Joey Barton given suspended jail sentence over ‘grossly offensive’ social media posts
The ex-footballer sent “grossly offensive” posts about Jeremy Vine, Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko, a court hears. ⌘ Read more

Joey Barton given suspended jail sentence over ‘grossly offensive’ social media posts
The ex-footballer sent “grossly offensive” posts about Jeremy Vine, Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko, a court hears. ⌘ Read more

Joey Barton given suspended jail sentence over ‘grossly offensive’ social media posts
The ex-footballer sent “grossly offensive” posts about Jeremy Vine, Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko, a court hears. ⌘ Read more

Joey Barton given suspended jail sentence over ‘grossly offensive’ social media posts
The ex-footballer sent “grossly offensive” posts about Jeremy Vine, Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko, a court hears. ⌘ Read more

Joey Barton given suspended jail sentence over ‘grossly offensive’ social media posts
The ex-footballer sent “grossly offensive” posts about Jeremy Vine, Lucy Ward and Eni Aluko, a court hears. ⌘ Read more

Elon Musk’s X bans European Commission from making ads after €120m fine
The EU regulator had fined the social media platform over its “deceptive” blue tick badges. ⌘ Read more

Why picking up her phone made Samantha question her ability as a new mum
Readers share how they approached their online and social media use in the weeks immediately after giving birth. ⌘ Read more

How would your social feed look if you controlled what you saw?
Sexual violence prevention group Teach Us Consent is pushing for Australians to have the choice to “opt-in” to social media algorithms. ⌘ Read more

Russia ramps up recruitment of foreign fighters despite ceasefire talks
Through a targeted social media campaign, Russia is offering citizenship and money to foreigners who join its fight in Ukraine, but experts say this is a desperate measure from Moscow. ⌘ Read more

How Europe is gearing up to follow Australia’s teen social media ban
The European Union says it will learn from Australia’s new laws to bar under-16s from social media, with steps to implement the world-first ban already underway and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praising Australia’s “brave move”. ⌘ Read more

s it ever OK to leave a party or social event without saying goodbye?
We asked two experts for their advice on the etiquette of leaving a social gathering without notice and the best approaches to take if you do need to depart suddenly. ⌘ Read more

Naked man smashes ambulance windscreen in Kalgoorlie-Boulder
A video circulated on social media shows a naked male using his head to smash the windscreen of a moving ambulance. ⌘ Read more

Four arrested in London after apple crumble thrown at Crown Jewels display
An organisation called Take Back Power, which describes itself as a civil resistance group, posted footage of the incident on social media and said two of its members had smothered the Imperial State Crown display case with apple crumble and custard. ⌘ Read more

Prime minister’s office approved Wells’s almost-$100,000 flights
The furore over Communications Minister Anika Wells’s expenses continues, with just three days until the government’s much-anticipated social media ban for under 16s comes into force. ⌘ Read more

Gearing up for the school holidays? Here’s how to survive them without social media
These school holidays, children under 16 will find themselves with less social media access as a ban comes into place. We asked the experts how parents can best support their kids with the transition. ⌘ Read more

Parents could grant Labor the grace the opposition won’t on social media ban
Australia’s social media age ban is one of the most significant attempts to rebalance the asymmetric power relationship between government and tech. ⌘ Read more

‘Rage Bait’ Named Oxford Word of the Year 2025
Longtime Slashdot reader sinij shares a report from the BBC: Do you find yourself getting increasingly irate while scrolling through your social media feed? If so, you may be falling victim to rage bait, which Oxford University Press has named its word or phrase of the year. It is a term that describes manipulative tactics used to drive engagement online, with usage of it increasing t … ⌘ Read more

How 4ZZZ kept Brisbane loud and proud with the help of bands, battles and beer
Brisbane community radio station 4ZZZ has withstood political, social and financial pressure for 50 years and it’s still thriving as a loud and proud beacon of counterculture. ⌘ Read more

The “AOSP Devs” @aosp_devs@aosp_devs year in review:

https://aosp-devs.org/2025/11/30/year-in-review.html

Reform revokes council leader’s party membership
It follows an investigation by the party into racist content on social media. ⌘ Read more

**US hits out at EU’s ‘suffocating regulations’ after it fines Elon Musk’s X **
The European Commission says the social media site is opening its users up to scams and impersonations. ⌘ Read more

Still the #DigitalOmnibus :

Tech Policy says “What all of these changes point to is a shift away from empowering people and towards granting discretion to business. What makes the GDPR truly disruptive is that its rights-based approach puts power into the hands of data subjects, of people, and gives them tools to fight back against tech giants, powerful government agencies, and anyone else who uses their data to surveil, track or control them. In a broad sense, shifting towards a risk-based approach to digital regulation tends to allow discretion to powerful actors and creates a maze of loopholes, exemptions, and exceptions that all, ultimately, function as ways for powerful actors to avoid accountability.”

@accessnow.social@accessnow.social says “The new Commission’s decision to prioritize deregulation and securitization above all else is taking the EU in a dangerous direction; one where human rights, once seen as fundamental for the European project, are being sidelined. This will not make people’s lives easier, nor keep them safer. Rather it will transform the EU into a digital dystopia, and ultimately undermine the foundations of European democracy.”

**US hits out at EU for fining Elon Musk’s X **
The European Commission says the social media site is opening its users up to scams and impersonations. ⌘ Read more

Elon Musk’s X fined €120m over ‘deceptive’ blue ticks
The European Commission says the social media site is opening its users up to scams and impersonations. ⌘ Read more

EU hits Musk’s X with $210 million fine for breaching bloc’s social media law
European Union regulators say the breaches of the bloc’s digital regulations could leave users exposed to scams and manipulation. ⌘ Read more

How Australian teens are planning to get around their social media ban
From legal challenges to lesser-known apps, the teenagers of Australia are already preparing to push back against a law that will see under 16s banned from social media ⌘ Read more

Facial age verification: Can it be fooled and how safe is it?
Scanning a face to guess its age is likely to be a major part of the “waterfall” of methods used to comply with the social media ban. ⌘ Read more

Australia’s red-tipped bananas go viral after cheeky social media post
Red-tipped bananas are not new to Australian consumers, but they have gone viral on social media this month after an inquisitive post from two bewildered British backpackers. ⌘ Read more

Live: Social media platforms must ‘get their act together’ ahead of ban, minister says
Mark Butler says social media platforms have five days to “get their act together” amid reports some children are already evading the upcoming social media ban. Follow live. ⌘ Read more

High Court agrees to hear teens’ challenge to social media ban
The High Court of Australia agrees to hear a special case brought by two teenagers challenging the federal government’s upcoming social media ban for Australians under 16. ⌘ Read more

Today marks the unofficial start of the teen social media ban
Today marks the unofficial start of the teen social media ban. Here’s everything you need to know. ⌘ Read more

Albanese won the integrity election and delivered a mixed scorecard
Despite holding a commanding position, Anthony Albanese knows the global trend of sliding trust in government isn’t one to be taken lightly. ⌘ Read more

Meta’s AI wrongly bans Australian businesses
Instagram owner’s support systems have been labelled useless as the telecommunications ombudsman says complaints about social media and digital platforms are soaring. ⌘ Read more

I avoid social media to protect myself - Amorim
Not reading social media abuse is the “only way to survive in this world”, says Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim. ⌘ Read more

Coalition has ‘no confidence’ social media ban will work under Labor
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says Australia’s social media ban will not work under Labor, as the federal government rejects YouTube’s claim it will make kids “less safe”. ⌘ Read more

Australia’s social media lockout begins as teens face digital exile
Meta will start booting under-16s from Facebook and Instagram on Thursday, while YouTube finally “begrudgingly” confirms compliance. ⌘ Read more

How to prepare yourself and your child for the social media ban on December 10
From December 10, young people will lose access to part of their online world. Here’s how to support them. ⌘ Read more

Waymo Hits a Dog In San Francisco, Reigniting Safety Debate
A Waymo robotaxi struck a small unleashed dog in San Francisco – just weeks after another Waymo killed a beloved neighborhood cat. The dog’s condition is unknown. The Los Angeles Times reports: The incident occurred near the intersection of Scott and Eddy streets and drew a small crowd, according to social media posts. A person claiming to be one of the pa … ⌘ Read more

Franklin the Turtle and Sabrina Carpenter in tiff with Trump administration
Trump administration officials used Carpenter’s song and Franklin the Turtle’s image in social media posts about deportation and killing drug traffickers. ⌘ Read more

Sabrina Carpenter slams White House for using her song in ICE video
Two-time Grammy winner Sabrina Carpenter slams the White House for using her song in a social media post about ICE raids, telling the Trump administration to never involve her in their “inhumane agenda”. ⌘ Read more

Sabrina Carpenter and Franklin the Turtle in tiff with Trump administration over use of work
Trump administration officials used Carpenter’s song and Franklin the Turtle’s image in social media posts about deportation and killing drug traffickers. ⌘ Read more

Lemon8 and Yope put on notice as social media age ban targets
Social media platforms Lemon8 and Yope are put on notice about age limit laws as both apps surge in popularity ahead of a ban for under 16s. ⌘ Read more

Is social media masking the challenges of bushwalking?
There are concerns that social media is leading to poor bushwalking decisions with trends such as “rawdogging” a hike glorifying a lack of preparedness. ⌘ Read more

Social media ban leaves children vulnerable to phishing scams, experts say
As the social media ban comes into effect, experts are worried children and families will be left vulnerable to age verification scams. Here’s why. ⌘ Read more

What Happens When You Kick Millions of Teens Off Social Media? Australia’s About to Find Out
27 million people live in Australia. But there’s a big change coming if you’re under 16, reports CNN:

From December 10, sites that meet the Australian government’s definition of an “age-restricted social media platform” will need to show that they’re doing enough to eject or block children u … ⌘ Read more

Young women say social media didn’t prepare them for realities of sex work
Sex workers say viral social media content, which often promotes a life of luxury, needs to be more transparent to avoid duping young followers. ⌘ Read more

Less-known social apps surge as teen users look for new home
The likes of Yope and Lemon8 are enjoying an uptick in Australia right now, but they will still be subject to the government’s regulations. ⌘ Read more

Good to see so many folks starting to come back to our little non-social social ecosystem 👌 Good to also see twtxt.net starting to peer with 7 other pods in the greater network too! 🥳

Social Media Giants Liable For Financial Scams Under New EU Law
Platforms including Meta and TikTok will be held liable for financial fraud for the first time under new rules agreed by EU lawmakers in the early hours of Thursday. From a report: The Parliament and Council agreed on the package of rules after eight hours of negotiations to strengthen safeguards against payment fraud. The deal adds another layer o … ⌘ Read more

Social media ban implementation will ‘vary’ across platforms, regulator warns
Not all Australians aged under 16 will “magically disappear overnight” from social media, the nation’s online safety regulator says, amid a legal challenge to pause the start of the federal government’s ban. ⌘ Read more