X is shutting down Communities because only a fraction of users were actually using the feature, with much of that use being spam. The company said the feature will be fully retired over the coming weeks. https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/23/x-is-shutting-down-communities-because-of-low-usage-and-lots-of-spam/ #Media #SocialMedia #CommunityPlatforms

Mastodon says its flagship server was hit by a DDoS attack. The incident comes less than a week after Bluesky was targeted with junk web traffic. #Media #CommunityPlatforms #Mastodon https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/20/mastodon-says-its-flagship-server-was-hit-by-a-ddos-attack/

Comic book fans now gather online rather than in shops, using Instagram and TikTok to debate, share and discuss. The shift marks a new era for comics culture as social media replaces traditional letters pages. https://theconversation.com/want-to-talk-comics-today-that-often-means-going-online-277151 #Media #SocialMedia #CommunityPlatforms

EFF, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, has announced it is leaving X (formerly Twitter). The digital rights organisation follows various news organisations and others who no longer find X a viable source of traffic. The departure highlights growing concerns about the platform's direction under its current ownership. https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/09/eff-is-the-latest-organization-to-leave-x/ #Media #SocialMedia #CommunityPlatforms

Flipboard launches social websites letting creators build own web spaces. Combines posts from Bluesky, Mastodon, Threads, YouTube, blogs and RSS feeds into one destination. Partners include The Verge, Wired and The Athletic. https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/02/flipboard-surf-social-websites-help-publishers-and-creators-tap-into-the-open-social-web/ #Media #SocialMedia #CommunityPlatforms #Flipboard

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

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

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

Mastodon is redesigning user profiles to simplify its decentralised network and appeal to mainstream users and organisations. The update aims to make the platform more accessible while maintaining its open-source, federated architecture. https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/26/mastodon-is-making-its-decentralized-social-network-easier-to-use-with-its-latest-revamp/ #Media #SocialMedia #CommunityPlatforms #Mastodon

Reddit has introduced a new label to distinguish bot accounts from human users, allowing people to easily identify when they are interacting with automation rather than actual people. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/reddit-implements-new-app-label-to-identify-bot-profiles/815758/ #Media #SocialMedia #CommunityPlatforms #Reddit