Meta wants a child safety bill rewritten to shield it from lawsuits over harm to kids
Meta and Google already lost their first child safety trial this year, with $6 million in damages
Court says Ohio can require parental consent for children using social media
The law requires platforms likely to be used by under-16s to verify ages and obtain parental approval
UK confirms social media ban for kids is coming – Meta, YouTube, and Snapchat respond
Keir Starmer says he won't compromise on children's safety, but Australia's experience shows bans are hard to enforce
Microsoft president says AI backlash at graduation events should be wake-up call for the tech industry
Young people aren't anti-AI, Brad Smith argues – they're anti-replacement
Signal attacks UK plan to scan devices for nude images as "mass surveillance"
The UK says tech firms could face fines if they fail to adopt stronger protections for children
Meta settles a lawsuit that said it addicted students and left schools to deal with the damage
The Kentucky district claimed addictive design features forced schools to divert resources from education
The EU is going after TikTok and Meta over addictive algorithms and child safety failures
As always, Brussels is especially thinking about the children
Meta says New Mexico lawsuit could force Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp out of the state
Trial could force Meta to add age verification, kill infinite scroll, and limit encryption for minors
EU says Meta is breaking the law by failing to keep children off Facebook and Instagram
Regulators warn the company could face fines of up to 6% of global revenue
Greece to ban social media for children under 15 starting next year
The proposal pairs age checks with a parental control app
After $30 billion in school tech, the laptop classroom experiment may have backfired
Schools went all-in on laptops – now test scores are telling a different story
Judge warns smart glasses wearers of contempt charges as Zuckerberg testifies in Meta trial
"If you have done that, you must delete that"
Meta goes to trial over alleged child exploitation on Facebook and Instagram
New Mexico state prosecutors accuse Meta of ignoring internal warnings about harm to young users
AT&T teams up with Samsung on the amiGO Jr. Phone, a smartphone built for kids
Is it really just a Galaxy A16 with a bundled app?
After social media ban for teens, France may move to regulate VPNs next
VPN regulation proposals spread as governments tighten online safety rules
France bans social media for teens under 15, no phones in school
Other European countries are drafting similar legislation
The big picture: Following Australia's lead, France's National Assembly has approved a bill that would prohibit social media access for children under 15 and impose a blanket ban on mobile phone use in high schools. The proposals must now pass the Senate before they can be signed into law by President Emmanuel Macron.
As New Jersey enacts cellphone ban in schools, survey shows what teens actually think
Kids support classroom cellphone bans more than all-day restrictions
New York wants social media to carry tobacco-style health warnings
Governor Hochul stated that New Yorkers deserve safety and transparency
Reddit challenges Australia's age-verification law, says it's not social media
Reddit says it is a "collection of public fora"
Australia's under-16 social media ban triggers confusion, workarounds, and privacy fears
In brief: Australia's world-first social media ban on users under the age of 16 has come into effect, with mixed results and varied reactions. As other countries observe the rollout, the new law continues to draw criticism due to concerns about privacy and effectiveness.
Parents say mandatory iPad use at school is hurting kids' grades, causing behavioral issues
Teachers and child behaviorists are also warning about excessive screentime
Meta shut down an internal study that linked Facebook use to worse mental health
A hot potato: In 2020, Meta launched an internal research effort called Project Mercury to examine the psychological effects of Facebook use. Working with market research firm Nielsen, the company ran a survey-based experiment that asked selected users to deactivate their Facebook accounts for a week. Newly unsealed discovery documents reveal that those who stepped away reported noticeably lower levels of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and negative social comparison.
Roblox will now restrict chat by age group, verified with selfie-based scans
Teens will be able to chat with vetted relatives
Texas sues Roblox, accusing the platform of failing to protect children from predators
Attorney General Ken Paxton accuses the gaming giant of putting "profits over protection" as child safety concerns grow
Meta is giving parents a kill-switch for its AI chatbots
After safety missteps, the company plans new tools to limit teen exposure to explicit or romantic AI conversations