8 mentions across all digests
Messaging platform used as an attack vector for phishing messages containing stolen Booking.com customer data.
Americans lost $2.1 billion to social media scams last year, 8 times more than in 2020. Facebook alone cost users more than texts and emails combined
Social media fraud losses exploded 8x to $2.1B in 2025, with Meta's advertising and messaging infrastructure becoming the primary vector—Facebook alone responsible for $794M.
Consumers lost $2.1 billion to social media scams in 2025, FTC reports
Social media scams inflicted $2.1 billion in consumer losses in 2025—an eightfold surge that makes platforms like Facebook the leading fraud vector, surpassing all other contact methods.
These are the countries moving to ban social media for children
Following Australia's December 2025 pioneering ban on social media for under-16s, at least 15 countries including the UK, France, and Canada are now legislating restrictions on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, forcing major compliance challenges across Big Tech.
WhatsApp adds prepaid phone recharges in India as its payments usage still lags
WhatsApp partners with PayU to launch prepaid recharges in India, but remains 80x behind PhonePe's 10.5B monthly UPI transactions with just 130M.
WhatsApp tests ‘Plus’ subscription that adds stickers and more for a few bucks a month
Meta tests a $3/month WhatsApp Plus subscription tier with premium stickers, custom themes, and enhanced chat pinning—attempting to layer paid features onto the historically free messaging platform.