Social Media

Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a ban on the use of the popular social media platform on all government-issued devices. The move comes amid growing concern about the implications of the company’s ties to the Chinese government.

The social media companies and free speech advocates are joining forces in a rare cooperative effort to oppose a measure that would allow news organizations to collectively bargain with tech companies for content distribution.

Like South Dakota, Maryland has now banned the use of the popular social media platform TikTok across executive branch agencies. Gov. Larry Hogan cited cybersecurity risks posed by the China-based company in an announcement Tuesday.

A private Dominican college is suspending activity on the official Twitter accounts of the college itself and the athletics department due to a spike in hate speech, racial slurs and misinformation.

Gov. Kristi Noem signed an executive order this week banning the use of the popular social media platform TikTok on state-issued devices. Noem cited concerns about the platform’s connection to the Chinese government.

The system that the Washington State Patrol uses to find missing persons has helped locate 70 people in 77 cases. Now the system is able to geo-target the Wireless Emergency Alerts directly to subscribers' cell phones.

The state legislature overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan bill that would mandate the creation of statewide guidelines for lessons on information literacy across digital, visual and technological media.

Some public-sector agencies are getting good — and very funny — on Twitter. From states and cities to special districts and public safety, here's a nonexhaustive look at a few of our favorites.

The company has added the ability to automatically store content from agencies and schools posted on the world's sixth-largest social media platform. But due to API restrictions, its capabilities are limited — for now.

Amid account verification turmoil and warnings of potential outages at Twitter, some agencies say they have no plans to leave, but are alerting users to other social media options and tips for spotting real accounts.

Election-related disinformation built on strategies tested in 2020, and its believers remain a strong community, those watching the space say. Though voters rejected many election denier candidates, there is still cause for concern.

Public agencies have come to rely on Twitter as a vital communication tool, particularly in emergencies. Given the platform's turmoil, experts weigh in on the path forward for government social media.

Why is it that in a society where the longtime prevalent view is that elections are run fairly, millions of people believed the opposite, with little or no proof, based solely on utterances of a small group of people?

The first-in-the-nation legislation imposes sweeping restrictions on Internet companies that serve minors, requiring that they design their platforms with “well-being” in mind and barring eight common data-collection practices.

For many years, the financial trajectory of Facebook, now known as Meta Platforms, validated investors' faith in Zuckerberg. He seemed to have the golden touch. Not so much lately.

As if on murderous cue, two new developments in Erie County have underscored the need to require social media companies to better police their virtual landscapes, including a crash where four teens died.

New York is serious about holding social media outlets accountable for distributing content designed to incite hatred or violence, with a plausible strategy to avoid the inevitable objections to limiting free speech.

New laws in Florida and Texas set the stage for states to have more control over what’s posted on social media, but that could soon be tested at the U.S. Supreme Court and mean potential changes to the First Amendment.