Google threatens to pull search engine in Australia in row over Government plans
Google has threatened to make its search engine unavailable in Australia if the government goes ahead with plans to make tech giants pay for news content.
Facebook asks its ‘supreme court’ to decide if Trump should remain suspended
Facebook’s “supreme court” has been asked to decide whether Donald Trump should remain suspended indefinitely after the Capitol riots which led to a social media backlash against the former US president.
Facebook admission shows child safety not a top priority, NSPCC says
Facebook’s revelation that it expects reports of child sexual abuse to drop once its controversial encryption plans go ahead have been branded a “remarkable admission” by the NSPCC.
‘I am not on magic mushrooms’: Douglas Ross answers the good, bad and bizarre in Facebook Q&A
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross invited the public to grill him live on Facebook this evening and ended up answering a number of unexpected questions.
We didn’t get everything right, Twitter chief tells MPs following Capitol riots
Twitter failed to move fast and aggressive enough to tackle conspiracy theories before the US Captiol riots, a senior executive for the social network has told MPs.
WhatsApp growth slumps as rivals Signal and Telegram see downloads increase
Encrypted messaging apps Signal and Telegram are seeing a huge increase in downloads from Apple and Google app stores, while WhatsApp is seeing its growth decline after the company was forced to clarify a privacy update recently sent to users.
US trade deal will not affect UK move to regulate social networks – minister
Proposed laws to regulate social networks will not be affected by US trade negotiations, the minister for digital has said, after MPs expressed concern that they could be “watered down”.
Facebook scam warning: Fraudsters impersonating north-east food firms to hijack competitions
Customers have been advised to be vigilant on social media after fake profiles were created to trick competition entrants.
YouTube suspends Donald Trump’s account
YouTube is suspending US President Donald Trump’s account for “a minimum of seven days” due to concerns about “the ongoing potential for violence”, the video sharing website said.
Pictures: Sky over north-east lit up by stunning Aurora
The Northern Lights were unusually strong in the north of Scotland last night, captivating people from Aberdeen to Skye as they reached for their cameras.
Hancock: Decision to ban Trump raises big questions for social media regulation
The decision by some social media giants to ban US President Donald Trump from their platforms raises a “very big question” in terms of regulation, Matt Hancock has said.
Silenced Trump looks for new online megaphone
Deprived of his major online megaphones, Donald Trump is seeking alternative ways to spread his messages in his last days in the White House.
Donald Trump was the social media president until he was banned
Donald Trump’s permanent suspension from Twitter following the storming of the US Capitol by his supporters marks another significant step in the president’s tumultuous relationship with social media.
Social media ‘failure’ on Trump must cause rethink on disinformation, MP says
Social media giants must rethink how they define harmful disinformation, with the violence at the US Capitol proving their efforts so far have been a “failure” and the move to ban Donald Trump was “too little, too late”.
Boris Johnson says Donald Trump was ‘completely wrong’ to encourage riots
Donald Trump was “completely wrong” to incite supporters to storm the Capitol and to continue questioning the legitimacy of the US election, Boris Johnson said.
Trump blocked from Facebook ‘indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks’
Facebook is blocking Donald Trump “indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks”, the social network’s boss Mark Zuckerberg has said following rioting in the US Capitol.
How Trump controversies plunged social media into constant battle on free speech
Donald Trump had to use an adviser’s Twitter to promise an orderly transition of power to Joe Biden after he was locked out of his own social media accounts.
Trump forced to concede through advisers after being locked out of social media
Donald Trump has been forced to commit to an orderly transition of power to Joe Biden through a statement from an adviser after the US president was locked out of his social media accounts.
Donald Trump blocked from posting on Facebook and Twitter
Twitter and Facebook have temporarily locked Donald Trump’s accounts after he addressed supporters who stormed the US Capitol.
Selena Gomez accuses tech giants of ‘failing the American people’ over DC unrest
Selena Gomez has accused technology giants of allowing their platforms to be used to spread hate and partly blamed them for the shocking violence in Washington DC.
Facebook blocks Donald Trump from posting
Facebook has followed Twitter in locking Donald Trump’s page after the president’s followers stormed the US Capitol building.
Twitter locks Donald Trump’s account and threatens ‘permanent suspension’
Twitter has locked Donald Trump’s account for the first time and demanded he remove tweets excusing violence as it threatened him with “permanent suspension” from the platform.
Twitter and Facebook delete Trump video amid ‘violence’ concerns
Twitter has removed two posts by Donald Trump – including a video – “due to a risk of violence”, while Facebook also deleted the clip.
Twitter and Facebook take action on Trump video amid ‘violence’ concerns
Twitter has removed the retweet, like and reply functions on a video posted by Donald Trump “due to a risk of violence” – while Facebook has removed the clip entirely.
New Year’s Eve activity breaks WhatsApp records
New Year’s Eve 2020 was the busiest day ever for voice and video calls on WhatsApp, the messaging app has said.
Facebook group criticised for sharing locations of police speed check ‘cash machines’
A Facebook group sharing the location of police carrying out speed checks on vehicles has been branded "a disgrace".
Migrants in EU border areas to see social media ads warning against voyage to UK
Migrants hoping to enter the UK will be shown “hard-hitting” geo-targeted adverts via social media in a bid to deter people from making dangerous attempts via the English Channel.
TikTok told its systems are failing to spot anti-vaccine misinformation
Social media platforms have been told their systems of moderation are failing, after MPs highlighted high-profile accounts spreading anti-vaccine misinformation without reprimand.
Social media giants urged to make it easier to report abuse to police
Social media firms should make it easier to report potential illegal abuse to the police, the public standards watchdog said.
Snapchat apologises for ‘misguided’ filters that caused offence
Snapchat said it has “changed as a company” in recent years and apologised for past filters such as a Bob Marley face which was accused of promoting blackface at the time.