Social Media

Several states are pushing legislation that would limit online access and social media use by kids, setting up yet another potential confrontation between states and Congress on technology policy.

Higher education leaders and students predict the State Board of Higher Education's ban, scheduled to take effect July 1, will have a negligible impact on students and university operations.

The app has a strikingly similar interface to the ByteDance platform: A "For You" page, a nearly identical menu bar at the bottom of the screen and an endless roll of short-form video content to consume.

The Florida Board of Governors issued an emergency rule last week prohibiting TikTok, WeChat, Vkontakte, Kaspersky and Tencent QQ over security concerns about the collection of faceprints, voiceprints and personal data.

The Purdue University system this week joined many other higher-ed institutions in blocking access to the TikTok app and website, based on a Purdue IT security audit and the terms of the app's user agreements.

A study from the University of Houston surveyed hundreds of Americans across 43 states to find that ideations about local crime were distorted after using neighborhood social engagement apps like Nextdoor.

Banning TikTok: What data privacy risk does the app pose, and what could the Chinese government do with data it collects? And is it even possible to ban an app?

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has signed two new laws focused on social media companies and the platforms they operate. The new rules would set usage limits for minors and restrict how the platforms target underage users.

In a panel at the annual Consortium for School Networking conference, educators said social media companies and school districts can work together on student safety and combating malicious impersonator accounts.

The latest U.S.-China clash over TikTok is likely to worsen the already rocky relationship between the two countries, as Beijing and Washington tussle over bans and concerns about espionage and national security.

The United States has told the Chinese owners of the video-sharing app TikTok that they must sell their shares or risk the app being banned in the U.S., people familiar with the matter said.

On the heels of a similar lawsuit by Seattle Public Schools earlier this year, the San Mateo County superintendent and school board are suing social media companies for contributing to student mental health issues.

Citing heightened concerns about online security and data collection, Orange County employees will no longer be able to download, view or use TikTok on government-issued devices.

Social media companies have doubled down on last year’s lobbying efforts to fend off a bill that would have held social media companies liable for addicting children to their content. This year, a new iteration has their attention.

Dr. Matt Buckman, executive director and clinical psychologist at the Stress & Trauma Treatment Centers in Illinois, says a decline in interpersonal interactions among kids can lead to mental health problems.

The White House endorsed a bipartisan bill that could give the president authority to ban or force a sale of TikTok, support that could hasten passage and break a deadlock over how to address the popular app.

The measure isn’t expected to pinpoint the company by name, but it would give the U.S. the power to ban or prohibit foreign technologies or companies when necessary.

State and local election officials across the country have begun pursuing strategies to combat election lies and online misinformation ahead of the 2024 presidential election.