Most social media child safety features fail, research finds Tech Xplore
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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced new legislation to bolster the country’s existing ban on social media accounts for children under the age of 16. The move comes in response to reports of poor compliance by major technology firms and data suggesting that a vast majority of underage users remain active on these platforms. By increasing penalties and expanding regulatory powers, the government aims to force platforms to take greater responsibility for age verification and user safety.
June 30, 2026Illinois legislators have sent House Bill 5511 to Governor JB Pritzker, a measure designed to implement strict new safety and privacy regulations for youth social media accounts. The bill targets the use of addictive algorithms, restricts location sharing, and aims to prevent fraudulent financial transactions involving minors. This legislative push reflects a growing trend of state-level intervention in the social media sector to address concerns over child safety and data privacy.
June 30, 2026A new report indicates that a majority of child safety features on social media platforms are failing to work as advertised. This revelation points to a significant gap between the safety promises made by tech companies and the actual user experience for minors. For the social media sector, these findings intensify the debate over whether platforms can be trusted to self-regulate or if stricter government intervention is necessary. The report's conclusions suggest that current safety measures may be more performative than protective, posing a reputational risk to major industry players.
June 30, 2026Global social media usage has reached 5.66 billion people, representing more than 68 percent of the world's population as of 2026. The average user now spends approximately two hours and 39 minutes daily on these platforms, which translates to more than 40 full days per year. This massive growth and high engagement are driving a new wave of international regulations aimed at curbing addictive design features and restricting access for minors.
June 30, 2026