Australia will consider requiring app stores to block AI services without age verification
Australia's government may take a strict stance on ensuring younger users cannot access AI chatbots. Reuters reports that Australian regulators may require app storefronts to block AI services th [...]
Meta will let kids under 13 use WhatsApp with parent-managed accounts
Meta has announced that it’s introducing parent-managed accounts on WhatsApp. Designed to allow young people under the age of 13 to use the messaging platform more safely, these accounts feature new [...]
Australia’s teen social media ban works on paper, less so in practice
A law is only as strong as the door it actually closes, and Australia’s ban on social media for under-16s appears to have left a window open. On 26 June, six months after the world-first measure too [...]
Jury rules against Meta, orders $375 million fine in major child safety trial
A jury in New Mexico has found Meta liable for violating the state's consumer protection laws in a high-profile civil trial over child exploitation and other safety issues. One day after closing [...]
Kids who join social media early get worse grades, a big study finds
Getting on social media too young may cost children in the classroom. A large new study has found that pupils who joined the platforms early went on to earn worse grades than those who waited. The res [...]
AI chatbot traffic grows seven times faster than social media but still trails by a factor of four
AI chatbot traffic is growing seven times faster than social media, but still has four times less total traffic, a Similarweb analysis shows. The data reveals differences in device usage and user beha [...]
The US government wants Reddit to snitch on one of its users through a grand jury
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has a certain Redditor in its crosshairs and it's now strong-arming the social media platform to reveal who they are with a grand jury subpoena, according to a [...]
Meta is giving Threads on web a redesign that finally adds direct messages
Meta is starting to test a long-overdue facelift for Threads on web. The company's head of Threads Connor Hayes showed off a new look for the web version of Threads that finally adds direct messa [...]