SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s data protection regulator on Tuesday fined TikTok parent company ByteDance more than 153 million reais (nearly $30 million) because of alleged failures in the handling of personal data of children and teenagers. It’s the South American nation’s latest move against social media companies. The regulatory body said in its ruling […]

CHICAGO (AP) — Meta insists it has a long history of protecting its youngest customers as it defends itself against a swath of lawsuits alleging its social media empire harms children. In the latest such instance, the social media giant is fighting allegations in a California federal court that it contributes to the youth mental […]

In June, the federal government introduced Bill C-34, which would force social media platforms to block access for kids under 16. The exact ways in which social media platforms would verify age haven’t yet been worked out. Culture Minister Marc Miller said there will be “a back and forth with platforms as to what protects […]

Of the thousands of lawsuits Meta faces over child safety on its platforms, none may be more consequential than one going to trial this week in California. States are seeking extensive financial damages that could, in theory, total as much as $1.4 trillion, plus changes to how the company operates Facebook and Instagram. The lawsuit […]

The families of four teenagers who died by suicide are suing Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube over what they describe as “years of escalating harms” from using their platforms that eventually resulted in their deaths. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the Superior Court of Delaware, is the latest in a flurry of suits filed against […]

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s media company is planning to charge for special high-speed access to Truth Social posts, including possibly his own affecting national security and financial markets. The move announced Thursday would allow Wall Street trading firms and other institutions to get news from top Truth Social contributors in milliseconds so […]

Over the last two weeks of the parliamentary sitting, the Liberal government made a series of moves related to AI and digital regulation. It introduced a new AI strategy, a bill requiring social media platforms to ban kids under 16 and a long-awaited privacy bill. It also moved to block new rules requiring streamers to […]

The Conservatives and the NDP aren’t offering opinions yet on the online harms bill introduced by the federal Liberal government Wednesday. The bill includes a high-profile plan to force social media companies to ban kids under 16 from their platforms. A spokesperson for the Conservatives said the party is looking at the bill. “Protecting children […]

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia on Monday began enforcing rules barring millions of children younger than 16 from having social media accounts, joining a growing global effort to tighten safety protections. Not all families approved, and critics raised concerns about data protection and potential surveillance. Social media platforms with at least 8 million users […]

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico state prosecutors are seeking fundamental changes to Meta’s social media apps and algorithms to safeguard children in the second phase of a landmark trial on allegations that platforms such as Instagram have created a public safety hazard. Opening statements began Monday in the three-week bench trial to decide […]

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia is urging social media companies and digital platforms to report the number of accounts that have been suspended as part of the implementation of government regulations restricting access for children under 16, authorities said Wednesday. “We will continue to insist that compliance alone is not enough; we must also report […]

Mia Danyluk had a YouTube channel before she reached double digits. She was 11 years old when she signed up for Snapchat. In Grade 9, she joined Instagram. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was on social media that she learned about Manitoba’s plan to ban children and youth from accessing these platforms. The irony was not lost […]