Cases of "sadistic online exploitation," where predators coerce vulnerable teens into producing CSAM, self-harm, or suicide attempts, have surged globally, with NCMEC reporting a 125% increase in 2025. Perpetrators use gaming and social media, often forming online networks, and target children with mental health issues.
Ofcom has launched an investigation into TikTok's methods for keeping children off its platform and preventing access to harmful content. The probe focuses on "age inference" technology, which the regulator has "serious doubts" about, following a previous criticism of the app's child safety.
Apple is introducing new child safety features in iOS 27, responding to years of advocacy and lawsuits. While praised as a step forward, critics question their effectiveness and Apple's past approach to online child protection and CSAM detection.
Delhi schools will conduct 'good touch and bad touch' awareness sessions throughout July as part of a city-wide campaign to enhance child safety under the POCSO Act. Child protection committees will be established in all schools, and staff will receive training.
Indonesia's policy to protect children online has seen millions of suspected underage accounts removed by platforms like TikTok and YouTube. However, critics question the verification of these removals and the reliance on platforms to self-report compliance, raising concerns about genuine safety.
Meta announced new measures to combat child exploitation, following a notice from the Indian government regarding alleged child sexual abuse material in Instagram ads. The company stated it has identified and disabled offending ads and accounts, using AI to detect suspicious behavior and removing millions of accounts globally.
A study by New York University and Northeastern University researchers found that at least half of child safety features on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube fail to deliver on their promises, with platforms showing a minimum 50% failure rate in protecting children from adult messaging or harmful content.
Snapchat's parent company, Snap, faces a Missouri lawsuit alleging platform features enabled an adult to groom and sexually assault a 12-year-old girl. The suit claims age verification bypass, a recommendation system, and Snap Maps contributed to the incident, for which the attacker is already imprisoned.
The brutal 1978 Ranga-Billa case in Delhi, where siblings Geeta and Sanjay Chopra were murdered after accepting a lift, shocked India. The case led to convictions using early forensic techniques and executions, profoundly impacting child safety awareness and forensic science, a legacy now revisited by the series 'Raakh'.
Florida is suing TikTok, alleging the company violates the state's child safety law by allowing 13-year-olds to create accounts and failing to get parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds. The lawsuit also claims TikTok deceives parents about app risks and content.
Big Tech's push for federal AI preemption legislation is complicated by a child safety bill (KOSA). Reports suggest the White House may back Sen. Blackburn's version, bypassing House Republicans and sparking confusion among stakeholders about which child safety provisions will be included.
A five-month-old baby, Justin, died from catastrophic head injuries in March 2017. Despite prior concerns raised about his welfare and suspicious injuries, no criminal charges were laid, and the coroner declined an inquest, raising questions about systemic failures in child protection and police investigations.
The UK's competition watchdog has ruled that mandatory fees are unfair under consumer law, potentially impacting various industries and consumer contracts.
Donald Trump's administration prioritizes AI growth over regulation, evidenced by executive orders and discussions of government stakes in AI firms. Meanwhile, Anthropic advocates for a pause in AI development while pursuing an IPO, raising questions about its safety-first posture.
Apple introduces Siri AI, a revamped digital assistant, and announces trust and safety updates, including enhanced child protection features, at its WWDC, amid CEO Tim Cook's last keynote before stepping down in September.
Apple announces major Siri upgrade integrated with Google's Gemini AI, rebranded as Siri AI, set for fall release. Also introduces enhanced child safety features for devices.
Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical, a 42,300-word document warning against equating AI with human intelligence. He stressed AI's lack of consciousness, emotions, and moral conscience, calling for regulatory tools and an educational alliance to protect youth.
An Australian court ordered Elon Musk's X Corp to pay A$650,000 for failing to comply with child safety measures. The fine resolves a three-year legal battle with the eSafety regulator over the company's inadequate response to a request for information on tackling online child exploitation.
Child safety groups have filed a complaint with the FTC, urging an investigation into Roblox for alleged "unfair and deceptive" practices related to in-game purchases and chat features that may exploit children's vulnerabilities.
Child safety advocates, including Jonathan Haidt, have urged the FTC to investigate Roblox, citing concerns over its "engagement-maximising design features" and exposure of children to harmful content and adults. They allege the platform prioritizes profit over child safety.
Criminals are manipulating pictures found on school websites and social media to create sexually explicit images UK schools should remove pictures of pupils’ faces from their websites and social media accounts because blackmailers are using them to create sexually explicit images, experts have said.Child safety experts and the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) warn that criminals are using AI to manipulate photos of children and then demand cash not to publish them. Continue reading...
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, who won a historic $375 million verdict against Meta in March, returns to court Monday for a three-week public nuisance trial seeking sweeping changes to Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The proposed remedies include age verification for New Mexico users, prohibiting end-to-end encryption for under-18 users, capping minor usage at 90 hours monthly, limiting engagement-boosting features, and requiring 99% CSAM detection. While any order would only apply in New Mexico, the outcome could set precedent for other tech companies or prompt Meta to exit the state.
Roblox shares fell 18% Friday after the company reported Q1 earnings showing its new child safety measures weighed on bookings. The age-check verification feature restricted communication for non-verified users and slowed new user acquisition, causing the company to slash its 2026 bookings guidance from $8.28B-$8.55B to $7.33B-$7.6B. Despite beating Wall Street estimates with a 35-cent per share loss and $1.73B revenue, Roblox faces over 140 lawsuits alleging failure to protect children from sexual exploitation.
