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There is a growing international movement to implement stricter age verification and regulation on social media and online platforms to safeguard children. This includes calls from UK politician Keir Starmer for social media firms to take responsibility, as well as plans for curbs in Malaysia and considerations in Canada for under-16s.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has given social media companies until January 1, 2027 to enforce mandatory age verification or face legal consequences, as Greece moves to ban platform access for…
Reports suggest that several social media companies are exploring options for rebranding and adopting new names.
Australia is investigating Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat for alleged violations of a ban on users under 16 years old. The government is threatening lawsuits due to systemic failures in enforcing age verification and compliance with the law.
An addiction specialist predicts that Irish individuals will inevitably pursue legal action against social media companies, citing the mental health harm caused by online content.
UK Labour leader Keir Starmer has vowed to confront social media companies over child addiction, coinciding with new government guidance on limiting screen time for young children, while public discourse highlights the need for health warnings on social media due to rising screen time for both children and adults.
Republican Attorneys General are celebrating a 10-year consent decree in Missouri v. Biden, which bars federal agencies like the CDC and CISA from pressuring social media companies regarding content.
An opinion piece discusses the implications of legal verdicts against social media companies, highlighting the consequences they carry while also raising questions that remain unanswered.
A BBC report, citing whistleblowers, claims that major social media companies knowingly permit harmful content on their platforms because shocking posts effectively increase user engagement.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that Madrid will launch a tool to monitor hate speech on digital platforms as part of a broader strategy to increase surveillance of social media companies.
Recent lawsuits against social media companies argue that platforms are intentionally designed to create addiction, particularly among young Americans, raising questions about user responsibility versus platform design.
A 20-year-old woman is seeking to hold social media companies responsible for harms to children who use their platforms
Social media reform requires more than toll takers TradingView
Mark Zuckerberg takes the stand today in a trial over whether social media companies are fueling the teen mental health crisis. And, Tricia McLaughlin is leaving the Department of Homeland Security.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has met with social media executives, pressing them to take greater responsibility for protecting children online. He emphasized the need for enhanced measures to ensure child safety across their platforms.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has issued a warning about a significant increase in online falsehoods concerning the city, including crime rates and racial integration, and has criticized social media companies for their role.
The discussion centers on whether jury awards can effectively protect children from harm caused by social media, as tech giants face increasing accountability for failing to safeguard kids online.
Australia's eSafety commissioner is actively investigating major social media companies for potential non-compliance with the ban on users under 16, with authorities examining possible violations and preparing for potential court action.
Legal and legislative pressure is intensifying globally to safeguard young people from the harmful and addictive features of social media platforms, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer making his strongest intervention yet and Czech officials warning of online radicalization. In Germany, a legal opinion highlights significant hurdles for implementing a proposed age limit for social media use.
Campaigners have won a landmark legal battle against major social media companies, with the ruling focusing on issues related to social media addiction.
Following two verdicts against social media companies, researchers are discussing what a safer social media environment for kids and teens should entail and whether such a goal is currently achievable.
Verdicts against social media companies carry consequences. But questions linger AP News
Social media companies are being urged to implement stronger age verification technologies to protect children, after the U.K.'s Information Commissioner's Office rejected a blanket ban for teenagers.
An advisory body has recommended to the Dutch cabinet that the responsibility for combating disinformation and foreign influence campaigns should not be left solely to social media companies. The advice suggests a more active role for the government in addressing these issues.
Social media companies TikTok, Meta, and Google were unable to allay the concerns of Dutch MPs during a discussion on transparency, potential influence, and the measures the platforms are taking to
The case is part of a broader global backlash against social media companies over alleged harms to children and teens, though the tech firms deny the allegations.
UK Prime Minister Starmer has extended congratulations to Tarique Rahman on his premiership, as reported by The Daily Star.
Students in Texas are protesting ICE despite threats from the governor, while Democrats in Illinois debate strategies to combat Trump's ICE. Homeland Security is also demanding social media companies reveal the identities behind anti-ICE posts, and ICE is pushing tech companies to identify protesters.
UK Labour leader Keir Starmer has summoned representatives from US social media companies to discuss pressing issues related to online safety. The meeting aims to address concerns about content moderation and user protection.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan urged ministers to take significantly stronger action against social media companies for spreading disinformation, including about London crime rates, which he says erodes trust.
Turkey's minister announced an agreement with social media companies to require Turkish citizens to verify their identities for online accounts, aiming to end anonymity and potentially impacting dissenting voices.
Wall Street is grappling with the possibility that social media companies, exemplified by Meta's financial struggles, could face risks similar to the tobacco industry due to increasing regulatory pressure.
A California jury has found tech giants Meta and Google liable for designing addictive platforms, marking a landmark legal victory that could have significant implications for social media companies.
An editorial discusses how recent court cases highlight the need to hold social media companies responsible for their impact on public health, moving beyond just content moderation to the form of content delivery.
Shares of Meta and other social media companies continued to fall on Friday, attributed to the fallout from recent lawsuit losses.
Liverpool FC has condemned the “utterly unacceptable” racist abuse of players, demanding immediate action from social media companies to eradicate hate. Read More:…
UK regulators are urging social media companies including Meta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube to implement stricter age verification and block children under 13, with warnings of hefty fines if they fail to protect children online, as the government considers barring under-16s from such platforms.
YouTube has introduced a new tool allowing public figures to report deepfake videos that use deceptive images of real people, as social media companies face increasing pressure to combat such content.
A twenty-year-old woman from California is suing social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram, claiming they ensnared her as a child and caused her addiction.
Prince Harry has expressed support for bereaved families who are taking legal action against social media companies, alleging that platforms like Instagram and YouTube harm young people's mental health.
Mark Zuckerberg took the stand at the Los Angeles Superior Court. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images Zuckerberg's courthouse entourage showed up in Meta Ray-Bans. The judge warned that anybody recording proceedings with smart glasses could face contempt. Meta's smart glasses are surging. Sales tripled in 2025, the company said. As Mark Zuckerberg was ushered into the Los Angeles Superior Court early on Wednesday morning, one accessory in his entourage stood out: Meta Ray-Ban glasses. Zuckerberg, wearing a navy blue suit and tie, arrived without any glasses. Flanking either side of him as he walked up to the courthouse were longtime executive assistant Andrea Besmehn and an unidentified man donning Meta's Ray-Ban glasses. Meta declined to comment about the accessory choice. AI-powered smart glasses weren't just a hot accessory in the California sun. They were a hot topic inside the courtroom. The judge presiding over the trial announced that anyone using glasses to record inside the courtroom would be "held in contempt of the court," according to CNBC. This isn't the first trial where Meta's glasses have caused issues. Last year, while Meta battled the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust allegations, New York Times reporter Mike Isaac posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he had been reprimanded by the court for wearing Meta Ray-Bans. do not wear camera glasses in federal buildings folks 😞 — rat king 🐀 (@MikeIsaac) April 15, 2025 Andrea Besmehn (left) and an unidentified man donning Meta's Ray-Ban glasses while accompanying Zuckerberg. Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images; Mike Blake/Reuters The glasses cameo came as Zuckerberg took the stand in a Los Angeles trial accusing major social media companies of building addictive products that harm young users. The case centers on a now-20-year-old plaintiff, identified in court filings as "KGM," who alleged that Instagram and YouTube worsened her depression and suicidal thoughts after she started using the apps as a child. TikTok and Snap have already settled, leaving Meta and Google's YouTube as the remaining defendants in the trial, which could shape similar lawsuits nationwide. The trial underway in Los Angeles is focused on design features that plaintiffs say keep teens scrolling. Zuckerberg's testimony follows an earlier appearance from Instagram chief Adam Mosseri. Meta's Ray Ban smart glasses have become a surprise hit. On the company's earnings call last month, Zuckerberg said that sales of the glasses more than tripled in 2025, and compared the moment to the shift from flip phones to smartphones. Meta has increasingly positioned the glasses as a vehicle for its AI ambitions. In addition to taking pictures and playing music, users can ask questions to Meta AI, Meta's AI assistant, about anything that they're looking at through the glasses. Last week, the New York Times reported that Meta is planning to add facial recognition technology to the glasses. Read the original article on Business Insider