Alarming rise of social media use among toddlers Almost 800,000 children under the age of five are now likely to be using social media platforms in the UK, intensifying concerns around the country’s ability to protect the younger generation online. The figures, based of Ofcom’s recent research, reveal an alarming rise in very young children using platforms intended for teenagers or adults. It [...]
TikTok wants you to stop doomscrolling (on its own app) Tech TikTok has spent years perfecting the dark art of keeping you glued to your phone, but now it wants to help you put the phone down. In a move that feels almost existential, the company announced on Wednesday the rollout of a new so-called ‘Time and Well‑Being’ centre designed to help people step away from [...]
Facebook cuts 660 UK jobs as revenue nears record Tech Facebook cut more than 600 UK jobs as its revenue passed the £3bn mark in 2024, it has been revealed. The London-headquartered arm of the US giant reduced its headcount from 6,338 to 5,679 during its latest financial year. The fall comes after Facebook’s UK headcount had stood at 7,053 at the end of 2022. [...]
Snapchat UK loses over £500m despite revenue spike October 8, 2025 The UK arm of Snapchat lost more than $757m during its latest financial year despite its revenue spiking to over $2bn, it has been revealed. For 2024, Snap Group has reported a pre-tax loss of $757.7m (£565.8m), new accounts filed with Companies House show. The latest total is down from the pre-tax loss of $1bn [...]
Sora: OpenAI targets Tiktok with AI social media platform October 1, 2025 OpenAI has taken an ambitious step into the social media market with the launch of ‘Sora’, its new app designed for users to generate and share AI-generated video content. Coupled with the roll-out of Sora 2, its new audio-visual software model, the platform aims to shift AI from a mere productivity tool, into a space [...]
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 [...]
YouTube launches Westminster forum to champion UK’s creator economy September 25, 2025 YouTube has unveiled a new cross-party parliamentary group dedicated to championing the UK’s digital creator economy, announced at its annual YouTube Festival in London yesterday. The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for creators, co-chaired by former digital ministers Feryal Clark MP and Lord Ed Vaizey, will act as a formal bridge between policymakers and the country’s [...]
Supernova: Ex-Saatchi Sir John Hegarty backs social network September 25, 2025 Sir John Hegarty, the creative heavyweight behind Saatchi & Saatchi, TBWA London and Bartle Bogle Hegarty, has become an investor and creative adviser to social network Supernova. The platform, created by former Saatchi adman and BAFTA winner Dominic O’Meara, bills itself as “social media for grown-ups”, promising to donate a share of every ‘like’ to [...]
Reddit: Revenue more than triples as UK profit jumps September 22, 2025 Revenue at the UK arm of Reddit more than tripled during its latest financial year as profit also surged, it has been revealed. The London-headquartered division has posted a revenue of £96.7m for 2024, new accounts filed with Companies House show. That total is up significantly from the £28.4m it posted for 2023. From 1 [...]