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ONLINE SAFETY NEWS

Tech giants like Meta have been accused of contributing to mental health crises among users, especially teens.

Facebook and Instagram must do more to block under-13s, EU warns in Meta charges

April 30, 2026 8:42 am

The Commission said both platforms must change their risk assessment methodology and that they need to strengthen ‌measures to prevent, ⁠detect and remove minors from their services.

Roblox launches new age-checked accounts for kids and teen users: Here’s what to know

April 14, 2026 8:41 am

Roblox said the new age-appropriate account types will be rolled out globally from June 2026 onwards.

What teens are doing with those role-playing chatbots

April 06, 2026 8:59 am

There are a growing number of companies offering social chatbots that can act like friends, enemies, lovers, adventurous companions.

WhatsApp rolls out new parent-managed accounts for under-13 users: How parents can set it up

March 12, 2026 11:15 am

WhatsApp said that parent-managed accounts will be rolled out to all users gradually on devices with the latest version of the iOS or Android app.

Amid wave of kids' online safety laws, age-checking tech comes of age

March 10, 2026 9:27 am

Australia's internet regulator, the eSafety commissioner, has said it will collect population data for two years to assess the ban's impact and publish first results later this year.

Australians reach for VPNs, find porn sites blocked as online age-restrictions take effect

March 09, 2026 11:20 am

Three of the 15 most downloaded free smartphone apps on Monday were VPNs, a chart published by iPhone maker Apple showed. ⁠

Iraq bans US gaming platform Roblox over child safety concerns

Roblox says over 45% daily users have completed mandatory age-checks for chat

February 10, 2026 8:59 am

From January 2026 onwards, Roblox made age-checks mandatory for all users globally who want to use the gaming platform’s communication features.

Emphasising the potential for children’s well-being outside of social media is one way of ensuring digital detox. (Representative/ Express file photo by Praveen Khanna)

After Australia’s ban, a look at how other countries regulate social media use by children

December 15, 2025 4:54 pm

Denmark and Malaysia are already planning to impose total bans on social media for under-16s, and Australia’s experience may provide a regulatory template for these countries.

Jasmine Bentley, center, and Amelie Tomlinson, far right, watch a TikTok video with their friends in Melbourne, Australia, Nov. 13, 2025.

Australia’s teen social media ban kicks in from December 10: Five key points to know

December 08, 2025 3:32 pm

Several social media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook, have already moved to deactivate hundreds of thousands of accounts belonging to young teens in Australia.

A new US study found that children who had a smartphone by age 12 were at a higher risk of depression, obesity and insufficient sleep than those who did not yet have one.

Indian govt orders smartphone makers to preload state-owned cyber safety app

December 02, 2025 8:52 am

The government said the app was essential to combat "serious endangerment" of telecom cyber security from duplicate or spoofed IMEI numbers, which enable scams and network misuse.