Brain experts tell the UK government there’s ‘very little’ scientific evidence that phones are harming kids — but a social media ban is going ahead anyway

A few words from the academics speaking at the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee in the House of Parliament.

A network of X accounts is boosting AI nudify tools, raising hell for victims

Coordinated X accounts are helping AI nudify apps reach more users, researchers say, as services like Undress AI add paid video tools and referral credits while victims struggle to contain the damage.

UK Bans Under-16s From Using Social Media

The U.K. has, as widely expected, announced plans to ban social media for under-16s – but the controversy won’t be going away any time soon.

UK plans social media ban for under-16s in major online safety push

The UK government plans to ban social media access for under-16s and introduce stricter protections aimed at reducing harmful online interactions and excessive screen time.

Under-16 social media ban announced by UK government
Under-16 social media ban announced by UK government

The UK is the latest country to follow Australia in implementing a total social media ban for children under 16, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced. The ban, which could take effect from early next year, will be joined by wider measures that will also prevent children from talking to strangers in online games, livestreaming, […]

Yet another study finds too many kids are seeing harmful content on social media

A Molly Rose Foundation study found 34% of UK teens encountered suicide, self-harm, or eating disorder content on social media in a single week, barely unchanged from before the Online Safety Act took effect.

A better way to manage all your screenshots
A better way to manage all your screenshots

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 132, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, happy soccer, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I’ve been preparing for a month of getting absolutely nothing done during the World Cup. […]

Facebook and Messenger outage sparks logout panic as Meta services stumble

A brief Meta outage logged users out of Facebook and Messenger, sent Downdetector complaints surging, and also affected Instagram while Threads remained less clear in available reports.

Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp hit by a major Meta outage
Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp hit by a major Meta outage

Meta had a bad Friday morning. A major Meta outage knocked out Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger for users around the world, starting shortly before 10am ET. By midday it was recovering, unevenly, region by region. The trouble appeared to be…