Snapchat settles to avoid social media addiction trial
Snapchat on Wednesday confirmed it made a deal to avoid a US civil trial accusing it, along with Meta, TikTok, and YouTube, of addicting young people to social media.
Jan 21, 2026
0
17
Internet
Page 6: Research news on Online child safety regulation
Online child safety regulation addresses legal, technical, and policy frameworks designed to protect minors on digital platforms, particularly social media and search services. Central themes include statutory minimum ages for account creation, mandatory age verification and age assurance technologies, and safety-by-design obligations such as teen defaults and PG-13 content gating. The field also examines platform liability for addictive design and youth mental health harms, constitutional and human-rights challenges to age-gating laws, and the effectiveness of national and regional regulatory regimes in reducing online risks to children.
Internet
UK, France mull social media bans for youth as debate rages
Countries including France and Britain are considering following Australia's lead by banning children and some teenagers from using social media, but experts are still locked in a debate over the effectiveness of the move.
Jan 19, 2026
0
20
Internet
Social media platforms removed 4.7 million accounts after Australia banned them for children
Social media companies have revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children in Australia since the country banned use of the platforms by those under 16, officials said.
Jan 16, 2026
0
17
Internet
Social media harms teens, watchdog warns, as France weighs ban
Social media harms the mental health of adolescents, particularly girls, France's health watchdog said Tuesday as the country debates banning children under 15 from accessing the immensely popular platforms.
Jan 13, 2026
0
13
Internet
Meta urges Australia to change teen social media ban
Tech giant Meta urged Australia on Monday to rethink its world-first social media ban for under-16s, while reporting that it has blocked more than 544,000 accounts under the new law.
Jan 12, 2026
0
19
Electronics & Semiconductors
AI toys look for bright side after troubled start
Toy makers at the Consumer Electronics Show were adamant about being careful to ensure that their fun creations infused with generative artificial intelligence don't turn naughty.
Jan 11, 2026
0
42
Internet
France plans social media ban for children under 15
France will make a fresh attempt to protect children from excessive screen time, proposing a ban on social media access for children under 15 by next September, according to a draft law seen by AFP.
Dec 31, 2025
1
71
Consumer & Gadgets
The spoofing problem: Why tech platforms' age verification may not protect minors
As platforms rush to verify users' ages, experts warn consumer-grade cameras lack the technology to reliably authenticate minors.
Dec 17, 2025
0
30
Consumer & Gadgets
Tech savvy users have most digital concerns, study finds
Digital concerns around privacy, online misinformation, and work-life boundaries are highest among highly educated, Western European millennials, finds a new study from researchers at UCL and the University of British Columbia.
Dec 14, 2025
0
24
Internet
Reddit files legal challenge to Australia social media ban
Online discussion site Reddit launched a legal challenge Friday to Australia's social media ban for under-16s, just days after the landmark law came into effect.
Dec 12, 2025
0
18
