|
Manitoba could be the first province in Canada to establish a social media ban for kids, but the proposal's details aren't very clear yet. The province's premier, Wab Kinew, announced during a fundraiser event on Saturday and on X that Manitoba would put in place a ban for social media and AI chatbots for its youth.
"They're doing these very awful things to kids all in the name of a few likes, all in the name of more engagement, and all in the name of money," Kinew said at the event. "Our kids will never be for sale and their attention and their childhoods should never be profited from."
Kinew didn't elaborate on the ban's crucial details, like the specific age restriction, when it will be introduced nor how it will be enforced. CBC reported that Kinew didn't speak to reporters after his remarks at the fundraiser.
Besides Manitoba, the Liberal Party of Canada recently voted in favor of proposals to restrict both social media and AI chatbot use for anyone under 16 during the party's national convention in Montreal. There are several efforts to restrict social media across Canada. One even seeks to limit
|
|
Meta is testing out a premium version of its messaging app, called WhatsApp Plus, that will include several paywalled features. As first spotted by WABetaInfo, Meta is currently rolling out a paid version of WhatsApp, which features mostly cosmetic upgrades. According to the Help Center page, WhatsApp Plus subscribers will get access to premium stickers that can have special effects and the ability to personalize the app's themes and icons.
Beyond the decorative elements, WhatsApp Plus users can pin up to 20 chats, set a premium ringtone for certain contacts and further customize chat lists with alerts, ringtones and themes. According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is exploring more features for its premium plan, but there's no exact pricing announced yet. Subscription costs currently range from 229 Pakistani Rupees, or less than $1, to €2.49, or around $3, according to WABetaInfo.
Meta isn't paywalling any of WhatsApp's basic functions, so the ability to send messages, make voice calls and take advantage of end-to-end encryption remains free. However, the introduction of WhatsApp Plus follows Meta also trialing
|
|
