Instagram may have been key tool in Russia’s manipulation of U.S. voters

In a bold move, US antitrust watchdogs have sued Facebook, arguing the social media giant needs to be broken up. Momentum is on the regulators' side, experts say.

How to smile, where to place a hand, which direction to face: courses in Vietnam that teach Instagrammers how to pose are being snapped up by the young and social media savvy. In communist Vietnam, where 70 percent of the population is under 35, the classes are particularly popular with young women.

This week, we're focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of France's influencers. On YouTube, TikTok, blogs and Instagram, they count their followers in the millions. However, France's "content creators" are still in the process of exploring all the potential of their virtual sway. In this show we see how brands and marketing teams are actively harnessing this grassroots power. We also see how influencers are being included in political campaigns. Finally, we check out the online trends to look out for from social media stars in the future.

A photograph of Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi and his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, was posted on Roccuzzo's Instagram account on Tuesday (August 10), showing the couple seated in their private jet en route to Paris. The caption attached to the photograph read "a new adventure for all five of us." Messi has agreed to join French club Paris Saint Germain (PSG) following his abrupt departure from Barcelona, his father said on Tuesday.

A top German court has decided that social media influencers can recommend products without the content necessarily needing to be flagged as advertising. But there are some limits.

The move follows a damning series in The Wall Street Journal about the effects of app on teens' mental health. But the tech giant insists it still "stands by" the project.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Tuesday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Tuesday. ⁣⁣⁣⁣

Website monitoring group Downdetector said Monday's outage was the largest such failure it had ever seen. While services maybe reconnected, Facebook still has to contend with damaging revelations from an ex-employee.

Users have been facing issues accessing the social media giant's apps and services for the second time in a week. The company said a configuration change was behind the outage, which is under control.

Facebook and Instagram's parent company, Meta, has been designated as an "extremist" organization by a Russian court. But Meta's WhatsApp is excluded from the ban.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Saturday.

The former US president had been blocked from the social media platforms since the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Meta said it was taking measures to prevent "repeat offenders" from violating its rules.