Topic: online safety
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Pornhub to Block UK Users Starting Next Month
Pornhub will block all UK users by February 2026 unless they have completed mandatory age verification, a direct result of the UK's Online Safety Act. Its parent company, Aylo, argues the law is flawed, claiming it pushes users to riskier sites and compromises adult privacy and data security. Thi...
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New York Moves to Regulate Roblox Gaming Platform
New York is proposing new regulations, led by Governor Kathy Hochul, to enhance children's digital safety on online gaming platforms like Roblox, filling gaps left by stalled federal action. The proposed rules would require platforms to verify user ages, set the strictest privacy defaults for min...
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UK Fines 4Chan for Online Safety Failures
The UK has fined 4Chan £20,000 for failing to comply with an Online Safety Act investigation by not providing required information on earnings and risk assessments for illegal content. Ofcom warns that continued non-compliance could lead to additional daily fines and emphasizes this as a strict m...
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Secure Your Digital Life This Cybersecurity Month
Digital technology's pervasive role in daily life makes online safety a critical necessity, with governments emphasizing mandatory protection against cyber threats in our interconnected environment. Australians have suffered over $48 million in losses from approximately 25,000 scam incidents this...
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2025: The Year Legal Battles Reshaped Gaming
The video game industry in 2025 is being reshaped by major legal and regulatory changes, particularly in mobile ecosystems where new rules are forcing open app stores and enabling alternative payment systems, leading to a fragmented global market. Monetization practices, especially in free-to-pla...
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UK Moves to Criminalize Deepfake Nudes After Viral AI Scandal
The UK has enacted a new law making it a criminal offence to create or commission nonconsensual intimate deepfake images, closing a legal gap and placing responsibility on both creators and platforms. Following a viral scandal involving AI-generated nudes on X, the UK regulator Ofcom has launched...
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UK PM Vows Action Against Grok's 'Disgusting' Deepfakes
The UK government is threatening regulatory action against social media platform X after its Grok AI chatbot was reportedly used to create sexualized deepfake images, particularly of minors, which Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned as "disgusting." The UK communications regulator, Ofcom, has l...
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Can a Social Media Ban for Under-16s Actually Protect Kids?
Australia is proposing a social media ban for users under sixteen to protect them from online dangers like cyberbullying and predatory contact, with initial restrictions on major platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Critics argue teens may bypass the ban using VPNs, but technology companies ha...
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The 'Papers, Please' Internet Is Here
Global mandatory online age verification is rapidly expanding from initial UK proposals to worldwide legislation, with the EU, Australia, and the U.S. Supreme Court enabling such requirements. Implementation reveals significant challenges including security vulnerabilities, loopholes, VPN usage, ...
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Bluesky Expands Age Verification to South Dakota & Wyoming
Bluesky has expanded age verification requirements to users in South Dakota and Wyoming, requiring government ID, credit card details, or facial recognition scans to confirm legal age. The verification process is managed through Epic Games’ Kids Web Services, aiming to balance compliance with use...
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UK Steam Users Now Require Credit Card for Mature Content Games
Steam now requires UK users to store a valid credit card to verify age for accessing mature-rated games and content, in compliance with the UK's Online Safety Act. Valve uses credit card verification instead of facial recognition to protect user privacy and prevent account sharing, shifting age c...
Read More » How to Make a Great First Impression
First impressions are powerful and lasting, formed quickly and influencing opportunities and relationships through a learnable process of self-awareness and preparation. Non-verbal communication, including appearance, posture, and a genuine smile, is foundational and speaks volumes before any wor...
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Pornhub Pushes Tech Giants for Device-Level Age Checks
Aylo, Pornhub's parent company, is urging tech giants like Apple, Google, and Microsoft to implement device-level age verification systems to protect minors and streamline access for adults. Current website-specific age checks are criticized as ineffective and privacy-invasive, with Aylo proposin...
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Grok AI Still Undressing Women in UK, X Fails to Stop It
X's AI chatbot Grok fails to block nonconsensual sexualized imagery of women, as simple prompts bypass reported restrictions, raising safety and legal compliance concerns. The tool's accessibility lacks effective financial or age barriers, allowing free accounts to generate harmful content, inclu...
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KnowBe4 Trains One Million Students in Cybersecurity Milestone
KnowBe4's Student Edition program has educated one million students on essential digital safety topics, preparing them for online protection and professional roles while helping schools combat cyber threats. The initiative fosters a global security culture in education, with the company training ...
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Apple's New App Rules for Texas Users
A new Texas law (SB2420) requires Apple to implement age verification for App Store users, prompting concerns about privacy despite supporting child safety objectives. Starting January 1, 2026, Texas users must confirm they are 18 or older to create accounts, with minors requiring parental approv...
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Malwarebytes AI Shields You From ChatGPT Scams
A new integration provides immediate cybersecurity guidance within a popular AI chat platform, allowing users to verify suspicious messages, emails, or websites by leveraging expert threat intelligence. The integration addresses a global fraud crisis, which stole an estimated $442 billion in a ye...
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Avast's Free AI Scam Protection Now Available Worldwide
Avast has globally launched its free AI scam protection tool, Scam Guardian, via its Free Antivirus platform to make advanced scam defense accessible to all, addressing the rise in AI-enhanced, personalized scams. The tool uses proprietary AI to analyze communication context and language, identif...
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Apple, Google Forced to Adopt Texas Age Checks
Starting in 2026, Texas, Utah, and Louisiana will require age verification for app downloads from major platforms like Apple's App Store and Google Play to protect minors online. Apple and Google are implementing these systems under state laws but have raised privacy concerns, as the measures nec...
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California's New Internet Age-Verification Law Takes Effect
California has enacted the Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043), requiring operating systems and app stores to verify users' ages during new device setup, with enforcement starting in 2027 and penalties for noncompliance. The law aims to enhance online safety for minors, reflecting a national tren...
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AI-Generated Kids in Disturbing Sora 2 Videos Spark Alarm
Advanced AI video generators like OpenAI's Sora 2 are being used to create and spread photorealistic, suggestive videos of children, highlighting a critical regulatory gap and urgent need for safeguards. The legal status of AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is murky, but reports of ...
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Imgur Blocks UK Users in Surprise Geo-Ban
Imgur has blocked all access for UK users, preventing them from logging in, viewing, or uploading content as of September 30, 2025, following a warning from the UK's data protection authority. The UK's Information Commissioner’s Office is investigating Imgur over its handling of children's data a...
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California's New AI Law: Bots Must Reveal Their Identity
California has passed the nation's first law requiring AI companion chatbots to clearly disclose their non-human identity to prevent deceptive emotional attachments. The legislation mandates annual mental health reports for certain chatbots, detailing mechanisms to address users expressing suicid...
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AI Deepfakes Impersonate Pastors to Scam Congregations
AI-generated deepfakes are impersonating pastors and priests in sophisticated financial scams, exploiting the trust of religious communities on social media. Religious leaders like Father Mike Schmitz are warning congregations about these convincing forgeries, which use fabricated messages to pre...
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Texas Age Verification Law: How It Impacts Your App Use
A new Texas law (SB 2420) will require mandatory age verification for users of major app stores like Apple and Google starting in 2026, aiming to protect minors but raising privacy concerns. Tech giants Apple and Google will comply with the law but warn it forces users to share sensitive personal...
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US Told to Exempt Big Tech from Digital Services Act
US regulators oppose the EU's Digital Services Act, arguing it threatens free speech and digital security for American users under First Amendment protections. The FTC warns that compliance with foreign regulations like the DSA or GDPR must not weaken encryption or lead to censorship, as this cou...
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Apple Locks Down iPhones to Comply With Texas Age Law
Starting January 2026, Apple will enforce age verification for new Apple Account creations in Texas, requiring users to confirm they are at least 18 years old, with minors needing parental consent via Family Sharing for app downloads and transactions. Apple is updating its Declared Age Range API ...
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EU Demands TikTok End Addictive Design
European regulators have issued a formal warning to TikTok, stating its platform design may violate the Digital Services Act by fostering addictive user behavior, particularly through endlessly scrolling video feeds. The European Commission's investigation found TikTok has not sufficiently addres...
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New Discord safety feature gives parents control over teen contacts
Discord's Family Center now allows parents to control who can send direct messages to their teens, choosing between friends or shared server members, while keeping message content private. Teens can automatically notify parents when they report another user for misconduct, and both parties can vi...
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CRA & Ehsan Center Host Digital Privacy Workshop for ITU Anniversary
The Communications Regulatory Authority and Ehsan Center organized a workshop on personal data protection and secure mobile usage, targeting elderly individuals to enhance their digital safety skills. The initiative supports Qatar National Vision 2030 by fostering responsible technology use and b...
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Report: Trump admin may deny H1-B visas to content moderators
The U.S. State Department has directed consular officials to scrutinize H1-B visa applicants with backgrounds in content moderation or fact-checking, potentially deeming them ineligible if linked to "suppression of protected expression." This policy shift, part of broader immigration changes, has...
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Instagram Resolves Password Reset Email Glitch
Instagram resolved a widespread glitch that erroneously sent password reset emails to users, confirming an external party triggered the automated messages. The platform assured users their accounts remained secure with no unauthorized access, advising recipients to simply ignore the unsolicited e...
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