Social Media

Public education researchers and policymakers are weighing the pros and cons of Florida House Bill 379, which took effect July 1. The other 49 states will be watching closely when classes resume next month.

A California school district has signed onto an effort by districts across the country to hold companies such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube accountable for contributing to a mental health crisis among young people.

A steady stream of instability at Twitter has users looking for other social media platforms. The newest offering from Meta – Threads – is a ways off from toppling its competition. 

Within the first 24 hours of the social media platform’s launch, many government agencies and officials are already active on the Twitter competitor Threads. Is it the future of social media?

Social media companies have been edging into the space once dominated by the Twitter platform. Volatility at the Elon Musk-owned company has competitors putting new options out for users.

The state is on the cutting edge of a larger movement to hold social media companies financially accountable for the news that they use on their platforms. Lawmakers are taking some of their cues from similar Australian legislation.

U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty has ordered key Biden administration officials and agencies not to contact social media platforms to suppress speakers and viewpoints they disagree with.

The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education voted in March to ban the social media platform TikTok from all Internet networks and university-owned devices. Student reactions range from anger to agreement.

House Bill 3127, currently awaiting Gov. Tina Kotek’s signature, would ban TikTok and several other apps from companies based in China. The bill also bans cybersecurity software from Russia-based Kaspersky Lab.

The organizers of a new program that keeps two St. Louis, Mo., recreation centers open late on weekend nights to keep kids off the streets say they plan to boost social media outreach after low turnout. 

Town officials have voted to approve a resolution that would restrict all users from participating on the town's Facebook page. The change is meant to prevent “problematic comments” that inhibit the flow of public information.

Animal control agencies of different sizes are seeing high amounts of demand for animal-related services, and some are looking to technologies to combat the challenge of limited resources.

Saying social media is causing serious harm to young people, New York City's health commissioner pledged to develop a plan to reshape and regulate the industry as they would any other public health threat.

One organization in Texas is fighting back after the Chinese-owned company launched a $1.5 billion initiative under the same name as the group — Project Texas.

Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted are pressuring state lawmakers to adopt new rules requiring kids younger than 16 to obtain parental permission before signing up for a social-media account.

A newly signed law in the state now allows public officials to block people from their private social media pages without a reason. The first-of-its-kind statute has prompted criticism from First Amendment advocates.

Facebook app owner Meta Platforms has revealed plans to chop at least 1,100 more Bay Area jobs, a disquieting series of layoffs that are poised to deal a fresh jolt to the region’s wobbly tech sector.

The industry group TechNet, which represents several Silicon Valley tech giants like Apple and Meta, is trying to push Maine lawmakers away from ACLU-backed privacy legislation that the group says is too broad.