Social media platform subject to child safety regulations and lawsuits across multiple countries regarding teen addiction and data practices.
News reports
Order a long-term news report on Snapchat
Every mention in the Ghanaian press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
The Ghanaian Times
… The rise of visual social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat has created an appetite for performative gift-giving. …
Tangled sovereignty: How Ghana’s money bouquets are wilting the soul of the cediJoy Online
The boss of Snapchat says the firm would be “willing to implement” time limits for teens, following a call from Meta for it to take action. …
Snapchat ‘willing to implement’ daily time limits for teens, boss tells BBCJoy Online
… SOCIAL MEDIA FOCUS Almost 60% of reported abuse occurred on social media platforms, led by Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, while 14% took place in online gaming, the report found. …
UNICEF estimates 20 million children suffered online sexual abuse in one yearJoy Online
… It’s a highly competitive industry, but given the global backlash against social media and its impact on children, perhaps others like TikTok and Snapchat may have to follow suit. …
Meta’s $18bn settlement may hasten reckoning for social media on child safetyJoy Online
… A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS Meta, Snapchat and its parent Snap Inc, YouTube and its parent Alphabet, and TikTok and its parent ByteDance still face thousands of lawsuits in federal and state courts over claims they knowingly designed their platforms to have features that are addicti …
Meta settles with US states over social media harmsJoy Online
… Under the latest proposals, platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook, will have to take steps to check users are over 16 and platforms that fail to meet their obligations could face fines of up to 10% of their global revenue. …
New Zealand to introduce bill for under-16s social media banJoy Online
A teen girl whose lawsuit was a test case in litigation accusing social media companies of deliberately addicting young people and fueling a mental health crisis dropped her claims against the owners of Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat on Thursday, according to a court …
US teen drops lawsuit against Meta, Google and Snap ahead of trialJoy Online
… Local heads of YouTube owner Google, Facebook and Instagram owner Meta, Snapchat and TikTok fronted a Senate inquiry as lawmakers pressed them on multiple studies, including from Australia’s internet regulator, showing some 80% of minors were still on social media months after …
Social media firms urge caution on early Australia under-16 ban dataJoy Online
A U.S. appeals court on Monday allowed thousands of lawsuits to move forward against Meta Platforms, Alphabet’s, Google, ByteDance’s TikTok and Snap Inc’s, Snapchat over claims they designed their products to be addictive to young users. …
US court rules Meta, other tech firms must face thousands of lawsuits over social media addictionJoy Online
… The 15-year-old plaintiff, known by the initials R.K.C., had in recent weeks settled the same claims against TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, all of which have been accused in a large lawsuit of creating addictive platforms harmful to children. …
Teenager drops social media addiction lawsuit against MetaAn opinion piece critiques the growing social media trend of gifting elaborately arranged money bouquets and other creative currency displays—made from folded Ghanaian cedi notes—as a violation of the nation's legal tender laws and an assault on national dignity.
9 October 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
An opinion piece critiques the growing social media trend of gifting elaborately arranged money bouquets and other creative currency displays—made from folded Ghanaian cedi notes—as a violation of the nation's legal tender laws and an assault on national dignity.
9 October 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel told the BBC that the firm would be "willing to implement" time limits for teen users, calling it "an important step forward for the industry." Meta is pressing other social media companies to adopt similar measures after agreeing to a $12.7bn settlement with US states over allegations that it designed apps to be addictive to young users.
16 September 2026 · Joy Online →
About 20 million internet-using children across 21 countries were subjected to sexual exploitation or abuse on digital platforms in a single year, with most cases occurring on social media, according to a UNICEF report. More than one in five children aged 12 to 17 across Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe experienced at least one form of sexual abuse or exploitation online in the year before being surveyed.
3 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Meta resolved a lawsuit brought by nearly two-thirds of US states over its historic collection and use of data from children under 13, based on the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. The settlement reflects broader industry pressure on social media platforms ahead of what is expected to be a reckoning year for child safety in 2026.
27 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Meta Platforms has settled claims brought by 29 states that the company designed Instagram and Facebook to addict children, misled consumers about safety, and improperly collected personal data from child users without parental consent. The settlement was reached during a federal court trial in California, averting what would have been a major test of allegations that social media companies harmed young users.
26 August 2026 · Joy Online →
New Zealand will introduce a bill banning those under 16 from using platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook, with companies facing fines of up to 10% of global revenue for non-compliance. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the measure is needed to protect children from harmful content and addictive technology affecting their mental health and education.
24 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 →
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 →
A U.S. appeals court rejected appeals by Meta and TikTok seeking to overturn a lower court ruling requiring them to face more than 3,000 lawsuits alleging the companies designed their products to be addictive to young users. The court ruled that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act provides a defense to liability rather than immunity from lawsuits, making the appeal premature.
11 August 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 →
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 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 →
A U.S. District Judge rejected Meta Platforms' attempt to dismiss a lawsuit filed by 29 state attorneys general accusing the company of designing Facebook and Instagram to addict children and concealing the harms. The judge denied Meta's motion to dismiss claims based on deception and unfair practices, and granted summary judgment to the states on violations of the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
30 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Florida's attorney general filed a lawsuit claiming TikTok violated the state's law barring social media platforms from allowing children under age 14 to create accounts, alleging the platform allows underage users access and misrepresents exposure to violent or sexual content. TikTok says it is complying with the law and suspending accounts of users under 14 in Florida.
16 June 2026 · Joy Online →
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to ban social media sites such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram for under-16s, with restrictions on gaming and livestreaming platforms where children can contact strangers. The government expects regulation by year-end and enforcement around spring.
15 June 2026 · The Chronicle →
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to announce a ban on under-16s using major social media platforms including TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, X, and others. The government will also restrict children from livestreaming on "safer" sites and talking to strangers on gaming apps, with additional measures such as social media curfews for older teenagers being considered.
14 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Child Rights International has endorsed a government proposal requiring age and identity verification for pornographic websites, arguing the measure is needed to protect children from harmful online sexual content that is easily accessible without meaningful restrictions.
8 June 2026 · Daily Guide →
IMANI Africa's Senior Vice President Kofi Bentil has argued that the government should not use national identification cards to regulate access to pornographic websites, contending that enforcing morality through legislation produces unintended consequences and citing historical examples like alcohol prohibition.
6 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Kofi Bentil of IMANI Africa has criticised the government's proposed mandatory identity verification system for pornographic websites, arguing that while protecting children from harmful content is important, the state should not regulate adults' online consumption through national identification systems. The Communications Minister recently disclosed that the government is considering requiring users to verify their age and identity before accessing pornographic websites in Ghana, but Bentil warned the move could lead to abuse and state intrusion into private lives.
6 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called a case in which three teenage boys were spared custodial sentences over the rape of two girls "appalling" and said it was "right" that the Attorney General was reviewing the sentences. The boys received Youth Rehabilitation Orders instead of jail time for attacks in Hampshire in November 2024 and January 2025, prompting one victim to criticize the outcome as a "slap on the wrist."
25 May 2026 · Joy Online →
A 16-year-old rape victim has told the BBC that a judge's decision not to jail two teenage boys convicted of raping her felt like a personal blow, saying the verdict made it seem the crimes were acceptable "in the eyes of the law because they were still children." The attorney general is reviewing the sentence given by Judge Nicholas Rowland, who cited the boys' young age to avoid "criminalising" them despite acknowledging the seriousness of the offences and that the boys had filmed and shared the assaults.
24 May 2026 · Joy Online →
Chef Abena Amoakoa Sintim-Aboagye (Chef Abbys), who built an audience on Snapchat as a young content creator, prepared authentic Ghanaian dishes for more than 300 Snapchat employees at the company's UK headquarters. She described the experience as one of the biggest highlights of her career.
22 May 2026 · Joy Online →
Instagram has switched off end-to-end encryption on direct messages worldwide, a reversal of Meta's previous commitment to the technology. The shift means Meta can now access message content, and while child protection groups welcome the decision, privacy advocates have condemned it.
8 May 2026 · Joy Online →
US senators Marsha Blackburn and Amy Klobuchar criticized Meta for removing advertisements by attorneys seeking clients in social media addiction lawsuits. Meta said it removed the ads to defend itself against the lawsuits and prevent trial lawyers from profiting using its platforms.
4 May 2026 · Joy Online →