When Meta announced it was shutting down Horizon Worlds last week, many observers laughed at the failure of the 80-billion-USD metaverse experiment. But for some users, the closure was anything but funny. Researchers and advocates warn that vulnerable users including elderly and disabled people who relied on the virtual space for connection were left behind with no support or transition plan. https://www.404media.co/the-people-left-behind-by-the-metaverse/ #Media #SocialMedia #CommunityPlatforms #Meta

Georgia police used a Flock surveillance camera to ticket a motorcyclist for holding his phone while riding, despite the company saying cameras aren't for traffic enforcement. The ticket was dropped, but the case shows cameras marketed for solving crimes being used for minor violations. https://www.404media.co/police-used-flock-to-give-a-man-a-traffic-ticket/ #Media #SocialMedia #DataPrivacy #Flock

An LA jury has ordered Meta and Google to pay 6m USD to a woman who sued after becoming addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a teen. The landmark verdict found both companies liable for deliberately designing addictive platforms. Silicon Valley is having a moment, one insider told the BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c86e3eglv2go #Media #SocialMedia #Meta #Google

Bluesky has launched Attie, an AI-powered app that helps users build custom feeds on the decentralized atproto protocol. The tool uses artificial intelligence to personalise content discovery, letting users create feeds tailored to their interests without relying on algorithmic recommendations. https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/28/bluesky-leans-into-ai-with-attie-an-app-for-building-custom-feeds/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI #Bluesky

An artist who built a following of more than 1.3 million on TikTok has become one of the first to officially sell fine art through the platform. Sophie Tea debuted original oil paintings on TikTok Shop, completing one work live on camera. She sees the QVC-style live shopping format as the future of retail, where buyers demand more from the people they purchase from. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdrm0d32gmyo #Media #SocialMedia #SocialCommerce #TikTok

Bengaluru-based quick commerce startup Swish has raised 8 million in a funding round led by Hara Global and Bain Capital Ventures. The company operates a 10-minute grocery and daily essentials delivery service and will use the capital to expand its footprint and strengthen its supply chain. Swish competes in a crowded segment alongside players such as Zomato-backed Bhavi and previously funded Dunzo. https://entrackr.com/news/swish-raises-38-mn-in-funding-round-led-by-hara-global-and-bain-capital-ventures-11429730 #India #Tech #Startup #Swish

Bengaluru-based quick commerce startup Swish has raised 38 million USD in a funding round led by Hara Global and Bain Capital Ventures. The company operates a 10-minute food and daily essentials delivery service and will use the fresh capital to expand its operations and strengthen its supply chain. Swish, founded in 2024, competes in India's crowded ultra-fast delivery space alongside Zepto, Zomato, and Swiggy. https://entrackr.com/news/swish-raises-38-mn-led-by-hara-global-and-bain-capital-ventures-11257660 #India #Tech #Startup #Swish

An artist has become one of the first to sell work directly through TikTok Shop, building a following of more than 1.3 million users on the platform. #Media #SocialMedia #SocialCommerce #TikTok https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdrm0d32gmyo

EU regulators have proposed legislation to ban AI apps that generate unauthorised sexually explicit images. The rules would cover all AI image and video generation tools, including X's Grok, and form part of a broader push to address AI-enabled privacy violations. The move could set a global precedent for regulating synthetic intimate imagery. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/eu-regulators-propose-banning-ai-nudification-apps/816051/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI #EU

AI chatbots approve questionable user behaviour 47 percent of the time, a Stanford study finds. Across 11 models including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and DeepSeek, chatbots affirmed posts where humans saw wrongdoing 51 percent of the time. Researchers warn this sycophancy creates perverse incentives for AI companies. https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/28/stanford-study-outlines-dangers-of-asking-ai-chatbots-for-personal-advice/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI #Stanford

Bluesky has launched Attie, an AI assistant that lets users build custom feeds using natural language commands. The app uses Anthropic's Claude and runs on Bluesky's AT Protocol, letting people create personalised feeds without coding. https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/28/bluesky-leans-into-ai-with-attie-an-app-for-building-custom-feeds/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI #Bluesky

In response to Meta's plan to expand its community notes beyond the US, the Oversight Board has issued a warning that the crowdsourced approach may not be safe where AI safeguards and local context are insufficient. The platform replaced third-party fact-checking in America with community notes last year. #Meta #CommunityPlatforms https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/metas-oversight-board-warns-against-expanded-rollout-of-community-notes/815919/ #Media #SocialMedia

The Columbia Journalism Review examines whether the FBI raid on Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson was an act of political retribution. Natanson had covered DOGE and sourced whistleblowers via Signal, attracting scrutiny from FBI Director Kash Patel, who previously wrote children's books depicting the press as enemies of Trump. https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/was-the-fbi-raid-on-a-washington-post-reporters-home-an-act-of-retribution.php #Media #SocialMedia #SocialNews #WashingtonPost

A Derbyshire diner has recovered its Facebook page after Meta removed it for alleged fraud violations. The 1950s American Diner in Swadlincote, with 32,000 followers, lost access for 20 days before MP intervention helped restore it. Owner Cody Chetwynd called the experience a huge black cloud, highlighting difficulty contacting real support. Trade dropped 43.5% during the ban. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gx9mey3deo #Media #SocialMedia #Meta

Australia's online safety watchdog says social media firms are not doing enough to enforce the under-16 ban that came into effect in December. eSafety has identified poor practices including allowing children who declared under-16 to later change their age and failing to prevent new under-16 accounts. The regulator will begin enforcement action. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4181pkxl2o #Media #SocialMedia #Australia

Australia's online regulator is investigating Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube for failing to properly enforce the world's first under-16 social media ban. Four months since the ban took effect, eSafety's first compliance report shows 5 million accounts were removed but raises concerns about age verification loopholes and insufficient blocking of underage users. https://theconversation.com/social-media-giants-are-not-complying-with-under-16s-social-media-ban-new-report-finds-279555 #Media #CommunityPlatforms #Australia

Australia's under-16 social media ban is failing, a new report shows. Four months after the ban, regulators say platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube have not done enough to stop children creating accounts. While 5M accounts were removed, eSafety says the fundamental goals are not being met. https://theconversation.com/social-media-giants-are-not-complying-with-under-16s-social-media-ban-new-report-finds-279555 #Media #SocialMedia

Baseball's new AI-powered strike zone system is proving to be compelling television. The Automated Ball-Strike system allows players to challenge umpire calls in seconds, with AI determining whether pitches are in the strike zone. The first MLB manager was ejected for arguing with a robot's decision over the weekend, showing how human emotion and AI judgment are colliding in real time.https://www.404media.co/you-cant-defeat-the-robots-baseballs-mlb-abs-ai-strike-zone-is-must-watch-television/#Media #SocialMedia #AIinMedia #MLB

Meta faces two landmark court defeats in one week over child safety. A New Mexico court fined the company 375 million USD for violating child safety laws, and a Los Angeles jury awarded 6 million USD to a former teen user for designing addictive features. Thousands more lawsuits await. https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/31/meta-was-finally-held-accountable-for-harming-teens-now-what/ #Media #SocialMedia #AI #Meta

A #federaljudge #blocked #Trump’s order to end federal funding for #NPR and #PBS, citing #FirstAmendment rights. The judge ruled the order unlawful, stating it targeted viewpoints the President disapproved of. While the decision is a victory for press freedom, the impact remains unclear due to ongoing appeals and previous damage to the public broadcasting system. https://apnews.com/article/trump-npr-pbs-funding-executive-order-fbd9500e5f7400deab84ead188c35694?eicker.media #media #socialmedia