Williamsport, Pa. — The years-long criminal case of a Williamsport man accused of sexually assaulting a young child finally ended in the Lycoming County courthouse on Friday. In a rebuke of an earlier sentencing deal offered to Cody Allen Ruhl, President Judge Eric Linhardt sentenced the 24-year-old to spend up to seven years in state prison....Read More

UN experts on Wednesday raised concern over Meta’s proposed multibillion-dollar settlement with US state attorneys general over alleged harms to children and adolescents, warning that privately negotiated agreements should not replace transparent regulation developed with participation from young people and affected communities. The experts described bringing social-media platform design within accountability mechanisms as a significant development....Read More

The 1993 cold case murder of a 10-year-old Maryland boy may finally be solved … a 61-year-old man has now been charged with rape and murder in the youngster’s death. The Prince George’s County PD announced that Joseph Lynch was charged Wednesday for the May 1993 disappearance and murder of George “Junior” Burdynski in Brentwood....Read More

BRUSSELS — The European Union’s top official proposed on Wednesday banning children under 13 across the 27-nation bloc from using social media sites and imposing limits for older teens on accessing the platforms. The plan outlined by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen adds to global efforts to protect young people using platforms such...Read More

As students have returned to classrooms this month, the Malverne Police Department is emphasizing its presence at schools throughout the village while continuing its year-round focus on school safety, emergency preparedness and community engagement. The village considers the safety of children a top priority and has worked with the Police Department to provide school security...Read More

A new proposal this week from the European Commission, if enacted, would set some of the tightest restrictions yet on technology products, from social media to games to AI chatbots. The EU Kids Act would follow, and in some ways surpass, similar measures that have been imposed in Australia, the UK, China and India, and...Read More

Newswise — Did you know the rising link between absenteeism, social media, and gun violence is fixable? Why it matters: In some Virginia localities, chronic absenteeism is reaching epidemic levels. There is considerable research into what causes absenteeism and how to address it, including targeted investments in helping kids feel safe, including mitigating exposure to...Read More

Europe wants to put children’s social media use on a timer, with a complete account ban for the youngest users. The European Commission’s proposed EU KIDS Act would block under-13s from social media and give 13- and 14-year-olds no more than an hour a day on supervised accounts. The plan reaches beyond TikTok and Instagram....Read More

The proposed Act adopts a three-tier approach to accounts for children.  For under 13s, social media and video-sharing platforms cannot allow children under the age of 13 to create an account. If certain measures are put in place, video-sharing platforms may enable the guardian to give the child access using the guardian’s own account....Read More

SARATOGA COUNTY, N.Y. — The newly established Saratoga County Child Safety Review Commission held its first meeting this past week, bringing together professionals from across the county for several hours of discussion focused on protecting the safety and well-being of Saratoga County’s children. According to a news release from the Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office,...Read More