Social Media
Trump advances TikTok deal with new executive order
The new order says that the deal to turn over a majority stake in TikTok to a group of U.S. investors meets the terms ordered by Congress, and will allow it to stay online in the U.S.
Deal for TikTok creates U.S. joint venture, and government won’t have a stake
The U.S. will get a copy of TikTok's prized content recommendation algorithm, and that the tech company Oracle will provide security.
Social media is shattering America’s understanding of Charlie Kirk’s death
There is a deep schism in how Americans understand the assassination that took place a little more than a week ago and that gap is being widened by social media.
Trump says talk with China’s Xi yielded progress, including on TikTok
Officials have been working on a deal to bring popular video app TikTok under U.S. ownership to avoid shutting it down in the United States.
Kirk shooting videos spread online, even to viewers who didn’t want to see them
Graphic videos of the Charlie Kirk shooting spread widely online, raising concerns over the emotional and political toll of exposure to violent imagery.
Officials announce a ‘framework’ for keeping TikTok online in the U.S.
U.S. officials have announced a "framework" that would let Chinese-owned short video platform TikTok continue operations in the United States, although the two countries are still working out the details.
Democrats will ‘either adapt or die’ as strategists push them onto new platforms
Prominent Democratic lawmakers and influencers are encouraging their fellow Democrats to embrace social media and online video to reach voters or risk being left behind.
Nepal lifts social media ban following protests where police killed 19 people
Nepal's government lifted its ban on social media platforms Tuesday a day after police killed opened fire on mass street protests against the ban, killing 19 people.
‘AI slop’ videos may be annoying, but they’re racking up views — and ad money
Critics say that "slop" videos made with generative AI are often repetitive or useless. But they get millions of views — and platforms are grappling with what to do about them.
Brands are loving Taylor Swift’s engagement. Do they need to calm down?
Companies from Pillsbury to Invisalign to Olipop are cheering — and trying to cash in on — the couple's engagement. Experts spoke to NPR about how brands can strike a better balance.
What’s behind the Trump administration’s immigration memes?
White supremacist tropes and ironic viral jokes illustrate the administration's project of redefining who belongs in the United States.
This TikTok video is fake, but every word was taken from a real creator
TikTok researchers and users say there is yet another type of deception to look out for on the hit video app: Deepfake videos that copy the exact words of a real creator but in a different voice.
Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, started calling itself ‘MechaHitler’
On Sunday, the chatbot was updated to "not shy away from making claims which are politically incorrect, as long as they are well substantiated." By Tuesday, it was praising Hitler.
Trump will toss TikTok another lifeline, pushing back its sell-by date for a third time
Last year, Congress banned the app in the U.S., citing national security concerns and demanding it spin off from its Chinese owner, ByteDance. Trump said he'll once again pause enforcement of the ban.
Elon Musk says some of his social media posts about Trump ‘went too far’
Musk has quietly deleted some of his inflammatory tweets about Trump since last week. In a podcast episode released Wednesday, Trump said he was disappointed in Musk but had "no hard feelings."
How Elon Musk’s favorite news influencer is capitalizing on his clout
The Australian crypto entrepreneur now hosts chats with world leaders. "If [he] is sharing a story, there's a good chance that U.S. policymakers are reading it — and acting on it," said one analyst.
Mark Zuckerberg defends Meta in court against monopoly claims
In Zuckerberg's second day of testifying in the federal antitrust trial, he defended Meta's acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. The U.S. government wants Meta to bust up the two companies.
U.S. says it is now monitoring immigrants’ social media for antisemitism
Effective immediately, the government says it will begin screening immigrant social media for activity that officials think indicates support for antisemitism.
Trump extends TikTok’s sell-by deadline again
On his first day in office, President Trump used an executive order to hit pause on the TikTok ban for 75 days. Now he's pushing back that deadline.
Ben & Jerry’s alleges its CEO was fired over its political activism. Here’s the scoop
Ben & Jerry's alleges its parent company, Unilever, ousted its CEO in retaliation for social media posts supporting progressive causes. The last few years have been a rocky road for the companies.
A U.S. influencer outrages Australians by snatching a baby wombat from its mom
Outdoor enthusiast Sam Jones left Australia after posting a video of herself separating a baby wombat from its mom on a dark road. Australians are cheering her departure and worrying about the animal.
Alabama lawmakers target social media
Social media is under fire nowadays, especially when it comes to use by children. Several bills in the Alabama Legislature would restrict how kids could use social media. We hear more about that and other happenings in Montgomery from Todd Stacy, host of Capitol Journal on Alabama Public Television.
TikTok is back on the Apple and Google app stores
Apple and Google removed the app after the Supreme Court upheld a law prohibiting firms from doing business with TikTok as long as it is controlled by China-based ByteDance.
Duolingo’s owl mascot is a social media sensation. So why did they kill him off?
Duo was fatally hit by a Tesla Cybertruck, the language-learning company announced this week. The snarky owl has been the face of Duolingo for over a decade. Why his sudden demise, and what's next?
Ban social media for kids? Fed-up parents in Senate say yes
Sen. Katie Britt says she hears about it constantly when she is at home in Alabama. “Parent after parent” come up to her wanting to discuss the way social media was harming their kids.
Widening Rifts and Unfriending in Politically Tense Times
Thirteen percent of people, according to one survey say they blocked, unfriended, or stopped following someone on social media because of what they posted about politics. Haden Holmes Brown takes a look at tensions over politics three months into President Donald Trump's time in office.
Sen. Cam Ward On Bill to Thwart Inappropriate Teacher-Student Contact
Recent reports have referred to Alabama as "ground zero" for incidents of teacher-student sex. Whether that's fair or not, most agree there's a serious problem. So state senator Cam Ward of Alabaster has sponsored a bill to mandate an hour of training for educators on appropriate teacher-student interaction in the age of social media.
Crime in Greater Birmingham: Impact of Social Media
Elizabeth Sanfelippo is an energy consultant who lives in Birmingham’s upscale Highland Park neighborhood. She grew up outside of Birmingham, and lived in Vermont and New York before coming back to her beloved hometown. When she wants to know what’s happening in the area, she picks up her smartphone and presses a green icon with a white house on it, opening the Nextdoor app.
