Social Media

File - TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew waves as he attends the Paris Peace Forum, in Paris, Nov. 10, 2023. The CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media companies are testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday about child safety on their platforms. (Stephanie Lecocq, Pool via AP, File)

Child exploitation probe calls social media CEOs before U.S. senate

Leaders of Meta, TikTok and other firms asked to respond to concerns about their effect on youth

File - TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew waves as he attends the Paris Peace Forum, in Paris, Nov. 10, 2023. The CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media companies are testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday about child safety on their platforms. (Stephanie Lecocq, Pool via AP, File)
Meta is offering to settle a class-action lawsuit over the use of some images in Facebook advertising for $51 million. The Meta logo is seen at the Vivatech show in Paris, France on June 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Thibault Camus

Meta put $51M on the table to settle B.C. Facebook advertising suit

Canadians from 4 provinces sued over firm using their names and photos without permission

Meta is offering to settle a class-action lawsuit over the use of some images in Facebook advertising for $51 million. The Meta logo is seen at the Vivatech show in Paris, France on June 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Thibault Camus
FILE - The Meta logo is seen at the Vivatech show in Paris, France, June 14, 2023. Meta said in a blog post Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, that it will start restricting inappropriate content for teenagers' accounts on Instagram and Facebook, such as posts about suicide, self-harm and eating disorders. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

Meta to block suicide, eating disorder posts from teenagers’ feeds

Company says Facebook and Instagram will take steps to block ‘age-inappropriate’ material

FILE - The Meta logo is seen at the Vivatech show in Paris, France, June 14, 2023. Meta said in a blog post Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, that it will start restricting inappropriate content for teenagers' accounts on Instagram and Facebook, such as posts about suicide, self-harm and eating disorders. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
A cursor moves over Google’s search engine page, in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 28, 2018. Your Google search history for 2023 has arrived. Well, actually, the world’s. On Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, the California-based tech giant released its “Year in Search,” a roundup of 2023’s top global queries, ranging from unforgettable pop culture moments (hello, Barbenheimer), to the loss of beloved figures and tragic news carrying worldwide repercussions. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)

What did you Google in 2023? ‘Barbie,’ Israel-Hamas war are among the year’s top internet searches

Your Google search history for 2023 has arrived. Well, actually, the world’s.…

A cursor moves over Google’s search engine page, in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 28, 2018. Your Google search history for 2023 has arrived. Well, actually, the world’s. On Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, the California-based tech giant released its “Year in Search,” a roundup of 2023’s top global queries, ranging from unforgettable pop culture moments (hello, Barbenheimer), to the loss of beloved figures and tragic news carrying worldwide repercussions. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)
Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada Arif Virani speaks during question period, Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Minister tight-lipped on whether Ottawa looking at new regulator to fight online harm

Virani’s response comes after open letter urges government to hurry up, table a long-promised bill

Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada Arif Virani speaks during question period, Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Facebook parent Meta Platforms deliberately engineered its social platforms to hook kids and knew — but never disclosed — that it had received millions of complaints about underage users on Instagram but only disabled a fraction of those accounts, according to a newly unsealed legal complaint described in reports from the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Court document claims Meta knowingly designed its platforms to hook kids, reports say

Facebook parent Meta Platforms deliberately engineered its social platforms to hook kids…

Facebook parent Meta Platforms deliberately engineered its social platforms to hook kids and knew — but never disclosed — that it had received millions of complaints about underage users on Instagram but only disabled a fraction of those accounts, according to a newly unsealed legal complaint described in reports from the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
FILE - Elon Musk reacts during an in-conversation event with Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. IBM has stopped advertising on social media platform X after a report said its ads were appearing alongside material praising Adolf Hitler and Nazis — a fresh setback as the site formerly known as Twitter tries to win back big brands and their ad dollars.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool, File)

Elon Musk visits Israel as concern grows about anti-semitism on his social media platform X

Social media not part of the conversation as Israelis ask billionaire to help build better future

FILE - Elon Musk reacts during an in-conversation event with Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. IBM has stopped advertising on social media platform X after a report said its ads were appearing alongside material praising Adolf Hitler and Nazis — a fresh setback as the site formerly known as Twitter tries to win back big brands and their ad dollars.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool, File)
Justice Minister Arif Virani says legislation is coming soon to try and tackle online hate. Virani holds a press conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Feds say online hate laws coming, timeline uncertain

Canada’s Justice Minister Arif Virani says online harms bill ‘an absolute priority’

Justice Minister Arif Virani says legislation is coming soon to try and tackle online hate. Virani holds a press conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
A view of the TikTok app logo, in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 28, 2020. The European Union ratcheted up its scrutiny of Big Tech companies on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, with demands for Meta and TikTok to detail their efforts on curbing illegal content and disinformation amid the Israel-Hamas war. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)

Nepal bans TikTok and says it disrupts social harmony

Nepal’s government decided to ban the popular social media app TikTok on…

A view of the TikTok app logo, in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 28, 2020. The European Union ratcheted up its scrutiny of Big Tech companies on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, with demands for Meta and TikTok to detail their efforts on curbing illegal content and disinformation amid the Israel-Hamas war. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)
The TikTok download screen is seen on the Apple Store on an iPhone, in Ottawa, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. Executives from Tim Tok are scheduled to appear at the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics committee looking at the sharing of personal information. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

TikTok Canada says it’s not under the control of the Chinese government

Video-sharing app firm in Ottawa to answer questions about security

The TikTok download screen is seen on the Apple Store on an iPhone, in Ottawa, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. Executives from Tim Tok are scheduled to appear at the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics committee looking at the sharing of personal information. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
FILE - In this April 17, 2019, file photo, online customer reviews for a product are displayed on a computer in New York. Some of the most used platforms for travel and online shopping said Tuesday, Oct. 17. 2023 they’re going to team up to battle fake reviews. Amazon, reviews site Glassdoor and Trustpilot as well as travel companies Expedia Group, Booking.com and Tripadvisor announced they’re launching a group called the “Coalition for Trusted Reviews.” (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)

Online giants set to battle fake online shopping and travel reviews

Amazon, Tripadvisor and others joining forces to combat bogus consumer reactions

FILE - In this April 17, 2019, file photo, online customer reviews for a product are displayed on a computer in New York. Some of the most used platforms for travel and online shopping said Tuesday, Oct. 17. 2023 they’re going to team up to battle fake reviews. Amazon, reviews site Glassdoor and Trustpilot as well as travel companies Expedia Group, Booking.com and Tripadvisor announced they’re launching a group called the “Coalition for Trusted Reviews.” (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
File - Workers install lighting on an “X” sign atop the company headquarters, formerly known as Twitter, in San Francisco, on July 28, 2023. Before it transformed into X, Twitter was the place to turn to for live and reliable information about big news events, from wars to natural disasters. But as the Israel-Hamas war has underscored, that is no longer the case. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

Musk’s X has taken down hundreds of Hamas-linked accounts, CEO says

Elon Musk’s social media platform X has removed hundreds of Hamas-linked accounts…

File - Workers install lighting on an “X” sign atop the company headquarters, formerly known as Twitter, in San Francisco, on July 28, 2023. Before it transformed into X, Twitter was the place to turn to for live and reliable information about big news events, from wars to natural disasters. But as the Israel-Hamas war has underscored, that is no longer the case. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)
FILE - A view of the mobile phone app logos for, from left, Facebook and Instagram in New York, Oct. 5, 2021. Meta plans to give European Facebook and Instagram users the option of paying for ad-free versions of the social media services as a way to comply with the continent’s data privacy rules, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, file)

Facebook and Instagram users in Europe could get ad-free subscription option, WSJ reports

Meta plans to give Facebook and Instagram users in Europe the option…

FILE - A view of the mobile phone app logos for, from left, Facebook and Instagram in New York, Oct. 5, 2021. Meta plans to give European Facebook and Instagram users the option of paying for ad-free versions of the social media services as a way to comply with the continent’s data privacy rules, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, file)
Kaitlyn Hundt-Lippett, pictured with her mixer Stanley. Hundt-Lippet is hoping someone driving to Nelson from Toronto will be able to bring her industrial kitchen mixer along in exchange for free baked goods. (Kaitlyn Alexandria Hundt-Lippett/Facebook)

Get Stanley to Nelson: Woman seeks help to get beloved mixer cross-country

Support reaching as far as UK after woman’s social media post goes viral

Kaitlyn Hundt-Lippett, pictured with her mixer Stanley. Hundt-Lippet is hoping someone driving to Nelson from Toronto will be able to bring her industrial kitchen mixer along in exchange for free baked goods. (Kaitlyn Alexandria Hundt-Lippett/Facebook)
Some news outlets say they’ve been unable to post on Meta’s social media sites some or all of the time since the digital giant began rolling out its restrictions on Canadian news. The Facebook logo is seen on a cellphone in Boston, Oct. 14, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Michael Dwyer

UK’s new online safety law adds to crackdown on Big Tech companies

British lawmakers have approved an ambitious but controversial new internet safety law…

Some news outlets say they’ve been unable to post on Meta’s social media sites some or all of the time since the digital giant began rolling out its restrictions on Canadian news. The Facebook logo is seen on a cellphone in Boston, Oct. 14, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Michael Dwyer
A new StatCan report links cyberbullying to mental health issues in adolescents. THE NEWS/files

Cyberbullying hurting 1 in 4 Canadian youths: StatCan

Study says youth who have been victimized online have a greater risk of mental health issues

A new StatCan report links cyberbullying to mental health issues in adolescents. THE NEWS/files
As thousands of demonstrators clogged the streets around Parliament Hill in early 2022, many of them did so with a phone in their hand. A protester records a police line with their phone as police move in to clear downtown Ottawa near Parliament Hill of protesters after weeks of demonstrations on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Trial by social media: Court struggles under weight of ‘Freedom Convoy’ evidence

The 2nd week of the trial has been slow-rolled by issues related to social media evidence

As thousands of demonstrators clogged the streets around Parliament Hill in early 2022, many of them did so with a phone in their hand. A protester records a police line with their phone as police move in to clear downtown Ottawa near Parliament Hill of protesters after weeks of demonstrations on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
An RCMP patch is seen on the shoulder of an assistant commissioner, in Surrey, B.C., on Friday, April 28, 2023. North Vancouver RCMP is warning both teens and adults to be aware of ongoing online sexual extortions, while also excouraging parents to talk with their children about the dangers of these scams. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Sexual extortion scams can happen in 20 minutes, B.C. RCMP warn

North Vancouver RCMP planning presentations to educate students on the dangers of it on social media

An RCMP patch is seen on the shoulder of an assistant commissioner, in Surrey, B.C., on Friday, April 28, 2023. North Vancouver RCMP is warning both teens and adults to be aware of ongoing online sexual extortions, while also excouraging parents to talk with their children about the dangers of these scams. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Outspoken political commentator Ezra Levant arrives at the Law Society of Alberta in Calgary on Wednesday, March 2, 2016. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault must unblock Rebel News founder Levant on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, under the terms of a court order. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Court orders minister to unblock Rebel News founder on former Twitter

Ezra Levant argued Steven Guilbeault was violating his constitutional rights by blocking him

Outspoken political commentator Ezra Levant arrives at the Law Society of Alberta in Calgary on Wednesday, March 2, 2016. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault must unblock Rebel News founder Levant on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, under the terms of a court order. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
The META logo is seen at the Vivatech show in Paris in Paris, France, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Thibault Camus

$234 million price tag hung on Facebook, Google under Online News Act

Draft outlines how Canada proposes to level playing field between Big Tech and news media sector

The META logo is seen at the Vivatech show in Paris in Paris, France, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Thibault Camus