Listen to this story Loading audio file, please wait. Speed1.00 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25 1.50 1.75 2.00 (Adobe Stock photo) For years, parents, teenagers, pediatricians, educators and whistleblowers have pushed the idea that social media is detrimental to young people’s mental health and can lead to addiction, eating disorders, sexual exploitation and suicide. For...Read More

Earlier this week came the news, both disturbing and empowering, that three teens had filed a class-action lawsuit against Elon Musk’s xAI, alleging that its Grok tool was used, with their photos, to make nonconsensual nude and sexually explicit images of them. It was “heartbreaking,” said the mom of one of the girls, to watch...Read More

Education Halfpoint Images / Getty Images Boys and girls are equally vulnerableHalfpoint Images / Getty Images Any form of cyberbullying—aggression carried out online—can cause trauma. That is the conclusion of a study conducted by Florida Atlantic University and the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, based on a survey of 2,697 adolescents aged 13 to 17 years...Read More

The European Union regulators are investigating Snapchat over concerns about the platform’s ability to protect minors from risks such as exploitation by child predators and recruitment by criminals. On Thursday, the European Commission announced a formal investigation under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which sets high standards for online safety. While Snapchat requires users to...Read More

Ever since we’ve had access to the internet, we have been worried about strangers interacting with children online. This makes sense. The high stakes of online grooming and sextortion mean that we must prepare children to be skeptical of online-only connections and recognize the warning signs of exploitation. Young people are on board. While many...Read More

Co-authored by Jonathan Santo and Sheri McVay. We often picture bullying as something that happens in school hallways or on playgrounds. But for today’s teens, some of the most hurtful experiences occur in virtual spaces, such as private group chats or live-stream comment sections. In fact, cyberbullying has become one of the most pervasive and...Read More

The European Union has opened a formal investigation into Snapchat over potential breaches of Digital Services Act (DSA) regulations concerning child safety. This investigation could result in significant fines and mandate changes to Snapchat’s operations within the EU, impacting its ability to attract and retain its young user base if violations are confirmed. Regulators are...Read More

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday announced charges against an Erie County man for possessing at least 50 files of child sexual abuse material. Paul G. Chimenti, 74, of Erie, was arrested this week and charged with 50 felony counts of possession of child sexual abuse material and one count of criminal use of a...Read More

Schools are facing a growing problem of students using artificial intelligence to transform innocent images of classmates into sexually explicit deepfakes. The fallout from the spread of the manipulated photos and videos can create a nightmare for the victims. WATCH: How AI is being used to create explicit deepfake images that harm children The challenge for schools...Read More

Regulators examine whether Snapchat adequately prevents exposure of children to grooming attempts, illegal goods and harmful online interactions with adults. The European Commission has launched formal proceedings to assess whether Snapchat is complying with child protection obligations under the Digital Services Act. The investigation focuses on whether the platform ensures adequate safety, privacy, and security...Read More