Liz Kendall wraps cyberflashing into Online Safety Act September 29, 2025 Social media giants will be forced to crack down on cyberflashing under new duties to be announced by technology secretary Liz Kendall at the Labour Party conference. The move will see unsolicited nude images and videos classified as a “priority offence” under the Online Safety Act, placing strict new obligations on platforms to detect and [...]
Meta to launch paid ad-free option on Facebook and Instagram in UK September 26, 2025 Meta is preparing to roll out a new subscription service in the UK that will allow users to pay to remove ads from Facebook and Instagram, raising questions about the future of ‘free’ social media. Over the coming weeks, UK users will see notifications explaining the change. Those who want to avoid ads can subscribe [...]
Brits call for VPN ban for minors to curb Online Safety Act loopholes August 20, 2025 A majority of Britons believe children under 18 should be banned from using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) following a recent surge, a survey has found. Research from YouGov found that 55 per cent of the public supports a ban for minors, while only 20 per cent think they should be allowed to use them. This [...]
MPs demand answers from Meta on finfluencers complaints June 6, 2025 An influential group of MPs has demanded that Meta outline its track record responding to requests to remove damaging content from finfluencers, after the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) named the Facebook and Instagram owner as the sector’s worst offender. Chair of the Treasury Committee Meg Hillier issued a letter to the social media giant earlier [...]
Zoe advert featuring Steven Bartlett banned for being ‘misleading’ May 21, 2025 An advert featuring Dragons’ Den star Steven Bartlett for nutrition brand Zoe has been banned after being ruled to be misleading. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has found against the Facebook advert for Zoe’s Daily30+ supplement which the brand claimed contained “just real food” and “no ultra-processed” ingredients. The watchdog said the advert, which included [...]
Meta surges on bold AI spend – but tariff risks loom May 1, 2025 Meta platforms delivered strong first quarter earnings after market close on Wednesday, with revenue and profit surpassing Wall Street expectations thanks to continued growth in advertising and an aggressive push into AI. But the firm’s exposure to global trade tensions and regulatory headwinds in its European market present a complicated picture for investors evaluating the [...]
Meta launches ChatGPT rival app ahead of key earnings April 29, 2025 Meta platforms debuted its standalone AI app on Tuesday, marking its most direct move yet against OpenAI’s ChatGPT – and doing so just 24 hours ahead of its first earnings report of the year. The app, built on Meta’s llama models, features on AI assistant, image generation, and a ‘discover’ feed to showcase user prompts, [...]
UK has become the epicentre of WhatsApp scams in Europe April 1, 2025 The UK has become the epicentre of WhatsApp scams in Europe, with British consumers losing more money on the platform than in any other country. Analysis compiled by Revolut revealed that in 2024, WhatsApp fraud accounted for 21 per cent of all reported scams in the UK, with victims losing an average of £2,437 per [...]
Is Facebook about to fall foul of new fraud laws? March 18, 2025 This week the anti-fraud provisions of the Online Safety Act start to become enforceable. This could mean huge fines for social media firms that break the law by carrying fraudulent content. Yet our investigation shows that Facebook is still carrying numerous adverts for investments that might be seen to break the new law, says Andrew [...]
Meta fact-checking U-turn probed over Ronaldo Facebook deepfake scam February 6, 2025 Meta’s decision to scrap fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram is under review after Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Nazario was caught up in a deepfake scam. The company’s oversight board has launched an investigation after Meta initially rejected calls to remove a post that used an AI-manipulated video of Ronaldo to promote a gambling app. Meta [...]