ByteDance signs agreements to sell over 80% of TikTok US assets, CEO says
TikTok says Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX will lead new TikTok USDS joint venture as deal targets January 22 close
Reddit sues Australia over social media ban, citing free speech threat
Reddit says law harms protected speech, fails legal threshold as Australian govt likens lawsuit to Big Tobacco case
Reddit begins testing verified profiles to boost transparency
New grey checkmark aims to help users verify people and businesses during official announcements where authentication is critical
Australian teenagers bid farewell to social media as world-first ban takes effect
Teenagers flooded TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit with farewell messages on Tuesday night
EU hits Meta with antitrust probe over plans to block AI rivals from WhatsApp
EU Commission confirms probe into AI use on WhatsApp, marking latest action against Big Tech; Italy opened parallel probe earlier this year
PTA, Meta launch Instagram “teen accounts” to strengthen online safety for under-16 users
New feature filters sensitive content, restricts unwanted contact, and promotes safe digital use
Gilgit-Baltistan police ban TikTok for force personnel
Directive aims to maintain discipline and uphold the department's image
Pakistan blocks hundreds of social media accounts linked to banned groups
Over 850 accounts reported to global platforms for removal as government pushes crackdown on online terrorism
Italy investigates Meta over WhatsApp AI integration
Italy’s antitrust authority says Meta may have breached EU competition rules by installing Meta AI in the messaging app without asking users first
YouTube to be banned for users under 16 in Australia
YouTube was first excluded due to its use by teachers, while platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok were included in the ban
Moscow court fines Zoom for failing to abide by Russian internet rules
79.6 million rouble fine is issued for failure to comply with legal requirements for foreign entities operating in Russia's internet space
Trump supports TikTok but wants U.S. ownership, says U.S. commerce secretary
You can't have the Chinese have an app on 100 million American phones, that is just not okay, says Lutnick
New EU law pushes Meta to end political and social issue advertising
The company says the upcoming regulation creates legal uncertainties and significant operational challenges
X will bring back video-sharing platform Vine in AI form, says Musk
New Vine is expected to use AI, fitting the original 6-second format as most AI tools focus on short clips due to higher costs for longer videos
TikTok will go dark in U.S. without sale clearance from China, says U.S. Commerce Secretary
China or ByteDance could retain a small stake, but the majority must be under American control, says Howard Lutnick
