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22 articles in social media

Why TikTok’s first week of American ownership was a disaster

Why TikTok’s first week of American ownership was a disaster

App endured a major outage and user backlash over perceived censorship. Now it’s facing an inquiry by the California governor and an ascendant competitor A little more than one week ago, TikTok stepped on to US shores as a naturalized citizen. Ever since, the video app has been fighting for its life. TikTok’s calamitous emigration began on 22 January when its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, finalized a deal to sell the app to a group of US investors, among them the business software giant Oracle. The app’s time under Chinese ownership had been marked by a meteoric ascent to more than a billion users, which left incumbents such as Instagram looking like the next Myspace. But TikTok’s short new life in the US has been less than auspicious. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Feb 1
TikTokTechnologySocial media
AI agents now have their own Reddit-style social network, and it's getting weird fast

AI agents now have their own Reddit-style social network, and it's getting weird fast

Moltbook lets 32,000 AI bots trade jokes, tips, and complaints about humans.

arstechnica.com
Jan 30
AIBiz & ITagentic AI
Meet ‘Amelia’: the AI-generated British schoolgirl who is a far-right social media star

Meet ‘Amelia’: the AI-generated British schoolgirl who is a far-right social media star

The avatar, created to deter young people from extremism, has been subverted and is breaking out of niche online silos In certain corners of the internet, on niche news feeds and algorithms, an AI-generated British schoolgirl has emerged as something of a phenomenon. Her name is Amelia, a purple-haired “goth girl” who proudly carries a mini union flag and appears to have a penchant for racism. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 25
Far rightSocial mediaAI (artificial intelligence)
Lords put pressure on Starmer with vote to ban social media for under-16s

Lords put pressure on Starmer with vote to ban social media for under-16s

Commons will now have to consider Tory-led amendment, which is likely to be supported by Labour MPs As a parent – and a Conservative – I know that banning social media for under-16s is the right thing to do The House of Lords has voted decisively for a ban on social media for under-16s in a move that puts pressure on Keir Starmer to bring in Australian-style restrictions. Peers voted by 261 to 150 in favour of a Tory-led amendment to the children’s wellbeing and schools bill, which was not backed by the government. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 21
Social media banKemi BadenochKeir Starmer
ICE becomes one of the most-blocked accounts on Bluesky after its verification

ICE becomes one of the most-blocked accounts on Bluesky after its verification

ICE has been verified on Bluesky, and quickly becomes one of the top most-blocked accounts.

techcrunch.com
Jan 20
AppsSocialTC
UK study to examine effects of restricting social media for children

UK study to examine effects of restricting social media for children

Trial involving 4,000 children will explore impact on mental health, sleep and time spent with friends and family A pioneering investigation into the impact of restricting social media access for children in the UK has been announced as politicians around the world consider action on the issue. In December, Australia became the first country to ban under-16s from social media , with governments in other countries, including the, coming under pressure to do the same . Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 20
Social mediaSocial media bansSocial media ban
More than 100,000 people urge MPs to ban social media for under-16s in UK

More than 100,000 people urge MPs to ban social media for under-16s in UK

Letters sent using campaign group’s template as Keir Starmer indicates Australia-style move being considered MPs’ inboxes have been flooded with letters calling for an Australia-style social media ban for under-16s, as the prime minister indicated such a move was being considered. More than 100,000 people have contacted their local MP since the grassroots organisation Smartphone Free Childhood launched an email campaign on Tuesday evening with a template calling for “reasonable, age-appropriate boundaries”. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 15
Social mediaInternet safetyChildren
Keir Starmer tells MPs he is open to social media ban for young people

Keir Starmer tells MPs he is open to social media ban for young people

PM says he is alarmed at reports about children’s screen time and has shifted position on Australian-style policy UK politics live – latest updates Keir Starmer has told MPs he is open to the idea of an Australian-style ban on social media for young people after becoming concerned about the amount of time children and teenagers are spending on their phones. The prime minister told Labour MPs on Monday evening he had become alarmed at reports about five-year-olds spending hours in front of screens each day, as well as increasingly worried about the damage social media is doing to under-16s. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 13
Keir StarmerLabourInternet safety
Can X be banned under UK law and what are the other options?

Can X be banned under UK law and what are the other options?

UK media regulator is investigating whether X has breached the Online Safety Act – what could happen next? The UK government is threatening Elon Musk’s X with the nuclear option under the country’s online safety laws: a ban. The social media platform is under pressure from ministers after it allowed the Grok AI tool, which is integrated within the app, to generate indecent images of unsuspecting women and children. The government has said it will support the media regulator Ofcom, which has launched an investigation into X, if it decides to push ahead with a ban. But is such a move likely? Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 13
XGrok AIOfcom
UK threatens action against X over sexualised AI images of women and children

UK threatens action against X over sexualised AI images of women and children

Government signals support for possible Ofcom intervention on Grok as scrutiny of X’s AI tool intensifies Business live – latest updates Elon Musk’s X “is not doing enough to keep its customers safe online”, a minister has said, as the UK government prepares to outline possible action against the platform over the mass production of sexualised images of woman and children. Peter Kyle, the business secretary, said the government would fully support any action taken by Ofcom, the media regulator, against X – including the possibility that the platform could be blocked in the UK. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 12
Internet safetyGrok AIAI (artificial intelligence)
Elon Musk’s X threatened with UK ban over wave of indecent AI images

Elon Musk’s X threatened with UK ban over wave of indecent AI images

Platform has restricted image creation on the Grok AI tool to paying subscribers, but victims and experts say this does not go far enough Elon Musk’s X has been ordered by the UK government to tackle a wave of indecent AI images or face a de facto ban, as an expert said the platform was no longer a “safe space” for women. The media watchdog, Ofcom, confirmed it would accelerate an investigation into X as a backlash grew against the site, which has hosted a deluge of images depicting partially stripped women and children. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 9
Grok AIXElon Musk
No 10 condemns ‘insulting’ move by X to restrict Grok AI image tool

No 10 condemns ‘insulting’ move by X to restrict Grok AI image tool

Spokesperson says limiting access to paying subscribers just makes ability to generate unlawful images a premium service UK politics live – latest updates Downing Street has condemned the move by X to restrict its AI image creation tool to paying subscribers as insulting, saying it simply made the ability to generate explicit and unlawful images a premium service. There has been widespread anger after the image tool for Grok, the AI element of X, was used to manipulate thousands of images of women and sometimes children to remove their clothing or put them in sexual positions. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 9
Grok AIXSocial media
Reddit overtakes TikTok in UK thanks to search algorithms and gen Z

Reddit overtakes TikTok in UK thanks to search algorithms and gen Z

Platform is now Britain’s fourth most visited social media site as users seek out human-generated content Reddit, the online discussion platform, has overtaken TikTok as Britain’s fourth most visited social media service, as search algorithms and gen Z have dramatically transformed its prominence. The platform has undergone huge growth over the last two years, with an 88% increase in the proportion of UK internet users it reaches. Three in five Brits online now encounter the site, up from a third in 2023, according to Ofcom . Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Jan 3
RedditSocial mediaInternet
UK campaigner targeted by Trump accuses tech giants of ‘sociopathic greed’

UK campaigner targeted by Trump accuses tech giants of ‘sociopathic greed’

Exclusive: Imran Ahmed says US companies are ‘corrupting the system’ of politics by seeking to avoid accountability A British anti-disinformation campaigner told by the Trump administration that he faces possible removal from the US has said he is being targeted by arrogant and “sociopathic” tech companies for trying to hold them to account. Imran Ahmed, the chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), is among five European nationals barred from the US by the state department after being accused of seeking to push tech firms to censor or suppress American viewpoints. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Dec 26, 2025
UK newsTrump administrationUS politics
‘A gamechanger’: 200,000 UK small businesses sign up to TikTok Shop

‘A gamechanger’: 200,000 UK small businesses sign up to TikTok Shop

Big brands such as Sainsbury’s and M&S also selling directly in app through links in videos and livestreams It is better known for its viral dances and for making hits out of forgotten songs , but the social media site TikTok is becoming a force to be reckoned with as a shopping platform. Major retailers such as Marks & Spencer, Samsung, QVC, Clarks, and Sainsbury’s are now selling their wares on the site’s e-commerce service, TikTok Shop, alongside more than 200,000 UK small and medium businesses. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Dec 24, 2025
TikTokRetail industryBusiness
Tinsel and Home Alone back in style as TikTok seeks comfort in #90sChristmas

Tinsel and Home Alone back in style as TikTok seeks comfort in #90sChristmas

Emphasis this year is on nostalgia as present day feels ‘a bit more uncertain’, say trend experts Tinsel, DIY tree decorations, deep burgundy drapes – and Home Alone on VHS. Christmas has gone retro on TikTok, and in people’s living rooms. The app has reported a surge in Christmas decor videos, with an emphasis on nostalgia as users embrace festive looks from bygone eras. For younger TikTokers, that means the 90s. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Dec 20, 2025
TikTokChristmasLife and style
TikTok agrees to deal to cede control of US business to American investor group

TikTok agrees to deal to cede control of US business to American investor group

The deal closes a long-running drama in which U.S. authorities have sought to compel ByteDance to divest.

techcrunch.com
Dec 19, 2025
SocialbytedanceDonald Trump
Merriam-Webster’s word of the year delivers a dismissive verdict on junk AI content

Merriam-Webster’s word of the year delivers a dismissive verdict on junk AI content

Dictionary codifies the term that took hold in 2024 for low-quality AI-generated content.

arstechnica.com
Dec 15, 2025
AIBiz & ITAI criticism
Reddit launches high court challenge to Australia’s under-16s social media ban

Reddit launches high court challenge to Australia’s under-16s social media ban

Platform fighting world-leading ban on grounds it contravenes implied freedom of political communication in constitution Will Australia’s social media ban survive a high court challenge? Reddit has filed a challenge against Australia’s under-16s social media ban in the high court, lodging its case two days after implementing age restrictions on its website. The company said in a Reddit post on Friday that while it agreed with protecting people under 16, the law “has the unfortunate effect of forcing intrusive and potentially insecure verification processes on adults as well as minors, isolating teens from the ability to engage in age-appropriate community experiences”. Reddit said there was an “illogical patchwork” of platforms included in the ban. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Dec 12, 2025
Social media banAustralia newsReddit
Australia’s world-first social media ban begins as millions of children and teens lose access to accounts

Australia’s world-first social media ban begins as millions of children and teens lose access to accounts

Accounts held by users under 16 must be removed on apps that include TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Kick, Twitch and Threads under ban How is Australia’s social media ban affecting you and your family? The social media ban explained: everything you need to know Australia has enacted a world-first ban on social media for users aged under 16 , causing millions of children and teenagers to lose access to their accounts. Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Kick, Twitch and TikTok are expected to have taken steps from Wednesday to remove accounts held by users under 16 years of age in Australia, and prevent those teens from registering new accounts. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Dec 9, 2025
Social media banSocial mediaTechnology
AI deepfakes of real doctors spreading health misinformation on social media

AI deepfakes of real doctors spreading health misinformation on social media

Hundreds of videos on TikTok and elsewhere impersonate experts to sell supplements with unproven effects TikTok and other social media platforms are hosting AI-generated deepfake videos of doctors whose words have been manipulated to help sell supplements and spread health misinformation. The factchecking organisation Full Fact has uncovered hundreds of such videos featuring impersonated versions of doctors and influencers directing viewers to Wellness Nest, a US-based supplements firm. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Dec 5, 2025
HealthUK newsUS news
Small changes to ‘for you’ feed on X can rapidly increase political polarisation

Small changes to ‘for you’ feed on X can rapidly increase political polarisation

Study finds that a week of political content can bring about a shift in views that previously would have taken three years Small changes to the tone of posts fed to users of X can increase feelings of political polarisation as much in a week as would have historically taken at least three years, research has found. A groundbreaking experiment to gauge the potency of Elon Musk’s social platform to increase political division found that when posts expressing anti-democratic attitudes and partisan animosity were boosted, even barely perceptibly, in the feeds of Democrat and Republican supporters there was a large change in their unfavourable feelings towards the other side. Continue reading...

theguardian.com
Nov 27, 2025
XUS politicsInternet