Category: Government
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Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban: The First Domino in a Global Crackdown
Quick Story Summary Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age (SMMA) law forces platforms to block and remove accounts held by Australians under 16. Meta and YouTube are already enforcing the ban, with hundreds of thousands of teen accounts affected and under-16s forced into log-out, view-only modes. To comply, platforms are leaning on age-assurance tools like ID…
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The EU’s Updated Child Safety Rules: Why Protecting Kids Must Not Come at the Cost of Mass Surveillance
The European Union is once again reshaping its legal approach to fighting online child sexual abuse material (CSAM). On the surface, every country agrees on the mission: protect children from exploitation, abuse, and increasingly AI-generated child sexual abuse material. But the real debate is how to protect children – without undermining the privacy and security…
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California’s New Privacy Laws: AB 656, AB 566, and SB 361 Explained
California just passed new privacy laws that make account deletion real, expand browser opt out controls, and shine a light on data brokers. Here is what changed, when it starts, and how it affects both users and businesses. On October 8, 2025, California enacted a set of privacy laws that make it easier to delete…
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Imgur is no longer accessible in the UK
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As of 30 September 2025, Imgur has blocked access from the United Kingdom. If you are in the UK you cannot log in, browse, or upload. Imgur images embedded on other websites will not display for UK visitors. Why did Imgur block the UK? Imgur did not publish a legal memo alongside the block, only…
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Should There be Age Restrictions on Social Media?
Too Young to Scroll? The Debate Over Age Restrictions on Social Media Social media has become the defining communication tool of the modern age. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are central to how people connect, share news, and even learn about the world. Yet many of the most active users are children and teenagers,…
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Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban
Australia is rolling out a national rule that blocks under-16s from using mainstream social platforms starting in December, called the Online Safety Amendment Bill & targeting the Online Safety Act, legislated in 2021. The law passed in November 2024 and is being watched globally, with leaders in New York praising Australia’s approach during UN events,…
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UK Social Media Laws – Are People Being Arrested for Posts?
In short: Police in the UK continue to arrest people for online posts that are reported as threatening, harassing, or grossly offensive. Cases are commonly brought under communications and public order laws, including offenses tied to harassment, malicious communications, and hate incidents. Arrests often begin with a user report, followed by platform referrals or local…
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Should the Government Regulate Social Media?
Social media platforms have gone from being casual hangouts to global powerhouses that shape the way people think, vote, shop, and communicate. Billions of users log in to share opinions, consume information, and interact with communities that transcend borders. In many ways, these platforms now serve as the digital public square. But with this level…
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FTC Targets Facebook: Is Your Family’s Data Building Unsafe AI Worlds for Your Child?
Children’s data and AI FTC opens 6(b) inquiry into AI companion chatbots September 11, 2025 The Federal Trade Commission issued compulsory 6(b) orders to seven firms that run consumer AI chatbots, seeking details on testing for youth harms, guardrails for teen use, data handling, and monetization practices. Sources are listed at the end of this…
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DOGE copied a Social Security mega-database to a private cloud, whistleblower says
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If you wanted to design the perfect identity-theft jackpot, you would build a single file that stores names, SSNs, dates of birth, citizenship, parent names, and more. That file exists inside the Social Security Administration. It is called NUMIDENT. A whistleblower says DOGE-affiliated officials created a cloud copy of it with weaker protections than normal,…