Tag - social-media

 
 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Police officers stand by as people wait for a campaign speech by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ahead of the House of Representatives election, at Rekisen Park in Tokyo on Saturday. Police discovered 336 problematic posts through internet monitoring conducted as part of their efforts to prevent attacks by lone offenders.
JAPAN
Feb 12, 2026
336 online posts hinting attacks found during Lower House race
Police discovered the posts through internet monitoring conducted as part of their efforts to prevent attacks by lone offenders.
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri (center) leaves the LA County Superior Court after testifying in a social media trial in Los Angeles, California, on Monday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 12, 2026
Instagram chief defends youth mental health decisions at trial
Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, testified in Los Angeles as part of a trial on what plaintiffs ‌call “social media addiction” ‌in children and young adults.
Russia's internet watchdog announced on Tuesday that the Telegram messenger platform would face further restrictions for alleged violations of Russian law, as Moscow tries to push Russians to use more tightly controlled domestic online services.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 11, 2026
Telegram app faces further curbs and possible fines as Russia clamps down
The Russian communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, began limiting voice and video calls ​via Telegram last August.
Social media networking apps
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 11, 2026
YouTube lawyer sees no addiction from half hour of videos a day in trial
A 20-year-old Californian was presented by her lawyers as the face of a scourge that has allegedly poisoned millions of American youths — overconsumption of social media.
In a review of the operation of a Penal Code article related to insults, the Justice Ministry said the 2022 increase in statutory penalties for the crime has been "effective to a certain extent as a measure against libel on the internet."
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 10, 2026
Stricter punishment for insults not needed, Justice Ministry says
A report from the ministry said the current legal framework regarding the crime of insults is sufficient to handle malicious cases and said there was no need for tougher penalties.
Posts referring to constitutional revision rose more than tenfold, from about 16,000 on Jan. 27 — the day the campaign officially began — to roughly 182,000 on the final day on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 10, 2026
Social media posts on Constitution and national security surged ahead of election
Debate on those policies intensified following media polls’ prediction of a strong win for the LDP-JIP coalition.
Parents from the United Kingdom — Mariano Janin and George Nicolaou — hold photos of their children, who were victims of bullying on social media, outside the Los Angeles County Superior Court in California, on Monday as landmark trial on the effects of social media on minors began.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 10, 2026
U.S. trial lawyer says Meta and YouTube ‘engineered addiction’ in children
A California court is hearing a landmark trial on the effects of social media on minors.
Election officials work at a ballot counting center on Sunday in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 9, 2026
Exit poll shows over 40% of voters want LDP-JIP bloc to continue ruling
The backing far outpaced support for any other alternative arrangement.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tarique Rahman addresses an election rally ahead of the country's general election in Dhaka on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 9, 2026
‘Flood’ of disinformation ahead of Bangladesh election
Analysts warn voters’ choices are threatened by a coordinated surge of online manipulation, much of which originates from neighboring India.
Parents who lost children to social media–related harms hold a vigil on Feb. 5 ahead of a social media addiction trial set to begin this week in Los Angeles.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 9, 2026
Arguments to begin in key U.S. social media addiction trial
The outcome in the case in the Los Angeles Superior Court could set the tone for a tidal wave of similar litigation across the United States.
U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn celebrates with her gold medal after the figure skating team competition at the Milano Cortina Olympics in Milan on Sunday.
OLYMPICS / Figure skating
Feb 9, 2026
Amber Glenn insists social media abuse did not impact performance
The three-time U.S. champion was third in the free program in her Olympic debut.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi enters the Prime Minister's Office between election campaign activities in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 7, 2026
Takaichi overwhelming rivals in social media battle to go viral
An analysis showed that Takaichi had made 65 posts during the reporting period, garnering an average of about 5,200 reposts each.
A video message from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi posted on YouTube by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has surpassed 100 million views, prompting questions over advertising spending amid reports that the surge was driven in part by promotion on social media platforms.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 5, 2026
Takaichi video message tops 100 million views
The video achieved the milestone number of views in about 10 days.
A growing number of European countries are weighing a social media ban for minors.
WORLD / Society
Feb 5, 2026
Move to ban social media for kids gains traction in Europe
The European moves could trigger an aggressive response from U.S. President Donald Trump and his orbit.
A supporter holds a flyer for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is also president of the Liberal Democratic Party, alongside an English vocabulary book at an LDP election rally in the city of Saitama on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 4, 2026
How Sanae Takaichi won over disillusioned young voters
So far, the prime minister’s strategy of presenting herself as different from previous leaders seems to have struck a chord with Japan’s youth.
A 14-year-old scrolls on his phone in Majadahonda, Spain, on Tuesday. Spain wants to prohibit social media for under-16s, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 4, 2026
Social media groups face European backlash as Spain and Greece weigh teen bans
They join countries such as ‍Britain and ⁠France in considering tougher stances on social media.
Elon Musk attends the 56th annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 4, 2026
Paris cybercrime unit searches X office; Musk summoned
The development comes amid growing scrutiny of the platform by authorities across Europe.
India is considering a ban on social media for children, following Australia's passage of the world's first ban last month.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 1, 2026
Modi ally proposes social media ban for India’s teens as global debate grows
India, the world’s second-biggest smartphone market with 750 million devices and a billion internet users, is a key growth market for social media apps.
An election notice board displaying posters of candidates in Tokyo on Tuesday. Official campaigning for the Feb. 8 election started Tuesday as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi seeks to solidify her majority in the Lower House of parliament.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 31, 2026
Social media abuzz with politics as Lower House election looms
Ahead of the Feb. 8 Lower House election, users are airing their thoughts on topics ranging from money scandals, immigration and security.
Despite Donald Trump’s celebratory claims that TikTok’s U.S. odyssey is over, the formerly Chinese-owned app now faces mounting challenges around growth, competition, governance, user trust and execution that could quickly erode its immense value.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 30, 2026
The TikTok U.S. saga isn’t over — it’s just beginning
To call the saga over — as many headlines did — would be unwise. Its challenges are only just beginning.

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