Tag: Social media
Telegram confirms cyber attack on its messaging platform
Messaging platform Telegram has confirmed it was the target of a cyber attack but said it was aimed at disrupting the service rather than an attempt to steal user data. The app said some users will have experienced “connection issues” because of the attack on its servers. Telegram said it had been the subject of…
Two year olds using social media, research suggests
Children as young as two are accessing social media, service practitioners from across the country have suggested – leading to fears that more young people are becoming addicted. More than 60% of professionals who have dealt with vulnerable children in the past six months indicated that they were worried about under-fives using social networks, not…
Effects of social media on teenagers’ life satisfaction ‘trivial in size’
The effects of social media on the life satisfaction of teenagers are “trivial” in size, a new study suggests. Spending more time on sites such as Facebook has a limited impact on how content adolescents are with their lives, according to the research published in journal PNAS. Professor Andrew Przybylski, from the University of Oxford,…
Social media makes teenagers less lonely, claims survey
Nearly half of all UK teenagers believe that using social media makes them feel less lonely, despite concerns from parents, new research shows. The TalkTalk Teenage Loneliness and Technology report found that 48% of teenagers felt the platforms helped them, with 64% saying they had never had a negative experience when using technology. This was…
Jumbo privacy app allows you to delete old social media posts automatically
A new privacy assistant app claims it can help users “fix the privacy mess” by automatically tightening privacy controls on social media and removing old posts. Jumbo, which has just launched on Apple’s iOS and will shortly also arrive on Android, asks users to connect their Twitter and Facebook accounts to the app in order…
How will an online safety regulator work?
Plans for new laws making tech giants and social networks more accountable for harmful content online have been set out by the Government, in a bid to make the UK one of the safest places in the world to be online. Here is everything you need to know about the long-awaited white paper: Will there…
WhatsApp gives users power to decide who can add them into groups
WhatsApp is giving users more control over who can add them into group chats in a bid to prevent unwanted invitations. Until today, group chats on the messaging app could become a nuisance for some, as anyone could be added into conversations without their permission simply by adding their phone number. The Facebook-owned platform is…
1 in 3 Brits admit to snooping on partner’s devices, claims survey
More than a third of Britons have admitted to snooping on their partner’s devices and social media accounts to find out whether they are guilty of cheating, a study has revealed. Four in 10 people confessed to spying on their partner's phone at least once a week, while one in five men said they waited…
Facebook to explain how mysterious news feed algorithms work
Facebook is to begin explaining to users why they are seeing certain posts on their news feed in an attempt to make the platform easier to understand. The social network has announced it is to start offering users a “why am I seeing this post?” tab, which they can click on to see how Facebook’s…
Snapchat admits its age verification tools do not work
Snapchat has admitted its age verification process cannot always stop children under the age of 13 from signing up to the app. Giving evidence to MPs looking into the addictive and immersive nature of technology, the social media platform said some of its current processes could not completely block underage children from signing up to…