ByTechVista

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  • TikTok to strengthen age-verification technology across EU

    Move comes as calls for Australia-style social media ban for under-16s grow around world TikTok will begin to roll out new age-verification technology across the EU in the coming weeks, as calls grow for an Australia-style social media ban for under-16s in countries including the UK. ByteDance-owned TikTok, and other major platforms popular with young…

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  • More than 100,000 people urge MPs to ban social media for under-16s in UK

    Letters sent using campaign group’s template as Keir Starmer indicates Australia-style move being considered MPs’ inboxes have been flooded with letters calling for an Australia-style social media ban for under-16s, as the prime minister indicated such a move was being considered. More than 100,000 people have contacted their local MP since the grassroots organisation Smartphone…

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  • Wes Streeting asks US expert Jonathan Haidt to address officials on social media ban for under-16s

    Exclusive: Health secretary issues invitation in push for UK to consider copying landmark restrictions in Australia Wes Streeting has asked Jonathan Haidt, a bestselling author and high-profile advocate of banning social media for under-16s, to speak to his officials in his push for the UK to consider following a landmark ban in Australia. The health…

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  • Parents of sextortion victim sue Meta for alleged wrongful death

    Exclusive: Lawsuit is the first UK case of its kind, with Ros and Mark Dowey accusing Meta of ‘putting profit before our young people’ The parents of a 16-year-old who took his own life after he fell victim to a sextortion gang on Instagram are suing Meta for the alleged wrongful death of their son,…

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  • ‘I feel it’s a friend’: quarter of teenagers turn to AI chatbots for mental health support

    Experts warn of dangers as England and Wales study shows 13- to 17-year-olds consulting AI amid long waiting lists for services It was after one friend was shot and another stabbed, both fatally, that Shan asked ChatGPT for help. She had tried conventional mental health services but “chat”, as she came to know her AI…

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  • ‘Everyone will miss the socialising – but it’s also a relief’: five young teens on Australia’s social media ban

    As the under-16s social media ban looms, Guardian Australia speaks to five 13 to 15-year-olds about what they will miss, and what government should be doing instead Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Australia’s world-first social media ban for under-16s will…

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  • After a teddy bear talked about kink, AI watchdogs are warning parents against smart toys

    Advocates are fighting against the $16.7bn global smart-toy market, decrying surveillance and a lack of regulation As the holiday season looms into view with Black Friday, one category on people’s gift lists is causing increasing concern: products with artificial intelligence. The development has raised new concerns about the dangers smart toys could pose to children,…

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  • One in 10 UK parents say their child has been blackmailed online, NSPCC finds

    Harms include threats to release intimate pictures as charity warns against parents sharing photos or details of children online Nearly one in 10 UK parents say their child has been blackmailed online, with harms ranging from threatening to release intimate pictures to revealing details about someone’s personal life. The NSPCC child protection charity also found…

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  • Ofcom at risk of losing public trust over online harms, says Liz Kendall

    Technology secretary fears digital frontier may be outpacing regulator, with AI chatbots a particular concern The UK’s internet regulator, Ofcom, is at risk of losing public trust if it fails to use its powers to tackle online harms, the technology secretary, Liz Kendall, has said. Kendall last week told Ofcom’s chief executive, Melanie Dawes, she…

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  • Teenage boys using ‘personalised’ AI for therapy and romance, survey finds

    Male Allies UK worries rise in chatbot ‘girlfriends’ will leave boys unable to socialise and respect boundaries The “hyper-personalised” nature of AI bots is drawing in teenage boys who now use them for therapy, companionship and relationships, according to research. A survey of boys in secondary schools by Male Allies UK found that just over…

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