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Snap is adding a watermark to AI-generated images
AI-created content that leaves Snapchat will get a sparkly ghost watermark.
Bluesky now allows heads of state to join the platform
A post from the official Bluesky account on Friday notified users that it's lifted its ban on heads of state. The policy has been in place for the last year. Bluesky recently opened itself up to public signups after previously requiring invite codes.
X is giving blue checks to people with more than 2,500 Premium followers
Last night, several prominent journalists posted (complained in many cases) about unexpectedly regaining their verified blue checks on Elon Musk's X platform.
Journaling app Palmsy offers fake likes from real friends
An oddball new app called Palmsy lets you post to a social media network full of adoring followers who only exist in your imagination.
Ron DeSantis signs bill requiring parental consent for kids to join social media platforms in Florida
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida just signed into law a bill that requires parental consent for kids under 16 to hold social media accounts. It also completely prevents children under 14 from joining these platforms.
Instagram porn bots’ latest tactic is ridiculously low-effort, but it’s working
Porn bots are pervasive across social media, despite platforms' best efforts to stamp them out. In order to avoid detection by moderation tools, the scammers behind them continually change their methods.
A Threads beta lets you share to Mastodon and other fediverse services
Fediverse support in Meta Threads is up and running in beta. Mark Zuckerberg said on Thursday that adult Threads users in eligible countries can turn on sharing to the fediverse — including Mastodon and other ActivityPub services.
Reddit is now a publicly traded company
Reddit is now a publicly traded company, 19 years after it first went live. It aimed to raise around $631 million in its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange.
YouTube lays out new rules for 'realistic' AI-generated videos
YouTube creators now have to disclose if a realistic-looking video "is made with altered or synthetic media, including generative AI." The label rules don't apply to "clearly unrealistic" content.
LinkedIn is developing in-app games to further distract you from your job hunt
App researcher Nima Owji posted a series of screenshots on X this weekend showing some of the puzzle games LinkedIn is working on, and the company has since confirmed the plan to TechCrunch. There's no rollout date yet.
Engadget Podcast: Why is the US trying to ban TikTok again?
Cherlynn and Devindra chat with Engadget Senior Editor Karissa Bell around the latest TikTok drama.
TikTok to creators: make longer videos, get paid
TikTok is rolling out the Creator Rewards Program that only pays for videos longer than one minute.
Meta is testing cross-posts from Facebook to Threads
Meta is testing a feature that allows users to post to both Facebook and Threads at the same time.
Reddit reportedly signed a multi-million content licensing deal with an AI company
Reddit signed a deal with an AI company that's "worth about $60 million on an annualized basis" earlier this year, according to Bloomberg. The unnamed company will use Reddit posts and comments to train its AI models.
New York City is suing social media companies for allegedly harming the mental health of children
New York City is suing Meta, Google, Snap and TikTok for "fueling nationwide youth mental health crisis."
How to delete your Instagram account
Tap Account Center and a menu will appear showing you the singular or multiple profiles you manage and all the tools on one page. Instead of selecting “Personal details” as you would on a mobile device, tap “Your information and permissions,” which will open up three drop-down menus, one of which reads “Deactivation or deletion.” Tap and then select the profile you want to deactivate or delete, then select which action you want to proceed with. Either way, you will be prompted to write your password for that profile if you select to deactivate or delete the account. Finally, you will need to select a reason for deleting or deactivating the account, and then you’re done. Once you select the reason, for a second time, Instagram will ask you to confirm deletion and give you a date that your account details will be permanently deleted off of the platform. Again, after your request goes through, it can take Meta up to 30 days to delete the account and affiliated information permanently. Meta does warn that during the 30 days pass, your content will remain subject to Instagram’s privacy policy, but your information and profile will not be accessible to other people using Instagram. It also is worth noting that it can take up to 90 days for the deletion process to finish after it gets initiated. So if you're really trying to disappear, it could take a while.
Engadget Podcast: Reviewing the Samsung Galaxy S24 lineup
Samsung’s Galaxy S24 phones are all about AI, but how do they compare against Google’s AI tech?
TikTok is the fastest-growing social platform, but YouTube remains the most dominant
The Pew Research Center has published an updated survey of US adult social media usage. Although YouTube and Facebook retain their dominant status, TikTok is the fastest-growing platform.
Universal Music threatens to pull songs from TikTok over payment terms
Universal Music Group (UMG) is threatening to pull all of its music from TikTok today following a breakdown in negotiations over royalties.
Proposed California bill would let parents block algorithmic social feeds for children
California will float a pair of bills designed to protect children from social media addiction and preserve their private data. SB 976 and AB 1949 were introduced Monday by the state’s Attorney General Rob Bonta.
