to be aware about. 4 Mark Herman posted on their Facebook and Twitter feeds a list of 14 apps parents should be concerned about, as kids and teens may have those installed on their smartphones. HOLLA - An “addicting” video message app that brings kids and teens to meet strangers from all over the world. Burn Book - An app that allows users to post anonymous audio messages, texts and photos. What other apps should parents be aware of that are not on this list?
Twitter without Trump tumbles along with other tech shares
Read full article: Twitter without Trump tumbles along with other tech sharesFILE - This April 26, 2017, file photo shows the Twitter app icon on a mobile phone in Philadelphia. Twitter is launching tweets that disappear in 24 hours called Fleets globally, echoing social media sites like Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram that already have disappearing posts. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)Shares of social media and other tech companies slid Monday, hit by fallout from the siege on the U.S. Capitol by supporter of President Donald Trump. Trump supporters have argued that the actions of the technology companies is a violation of free speech and Trump has long tried to repeal Section 230. Though Trump's tenure ends in nine days, power in the Senate has flipped to the Democrats who have long begrudged the oversized influence of social media.
Twitter launches disappearing tweets that vanish in a day
Read full article: Twitter launches disappearing tweets that vanish in a dayTwitter is launching tweets that disappear in 24 hours called “Fleets” globally, echoing social media sites like Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram that already have disappearing posts. Twitter tested the feature in Brazil, Italy, India, and South Korea, before rolling it out globally. Fleets are a “lower pressure” way to communicate “fleeting thoughts” as opposed to permanent tweets, Twitter executives Joshua Harris, design director, and Sam Haveson, product manager, said in a blog post. The news comes the same day Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced questions from a Senate Judiciary Committee about how they handled disinformation surrounding the presidential election. Such features are increasingly popular with social media users looking for smaller groups and and more private chats.
Have you seen her? Galveston police searching for missing 14-year-old
Read full article: Have you seen her? Galveston police searching for missing 14-year-oldWhile the family is still searching for the 14-year-old teen, she is considered a runaway, not missing. ORIGINAL: Galveston police are searching for a teenager reported missing. Helpenstill, 14, was last seen Saturday in Galveston, according to Texas EquuSearch. Helpenstill was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, a black and white Adidas jacket, pajama bottoms with a unicorn and rainbows pattern, and red, white & blue Nike slides. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to contact the Galveston Police Department at (409) 765-3702 or Texas EquuSearch at (281) 309-9500.
Parents, are you doing enough to keep your kids safe online?
Read full article: Parents, are you doing enough to keep your kids safe online?Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat … it can be tough to keep all the social media channels straight. And then you throw in texting, e-mail, the Cloud -- phew. It’s one thing to maintain a personal Facebook account. But when you try to stay on top of all the apps on your child’s or teenager’s phone? It can feel like a full-time job.