YouTube now lets you turn off Shorts
YouTube now lets you turn off Shorts YouTube’s time management settings now have an option to put a zero-minute time limit on Shorts, effectively removing them from your app in Android and iOS. The option is an update to the Shorts timer YouTube originally announced in October; the lowest previous option was 15 minutes. The […]
YouTube Premium is getting pricier
YouTube Premium is getting pricier YouTube Premium is getting more expensive in the US, with prices rising by $2 on standard individual accounts and as much as $4 for the family plan. The price hike is already in effect for new accounts, and is rolling out now for existing customers. Premium’s Individual plan now costs […]
A jury says Meta and Google hurt a kid. What now?
A jury says Meta and Google hurt a kid. What now? Today on Decoder, we’re talking about the landmark social media addiction trials that just resulted in two major verdicts against Big Tech. There’s one case in New Mexico against Meta, and another in California against both companies, which have said they plan to appeal. […]
What it was like to watch grieving parents stare down Mark Zuckerberg in court
What it was like to watch grieving parents stare down Mark Zuckerberg in court Around a dozen parents huddled in the dim hallway outside the courtroom in February, nervously gripping paper tickets. They were glaring at a gray tote bag held by a member of the court staff – the one who’d determine, by lottery, […]
YouTube TV’s sports-focused package will cost $64.99 / month
YouTube TV's sports-focused package will cost $64.99 / month YouTube TV has shared more details about the custom channel packages it will start rolling out this week. The new packages are cheaper than YouTube TV’s standard $82.99 / month plan, and will span sports, entertainment, and news. Here’s a breakdown of each package: Sports Plan […]
YouTube Music starts putting lyrics behind a paywall
YouTube Music starts putting lyrics behind a paywall Free YouTube Music accounts are now seeing their access to lyrics limited, according to multiple reports. Google started testing lyrics as an exclusive feature for Premium users in September, but it appears that it’s now receiving a wider rollout. It seems that free users will be limited […]
Republicans attack ‘woke’ Netflix — and ignore YouTube
Republicans attack 'woke' Netflix — and ignore YouTube When Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos entered the Senate office building on Tuesday, he got thrown a curveball. What started as a standard antitrust hearing relating to the Warner Bros. merger quickly devolved into a performative Republican attack about the spread of “woke” ideology on the streaming service. […]
YouTube now blocking background playback on mobile browsers
YouTube now blocking background playback on mobile browsers YouTube has started to block third-party mobile browsers from using a background playback loophole. Background playback is supposed to be limited to YouTube Premium subscribers through the official iOS or Android app, but many people have been using browsers like Brave, Vivaldi, and Edge to get background […]
Internal chats show how social media companies discussed teen engagement
Internal chats show how social media companies discussed teen engagement Recently released documents show the big business opportunity that social media companies saw in recruiting teens to their platforms and how they discussed risks that heavy digital engagement could pose. The documents were released last week as part of a major set of trials brought […]
2026 is the year of social media’s legal reckoning
2026 is the year of social media's legal reckoning Over the next year, top social media executives are expected to take the witness stand to defend their companies from an avalanche of claims about their failure to protect kids. The first of many trials is set to begin this month in California, when Meta, TikTok, […]