KYLE KELLAMS: Last week, ProPublica reported on a private school in Arkansas receiving state taxpayer money. The report provided evidence of child maltreatment at that private school. Despite the school’s founder being charged with nearly a dozen felonies, the school continues to receive state funding, and the school’s founder is still listed as a registered...Read More

Australia banned under-16s from social media in December; the U.K. is now investigating whether TikTok’s age checks even work; and France just finalized its own under-15 ban this week, racing to beat the August recess. Platforms are grappling with how to handle the “age verification trap,” how do you collect information about a user online...Read More

President Emmanuel Macron, who has championed the initiative, wants the ban in effect before the upcoming school year. By AFP and The Associated Press Published On 21 Jul 202621 Jul 2026 France’s parliament has passed a landmark bill barring children under the age of 15 from using social media platforms. Lawmakers in both chambers of...Read More

BRATTLEBORO — A livestreamer’s investigation led to the arrest of Brattleboro resident Hunter Barrett Saturday afternoon after he was accused of inappropriately communicating with a minor child online. Just after 3 p.m. on July 18, Brattleboro Police were contacted by the online group, “Predator Poachers,” regarding a 21-year-old male who had been communicating with a minor...Read More

Paris —  French lawmakers voted Tuesday to ban social media use for children under the age of 15, making it the first country in the European Union to introduce such an age limit. Australia made history late last year when it implemented the first ban on social media for under-16s. The British government announced similar restrictions...Read More

French lawmakers on Tuesday adopted a bill banning children under 15 from using social media, making France the first country in the European Union to approve a blanket ban on the platforms as concerns grow worldwide over the harmful effects of digital content on kids. Both chambers of the Parliament voted in favor of the measure, a...Read More

Ofcom has launched an investigation into whether TikTok is failing to protect children from harmful content. The regulator will examine whether the video-sharing app is complying with elements of the Online Safety Act, which has been rolled out in stages since being passed into law in October 2023. It comes after an Ofcom review said...Read More

PENNSYLVANIA (WHP) — A Berks County doctor pleaded guilty on Friday to several charges, including possession of child pornography and traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct, according to the Department of Justice. Dr. Habib Bhatti, 44, of Barto, was arrested in September 2025 after traveling across the U.S. to meet minors to engage in...Read More

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (KWQC) – They don’t have badges. They’re not authorities. But a volunteer group says it’s doing what overworked police departments often can’t: pose as child decoys online and build evidence against predators. “The interaction between our adults that are posing as children — we record everything,” Aaron Snidle, head of Predator Poachers...Read More

A State of Michigan school safety hotline reports receiving its second-highest number of messages and calls in the program’s 11-year history. OK2SAY is a confidential student safety reporting system that launched in 2014. Created as part of the 2012 Student Safety Act, it is overseen by Michigan State Police and allows students to report possible...Read More