Online safety

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ONLINE SAFETY NEWS

How Meta’s $17.1 billion social media settlement came together

August 31, 2026 6:18 am

For years, Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, seemed to have an impenetrable defense against child safety lawsuits.

Australia last month became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking access in a move welcomed by ‌many parents and child advocates

Why countries are pushing social media bans despite their flaws

August 29, 2026 9:17 am

Critics argue that age-based restrictions leave untouched the underlying design of social media platforms.

Instagram head Mosseri, at children's addiction trial, says few teenagers knew of safety feature

August 26, 2026 8:52 am

Mosseri said it was important that any information Instagram had about children's safety that became public be high-quality, and backed by experts.

New Zealand to introduce bill banning social media for children under 16

August 25, 2026 9:14 am

In December, ‌Australia became the world's first country to ban social media for children under 16.

‘Setting a clear boundary’: French MPs vote to ban social media for those under 15

Meta took down 7,56,000 Australian teen accounts as social media ban enforcement looms

August 13, 2026 9:53 am

The company said it had deactivated 462,000 suspect Instagram accounts and 294,000 suspect ⁠Facebook accounts from just before the Australian social media ban went live in December.

The Play Store is one of the go-to place for Android users to download and discover new apps.

Google to expand Play Store age-verification tool globally: What it means for users

July 31, 2026 1:21 pm

Launched in beta last year, Play Age Signal API does not require an ID or selfie verification. Here’s how it works.

EU regulators want Meta to disable autoplay and infinite scroll by default and introduce more effective screen-time protections. (Image: Reuters)

Meta disregarded its own research on teen harm, Tennessee tells jury

July 28, 2026 9:35 am

Nearly every state in the US has filed claims against Meta over its platforms' ⁠alleged impact on children.

The new AI tool has sparked privacy concerns because it can incorporate photos from public Instagram accounts into AI-generated images.(Reuters Photo)

Meta faces Tennessee trial over allegations Instagram was designed to be addictive

July 21, 2026 9:02 am

The trial, which is slated to last for seven weeks, is scheduled to overlap with at least two other trials against the company.

Should parents use digital screens to calm their children? New study finds no simple answer

July 15, 2026 3:37 pm

The study was focused on the relationship between media emotion regulation and executive functions of a child such as cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control.