https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/06/tiktok-app-addictive-design-preliminary-ruling-european-commission

The European Commission has issued a preliminary ruling that TikTok’s design likely violates the EU’s Digital Services Act, citing features such as infinite scroll and constant content rewards that encourage compulsive use. Regulators say these mechanisms can negatively affect user wellbeing, particularly for children and vulnerable users. TikTok disputes the findings and says it will challenge the decision.

#DigitalServicesAct #TikTok #EURegulation #SocialMediaSafety

Ex-Facebook Safety Exec: Testifies to Congress about Online Harms to Teenagers on Social Media

Arturo Bejar a former senior leader in charge of safety and care at Facebook (2009–2015) and later a consultant for Instagram (2019–2021), testified before US Congress that social media companies misrepresent and ignore the widespread harm, particularly to children.

In his testimony, Bejar reported that internal research indicated that 13% of 13–15 year-old users self-reported receiving unwanted sexual advances within a single seven-day period, a level of abuse he called "likely the largest-scale sexual harassment of teens to have ever happened".

He explained that since social media companies are data-guided and treat problems that aren't measured as if they "don't exist," most user distress goes unaddressed.

Bejar advocates for regulation—mandating companies to track and publicly report concrete safety metrics—which will push social media platforms to genuinely prioritize user protection over engagement and growth.

Read Arturo Bejar's full testimony here: https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2023-11-07_-_testimony_-_bejar.pdf

#SocialMediaSafety #BigTech #TeenHarassment #ArturoBejar #CongressTestimony #ChildProtection #PlatformRegulation #TechAccountability

“New Filing: Instagram Allegedly Encouraged Preteen Engagement”

#SocialMediaSafety #Meta #Instagram #TechNews #ChildProtection #TheInternetIsCrack

Snapchat is rolling out a bank-linked age verification tool in Australia 🇦🇺 to comply with the under-16 social media ban. Partnering with ConnectID, users can prove their age securely without sharing sensitive data, setting a new standard for privacy-focused digital ID.

#Snapchat #AgeVerification #DigitalPrivacy #Australia #SocialMediaSafety #TECHi

Read Full Article Here :- https://www.techi.com/snapchat-introduces-bank-linked-age-verification-australia-2025-ban/

Hey y'all!

It is still October and a few days before I publish my #halloween short story with ghosts in Florence and all sorts of Halloweenish stuff... 🎃 so stay tuned in for that treat ( or trick? 👻 ) ... until then we can still talk about #cyberawarenessmonth or whatever #cybersecurity lead-gen rockstars and gurus (🙄) are spinning this excuse to market their product anyways....

A few days ago I published my conversation with Cybersecurity expert Jacqueline Jayne (JJ) where we spoke about her presentation at #cyberconmelbourne with the Australian Information Security Association (AISA) titled: Beyond Blame: Navigating the Digital World with Our #Kids.

It is about why #parenting in the digital age requires more than tech skills—and what really keeps #kidssafeonline.

🎯 As Australia prepares to ban social media for under 16s (December 10, 2025), JJ discusses why restriction isn't education and how parents can actually protect their children in a connected world.

KEY TOPICS COVERED:

The hidden language of emojis and what parents miss

Why cybersecurity professionals struggle to protect their own kids

Moving beyond blame in digital safety conversations

Practical conversation starters for different age groups

The impact of Netflix's "Adolescence" series on the debate

Australia's social media ban: what it means for families

How #gaming, #socialmedia, and #digitalliteracy intersect

ABOUT JACQUELINE JAYNE (JJ): Jacqueline Jayne specializes in the human element of cybersecurity with nearly a decade of experience. Her focus on digital safety for families addresses the gap between technical knowledge and real-world parenting challenges.

Listen to the podcast and subscribe here: https://redefining-society-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/beyond-blame-navigating-the-digital-world-with-our-kids-interview-with-jacqueline-jj-jayne-aisa-cybercon-melbourne-2025-coverage-on-location-with-sean-martin-and-marco-ciappelli

Check all my content on https://www.marcociappelli.com/

Or catch the video here: https://youtu.be/v-41rOVds-U

#OnlineSafety #ParentingInDigitalAge #Cybersecurity #SocialMediaSafety #DigitalLiteracy #AISACyberCon #CyberConMelbourne #ParentingTips #TeenSafety #InternetSafety