Facebook is bringing back the poke (again) for the youths

The “poke” technically never went away, but Facebook is trying to make it a thing again. In a nod to Y2K nostalgia, Facebook announced a few updates to the poke button, according to TechCrunch, which spotted the announcement. A fixture in the early Facebook days, no one was ever quite clear on what a poke…

Yet another platform drops Elon Musks X after API changes

One of the web’s biggest social media management apps has just removed Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, from its platform. Later, which boasts millions of users, including hundreds of big brands ranging from GoPro to the Dallas Mavericks, officially dropped support for X on its Later Social platform on Thursday. The social media…

4chan and Kiwi Farms sue UK regulator over Online Safety Act

Notorious and controversial imageboards 4chan and Kiwi Farms are taking the UK government to task in U.S. federal court, filing suit against the country’s Office of Communications (Ofcom) over the controversial Online Safety Act (OSA). The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, August 27, follows earlier threats made by the site’s legal counsel, Preston Byrne. Byrne warned…

Bluesky blocked in Mississippi over age verification laws

People in Mississippi no longer have access to Bluesky — one of the primary alternatives to Elon Musk‘s X — because of burdensome age verification laws. A new law in Mississippi requires age verification to access social media sites. This landmark piece of legislation goes even further than other laws that require age verification for sites…

Gay influencer couple reveals breakup in viral video — then deletes it

This week, a gay influencer couple announced their breakup online, complete with a “split custody” plan for their social media. The internet, in its usual fashion, went into prying auntie mode. For years, New Orleans-based Matt Armato and Beau Ciolino shared lifestyle blogs and videos under the brand Probably This. They met in 2013 and…

9 ways to spot an AI-generated viral video

AI-generated video has gotten way too good. Scary good, actually. Because of that, our feeds are flooded with suspiciously perfect clips — like impossibly cute animals bouncing on trampolines — racking up millions of views across TikTok, Shorts, and Reels. With AI content blending seamlessly into our scroll, it’s not always easy to know what’s…

The unseen risks creators face when they get political

The Supreme Court has been asked to take up a case that could overturn the 2015 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, and Tefi Pessoa, a lifestyle creator with 1.9 million TikTok followers, can’t understand why more LGBTQ+ creators aren’t talking about it. “How is anyone LGBTQIA+ in America right now and not talking about gay marriage?”…

Truth Socials new AI search is woke enough to disagree with Trump

Less than a week after announcing a new Perplexity-powered AI search engine with reportedly tight reins on its sources, Truth Social’s AI tool is already contradicting its most famous co-founder. Truth Search AI, a new platform-based answer bot built on Perplexity Sonar API, was launched by Trump Media and Technology Group to “increase the amount…

You can no longer go live on Instagram unless you have 1,000 followers

It’s hard enough getting into the content creator space without the platform you’re on putting up restrictions. However, Instagram is now the latest social media app to institute such a restriction — forcing people to have at least 1,000 followers before they go live on the site. Previously, Instagram let anyone go live, regardless of…