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Tech companies undermine social media ban on teenagers
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s pre-election pledge to ban teenagers from social media is being undermined by tech companies refusing to enforce adequate verification barriers and delays in government trials to shield children from digital harms. Source: The Australian.
Albanese to announce plans to block children from social media
Children will be blocked from social media under sweeping national plans to shield young people from online harm by mandating strict age barriers in federal law and punishing tech giants that break the rules. Source: The Age.
Social media giant says parents should have power to block apps
Social media giant Meta wants Australia to force Google and Apple to build age verification tools into their app stores, giving parents the power to block children under 16 from downloading social media apps. Source: Sydney Morning Herald.
Premiers join forces to protect young from social media
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has joined forces with New South Wales Premier Chris Minns to stage a summit in October to debate tighter and higher age restrictions for social media use. Source: The Australian.
Advocates hit out at slow progress of social media reform
Digital rights and privacy advocates have vented their frustration at the federal government’s slow progress in reining in social media companies amid harms such as disinformation, radicalisation and the decline of public interest journalism. Source: Canberra Times.
Tech companies will not be forced to join $6.5m age assurance trial
Major tech platforms including Meta, TikTok and Snapchat will not be forced to be part of the Albanese Government’s $6.5 million age assurance trial, with the department relying on the “goodwill” of platforms to test the new technology. Source: Canberra Times.
Woe to those who end up in media meat grinder: Papal preacher
The media and social networks can be crueller than wild beasts, the preacher of the papal household has told top Vatican officials and employees. Source: OSV News.
Fr Sam goes viral on TikTok
Not too long ago, Fr Sam French deleted his social media accounts and ditched his iPhone. Today, he’s reaching more than one million young people a month with viral videos about the priesthood and the Catholic faith. Source: The Catholic Weekly.
Vatican releases guidelines on ‘how to love your neighbour’ on social media
Attention #CatholicTwitter and keyboard warriors: The Vatican has released recommendations for how better to “love your neighbour” on social media. Source: The Tablet.