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Social media firms hit back as Starmer announces ban for under-16s in UK
June 15, 2026
Meta, YouTube and Snapchat say ban, which would stop children using their platforms, will drive them to ‘less safe services’ UK politics live – latest updates How will the ban work? UK parents: how do you feel about the ban? Britain’s plans to ban social media for under-16s will push teenagers towards more harmful platforms,…
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Snap Inc blames AI as it lays off 1,000 workers
April 16, 2026
Cuts by Snapchat’s parent company come in response to a declining stock price and pressure from an activist investor Snapchat’s parent company plans to lay off 16% of its employees, around 1,000 people, citing “rapid advancements in artificial intelligence”, the social media company told staff on Wednesday in an internal memo. The staff reduction is…
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‘Irresponsible failure’: Google, Meta, Snap and Microsoft slam EU over child sexual abuse law lapse
April 10, 2026
Experts warn lapse could sharply reduce reports of abuse, echoing a 58% drop during a similar legal gap in 2021 Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox The European parliament has blocked the extension of a law that permits big tech firms to scan for child sexual…
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‘Happy (and safe) shooting!’: chatbots helped researchers plot deadly attacks
March 11, 2026
Users posing as would-be school shooters find AI tools offer detailed advice on how to perpetrate violence Popular AI chatbots helped researchers plot violent attacks including bombing synagogues and assassinating politicians, with one telling a user posing as a would-be school shooter: “Happy (and safe) shooting!” Tests of 10 chatbots carried out in the US…
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Snapchat blocks more than 400,000 Australian accounts but warns of ‘significant gaps’ in under-16s social media ban
February 2, 2026
Social media platform says there are still ‘real technical limitations to accurate and dependable age verification’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The accounts of more than 415,000 users in Australia identified as being under 16 were locked or disabled by…
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Social media time does not increase teenagers’ mental health problems – study
January 14, 2026
UK study comes as ministers consider Australia’s ban on social media use for under-16s Screen time spent gaming or on social media does not cause mental health problems in teenagers, according to a large-scale study. With ministers in the UK considering whether to follow Australia’s example by banning social media use for under-16s, the findings…
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Social media is corrupting young minds – but a ban is not the answer | Zoe Williams
January 13, 2026
Kicking under-16s off the social platforms is tempting, but it ignores the root of the problem: the older generations who made them so toxic in the first place Kemi Badenoch is evolving into one of those politicians who, whatever she says, is not just likely to be wrong, but is likely to say the opposite…
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Kemi Badenoch says Tories would ban under-16s from ‘addictive’ social media
January 11, 2026
Conservative leader backs Australian-inspired policy to stop platforms ‘profiting from their anxiety’ UK politics live – latest updates The Conservatives are backing a ban on social media for under-16s in an attempt to prevent addictive platforms fuelling anxiety and distraction among teenagers. Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, said she did not like the word ban…
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‘Don’t pander to the tech giants!’ How a youth movement for digital justice is spreading across Europe
December 9, 2025
Gen Z are the first generation to have grown up with social media, they were the earliest adopters, and therefore the first to suffer its harms. Now they are fighting back Late one night in April 2020, towards the start of the Covid lockdowns, Shanley Clémot McLaren was scrolling on her phone when she noticed…
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‘I feel it’s a friend’: quarter of teenagers turn to AI chatbots for mental health support
December 9, 2025
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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