A set of bills that City Council members are touting as a way to hold social media companies accountable for harming children’s mental health is facing criticism from some attorneys, who say the legislation would open the city up to lawsuits for civil rights violations.  The bills, introduced by Council Members Althea Stevens (D-Bronx) and...Read More

So-called ‘Scientology Runs’ are apparently being attempted by American teenagers known as ‘raiders’, with mass social media clout being the endgame. The Church of Scientology, founded by American author L. Ron Hubbard in 1954, describes itself as ‘religion in its highest meaning’, alleging its goal is to help bring its followers ‘to total freedom and...Read More

Roblox has reached settlements with multiple U.S. states over claims that the popular platform failed to protect children. Alabama announced on Tuesday that it had agreed to a $12.2 million settlement with the gaming giant over lapses in child safety standards. That money will go toward funding school resource officers across the state. “Alabama stepped...Read More

Danny Danon warns about rising antisemitism amid Iran strikes, terror attacks on US soil Danny Danon, Israeli Ambassador to the U.N., addresses rising antisemitism and Iran’s aggression. Danon highlights global condemnation of Iran, including a UN Security Council resolution, and criticizes Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for denying responsibility. He discusses Israel’s strikes against Hezbollah...Read More

Question: If my boyfriend/girlfriend and I like to sext each other and trust each other, do the sexting laws apply to us? Answer: Yes. In Pennsylvania, the laws apply to anyone under 18, regardless of relationship status.  Laws regarding teenagers and their health and safety can be confusing. So the state chapter of the ACLU hopes to clear...Read More

Gun attacks that occurred one after another in schools in Riha (Urfa) and Mereş (Maraş) have once again drawn attention to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)–Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) government’s education policies, which critics say impose an ideological framework, lack quality and reduce students to a reserve of cheap labor for capital. Hüseyin...Read More

The Australian online safety regulator, eSafety, has issued legally binding transparency requirements to Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, and Steam, demanding reports on how they protect children from grooming and radicalization. Commissioner Julie Inman Grant warned that predators exploit these platforms to target the 90% of Australian youth who play online games, often moving children to private...Read More

As major social media companies head to court this year to defend themselves against claims that their products have harmed young people’s mental health, policymakers are searching for decisive responses. The lawsuits, which focus on whether platforms knowingly designed addictive, psychologically harmful systems for youth, are bringing long-avoided questions into public view: Who bears responsibility...Read More

This story was originally published on Social Media Today. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Social Media Today newsletter. Pew Research published a new report on how U.S. teens use social media apps and the benefits teens say they get from that usage. The report is based on survey responses...Read More

Australia’s internet regulator on Wednesday asked online gaming platforms including Roblox and Microsoft’s Minecraft to spell out how they were protecting children from grooming by sexual predators and youth from radicalisation. The eSafety regulator said it had issued legally enforceable transparency notices to Roblox, Minecraft, Epic Games’ Fortnite and Valve’s Steam covering systems, staffing and...Read More