|
The new Australian law restricts some social media platforms, but other services and AI chatbots are exempt.
| RELATED ARTICLES | | |
|
Sony's 2025 PlayStation Wrap-Up is now available. The recap, which is similar to those from music streaming services, sums up gaming habits from throughout the year. It shows players how many hours they used their PS4 or PS5, what games they played the most, preferred genres, trophy counts and more.
These digital cards are shareable on social media, which is kind of the whole point. Nothing says "bragging rights" more than offering definitive proof of how long you spent on a couch grinding in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 or wandering the wasteland in Death Stranding 2.
Sony
This year, the recap provides insight into how much players interacted with accessories like the PlayStation Portal and PS VR2. It also details the "most used DualSense wireless controller design."
The 2025 Wrap-Up will be available until January 8. Once completed, players also get a "unique glass-themed avatar." It's only available for adults.
— priceless (@Real__Priceless) December 9, 2025
|
|
Countries around the world will be watching to see how well the new ban works ... or doesn't.
|
|
Australia's new social media law goes into effect on December 10, 2025, and ahead of that date, Apple is sharing information on developer tools that are designed to help social media apps adhere to the law.
|
|
Roskomnadzor, Russia's federal agency for monitoring and censoring mass media, has blocked access to Snapchat and FaceTime in the country, Bloomberg reports, citing Russian news service Interfax. The bans were reportedly put in place because the platforms were used "to organize and carry out terrorist acts," and commit fraud.
It's not clear if either service is still accessible by using a VPN, but banning Snapchat and FaceTime fits with Russia's crackdown on communication and social platforms that started after the country's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Facebook and X were blocked in March of that year, and Instagram was added to the ban list not long after. In 2024, the encrypted messaging app Signal was also banned, and more recently in July 2025, Russia threatened to block access to WhatsApp.
Engadget has contacted both Apple and Snap to comment on the Russian bans. We'll update this article if we hear back.
Banning or restricting these platforms is a way to exert control over where and h
|
|