Also known as: short-video app TikTok
TikTok — short-form video platform subject to lawsuits over addictive design and licensing deals with Disney, facing regulatory scrutiny in multiple countries.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Joy Online
… Across platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X, users are captioning posts with ‘Gota’ to express that they are out, having fun or ready for a good time. …
Edem’s ‘Gota’ goes viral as Ewe catchphrase takes over social mediaJoy Online
TikTok has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by a teenager who claimed the platform damaged his mental health, a spokesperson for the plaintiff’s law firm said Tuesday. …
TikTok to settle with teen plaintiff before California social media trial, law firm saysJoy Online
… Gonzalez Rogers also oversees related multidistrict litigation by more than 2,600 individuals, school districts and local governments over whether social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Google and YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok addict children. …
Meta loses bid to dismiss US states’ claims that Facebook, Instagram addict childrenJoy Online
… Participants at the seminar also highlighted the growing influence of social media, particularly TikTok, in exposing students to content that promotes drug use. …
NACOC raises alarm over rising drug abuse among SHS students, links trend to indisciplineJoy Online
… R.K.C. is also suing Instagram-parent Meta, TikTok, and Snap Inc in a trial currently set to begin on 27 July in Los Angeles. …
Google’s YouTube settles social media addiction case with teenDaily Guide
… From TikTok to Facebook, X to Instagram, the patriotic, upbeat anthem is everywhere as Ghanaians rally behind the team. …
Kofi Kinaata’s ‘Black Stars’ Anthem Takes Over StreetsJoy Online
… NetChoice, whose members include TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube, and Facebook and Instagram owner Meta, had argued the law was unconstitutionally vague and improperly restricted children’s access to content protected by the First Amendment. …
US court rules Ohio can restrict children’s use of social mediaJoy Online
… During an FBI interview on 11 June, Proper admitted to being part of planning the attack and said the group began communicating with one another around March through a TikTok group called “Vanguard of the Old”, which is named in some court documents as “Vanguard of the Old Republ …
Group planned to attack White House UFC event using snipers and drones, FBI saysJoy Online
… Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Instagram, Telegram, and WhatsApp have fundamentally transformed civic participation. …
Free Speech development in Ghana today and its implications for media developmentJoy Online
Florida’s attorney general sued TikTok on Monday over claims that it is violating the state’s law barring social media platforms from allowing children under age 14 to create accounts. …
Florida sues TikTok, claiming it violates state child safety lawGhana's Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak has directed police personnel to stop creating content on TikTok and social media platforms while on duty, citing concerns that such behavior undermines the service's integrity and professionalism. He has also instructed Service Commanders to prevent the unauthorized recording and sharing of videos of recruits in training schools.
21 August 2026 · Daily Guide →
Ghana's Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak has directed police personnel to stop creating content on TikTok and social media platforms while on duty, citing concerns that such behavior undermines the service's integrity and professionalism. He has also instructed Service Commanders to prevent the unauthorized recording and sharing of videos of recruits in training schools.
21 August 2026 · Daily Guide →
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 burned body found in a vineyard in southern France has been identified as 29-year-old TikTok influencer Sonia Bellina, who had around 260,000 followers. Two men have been detained in connection with her death, which authorities are investigating as a murder.
19 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 →
Ghanaian bloggers ZionFelix and Ameyaw Debrah announced that popular Belgium-based creator Sexy Vida has passed away. She is survived by nine children, and a resurfaced video shows her announcing a pregnancy days before her death; her family has not yet released an official statement about the circumstances.
13 August 2026 · Daily Guide →
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 →
Economist Professor Godfred Bokpin has called for a broader national conversation on Ghana's democracy beyond partisan politics, arguing that the country must confront issues threatening free speech, institutional independence, and citizens' confidence in democratic governance. He said Ghana should objectively examine evidence and patterns from successive NDC and NPP governments to determine whether emerging trends could undermine democratic institutions.
8 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Disney and TikTok have agreed a deal allowing creators to use clips from Disney films and TV shows, including franchises like Star Wars, Toy Story, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in their videos. The scheme will launch in the US before rolling out to other countries.
5 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 →
Disney and TikTok have agreed a deal allowing creators to use clips from Disney films and subsidiaries—including Star Wars, Toy Story, and Marvel—in their videos, which will also be shared on Disney's short-form video platform Verts. The scheme launches in the US before rolling out to other countries.
5 August 2026 · Joy Online →
After years of social media speculation about her body and health, Ariana Grande's spokesperson said she will take a step back from public-facing work after finishing her current tour. Her new album Petal addresses pressures of fame, with its title track video depicting rejection and criticism of various personas.
4 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Nana Ato Dadzie has endorsed the proposed Tribunal Bill as strengthening Ghana's justice system and accountability, and called for reforms within the Ghana Bar Association to improve its effectiveness. He also raised concerns about misuse of freedom of expression on social media, saying the right to free speech must be balanced with responsibility.
30 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Pop star Ariana Grande has filed a lawsuit against two unidentified hackers who she claims leaked unreleased music and studio footage after accessing her collaborators' computers. In 2023 alone, 45 unreleased songs belonging to Grande were hacked and stolen, according to court documents filed in Los Angeles.
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 →
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 →
TikTok U.S. Chief Security Officer Will Farrell will testify before the U.S. House Select Committee on China on September 15, marking the first public testimony by a TikTok U.S. executive since ByteDance finalized a deal in January to split the app from its global business. The hearing will allow lawmakers to question the company about Chinese involvement and President Donald Trump's role in brokering the separation.
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 →
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 →
X Corp and major music publishers including Universal Music Group and Sony Music have agreed to end their legal dispute over music use on the X platform, with both parties asking federal courts in Tennessee and Texas to dismiss the labels' copyright infringement lawsuit and X's countersuit.
20 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The U.S. Justice Department said federal employees can now download TikTok on government devices, reversing a 2022 ban after ByteDance transferred control of the app's U.S. operations to a joint venture with American investors holding 80.1% ownership and the algorithm secured in Oracle's U.S. cloud.
20 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Netflix forecast third-quarter revenue of $12.86 billion and diluted earnings per share of 82 cents, below Wall Street targets of $13 billion and 84 cents; shares fell nearly 8.6% in after-hours trading as the company shifts focus to advertising, live events and video games for growth.
17 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Mozilla Foundation investigated six popular period trackers and found that while some have strong privacy protections, others share users' health data with Google, Meta, TikTok, and other companies. The concern is heightened since the US Supreme Court overturned federal abortion protections in 2022, as experts worry period-tracking data could be used in criminal cases.
16 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Britain's media regulator Ofcom launched a probe into TikTok to determine whether its UK unit failed to protect children from harmful content. The investigation will examine whether the platform has adequate measures to identify child users and prevent them from accessing harmful material.
16 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 →
The Cyber Security Authority has warned of a growing cyber fraud scheme in which criminals lure victims into intimate video interactions on social media platforms like TikTok, secretly record the sessions, and use the footage to extort money. The CSA says it has received several reports and worked with Ghana Police Service to investigate and arrest suspects involved in such extortion.
8 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Foodpreneur and social media personality Aba Dope stated during a TikTok live session that she is a "gold digger" not willing to settle with a man without substantial wealth to meet her material and spiritual needs. The statement came in response to a fan revealing he has a fortune named after her.
8 July 2026 · Daily Guide →
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 →
Astrology has become increasingly central to Gen Z digital culture, with users referencing their zodiac signs in social media bios and content as a way to express individuality. This cultural shift is translating into the physical world through a zodiac-themed jewelry revival, including a redesigned collection from Van Cleef & Arpels being relaunched at a more accessible price point.
2 July 2026 · Joy Online →