Bid to stop children 'doom scrolling' on social media apps such as TikTok and Snapchat is watered down after Labour ministers oppose tough crackdown
1 week, 2 days ago

Bid to stop children 'doom scrolling' on social media apps such as TikTok and Snapchat is watered down after Labour ministers oppose tough crackdown

Daily Mail  

A bid to restrict children's use of smartphones to prevent them 'doom scrolling' on social media has been watered down after ministers opposed the measures. Labour MP Josh MacAlister proposed legislation to protect under-16s from addictive social media content on sites like TikTok and Snapchat. Labour MP Josh MacAlister proposed legislation to protect under-16s from addictive social media content on sites like TikTok and Snapchat Sources have suggested that the Digital Secretary Peter Kyle and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson oppose the plans A measure to ban mobile phones in schools has already been dropped after Ms Phillipson opposed the measure Instead of tough controls on content, the Bill states that the chief medical officers of the UK must draw up advice for parents on their children's use of smartphones and social media. It also calls on ministers to publish a plan for research into the impact of social media use on children as opposed to protecting children from addictive content.

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History of this topic

Phone bans sweep US schools despite skepticism
6 days, 2 hours ago

Phone bans sweep US schools despite skepticism

Raw Story  

At a red-brick school in Virginia, Hayden Jones is one of 1,000 students banned from using their phones as part of a trial hoping to boost learning. That's a big concern for me," he said, adding that some pupils have found ways to still use their devices -- including by bringing a "dummy phone" to put in the pouch. - …

Meta, Snapchat and TikTok opposes YouTube exemption from Australia’s ban on social media for children
1 week, 3 days ago

Meta, Snapchat and TikTok opposes YouTube exemption from Australia’s ban on social media for children

The Hindu  

Tech giants Facebook and Instagram owner Meta Platforms, Snapchat and TikTok have urged Australia to reconsider a decision to exempt Alphabet's YouTube from its laws banning social media for children younger than 16. But Meta said a young person with a YouTube account experiences the features outlined by the government to justify the ban, including algorithmic content recommendations, social interaction …

Parliament majority favors motion for age limit on addictive social media sites
1 week, 3 days ago

Parliament majority favors motion for age limit on addictive social media sites

NL Times  

The Tweede Kamer has called for an age limit for social media sites that use addicting techniques. “Technology companies are not succeeding in offering a safe and healthy environment for our children.” State Secretary for Youth, Prevention and Sport, Vincent Karremans promised during a debate last month that he would produce an advice for a minimum age for social media …

TikTok accuses Australia of favouritism in social media crackdown, targets YouTube’s special treatment
Trending News
1 week, 3 days ago

TikTok accuses Australia of favouritism in social media crackdown, targets YouTube’s special treatment

Live Mint  

TikTok has strongly criticised the Australian government for exempting YouTube from a sweeping social media crackdown that will see under-16s banned from most platforms, reported Bloomberg. Meta’s submission stated that the special treatment afforded to YouTube “makes a mockery of the government’s stated intention to protect young people.” However, TikTok’s response has been the most outspoken, reflecting its frustration that …

UK regulator probes TikTok over teen data and content risks: Here’s what happened
1 week, 5 days ago

UK regulator probes TikTok over teen data and content risks: Here’s what happened

Live Mint  

The UK’s data protection regulator has launched an investigation into TikTok’s handling of teenagers’ personal data and how it influences content recommendations on the platform. The Information Commissioner’s Office expressed concerns about social media platforms using data generated by children’s online activity to power recommendation algorithms. What I am concerned about is whether they are sufficiently robust to prevent children …

UK data protection watchdog investigating how TikTok uses children’s personal data
1 week, 5 days ago

UK data protection watchdog investigating how TikTok uses children’s personal data

Associated Press  

LONDON — The U.K.'s data protection watchdog said Monday that it’s investigating how TikTok uses the personal information of teenagers to deliver content recommendations to them when they use the social media platform. The Information Commissioner’s Office said that there are growing concerns around how social media platforms were using data generated by children’s online activity to power their recommendation …

Results of student phone ban released
1 week, 5 days ago

Results of student phone ban released

ABC  

Andy Park: In recent years, education departments have moved to ban mobile phones in school settings across the country. A 12-month review of the school phone ban in South Australia shows a close to 60 per cent drop in social media related problems and a nearly 40 per cent decrease in behaviour issues linked to devices. Luke Radford: Victorian high …

Do bans on smartphones in schools improve mental health?
2 weeks ago

Do bans on smartphones in schools improve mental health?

Hindustan Times  

France has not allowed smartphone use in primary or secondary schools since 2018, claiming that it would help children focus, reduce their social-media use and mitigate online bullying. The brain undergoes profound changes during puberty, meaning that any research on the effects of smartphone use needs to consider the developmental age of the children being studied as well as their …

‘Inventive’ teenagers could circumvent a social media ban, MP warns
2 weeks, 4 days ago

‘Inventive’ teenagers could circumvent a social media ban, MP warns

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Children do deserve more – they deserve more responsibility from social media companies, more urgency …

Mobile phone bans in schools not linked to grades or behavior of kids, says study
1 month, 1 week ago

Mobile phone bans in schools not linked to grades or behavior of kids, says study

Firstpost  

The study’s lead author, Dr Victoria Goodyear, told BBC, that the findings were not “against the ban of smartphones in schools but “what we’re suggesting is that those bans in isolation are not enough to tackle the negative impacts” Banning smartphones in schools has no real impact on improving grades and behaviours among students, a new study has found. The …

Children's lives are being put at risk by social media 'cancer', anti-terror chief warns - as he calls on UK to follow Australia with ban for under-16s
1 month, 1 week ago

Children's lives are being put at risk by social media 'cancer', anti-terror chief warns - as he calls on UK to follow Australia with ban for under-16s

Daily Mail  

Britain's head of counterterrorism has called for a ban on children using social media, describing the tech as a 'cancer' on young people's lives. Matt Jukes has called on Britain to follow Australia's lead, after the nation down under passed the world-first ban on social media use by under-16s last year. Going into detail about the suggested ban, Mr Jukes …

Bill Gates says ban on under-16s using social media is likely a ‘smart thing’
1 month, 1 week ago

Bill Gates says ban on under-16s using social media is likely a ‘smart thing’

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Amid widespread concern about the impact of social media, Australia’s parliament voted last month to ban all …

Their Parents May Not Know It, But Most 11- And 12-Year-Olds Are On TikTok
1 month, 1 week ago

Their Parents May Not Know It, But Most 11- And 12-Year-Olds Are On TikTok

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING The video-sharing app TikTok briefly went dark on Jan. 19, days after a Supreme Court ruling upholding a law requiring that it be sold by its Chinese owner, ByteDance. Dr. Jason Nagata, professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco and one of the study’s authors, told HuffPost, “this highlights a significant issue with the …

Stop panicking over teens and social media
1 month, 1 week ago

Stop panicking over teens and social media

Live Mint  

I recently saw a poster in my local café that made me want to throw my coffee at the wall. Hundreds of researchers around the world, many of them concerned parents themselves, are working to understand the impact that social media is having on young people. How social media affects a young person depends on a range of factors, including …

Majority of Dutch citizens support social media ban for children under 16
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Majority of Dutch citizens support social media ban for children under 16

NL Times  

A majority of Dutch citizens now support banning social media use for children under the age of 16, according to the Nationaal Social Media Onderzoek 2025, the largest study on social media trends in the Netherlands. Neil van der Veer, director of research firm Newcom, which conducted the study, described a "fundamental shift" in attitudes toward social media use among …

Families sue TikTok in France over teen suicides they say are linked to harmful content
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Families sue TikTok in France over teen suicides they say are linked to harmful content

Associated Press  

CASSIS, France — In the moment when her world shattered three years ago, Stephanie Mistre found her 15-year-old daughter, Marie, lifeless in the bedroom where she died by suicide. ___ Delving into her daughter’s phone after her death, Mistre discovered videos promoting suicide methods, tutorials and comments encouraging users to go beyond “mere suicide attempts.” She said TikTok’s algorithm had …

TikTok Ban Fallout: Will UK and other US allies also ban the social media platform?
1 month, 3 weeks ago

TikTok Ban Fallout: Will UK and other US allies also ban the social media platform?

Live Mint  

US's ban on TikTok is expected to spread to its allied countries and beyond in case the upcoming Donald Trump administration decides to keep the social media platform offline, reported the news portal BBC, citing analysts. Currently, the social media application has been switched offline in America after the US lawmakers deemed it a national security risk due to the …

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app
1 month, 3 weeks ago

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This has helped bring the total number of TikTok users around the world to above 2 billion, …

What dies with TikTok? As a ban looms, Americans face a cultural void
1 month, 3 weeks ago

What dies with TikTok? As a ban looms, Americans face a cultural void

BBC  

What dies with TikTok? But the possibility of TikTok's demise in the US has led users and creators to contemplate moving to other platforms, whether established ones in the American market like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, or newcomers like Red Note, another Chinese social media platform. "TikTok's algorithm seems to be a lot more generous", says Kay Perron, a …

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app
Top News
1 month, 3 weeks ago

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This has helped bring the total number of TikTok users around the world to above 2 billion, …

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app
1 month, 3 weeks ago

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This has helped bring the total number of TikTok users around the world to above 2 billion, …

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app
2 months ago

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This has helped bring the total number of TikTok users around the world to above 2 billion, …

Seeing Silicon | Content moderation just died. Is that a bad thing?
2 months ago

Seeing Silicon | Content moderation just died. Is that a bad thing?

Hindustan Times  

Earlier this week, Mark Zuckerberg took a step to end corporate content moderation on Facebook and Instagram. There’s also a dial-back of filters on issues like gender and immigration though Meta will continue to automatically block illegal and high-severity violation posts, like terrorism, fraud and drug-related content. For many, Zuckerberg’s move is seen as a ploy to get in the …

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app
2 months ago

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This has helped bring the total number of TikTok users around the world to above 2 billion, …

Albanese defends teen social media ban after Zuckerberg's Trump embrace
2 months, 1 week ago

Albanese defends teen social media ban after Zuckerberg's Trump embrace

ABC  

Plans to give Australia's eSafety watchdog new powers are moving ahead even as the federal government braces for hostility from the Trump administration's tech backers over what they regard as "censorship". Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, whose child social media ban and other online safety initiatives have placed him at odds with US tech giants, said on Wednesday platforms had a …

Australian-style social media ban for under-16s is unlikely, says technology secretary
2 months, 1 week ago

Australian-style social media ban for under-16s is unlikely, says technology secretary

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy An Australian-style social media ban for under-16s is highly unlikely, the …

Small businesses brace themselves for potentially disruptive TikTok ban
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Small businesses brace themselves for potentially disruptive TikTok ban

Associated Press  

A looming TikTok ban could affect the millions of small businesses that use the short-video social media app to help them grow their business. According to TikTok’s own estimates, small businesses on TikTok would lose more than $1 billion in revenue in a single month if the ban goes into effect. The Justice Department ordered the app’s China-based parent company, …

How UK watchdog plans to 'drive out' children from social media sites
2 months, 2 weeks ago

How UK watchdog plans to 'drive out' children from social media sites

Hindustan Times  

Social media companies in the UK will be implementing the use of facial recognition age checks to “drive out” under-age children from their sites. John Higham, the online regulator’s head of online safety policy, said platforms would be expected to remove potentially millions of children from their sites by using “highly accurate and effective” age checks. According to estimates by …

Albania to ban TikTok for a year, blaming it for promoting violence among children
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Albania to ban TikTok for a year, blaming it for promoting violence among children

ABC  

Albania has announced a one-year ban on TikTok following the killing of a teenager last month that raised fears over the influence of social media on children. Albania's PM blamed social media, and TikTok in particular, for fuelling violence among youth in and outside school. Mr Rama has blamed social media, and TikTok in particular, for fuelling violence among youth …

Albania bans TikTok for a year after killing of teenager
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Albania bans TikTok for a year after killing of teenager

CNN  

Tirana Reuters — Albania on Saturday announced a one-year ban on TikTok, the popular short video app, following the killing of a teenager last month that raised fears over the influence of social media on children. The ban, part of a broader plan to make schools safer, will come into effect early next year, Prime Minister Edi Rama said after …

Australia’s social media ban won’t protect kids – it’ll put them more at risk
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Australia’s social media ban won’t protect kids – it’ll put them more at risk

The Independent  

It’s hard to know what to gift teenagers at Christmas. Beyond the ongoing debate over TikTok’s future in the US, Australia has recently made the decision to ban children under 16 from social media – a policy which the government will enforce via untested age verification technology. The AV technology to be used on social media platforms in Australia is …

TikTok ban in numbers: The rise and impending fall of the world’s most controversial app
2 months, 3 weeks ago

TikTok ban in numbers: The rise and impending fall of the world’s most controversial app

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This has helped bring the total number of TikTok users around the world to above 2 billion, …

How will Australia's under-16 social media ban work? We asked the law's enforcer
2 months, 3 weeks ago

How will Australia's under-16 social media ban work? We asked the law's enforcer

NPR  

How will Australia's under-16 social media ban work? We asked the law's enforcer toggle caption Provided by the Australian eSafety Commission Australia passed one of the strictest internet crackdowns in the world last month, banning children under 16 from being on social media or opening new accounts. Sponsor Message Research that's examined the link between social media use and teens' …

TikTok ban in numbers: The rise and impending fall of the world’s most controversial app
Trending News
2 months, 3 weeks ago

TikTok ban in numbers: The rise and impending fall of the world’s most controversial app

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This has helped bring the total number of TikTok users around the world to above 2 billion, …

D66 calls for social media age limit of 15 to cut addiction
2 months, 3 weeks ago

D66 calls for social media age limit of 15 to cut addiction

Dutch News  

Teenagers under the age of 15 should not be allowed to use social media because it is addictive and affecting their sleep and school performance, says the Dutch Liberal democratic party D66. “Tech giants are harming children’s health because social media channels have been designed to be extremely addictive,” D66 MP Hanneke van der Werff told RTL Nieuws. Research has …

Dutch MP will propose banning children under 15 from using social media
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Dutch MP will propose banning children under 15 from using social media

NL Times  

Dutch political party D66 is advocating for a minimum age of 15 for social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. “Tech giants are harming children’s health because social media is deliberately designed to be addictive,” said D66 parliamentarian Hanneke van der Werf, according to RTL." “The Netherlands doesn’t let cigarette manufacturers determine and enforce age restrictions,” Van der …

Insider Q&A: High hopes for Australia social media ban and channeling parental ‘fury’ over tech
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Insider Q&A: High hopes for Australia social media ban and channeling parental ‘fury’ over tech

Associated Press  

Julie Scelfo started MAMA — Mothers Against Media Addiction — earlier this year to help parents fight back against the harms of social media on children. A former journalist, Scelfo says she was inspired to take action after reporting on the youth mental health crisis and how screens and social media are affecting young people’s lives. Scelfo says the group …

Smartphones and social media 'toxic' for children under 14, psychologist Jonathan Haidt says
3 months ago

Smartphones and social media 'toxic' for children under 14, psychologist Jonathan Haidt says

ABC  

Children's widespread use of smartphones and tablets has been labelled "insanity" by a United States social psychologist, who says Australia is "leading the way" with its "bold" new social media laws. Support for young people The Butterfly Foundation: National helpline 1800 33 4673 ReachOut Australia: Confidential online peer support and resources Headspace: Check out eheadspace for online support The Kids …

Can parents get behind the Aussie ban on social media for kids?
3 months ago

Can parents get behind the Aussie ban on social media for kids?

Live Mint  

“I wish I could move to Australia!" That was a sentiment expressed by a mother of two teen boys soon after she heard about Australia’s recent decision to bar children under 16 from using social media. Of course, parents need to set strict boundaries with children and not have to rely on a ban, but let’s face it, social media …

Sweden mulling online access age limits
3 months ago

Sweden mulling online access age limits

China Daily  

Danish Minister of Justice Peter Hummelgaard, Minister of Justice in Sweden Gunnar Strommer, Minister of Justice in Norway Emilie Enger Mehl, and the Minister of Justice for the Faroe Islands Bjarni K. Petersen hold a doorstep about the recruitment of children and young people via social media for organized crime, at the Ministry of Justice in Copenhagen, Denmark, Dec 9, …

Sweden mulling online access age limits
3 months ago

Sweden mulling online access age limits

China Daily  

Danish Minister of Justice Peter Hummelgaard, Minister of Justice in Sweden Gunnar Strommer, Minister of Justice in Norway Emilie Enger Mehl, and the Minister of Justice for the Faroe Islands Bjarni K. Petersen hold a doorstep about the recruitment of children and young people via social media for organized crime, at the Ministry of Justice in Copenhagen, Denmark, Dec 9, …

California bill would require mental health warnings on social media sites
3 months ago

California bill would require mental health warnings on social media sites

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy California, home to some of …

California to consider requiring mental health warnings on social media sites
3 months ago

California to consider requiring mental health warnings on social media sites

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California, home to some of the largest technology companies in the world, would be the first U.S. state to require mental health warning labels on social media sites if lawmakers pass a bill introduced Monday. “The promise of social media, although real, has turned into a situation where they’re turning our children’s attention into a commodity,” Assemblymember …

Texas weighs social media bans for minors as schools and police face challenges
3 months, 1 week ago

Texas weighs social media bans for minors as schools and police face challenges

Raw Story  

"Texas weighs social media bans for minors as schools and police face challenges" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. While they welcome any efforts to reduce harm to children, school officials and cybercrime investigators say more needs …

Texas weighs social media bans for minors as schools and police face challenges
3 months, 1 week ago

Texas weighs social media bans for minors as schools and police face challenges

Associated Press  

As school districts struggle to control the spread of cyberbullying, sexual abuse images and online exploitation among their students, Texas lawmakers could consider banning social media from minors, among other sweeping measures, in the upcoming legislative session. While they welcome any efforts to reduce harm to children, school officials and cybercrime investigators say more needs to be done to hold …

Australia’s move to keep kids off social media is worthy of emulation
3 months, 1 week ago

Australia’s move to keep kids off social media is worthy of emulation

Live Mint  

Australia’s barring of children under 16 from accessing social media is a giant leap forward for humankind in its effort to police tech companies. In Haidt’s telling, the reason exposure to social media of teens and preteens needs policing is straightforward: “While the reward-seeking parts of the brain mature earlier, the frontal vortex—essential for self-control, delay of gratification, and resistance …

Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere — or even there?
3 months, 1 week ago

Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere — or even there?

Associated Press  

It is an ambitious social experiment of our moment in history — one that experts say could accomplish something that parents, schools and other governments have attempted with varying degrees of success: keeping kids off social media until they turn 16. “It’s clear that social media companies have to be held accountable, which is what Australia is trying to do,” …

Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere or even there?
3 months, 1 week ago

Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere or even there?

New Indian Express  

It is an ambitious social experiment of our moment in history — one that experts say could accomplish something that parents, schools and other governments have attempted with varying degrees of success: keeping kids off social media until they turn 16. Australia's new law, approved by its Parliament last week, is an attempt to swim against many tides of modern …

Australia's social media ban for under-16s sparks debate
3 months, 1 week ago

Australia's social media ban for under-16s sparks debate

China Daily  

By Barry He in London | China Daily Global | Updated: 2024-12-02 11:18 A schoolboy looks at his phone in Melbourne on Nov 27, 2024 as Australia looks to ban children under 16 from social media. While many agree that social media can be harmful to the development of young people, a legally enforceable ban leaves many unsure of the …

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