Also known as: Instagram Stories
Instagram — Meta-owned social media platform facing US lawsuits over child safety, privacy violations, and alleged addictive design features.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Business & Financial Times
… Social commerce is now primary, not optional: Platforms like TikTok and Instagram influence purchase decisions for over 70 percent of consumers under 30. …
Winning the battle for attention, affordability & advocacyJoy Online
… The hearing took place before Milan’s business court and concerns a class injunctive action brought by MOIGE, an Italian parents’ movement, and a group of families against the companies that own Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. …
Italy parents’ group faces Meta, TikTok in Milan court over minors’ social media useThe Ghanaian Times
… Instagram has given Accra’s creative economy a storefront and a stage simultaneously. …
How Technology Is Changing Leisure and Entertainment in Urban GhanaJoy Online
… WhatsApp is owned by Meta, which also owns Instagram, Facebook and Messenger. When Meta AI was added to WhatsApp last year, it was criticised by some users angry at not being able to turn it off. …
WhatsApp launches totally private ‘incognito’ conversations with its AI chatbotJoy Online
Instagram users will no longer be able to send ultra‑private direct messages, as the feature is switched off globally. …
Instagram privacy tech is turned off today- what does this mean for your DMs?Business & Financial Times
… The ‘Come as You Are’ campaign resonated deeply with consumers, particularly Gen Z, who were tired of the polished, curated images often seen on social media platforms like Instagram. …
Comms and branding with Samuel OWUSU-ADUOMI: How Crocs reinvented itself: Lessons from a brand’s remarkable comebackThe Ghanaian Times
… The campaign lives primarily on TikTok and Instagram, where Miss Elikemm is already a familiar voice. …
Let’s raise awareness about mental health this May- Betty Elikem AzornuJoy Online
… Shares in the company, which owns Facebook and Instagram, dropped 7% in extended trading after it said it would spend billions more on AI projects than initially planned. …
Meta shares slide as investors weigh Big Tech’s AI spending spreeDaily Guide
… Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube were once dismissed in corporate conversations as distractions and time-wasters with no place in serious business environments. …
From Tiktok To Workforce: Leveraging Gen Z’s Digital Fluency In BusinessA 15-year-old girl from New Jersey dismissed her claims against Meta, Google, and Snap, which alleged the platforms' owners contributed to her social media addiction, depression, and self-harm. Her attorney said the plaintiff chose to dismiss the remainder of her claims to resume her life, though she had sought to hold social media companies accountable.
21 August 2026 · Joy Online →
A 15-year-old girl from New Jersey dismissed her claims against Meta, Google, and Snap, which alleged the platforms' owners contributed to her social media addiction, depression, and self-harm. Her attorney said the plaintiff chose to dismiss the remainder of her claims to resume her life, though she had sought to hold social media companies accountable.
21 August 2026 · Joy Online →
A former Meta engineering director testified that CEO Mark Zuckerberg fostered a culture treating child safety as secondary to growth on Facebook and Instagram. The testimony came during a landmark trial in which California, Colorado, Kentucky, New Jersey and 25 other states accuse Meta of designing platforms to harm young users and improperly collecting data from children under 13.
20 August 2026 · Joy Online →
A California jury has begun hearing claims that Meta intentionally hooked children on Facebook and Instagram through violations of federal and state privacy laws. Twenty-nine US states, including California and New York, filed the lawsuit in 2023 and are seeking billions of dollars in damages and demanding Meta make changes including ending "like" counts and infinite scroll.
19 August 2026 · Joy Online →
A jury trial beginning Tuesday, filed by 30 US states including California and New York, claims Meta violated federal and state privacy laws for children. The states seek over $1 trillion in damages and demand changes to Instagram and Facebook, including ending "like" counts, infinite scroll, autoplay video, filters, and other features they say manipulate young users into prolonged engagement.
17 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Top social media platforms urged the Australian government not to rely heavily on early evidence that most children still use their products despite a landmark under-16 ban introduced in December, as lawmakers consider doubling maximum penalties to A$99 million and expanding regulators' investigative powers. Australia's eSafety Commissioner reported that roughly 80% of minors were still on social media months after the ban took effect but noted modest declines in underage accounts and said enforcement would drive further change.
14 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Meta said Thursday it had taken down more than 750,000 accounts suspected to be held by Australians under 16 since the country's social media ban went live in December, with 462,000 Instagram and 294,000 Facebook accounts deactivated through June. The action comes as Australia's internet regulator considers an enforcement lawsuit against platforms for insufficient compliance, though independent studies showed more than eight in 10 under-16s remained on social media in the ban's first three months.
14 August 2026 · Joy Online →
A US judge in New Mexico ordered Meta to pay $567m for failing to warn the public about dangers its platforms posed to children, calling the company a "public nuisance" and requiring the funds be placed in a pool aimed at reducing future harms. This marks the largest ruling against the social media giant over child safety and comes in addition to an earlier $375m fine in the same case.
7 August 2026 · Joy Online →
StopNCII is a free online tool that helps adults prevent non-consensual sharing of intimate images or videos using a "privacy-first" approach called perceptual hashing, which creates a unique digital fingerprint for each image on the user's device rather than uploading the actual content.
5 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana Police arrested self-proclaimed pastor Nana Yaw Bonsu Kwarteng for allegedly defrauding women through false marriage promises, blackmail using intimate images, and a fictitious tyre business scheme. Seven victims have reported the matter, with investigations indicating offences dating back to 2021; his wife, Sally Akosua Amoasah, is also accused of threatening victims.
3 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Visual Arts serves as a tool for preserving cultural values, customs, traditions and history through forms like kente weaving, Adinkra symbols and wood carvings. The article argues that Visual Arts education is underestimated in Ghanaian schools, with some teachers and parents viewing it as less competitive than General Science or Business, deterring talented students.
31 July 2026 · The Chronicle →
Meta's stock plunged after the company reported revenue growth of 28% to $61bn for the April-to-June quarter, but a 14% profit decline to $6bn, alongside plans to spend $130bn–$145bn on artificial intelligence projects this year. Investors expressed concern that Meta's expanding AI spending—which accounted for nearly all of the company's free cash flow this quarter—lacks clear commercial returns yet.
30 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Russian authorities have charged Pavel Durov, cofounder of the encrypted messaging platform Telegram, with "aiding terrorism" and issued an international arrest warrant, alleging his company failed to remove channels and bots used by Ukrainian special services and terrorist organisations to coordinate attacks in Russia.
30 July 2026 · The Chronicle →
The Ghana Police Service arrested Nana Yaw Bonsu Kwarteng and Sally Akosua Amoasah on charges including conspiracy, fraud, and non-consensual sharing of intimate images. Kwarteng allegedly posed as a pastor on Instagram, made false marriage promises to women, obtained intimate images for blackmail, and collected thousands of dollars in a fake tyre business scheme; seven victims have reported the matter.
28 July 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
A man accused of defrauding women through fake marriage promises while posing as a pastor on Instagram has been remanded into Police custody. He allegedly obtained intimate images from victims and used them to blackmail them into sending money, and also involved some women in what was presented as a tyre business.
28 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Rapper Yung Filly told a Western Australian court on Monday that "vibes were good" between him and a woman who accuses him of rape after a 2024 Perth nightclub performance. The 30-year-old, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, has pleaded not guilty to six counts of sexual penetration without consent, three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm, and one count of strangulation.
28 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Tennessee's attorneys told a jury that Meta disregarded internal research showing Instagram's features like autoplay and infinite scroll caused eating disorders, depression and self-harm among teenagers, prioritizing profit over safety. Meta's defense maintains the company has been transparent about risks and works to find and fix problems.
28 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Meghan appeared as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia, where Prince Harry surprised her with a video call during filming. The couple visited Australia in April in a private capacity to attend charitable causes and money-making events.
26 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Somalia's government told the BBC it is concerned about WhatsApp's planned username feature, saying it could make it harder to trace criminals and counter al-Shabab militants, and could enable financial fraud in a country reliant on mobile money. WhatsApp responded that the feature is not yet live, users still need a phone number to use the app, and it includes safeguards against scams.
23 July 2026 · Joy Online →
A 15-year-old plaintiff dropped his lawsuit against Meta over alleged addiction to Instagram, following earlier settlements with TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube. His lawyers said he wanted to focus on recovery and therapy, while Meta denied the claims had merit.
22 July 2026 · Joy Online →
French lawmakers voted to ban social media use for children under 15, with the bill set to take effect this school year after President Emmanuel Macron signs it into law. The ban makes France the first EU country to impose such a restriction, following Australia's implementation of a ban for under-16s last year.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Meta faces trial in Tennessee over claims that Instagram was designed to be addictive and contributed to a youth mental-health crisis. Tennessee's Attorney General alleges the company violated consumer protection law by knowingly designing the product to drive compulsive teen use, failing to disclose internal research on harms, and misleading the public about platform safety.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana's expanding beauty clinics and spas, which proliferate across major cities, offer cosmetic procedures including skin-lightening and body enhancement, but weak regulatory oversight by the FDA and HeFRA allows untrained practitioners to administer injectables and invasive procedures, experts warn this is fuelling rising rates of cancer, kidney disease, hypertension, and other non-communicable diseases.
20 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Meta's Facebook and Instagram social networks experienced outages on Sunday, with 4,808 reports filed by U.S. Facebook users and 2,829 reports by U.S. Instagram users according to Downdetector; access was also intermittent in Singapore. Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
20 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The UK government announced plans for a midnight to 06:00 social media curfew for 16 and 17-year-olds, with apps like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube unavailable by default during those hours; users could opt out by changing settings. The government also plans to disable "addictive" features such as auto-play and infinite scroll, citing benefits to focus, sleep and family life, though campaigners argue the opt-out option makes the measure insufficient.
15 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Research by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate found that one in 10 videos recommended by YouTube's algorithm to a simulated 13-year-old girl featured thinspiration, extreme calorie restriction or other harmful material. This occurred a year after new rules were introduced to curb harmful online content, though the situation had improved over the past two years.
13 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Meta is facing criticism over its new Muse Image AI tool, which can generate images using other people's public Instagram profile pictures without explicit consent. Advocates and privacy groups warn the feature risks facilitating non-consensual AI-altered images, though Meta says users can opt out through a dedicated setting.
8 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Meta disclosed in a court filing that four US states are seeking $1.4 trillion in penalties over allegations the company designed Facebook and Instagram to addict young users and misled the public about their safety, ahead of an August trial in Oakland, California.
7 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Joy Online's investigation found that digital lending applications downloaded from sponsored advertisements on YouTube and Facebook issued threatening messages to borrowers, including references to curses, death, and harassment of family members, within days of download and before repayment deadlines.
3 July 2026 · Joy Online →
A BBC investigation found Instagram running paid adverts promoting child sexual abuse material in India, with ads using terms like "rape video" and "child video" and directing users to Telegram channels where material could be purchased for as little as 99 rupees. Meta said it had disabled several adverts, suspended accounts, and removed additional content in response to the BBC's findings.
3 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghanaian rapper Edem's latest single "Gota"—an Ewe phrase meaning "We're Outside"—has become a fast-growing social media expression, with users captioning posts across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X. The song, featuring MC Kojo Manuel, Chief One, Kpese Boi and Morgan Nero, has generated over 20,000 combined videos on TikTok and is positioned as one of the year's defining party anthems.
1 July 2026 · Joy Online →