Social Media

Published on
13/08/2026 – 12:28 GMT+2

The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation went to court in New York on Wednesday to shut down Truth API, a subscription launched this month by Trump Media and Technology Group, the Nasdaq-listed company behind Truth Social.

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The subscription provides privileged access to US President Donald Trump’s social media posts straight to trading firms, sending them fractions of a second before they appear on the public timeline, which is enough time for high-frequency algorithms to execute thousands of orders before others process the information.

Contracts run from about $60,000 (€52,000) to $100,000 (€86,600) a month and cover the platform’s 10 most-followed accounts, among them US President Donald Trump, the White House itself, US Vice President JD Vance, FBI Director Kash Patel and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

More than 10 customers have signed up, mostly high-frequency trading firms, according to company executives.

Interim CEO Kevin McGurn told an earnings call on Monday that subscribers receive news “fractionally faster” than everyone else, having earlier pitched it as a real-time channel for the platform’s most market-moving posts.

US President Donald Trump holds roughly 41% of the company through a revocable trust overseen by his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., with the stake currently worth close to $1 billion (€866mn).

Official announcements, The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation argue, belong to the public rather than to whoever pays most for them.

Two constitutional claims

The complaint, which names US President Donald Trump alongside deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino, executive assistant Natalie Harp and the Executive Office of the President, calls the arrangement “profoundly corrupt”.

It argues the service breaches the First Amendment by denying equal access to presidential announcements and the Fifth by conditioning that access on unreasonable sums, noting that many of the 9,000 to 11,000 posts Trump has published since January 2025 came with no White House statement.

“Trump is trying to enrich himself by privatizing government information,” said Ben Muessig, editor-in-chief of The Intercept.

A Trump Media spokesperson countered that critics show “a failure to grasp the distinction between public and nonpublic information”, adding that left-wing activists were weaponising the courts.

The White House has not commented on the lawsuit which follows a request last month from US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Adam Schiff for the Securities and Exchange Commission to examine whether the service undermines market integrity.

A pattern that predates the paywall

The service formalises an advantage that has drawn questions for months.

On several occasions this year, futures markets have registered unusual bursts of activity minutes before major Iran war announcements appeared on US President Donald Trump’s account.

No investigation has reached a conclusion.

The clearest case came on 23 March, when the S&P 500 and oil futures recorded isolated volume spikes at about 6:50am in New York. Fifteen minutes later Trump posted that talks with Iran had taken place and strikes on its energy infrastructure were paused.

Equity futures jumped more than 2.5% and West Texas Intermediate fell almost 6%.

According to one analysis of 1,341 posts between late January and early April, conducted by the Queensland University of Technology, there were 15 episodes that raised suspicions of insider trading.

AN A-list Hollywood actor was spotted shopping at a Pokémon market in Brighton – but would you have been able to recognise him in the crowds?

A TikTok user shared a snap of the star, 48, looking around a gymnasium in a white cap and glasses.

Molly Wheatley, user name @xo_mxlly_ox, captioned the snap: “That’s just a random man in a white hat…”

But then in the next slide she revealed exactly who it was, as she posed for a picture with none other than Tom Hardy.

Fans rushed to the comments section to swoon over the Venom star, with one writing: “WOAH.”

Another said: “my jaw hit the floor.”

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“I knew it was him before the second picture. I KNOW THAT HANDSOME MAN FROM A MILE OFF,” a third chimed in.

A fourth added: “Idk you but I hate you!!”

A fifth chimed in: “I would simply keel over.”

A sixth joked: “He is a pretty good tom hardy look alike tbf.”

Tom, who was born in Hammersmith, London, is a well known English actor who has starred in a number of popular films and TV shows since shooting to fame in the late 90s.

Some of his movie roles include in Star Trek: Nemesis, RocknRolla, Bronson, Warrior, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Mad Max: Fury Road, Dunkirk, Venom, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Bikeriders and Havoc.

Meanwhile he’s also been in Wuthering Heights, Peaky Blinders, Taboo, Oliver Twist, and most recently MobLand.

He has also won the Rising Star Award at the British Academy Film Awards in 2011, as well as the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Actor in an Action Movie in 2015.

And fans will be over the moon to know that Tom is reprising his role as Harry Da Souza on MobLand, after it was said that the hunky actor had been fired from the Paramount+ hit.

Deadline confirmed the integral cast – which is also made up of Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren – will remain for the third instalment, and that includes Tom.

And last month The Sun exclusively revealed a world-exclusive first look at the upcoming action.

ANNE Hathaway has flashed her baby bump after hitting back at claims she is ‘faking her pregnancy’.

The stunning actress, 43, attended the premiere for her movie The End of Oak Street.

For the occasion on Sunday night, Anne wore some low-waisted jeans and floaty dip hem top.

With her bump on display, Anne received criticism for her look, as well as wild comments that her bump might be “fake”.

As the internet exploded with wild claims, Anne hit back in a subtle yet direct way.

Posting a clip to Instagram in her glam chair as she got ready for the premiere, Anne defiantly wrote in the caption: “Fake hair, real bump.”

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Fans flocked to the comments to defend the stunning Devil Wears Prada actress.

“Since when was it considered ‘normal’ to comment on a pregnant woman’s bump/appearance in a negative way.

“Anne you look bloody amazing,” said one person.

“Love that you showed off your beautiful bump,” said a second.

“That’s her pregnancy belly! It’s just pale and the baby sitting that way. I saw it jiggle,” penned a third.

While a fourth said: “Fake or not, it’s none of our business.
Stay out of her pregnancy. Let her be a person.”

And a fifth penned: “THIS. This is how you clap back at people’s unsolicited opinions!”

Anne revealed she was expecting her third child back in June.

She shared a sweet post of her showing off her blossoming bump, which left her millions of followers completely overjoyed.

Walking into shot wearing a billowing white skirt and cropped top, Anne showed off her blossoming baby bump.

In the caption of the post she gushed: “x Baby, I’m yours x.”

Anne already has two kids with her husband, Adam Shulman.

She has two sons, Jonathan Rosebanks Shulman, born in March 2016, and Jack Shulman, born in November 2019.

BRITNEY Spears has revealed botched Botox has left her with a droopy eye for weeks as she issues a warning to fans.

The singer, 44, took to Instagram to share a video as she updated her fans about her health issue.

In the clip, the performer is seen wearing a plunging red top along with a black cowboy hat and a choker-style necklace.

She held onto her eye as she expressed: “He put so much Botox in this left eye that it drooped down like that.

“And it’s just now starting to raise up and be normal again. It’s so embarrassing, it’s like that,” as she pulled the skin over her eye down.

Britney then advised the girls who follow her to be more careful about who they get their Botox done from.

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“Girls, you have to be careful if you do Botox, these people and these doctors can really f**k your eyes up,” she explained.

“My eye was down like this for four weeks and it’s now starting to be fine again.

“Be careful with these people, they try to change your face, they try to f**k things up.

“Be careful with your bodies because it’s yours and you own it,” she concluded.

Britney captioned the post: “You can’t trust anyone!!!”

It comes a week after she showed off her risque dance moves to her fans on social media.

In a number of dance videos uploaded to the popstars Instagram page, Britney was snapped performing some racy dance moves for the camera. 

One clip saw her twerk around on the floor whilst whipping her long blonde locks back and forth. 

Dressed in a cropped pink T-shirt and mini black shorts, Britney shows off a fast paced dance routine as she moves to the track Mi Gente.

Another video showed the star outside in a bikini as she stares into the camera lens.

Britney pranced around to piano music before abruptly smacking her behind. 

The series of video clips then took an even raunchier turn with Britney posting a video of her topless. 

The singer edited symbols over her breasts to conceal her modesty as they flash on and off the screen. 

Britney went on to move her arms in a rhythmic style dance, sliding her hands across her breasts and stomach.

THE identity of Safiyya Vorajee’s boyfriend has been unmasked.

The ex of Ashley Cain revealed she was in a new relationship earlier today on Instagram but did not give away the identity of the mystery man.

But now, he has been uncovered to be a popular Dutch social media influencer..

Virgil Sint Jago appears to have won the heart of Safiyya who has publicly remained single since her split from Ashley and the tragic passing of their daughter, Azaliya.

Safiyya is understood to have met Virgil in Bali on holiday and is now in the throes of a new romance with him.

As well as being an influencer and online creator, Virgil is also a personal trainer and specialises in helping older women lose weight.

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His social media is littered with plenty of shirtless pics as well as being packed full of his impressive fitness content.

Glam Safiyya first began to hint at the romance a few weeks ago before sharing a cosy selfie with Virgil earlier today.

The 38-year-old took to social media to share a sweet tribute to her new romance alongside a snap of them together. 

Safiyya wrote: “Happy the universe changed my direction from Thailand to Bali.

“In a world that’s so big we met exactly where we were meant to feel so happy.

“God always gets the timing right. Trust in him always. The most magical connection when you feel it in your soul.”

Safiyya also opened up about her trip to Bali and told followers she’s entering a new chapter of her life.

She said: “There’s something so magical here that has healed parts of my soul I didn’t even realise were still hurting.

“I’ve grown so much. My nervous system has finally experienced what real calm feels like. I’ve let my guard down, allowed myself to be vulnerable, and in doing that, I’ve found friendships and connections that have changed me forever.”

Safiyya and ex-boyfriend Ashley Cain were left devastated in 2021 when Azaylia died at eight-months-old following a battle with leukaemia.

It comes weeks after Ashley, who is also dad so sons Alyias, two, and Atlas, one, from different relationships, was dropped by the BBC over historic social media posts which allegedly showed him making degrading comments about women.

The Ex on the Beach star’s Twitter posts made in 2011 and 2013 are said to have referenced extreme sex acts and appeared to make light of consent.

He reportedly used offensive, sexualised and aggressive language about women.

AN OUTRAGED traveller has shared photos of a bag that appears to fit in a bag sizer, claiming that a major budget airline is “chasing” commission.

In a photo shared on the social media platform X, a traveller has called out Ryanair after their bag fit in the sizer but they were still charged an oversized bag fee.

In a tweet @laura_myers said: “Hey @Ryanair, I want a refund for the £75 that the absolute jobsworth at Manchester Airport this afternoon took from me for an “oversized” bag I’ve used and never had an issue with on this exact journey maybe 30+ times over the last seven years.”

Laura followed up, commenting: “I asked a staff member “have the measurements changed recently?” and they said no, but that the enforcement was more stringent – in other words, the guy was really chasing his €2.50 per bag commission fee for the sake of millimetres.

The budget airline announced back in May that its staff would get bigger bonuses for identifying oversized bags.

The commission was already raised last November for its gate staff from €1.50 (£1.30) to €2.50 (£2.16) per bag.

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And in the future, CEO Micheal O’Leary has suggested it could get raised to as much as €3.50 (£3.03) per bag.

The outraged traveller added: “What a nice little earner of a con you’re pulling at the gate, will specifically avoid this route at all costs in future even if it means taking two connecting flights!”

Many people have flooded to the post to comment their thoughts, including pointing out that the bag appears to go a few millimetres beyond the line at the bottom of the sizer.

Other users have shared their outrage, with one commenting: “How are people defending Ryanair.”

Another added: “You won’t get a reply I’m afraid, they’re too busy taking the p*** out of people that booked window seats.”

A third said: “Flown with Ryanair once, I’d rather walk than have that experience again.”

Replying to comments on the post, Laura explained how she had paid to have a cabin bag as well as priority boarding.

Other users also questioned why the traveller used the airline with Laura replying that they are the only airline that fly to where she was heading.

A spokesperson for Ryanair said: “This passenger booked a Regular Fare for this flight from Manchester to Göteborg Landvetter (4 Aug), which allowed them to carry a small personal bag and 10kg cabin bag measuring up to 55 x 40 x 20 cm onboard.

“As this passenger’s cabin bag exceeded the permitted size, she was correctly required to pay a standard gate baggage fee by the gate agent at Manchester Airport.”

24-year-old TikToker Cesar Gastelum, was shot dead while livestreaming with friends outside a fast-food restaurant in Culiacan, Mexico. The city is at the centre of a gang turf war between two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.

A new study by Australia’s internet regulator has revealed that more than eight in 10 young Australian teens and preteens are continuing to use social media platforms despite the government’s prohibition for children under 16.

The ban came into effect in December last year.

Here is what we know about how it’s going.

What did the latest report find?

Australia’s internet regulator, eSafety, said it had found that more than eight in 10 Australian under-16s are continuing to use social media despite being banned from doing so.

The report also found that most of those children aged 10 to 15 were using social media just as frequently in March as they had been before the ban came into force on December 10 last year.

“Most under-16s who had social media accounts before commencement were able to either retain them or create new ones at the three-month ⁠mark, with social media platforms’ failure to implement effective age assurance measures cited as the main reason,” eSafety said in a statement.

About half the children who retained their accounts said platforms had not checked their age, the most common reason they were able to stay on the services. Others said that their accounts listed them as aged 16 or older or ‌that age-checking ⁠systems had incorrectly determined they were older.

Prior to the ban, nearly 86 percent of children surveyed reported using at least one age-restricted platform. Three months later, that figure remained above 81 percent, the eSafety report said.

Around 58 percent of teenagers reported using social media daily, the report found. Before the ban, the number was roughly 60 percent.

The report showed minimal change in “sports and physical activity, arts and music, spending time with friends and family, and attendance at community events”.

At the time the new rule was introduced, experts warned that enforcing it would be extremely difficult.

Joanna Orlando, a researcher in digital wellbeing and the author of Generation Connected: How to Parent in a Digital World, told Al Jazeera in December last year: “Tech-savvy teens simply use VPNs, fake birth photos for face scans, or migrate to less regulated platforms like Lemon8, or to platforms not part of the ban like video games. Enforcement is proving to be difficult in the days leading up to the ban.”

In December 2025, Australia prohibited children under 16 from using social media platforms, becoming the world’s first country to do so. Video game platforms are not included in the ban.

The government said this was prompted by increasing concerns about the effects of cyberbullying, sexual exploitation and self-harm content on the mental and physical health of children and young people.

Research commissioned by the Australian government in 2023 found four out of five children aged eight to 16 use social media, often beginning between the ages of 10 and 12. That report was led by former National Australia Bank CEO Andrew Thorburn, who recommended age restrictions.

Under the law, 10 of the biggest social media platforms face $33m in fines if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to block Australian-based users younger than 16. Such steps include using age-verification tools to determine how old users are.

As of January 16, social media companies had revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children in Australia, according to officials.

“We stared down everybody who said it couldn’t be done, some of the most powerful and rich companies in the world and their supporters,” Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells told reporters in January.

However, several months later, it now appears that youngsters have been able to open new accounts with relative ease.

Days after Australia’s ban took effect, Reddit, one of the 10 platforms required to block minors, lodged a challenge to the ban in the High Court, while still complying with it. The case is still ongoing.

How has the Australian government responded to the latest findings?

On Saturday, Andrew Leigh, Australia’s assistant minister for productivity, competition, charities and treasury, defended the new law, arguing that the social media ban has already reshaped the “national debate” about the use of social media by children.

The ban has been “an important game changer in the conversation among parents”, Leigh said in televised remarks.

“We’ve had millions of accounts shut down,” he said.

“We never expected that this would have 100 percent compliance. We don’t get 100 percent compliance out of minimum drinking age laws, but it’s still appropriate that we have that law on the books.”

While social media has long provided easy access to unregulated and often harmful content, misinformation and hate speech, the recent explosion of AI‑generated material poses new risks to the wellbeing of children and young people, experts say.

The American Psychological Association published an advisory last year warning that generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems can amplify harmful content such as violent or sexual videos.

It also added that adolescents are less likely than adults to question the accuracy of AI-generated content. “They may also be unaware of the persuasive intent underlying an AI system’s advice or bias,” the advisory stated.

AI can also amplify pre-existing societal prejudices, according to Ayo Tometi, co-creator of the US-based antiracist movement Black Lives Matter.

Children worldwide are also worried about the misuse of AI for online child sexual exploitation and “deepfakes”, according to research by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on children’s perspectives and AI, which it published in October 2025.

Following the introduction of Australia’s landmark law, some other countries are contemplating similar bans.

In the United Kingdom, the government has announced that it also plans to introduce a ban on social media platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram from spring 2027 onward. 

Messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Signal, educational tools, and e-commerce and music streaming will be excluded.

The government will announce the new regulations by the end of this year.

In November 2025, Denmark’s government said it also plans to prohibit social media platforms for children under 15, saying it had secured majority support in parliament. The ban is due to come into effect later this year.

Around the same time, Malaysia said it would ban social media accounts for people under 16 from this year.

In April, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis formally announced plans to prohibit social media access for children under 15 from January 1, 2027, subject to parliamentary approval.

Police cases, social media takedowns and online abuse have followed many who took part in India’s Cockroach Janta Party-led demonstrations that ended on July 25. Prime Minister Narendra Modi says he forgives ‘misled children’ who abused him during the protests.

LISA Snowdon has been seen without her ring on after sparking fears that she has split from her fiancé.

After 12 years with George Smart and plans to marry, Lisa, 54, has been seen without her engagement ring.

The TV presenter was spotted going to a Pilates class in Essex this week, with her ring was noticeably absent from her left hand.

She was chatting on the phone as she made her way home while rocking gym gear and carrying a tote.

Lisa said recently that she feels like she’s in a “new chapter of her life” at 54.

Lisa has been enjoying solo travelling recently, and has failed to share snaps of George on Instagram.

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She last shared a snap of George, 46, on her Instagram back in January.

Meanwhile, his own social media account is currently set to private.

Her fiancé featured regularly on Lisa’s social media before then, but he hasn’t been seen on her socials in more than six months.

When Lisa shared a gallery of pictures of herself with her friends hanging out at Wimbledon last month, George was absent again.

Some fans noticed this and one wrote: “Oh no, no George again.”

George might be taking a break from social media and there might be nothing in it – but it’s sparked concern about their relationship.

Lisa and entrepreneur George briefly dated 20 years ago and reconnected in 2014,  before getting engaged in 2016.

Last year, Lisa said she was in no rush to marry George. 

She told Hello!: ‘A lot of women imagine walking down the aisle.

“They imagine their flowers, their dresses, and I just have never had that vision. It’s just a contract at the end of the day.

“I don’t want everybody looking at me, which is weird because I do television and hosting.

“I’m just really relaxed and so is George. It will happen, but I just don’t know what that looks like.”

But now she seems to be moving on.

In a chat with Prima this week, Lisa said: “I’m 54 now and see this time in my life as a new chapter. It’s important to reframe ageing in a more positive way. 

“It takes time for that readjustment to happen, but now I’m in this powerful place where it’s about, ‘What do I want? What do I need?”

She went on: “I don’t have children, so it’s easier for me than mums juggling teenage children, but it’s a powerful time for us to reconnect with ourselves and make big life changes. It’s the second spring.”

The 40-year-old goalkeeper made headlines around the world after starring in Cape Verde’s goalless draw with Spain.

Cape Verde’s heroic World Cup goalkeeper, Vozinha, has reached an agreement to join Chilean club side Colo Colo.

The 40-year-old stopper, who made headlines around the world after starring in a goalless draw with Spain, will travel to Chile for a medical before being unveiled, Colo Colo’s president, Anibal Mosa, announced on Saturday.

Vozinha became one of the most talked-about players at the World Cup with a string of remarkable saves against top teams, including defending champions Argentina.

The goalkeeper, who left Portuguese second-tier side Chaves before the summer, was voted into FIFA’s fan-selected World Cup dream team.

“Vozinha will be a Colo Colo player. In the coming days, he will travel to Chile, undergo the usual medical examinations and then be presented here at the Estadio Monumental,” Mosa said.

He added that Vozinha’s World Cup performance showed he deserved the move, while acknowledging the signing also carried marketing appeal for the Chilean side.

Colo Colo teased the signing on social media with an image appearing to show the veteran goalkeeper’s trademark curly hair.

Vozinha, whose full name is Josimar Jose Evora Dias, has also become a social media star, with help from Brazilian influencer Casimiro. The goalkeeper’s Instagram following has soared from 50,000 to nearly 30 million.

He also made headlines after revealing that his mother, Ana Candida Evora, was unable to travel to watch her son due to the cost of a bond payment for a visa to enter the US.

She was eventually granted a visa with all travel fees waived after lobbying from US House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Colo Colo, who are based in the Chilean capital Santiago, are currently top of the Liga de Primera.

They are the most successful side in Chile and the only club from the country to win the Copa Libertadores.

India’s young protesters are mocking their government. And the jokes are landing.

As thousands of demonstrators take to the streets in the Indian capital, they are waging a parallel campaign online, flooding social media with memes, parody videos and self-deprecating jokes.

In doing so, they are also beating Narendra Modi – the powerful but image-conscious prime minister – at his own game.

Modi built his political brand through social media. Now protesters are using that same platform to mock his administration, ridicule pro-government television news coverage, transform confrontation with police into viral content and seize control of the online narrative.

The campaign has taken the protests demanding accountability and education reforms beyond the streets, broadening its reach and intensifying pressure on a government wary of appearing to yield to a rapidly growing youth movement.

Strava streaks and Subway Surfers

The “Cockroach” movement’s digital campaign has been largely powered by humour.

Clashes with police have become viral content. Videos showed protesters joking about keeping their Strava streaks alive — a reference to the fitness tracking app used by runners — as they ran from police baton charges.

Others edited footage of themselves dodging police barricades to mimic the popular endless runner mobile game Subway Surfers.

Some women have borrowed influencer culture, posting “get ready with me” videos before marches and “fit check” posts featuring helmets, goggles and other homemade protest gear. Other protesters have created spoof videos mocking pro-government television anchors and their dramatic style of broadcasts that have labelled the protesters “anti-national” and “foreign-funded conspirators”.

Several protesters spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals from authorities.

One 25-year-old protester said the memes are more than comic relief; they are a way of coping. She sees them as a generational trait.

Unlike older generations, who learned to endure hardship, hers has little patience for “simply putting up with it,” she said.

“If our phone data runs out, we can’t even bear that. So we’re definitely not going to tolerate this,” she said, referring to Monday’s police crackdown on protesters in the capital.

‘We find speeches boring’

The street protests erupted a month ago, fuelled by anger over a string of exam scandals, including the illegal sharing of entrance exams for the national medical programme.

Young people say the scandals have jeopardised their futures and eroded trust in the education system. They blame Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who resigned on Saturday.

But the demonstrations have expanded into wider anger over government accountability, spreading to other cities.

Much of that expansion has been driven by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical group that started the movement two months ago. Through memes, humour and satire, it has given younger Indians a new way to express their frustration with the government and helped turn a single-issue campaign into a broader youth movement.

At the main protest site in New Delhi, that influence was hard to miss.

Some protesters marched in Spider-Man masks and Batman costumes, carrying tongue-in-cheek placards. Other protest signs echoed the irreverent tone of social media, with memes and pop culture references woven into the demonstrations.

One poster featuring the education minister asked: “When will AI take his job?” Another captured the movement’s spirit with the slogan: “Every joke is a [tiny] revolution.”

Some slogans and posters took on an overtly profane and risque tone. A 23-year-old student said the protesters were simply speaking the language of their generation.

“We find speeches boring, we are the summary generation. We have a habit of consuming things in a short span of time, so we are using the same ways to put our message across,” she said.

Jokes now target Modi

For Modi, who is entering his 13th year in office, the protests present an unusual challenge.

His image is built on strength and decisiveness, but he risks alienating young people if he responds too forcefully. Nearly half of India’s population is under 25, making young voters one of the country’s most influential electoral groups.

But the protests have broken a longstanding taboo: mocking Modi himself.

Jokes about Modi were rare during earlier protests, when his government was criticised for suppressing dissent. But now, even he has become a target of taunts.

Modi’s gestures, pauses and mannerisms have been turned into viral edits that turn his own words into political jokes.

When Modi released a late-night, selfie-style video on Thursday addressing the protesters, he promised swift legal action against those responsible for leaking academic or job exams.

But many internet users edited the clip with parody voiceovers and references to his past promises they said had gone unfulfilled.

One video went particularly viral.

Modi’s original address began with him referring to the protesters as “friends”. A parody video kept that opening, and abruptly cut to three young girls staring into the camera and responding: “No, we are not.”

A 21-year-old student said there is no better way to challenge Modi than by using social media that helped build his political brand.

“We are just answering him in his language,” he said.

MOLLY-MAE Hague showcased her flat stomach while she sported a bikini — just six weeks after giving birth.

The reality TV stunner and her boyfriend Tommy Fury welcomed son Midas, their second child, last month.

Taking to Instagram, the Love Island alum, 27, posed for mirror selfies wearing a green bikini top alongside an open white shirt and trousers.

Above one of the snaps, Molly-Mae additionally added the caption: “Mommy.”

It comes as fans branded the reality star “irresponsible” as she headed on a holiday to Greece.

She revealed her family — including Midas — were travelling to their trip away via a private plane.

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One wrote: “Babies so young are vulnerable when taken on planes due to their tiny ears and the change in climate can be too much also.

“At least wait until he’s 6 months. Sorry Molly this is irresponsible.”

Another said: “Love you Molly but please stop using private jets. They’re so incredibly polluting, the next generations are inheriting this burning planet.”

A third added: “Why does it have to be in a private jet!!!!

“This is directly affecting the planet your baby will grow up to live in!”

Other comments were more positive, as one said: “Ahhh!!! So unbelievably beautiful, have the best time making special memories.”

The only thing you might have in common with a World Cup football player is posting on Instagram as soon as you’re back home from a social gathering. Or, in the case of Erling Haaland, while you’re still in the dressing room after a win.

Football’s biggest stars are giving an insider look into the World Cup, their training, and personal lives at the six-week tournament through social media, and for some of them, their following has grown by tens of millions. Their on-pitch heroics, popularity, and personal stories have led them to overnight social media stardom during the World Cup.

Of course, football icons like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Neymar have seen an exponential rise in their Instagram following as well. But the 2026 World Cup wasn’t the first rodeo for these veterans, who have an evergreen social media boom outside the tournament.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at some of the biggest social media stars from this World Cup:

Erling Haaland — Netherlands

The goofy, witty and relatable six-foot-five-inch (195cm) Viking has been one of the World Cup’s most loveable personalities on the pitch and online.

The 25-year-old Norwegian striker, like many Gen Z social media users, seems to be chronically online when he’s not leading his country to new World Cup heights.

From candid Snapchat stories to Instagram posts right after winning to taking a taxidermied raccoon on the plane ride home, Haaland has become a social media phenomenon this World Cup.

It’s all thanks to his authentic posting style, compared with more carefully curated accounts that PR firms manage for similar high-profile personalities.

Of Haaland’s Instagram following of more than 70 million, 29 million were added in the past 30 days, according to analytics tool Social Blade. He is projected to reach 75 million after the World Cup final and nearly 322 million by the end of the year.

Vozinha — Cape Verde

One of the best feel-good stories of the tournament belongs to Vozinha, the Cape Verde goalkeeper whose heroics kept some of the world’s best teams from scoring a single goal against the island nation — all of which his mother eventually saw in person after she finally received a US visa to attend the World Cup.

He leapt, dived and executed a string of saves in Cape Verde’s tournament opener against Spain to end the match in a shock 0-0 draw. By the time he opened his Instagram a few hours later, his following surged from 500,000 to nearly five million.

It currently sits at 29.3 million followers, and the initial hype around him still stands as his posts garner millions of likes and interactions.

The 40-year-old joked how most people couldn’t even point out Cape Verde on a map before the World Cup, but his team’s standout performance in the group stages and knockout match helped change that.

Jude Bellingham — England

Good looks, loveable personality, Golden Boot contender — is there anything Jude Bellingham isn’t great at? And a massive 50 million Instagram following, of course.

The English midfielder’s World Cup journey may have ended in disappointment earlier this week, but there’s a lot to be said about a player whose fans sing “Hey Jude” for him after leading his team to victory at previous World Cup stages before the semifinal loss.

Bellingham, 23, has gained nearly nine million followers in the past 30 days, according to Social Blade, but his online popularity spiked by three million in October, when he opened up about his struggles with mental health.

Lamine Yamal — Spain

The teen sensation has been on the up and up since bursting to stardom two summers ago with Spain’s UEFA 2024 win, and his social media reflects the cool, candid, level-headed personality he carries on and off the pitch.

The 19-year-old’s Instagram feed is a mix of post-match photos, brand partnerships, multiple trophy wins and pictures with family members with whom he shares a close relationship.

His younger brother, Keyne, has become something of a celebrity at the World Cup, too, with his endearing antics as Yamal shepherds the three-year-old around the stadium pitch or watches him try — and fail — at golf.

The Barcelona striker could see his popularity gain new heights — and more Instagram followers, which currently number 49.6 million — after this Sunday’s World Cup final as Spain take on Messi’s Argentina.

Social media has already been fawning over the full-circle moment that began with a now-viral photo of Messi and Yamal in 2007 for a UNICEF fundraising shoot.

Tim Payne — New Zealand

Payne’s viral moment may have come before the World Cup, but it was touching nonetheless.

The New Zealand defender’s Instagram following exploded late in May after an Argentinian influencer decided he was the least-known player at the World Cup.

Valen Scarsini, known as “elscarso” on Instagram and TikTok, made a video encouraging his audience to give the Wellington Phoenix and All Whites defender’s account likes, comments and follows.

Payne’s Instagram following grew from fewer ⁠⁠than 5,000 before the campaign to about 5.8 million, turning the 32-year-old into one of the tournament’s most unlikely viral stars.

He even addressed the outpouring of love in a video on Instagram, and eventually met up with Scarsini at the team’s hotel in Boca Raton, Florida, ahead of the World Cup.

The latest government measure aimed at curbing digital harm comes after an under-16 social media ban was announced last month.

The United Kingdom has proposed an overnight social media curfew for older teenagers as part of the government’s latest push to protect minors from digital harm, though users will be permitted to bypass the restrictions.

The Labour administration announced the plans on Wednesday, outlining a six-hour default lockout from midnight to 6am for 16- and 17-year-olds on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Under the proposal, highly engaging mechanisms, such as autoplay videos and infinite scrolling, would also be deactivated by default for this age group to encourage better sleep and focus.

The initiative follows a June announcement by outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who unveiled a blanket ban on social media for children under 16 slated to take effect in 2027.

While the younger cohort faces a strict prohibition on major networks, ministers chose a softer approach for older adolescents.

The UK’s restrictions reflect a rapidly growing global crackdown on young people’s social media access. Australia made waves in December by enacting a world-first ban on social media for under-16s, which its government is already looking to tighten following studies showing that many teenagers easily bypass the restrictions.

The ban, which came into force on December 10, made Australia a global test case for countries trying to curb children’s access to social media.

Defending the voluntary nature of the curfew, UK Secretary for Online Safety Kanishka Narayan rejected criticism that teenagers would simply disable the restrictions. He told Sky News that the government wanted to avoid outright bans for older teenagers, aiming instead for a “smooth slope” into adulthood.

“We want to empower our teenagers,” Narayan said, citing data from a pilot scheme and previous voluntary platform trials where more than 90 percent of teenagers kept the restrictive default settings active.

“The evidence base is clear, the motivation is very clear, and I wouldn’t do the disservice to teenagers of saying they’re all going to switch it off.”

However, political opponents and child safety advocates expressed scepticism about the policy’s efficacy.

Laura Trott, the education spokesperson for the opposition Conservative Party, dismissed the plans as illogical.

“Either they think 16- and 17-year-olds should be on social media or they don’t, but curfews they can simply switch off won’t achieve anything,” Trott said, according to the Associated Press news agency.

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, a prominent UK children’s nonprofit, welcomed the development, but warned that it was a temporary fix.

Chief executive Chris Sherwood cautioned that unless the government implements “further, stronger measures”, the policy will act only as a “sticking plaster” that fails to address the deeply addictive algorithms driving excessive screen time.

The proposals must still be formally legislated. Because they represent some of the final legislative steps of Starmer’s administration, the responsibility of implementing them is expected to fall to his anticipated successor, Andy Burnham.

TWO sisters were left stunned after they found a picture of themselves in an Airbnb they had never stayed at before.

When Aubrey Birrell and her sister Libby entered their Airbnb in San Diego, California, USA, they spotted a large photo canvas on the wall.

In a video that has now gone viral on social media, Aubrey points at the picture of their family holiday 10 years prior, showing a group of swimmers at the beach.

Stunned, she says: “That’s my dad” before then pointing out Libby and their brother Brady.

Shocked Aubrey, who posted via her TikTok account @aubsbirrell, said they found the discovery “crazy” and “unsettling”, especially because they had never stepped foot in the Airbnb before.

Her description of the video stated: “We can’t make this up….. this is the craziest thing.”

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The two sisters never learnt how the picture ended up there.

Social media users took to the comments to share their own similar experiences.

One said: “I flew to India, then travelled up the Himalayas to my old boarding school where is was teaching for the summer.

“On the first day I was looking at the school photos in the cafeteria and another lady was also looking at photos.

“We met in front of one and I said I’d gone to boarding school here 40 years ago and this was the first time I’d been back.

“She said she’d gone to boarding school here 40 years ago and was back on vacation.

“Turns out she was Cathy, my best friend in school!

“We lost touch after we left the school and hadn’t spoken since.”

Another added: “This literally happened at our rented beach house TODAY.

“I had seen this TikTok days ago and something made me look at the giant canvas hanging in the primary bath[room].

“I immediately see my daughter and her high school friend group in the pic – one of whom is with us on this trip!

“We live two hours away and have been coming to this beach for decades. CRAZY.”

Meta has rolled back its ‘Muse Image’ AI feature after widespread backlash over privacy and consent. The tool allowed users to generate AI images of people by simply ‘@ mentioning’ public Instagram accounts. The negative reaction was swift and global – forcing Meta to say it ‘missed the mark’.

The penalty awarded against the Senegalese national team in the final moments of their match against Belgium on Wednesday caused widespread controversy after it led to their elimination from the Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup, in a harsh turn of events that saw the “Lions of Teranga” go from leading 2-0 to losing 3-2.

Honduran referee Said Martinez awarded a penalty kick at the end of the second period of extra time, after a VAR review, following a challenge by Senegal’s Lamine Camara on Belgian captain Youri Tielemans, with the score tied 2-2 and the match heading towards a penalty shootout.

The “Archivo VAR” platform, which specialises in analysing refereeing decisions, said that VAR intervened excessively during the match, confirming that it was Tielemans who extended his foot in front of Camara, causing the contact.

The platform added, via its account on “X,” that the incident did not warrant VAR intervention, explaining that it was the Belgian player who forced the contact entirely, and that the situation did not amount to the clear and obvious error needed to justify the referee reviewing the decision.

The decision triggered a wave of controversy on social media, with one fan writing: “This is 100% robbery. Senegal have been robbed. How is this a penalty? Belgium do not deserve to go through corruption.”

Sports content creator Sneako blamed the result on match ‘”rigging”.

“Rigged! Senegal should storm the pitch right now. Leave the pitch and go home. This is rigged!”

Another sports fan wrote: “I’m sorry, but this was never a penalty. Camara went to clear the ball, but it was Tielemans who got in his way. Senegal was robbed, and it should have been Belgium going out.”

Spanish sports journalist Manolo Lama commented: “They stole the Africa Cup of Nations from them, and now they’re stealing all the solidarity with Senegal at the World Cup too.”

Egyptian journalist Mohamed Saeed linked the incident to what happened in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco, writing: “You can feel that the penalty awarded against Senegal in the final seconds was a harsh lesson and a difficult test. After the scenes from the Africa Cup of Nations final, I think that if it weren’t for the change in the rules around the withdrawal incident, this scene could have repeated itself.”

Another sports fan, Fares Ahmed, wrote that football ”teaches lessons” and the outcome brought back the memory of Senegal at the tournament in Morocco.

“They took advantage of the tournament’s vulnerable position and the host’s need to make it a success, and used that to impose their pressure,” Ahmed wrote. “Today, the scene was almost repeated against Belgium — a penalty in the final minutes, objections, and disbelief over the decision — but this time there was no threat of withdrawal, because you can’t risk penalties like that in a tournament the size of the World Cup.”

Drawing a connection between the two events, one follower wrote on “X”: “When there was a clear penalty in the Morocco final, they rebelled against the decision and tarnished the reputation of African football, just because the tournament was in Morocco. But when an unclear penalty came along that eliminated them from the World Cup, they stayed silent, because this time it was in the West.”

After the dramatic penalty was awarded, Tielemans stepped up to take it and scored successfully, netting Belgium’s third goal and capping off an unexpected comeback that eliminated the Lions of Teranga.

But back on the pitch, Senegal had the run of play for 85 minutes. The African team held a two-goal lead, and had all but secured a spot in the round of 16 at the World Cup.

Within five minutes, it crumbled and the players were feeling it.

“We were at the heart of writing the beautiful pages of the history of our football in this world,” defender Krepin Diatta said. “And we have to accept that we failed at our mission.”

Senegal midfielder Habib Diarra said. “We had a good first half, but it wasn’t enough. A match lasts 90 minutes, and we’re devastated. It’s very tough. I don’t know what to say. When you’re on the pitch, you have to give your all, and that’s not what we did. We’ve only got ourselves to blame.”

There’s this idea in social media that you’re supposed to choose a lane. Either you grow “purely organic”, patiently waiting for the algorithm to reward you, or you automate everything and turn your account into some kind of growth machine that runs without you.

In reality, nobody who actually tries to grow an account long-term sticks to either extreme.

Pure organic growth is slow enough to make you question whether anything is happening at all. Pure automation without real content is just noise with extra steps.

Most accounts that survive past the first few months end up somewhere in between, even if nobody says it out loud.

Where automation actually fits in

When people hear “automation”, they still imagine spam bots or engagement farms from years ago. That’s not really what we’re talking about anymore.

Used properly, automation isn’t about replacing activity. It’s about smoothing out the worst part of it – posting something decent and watching it sit at zero for hours because the algorithm didn’t pick it up.

That initial silence is where a lot of good content dies. Not because it’s bad, but because nothing happens around it early enough.

Automation in this context is just early support. A bit of initial visibility, some signal that the post isn’t completely invisible, enough to get it into circulation instead of letting it sink immediately.

Why organic alone stops scaling

Organic-only accounts usually hit the same pattern. At the beginning, everything feels like progress. A few posts perform, you get your first audience, and there’s a sense that things are starting to move.

Then it slows down. Not dramatically, just quietly. You keep posting, improving, adjusting – but the results stay in the same range. It’s not that the content gets worse. It’s that platforms don’t scale reach in a predictable way.

That’s usually where frustration starts. Not failure, just repetition. You’re doing the same work, but the outcome doesn’t change much. And that’s a difficult place to stay in for long.

Why automation alone also fails

On the other side, accounts that rely only on automated promotion usually run into a different problem. They can create activity, they can push numbers, they can make a profile look alive. But without real content behind it, there’s nothing for people to actually connect to.

No point of view, consistency and reason to follow.

People notice that, even if they don’t consciously analyze it. An account can look active and still feel empty. Automation can amplify reach, but it can’t replace identity.

The middle layer: where growth actually happens

The more stable setups usually combine both sides. Organic content is responsible for the actual message – what the account stands for, what it’s trying to say, why it exists in the first place.

Automation supports distribution – making sure that message doesn’t get lost immediately after it’s published. They solve different problems:

• organic answers what is being communicated;
• automation answers whether anyone is actually seeing it.

Most accounts struggle because they only solve one of those properly.

The psychology of perceived activity

There’s also a simpler factor that often gets ignored: perception. People don’t evaluate accounts in isolation. They compare them instantly to everything else in their feed.

An account with visible engagement feels more established. Not because people sit and analyze metrics, but because inactivity is noticeable.

Good content with no traction creates hesitation. Not rejection – just a pause. And on social media, hesitation is usually enough for someone to move on.

Adding early visibility reduces that friction. It makes the account feel like it already exists in circulation, not like it’s still trying to get noticed.

How teams actually use this mix

In practice, most teams don’t frame this as theory. They just build a workflow.

Organic content is used for messaging, storytelling, positioning. That part doesn’t change.

Promotion, including automated support, is used when something deserves more reach than it would naturally get in the first hour or two.

Some posts are left alone, some are boosted, while others are tested and dropped. It’s less about forcing outcomes and more about not letting good content disappear by default.

Services like Top4SMM are often used in that layer – not as a replacement for marketing, but as a way to stabilize visibility when organic reach is unpredictable. If you want to compare options, you can see details.

Why consistency beats intensity

A common mistake is treating growth like a short-term push. People post more, experiment harder, try to “fix” the algorithm in a week or two – and then step back when nothing changes immediately.

What actually works is much less dramatic. Steady output. Steady distribution. No spikes needed.

When both sides are consistent, results start compounding. Slowly at first, then more noticeably over time.

Final thoughts

There isn’t really a pure way to grow on social media anymore. Organic alone struggles with reach. Automation alone struggles with meaning.

The accounts that keep growing are the ones that combine both – content that actually says something, and distribution that makes sure it doesn’t disappear on impact.

Everything else mostly comes down to hoping for timing to behave like a strategy.

Canberra says tech platforms are still letting too many children bypass its under-16 social media ban.

Australia says it will double fines on social media companies that fail to keep children off their platforms, accusing Big Tech of dodging the spirit of its under-16 ban.

The government said on Saturday that new legislation would raise the maximum penalty for systemic breaches from 49.5 million to 99 million Australian dollars ($31m to $68m) and give the eSafety Commissioner stronger powers to force platforms to comply.

The regulator is investigating possible breaches by Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.

“It’s clear Big Tech are not doing enough to comply with the law – there are still too many children on social media,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

“These changes reflect the seriousness with which we take any failure by social media companies to comply.”

The ban, which came into force on December 10, made Australia a global test case for countries trying to curb children’s access to social media. The United Kingdom, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand are among those watching or considering similar restrictions.

But children have continued to evade the rules by using accounts registered to older people, creating fake profiles or logging in through private browsers.

A peer-reviewed evaluation published this month in the British Medical Journal found “insufficient evidence” that the ban had sharply reduced social media use among young people. Researchers surveyed more than 400 children before the measure took effect and again three months later, finding “substantial circumvention” of the rules.

The government says more than five million accounts held by under-16s have been blocked, but Communications Minister Anika Wells said platforms were still falling short.

“Based on the regular updates I receive from the eSafety Commissioner, it is clear to me that social media platforms are adopting tricks straight out of the Big Tech playbook and doing the bare minimum to get by,” Wells said.

“Social media platforms are some of the richest and most powerful companies in the world, and we’re serious about holding them to account,” she added.

The new powers would allow the eSafety Commissioner to demand documents and evidence from platforms, age-checking companies and app stores.

Platforms must show they have taken “reasonable steps” to keep under-16s out. Some use artificial intelligence to estimate ages, while users can also verify their age with a government ID.

ARIANA Grande has broken her silence after accidentally posting a photo of her bare boob on Instagram.

The We Can’t Be Friends hitmaker, 32, accidentally shared her entire bare breast with her 375 million Instagram followers earlier this week.

She uploaded an otherwise innocent photo of herself crouching down to pet a dog in an airport parking lot, as part of a photo dump.

But fans were quick to spot something about the photo that Ariana clearly overlooked.

As Ariana leaned forward to pet the dog, she rocked a red check dress with a gaping neckline.

Leaning forward, Ariana risked a major wardrobe malfunction as she revealed far more of her body than she intended.

Fans noticed the upload blunder almost instantly, with one person writing: “Uh Ariana Grande do you know you posted your boob on your Instagram?”

While someone else said: “Not Ariana accidentally posting a nip slip on Instagram.”

But Ariana did not delete the snap, instead she styled it out like the pro she is.

Taking to her Instagram stories after the dust had settled slightly, she shared a hilarious video that left fans in hysterics.

The video featured her friend Elizabeth Gillies.

In the clip, the duo can be seen in a fake party scenario.

Elizabeth is sipping champagne before casually saying to Ari: “You have great tits, they’re really beautiful.”

Ariana then replied: “Thank you.”

Fans were quick to flock to X to react to Ariana’s response.

“She’s so f**king funny omg,” said one person.

“Funny woman oh my god,” added a second.

While a third wrote: “Ariana omg.”

And a fourth said: “She really don’t give a f**k.”

DAVID and Victoria Beckham put on brave faces as they celebrated their second Father’s Day without their estranged son Brooklyn. 

The pair were spotted heading to a London gastro-pub with their son Cruz, 21, and his girlfriend Jackie Apostel, 30. 

David, 51, and Victoria, 52, who were cut off by Brooklyn, 27, last year were also joined by their son Romeo and David’s mum Sandra, 77. 

On Father’s Day, David shared a photograph of all of their children, including daughter Harper, 14, and said: “Being a dad is my most important job… I love you all.” 

Brooklyn is understood to be “furious” with his parents once more after their Father’s Day posts.

David and Victoria both marked the annual event yesterday by sharing snaps of all of their children – including Brooklyn.

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He had previously instructed his parents not to tag him in online posts – something that they have continually ignored.

The feud has rumbled on for over a year with a source telling The Sun that Brooklyn has been left filled with rage following his mum and dad’s latest stunt.

An insider told The Sun: “He’s fuming about it.

“He’s asked them to leave him alone and they just keep posting him.

“It just brings the whole thing up all over again.

“He wishes they’d leave it and leave him alone.”

Brooklyn, who lives in Los Angeles with his American actress wife Nicola, 31, has been estranged from his family for over a year and has accused them of trying to “control” him.