Snapchat is taking action to address fentanyl dealing on the platform 

  • Snapchat has announced a series of measures it’s taking to counter drug dealing on its platform and educate users about the dangers of fentanyl and other drugs. 
  • When users search for drug-related keywords like “fentanyl”, Snapchat will direct them to a new educational portal called Heads Up. 
  • Fentanyl is a dangerous drug that is stronger than heroin. 
  • Snapchat is also improving in-app reporting tools and proactive detection features.
  • This follows a recent investigation by NBC News into deaths involving teens and young adults who were suspected of having bought fentanyl-laced drugs through Snapchat.
  • The report alleged that drug dealers use Snapchat to find buyers. 
  • Full story, here. 

Doctors alerted to dangerous dry scooping workout trend

  • Doctors are being warned about a dangerous pre-workout trend called dry scooping.
  • The trend involves eating powder supplements dry, rather than diluting them in water, as recommended by manufacturers.  
  • There are concerns that teenagers may attempt the trend, as research found that it reached millions of likes on TikTok. 
  • Pre-workout powders typically contain lots of amino acids, vitamins, and other ingredients, such as caffeine or other stimulants. 
  • Large doses of caffeine can have heart-related side effects, including palpitations.
  • A scoop of powder may contain as much caffeine as five cups of coffee.
  • Full story, here.  

Google and YouTube will cut-off advertisement revenue for climate change deniers 

  • Google will no longer allow advertisers, publishers, and YouTube creators to monetize content that denies the existence of climate change. 
  • This includes content claiming climate change is a hoax or a scam, denying the long-term trends showing climate change and claims denying greenhouse gas emissions or that human activity is contributing to climate change.
  • Google will use a mix of automated tools and human reviewers to enforce the policy. 
  • They will attempt to differentiate between content that states a false claim as fact, versus content that reports on or discusses that claim. 
  • This marks Google’s second misinformation-related policy change, after YouTube banned vaccine misinformation.
  • Full story, here.

Telegram has amassed 70 million new users  

  • The encrypted instant messaging app Telegram registered 70 million new users during Monday’s Facebook blackout. 
  • Other alternatives to WhatsApp and Facebook, such as Signal also gained traction during the outage. 
  • This is Telegram’s second jump in usage this year.  
  • In January, more than 25 million users signed up following concerns over a new WhatsApp privacy policy.
  • Telegram has become more popular among the far-right movement, with researchers reporting an increase in misogyny, racism, and anti-Semitism channels.
  • Full story, here.