Schools report calmer pupils a month into smartphone ban
Head teachers in Kent and Sussex describe changes in behaviour since the national restriction came into force, while researchers caution that bans alone may not be enough.
Read the full reportLatest edition: 12 October 2026Social media harm · Courts · Law · Regulation
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TikTok sellers offer magnets that unlock school phone pouches in seconds
Sellers on the platform are advertising lock-picking magnets to pupils as the phone-free rule takes effect in English schools, and Esther Ghey has called the practice exploitative.
Two teenagers banned from TikTok and Snapchat by French court over video
Three minors were prosecuted for publicly glorifying terrorism after a filmed rap performance outside their school spread online, and the children's judge followed prosecutors' demands.
Germany weighs social media curbs for children as EU Kids Act goes out to consultation
Federal Education Minister Karin Prien has presented an expert commission's recommendations for protecting children online, as the European Commission's EU Kids Act proposal, which would bar…
Turkey bans social media for under-15s from 1 November
The official gazette has published the rule, which requires platforms to verify ages and blocks any service that could be addictive to children. It follows a law passed by parliament in April.
French Senate examines law to ban social media for under-15s
The proposed law would block new accounts for under-15s from 1 September, with existing account holders given until 1 January to delete them, as child safety groups urge France to go further.
Bradford trial to test if cutting social media time helps teen mental health
Around 4,000 pupils aged 12 to 15 will have apps such as TikTok and Snapchat capped at one hour a day under a world-first study, announced as the government consults on a possible ban for under-16s.
Dutch teachers who film pupils for TikTok face scrutiny as phone ban planned
The Dutch cabinet wants phones out of classrooms from 2027, and researchers now ask whether teachers who make videos with their pupils should also be covered by the rule.
Arizona attorney general sues TikTok over addictive design aimed at minors
Kris Mayes alleges the platform concealed risks to children while engineering features such as infinite scroll to maximise compulsive use. TikTok says the case relies on misleading claims and says…
Sheriff warns parents after child abuse suspect took children's photos from Facebook
Officers in Smyth County, Virginia say a suspect gathered pictures of local children from the platform, and urge adults to review what they post and check regularly for signs of exploitation.
ChatGPT for Teens safety alerts fail tests, watchdog finds
Common Sense Media says parental alerts and crisis safeguards on OpenAI's teen mode often did not work; OpenAI disputes the testing methods.
Tim Cook welcomes EU KIDS Act as age verification debate spans Europe and Texas
The Apple chief praised the EU's proposed age verification framework after meeting Ursula von der Leyen, while his company continues to argue against a similar Texas law it says would force the…
US judge criticises Meta over privilege review in addiction case
The rebuke came as Meta faces requests to re-examine hundreds of thousands of documents, weeks after the company announced a settlement with state attorneys general worth at least $12.1 billion,…
Greece to bar under-15s from social media from January 2027
Three ministers will present the framework on October 12 before a bill goes to Parliament, with age checks run through the Kids Wallet app.
Meta's AI moderation floods US child abuse investigators with 'junk' tips, court hears
Officers from a US child exploitation taskforce told Meta's trial in New Mexico that vast numbers of low-quality reports are draining their resources, as the company announces new AI safety tools of…
Law firm town hall in California puts children's online safety in the spotlight
Keosian Law LLP brought law enforcement, lawyers and therapists together in Sherman Oaks to discuss online harm to children, as the firm continues litigation over social media addiction and claims…
Three young men convicted in Spain over AI fake nudes of former schoolmates
A Seville court has imposed the country's first criminal sentence for AI manipulated images: nine months in prison, suspended, and a ban from WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram and Discord for three…
AI-manipulated images driving sharp rise in cyberbullying reports, Dutch helpline says
Stichting Offlimits received 955 reports of online bullying in the first nine months of 2026, up from 860 in all of 2025, with more than 17 per cent involving AI-manipulated images, up from 2 per…
Florida asks court to order Meta to disable features it says hook teenagers
Attorney General James Uthmeier filed for a temporary injunction in Pasco County after Florida refused to join Meta's settlement with 48 other states and Washington DC.
EU Kids Act consultation opens as Meta unveils new child safety tools
The European Commission is gathering views on its proposal to ban social media accounts for under-13s, while Meta publishes new AI systems against child exploitation and expands its school…
Colombia advances bill to keep under-14s off social media, with fines for platforms
A positive report from the bill's rapporteur, dated 18 September 2026, is before the Sixth Commission of the Chamber of Representatives, which must still call the text for its first debate. The bill…
Most parents back Australia's under-16 social media ban despite heavy use, survey finds
A survey of 726 Western Australian parents found 88% support the ban even though 92% use the platforms themselves, and nearly all of those users are on them every day.
Family to sue Meta and Telus over death of former Barcelona content moderator
The family of a former Meta content moderator who died by suicide in France say they will sue Meta and its Barcelona subcontractor Telus over the psychological toll of her work, and are seeking up…
New York accuses TikTok of testing a fake safety tool on thousands of teenagers
Unsealed court filings say thousands of accounts, including children's, were given a placebo version of Algo Refresh in 2023 while time on the app and advertising revenue were measured. TikTok says…
Meta blocks TikTok advertising on Facebook and Instagram in seven countries
The blockade of ByteDance campaigns deepens a rivalry transformed by litigation. Meta is pressing TikTok and YouTube to match the youth protections it agreed in its settlement with US states,…
Kazakhstan considers suspending social media accounts of under-16s
Prime Minister Oljas Bektenov said temporary suspension of existing under-16 accounts would be considered during a transition period, with age verification rules to follow. Amendments to the online…
France sends reworked social media ban for under-15s to Brussels
The revised draft targets features such as endless scrolling and overnight notifications after the Constitutional Council found the original ban disproportionate. Emmanuel Macron says France will…
EU Kids Act would bar under-13s from social media and set 15 as account age
The European Commission's proposal would bring in age checks on new accounts, restrict 13 to 15 year olds to parent-run mini accounts capped at an hour a day, and shift the burden of proof on safety…
Spain's social media ban for under-16s falls as Sánchez calls an election
The draft law would have lifted the minimum account age from 14 to 16 and made platforms verify users' ages. With parliament dissolved ahead of a 29 November vote, the bill lapses and any revival…
Nudify site operator fined £55,000 by Ofcom over missing age checks
The regulator penalised Itai Tech Ltd £50,000 for age verification failures and £5,000 for ignoring information requests, its second fine under the Online Safety Act.
19-year-old hands 25,000-signature petition on smoking influencers to Dutch MPs
Boy Tanis, 19, from Geertruidenberg, took his petition "Bescherm jongeren tegen rokende influencers" to the Tweede Kamer on 6 October; AD and BN DeStem report it carries 25,000 signatures.
French mayor's call to cut minors' social media access hits legal limits
Nicolas Isnard, mayor of Salon-de-Provence, wants minors blocked from social networks during periods of unrest, but a Conseil d'État ruling on New Caledonia's TikTok ban and EU law stand in the way,…
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