Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 24th of August, covering the latest developments.
TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, have agreed to pay $400 million to settle U.S. government allegations that the popular video-sharing app failed to properly protect children’s privacy.
Google has committed $500,000 to a new digital safety programme in Pakistan, as debate grows over how to protect children from online risks and whether access to social media should be restricted.
A U.S. judge has ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million over claims that its platforms failed to protect children from online harm.
Azerbaijan is introducing new requirements for social media platforms, including a ban on account creation for users under-16 and mandatory age verification measures to regulate children's access to online services.
Vietnam is planning to require social media platforms to stop users under 16 from posting content, commenting or reacting to posts under a draft decree designed to strengthen online protections for children.
Australia's internet safety regulator has accused some of the world's biggest technology companies of failing to do enough to combat child sexual abuse and the growing threat of online sexual extortion.
WhatsApp is allowing users to reserve a username as an alternative to exchanging phone numbers to chat on the messaging service.
Australia said it would double the maximum penalty it can impose on tech firms found to have failed to uphold a groundbreaking social media ban for children, as evidence mounts that the ban has had little effect on teen use.
The UK has become the latest country to annouce a social media ban for children under 16. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made the announcement on Monday, adding that he will impose restrictions on gaming and livestreaming platforms as well.
Just one week after a similar move by Australia, Greece announced that it will ban access to social media for children under the age of 15 from January 1, 2027, as governments around the world weigh tougher rules amid growing concerns over mental health, safety and screen addiction.
In a parliamentary vote on Wednesday (22 April), Turkish lawmakers approved legislation designed to protect minors from harmful online content. Passed after lengthy deliberations, the measure includes an outright ban on social media use by children under 15.
Authorities in China have launched an investigation into a wave of online bullying targeting Olympic diving champion Quan Hongchan, as concerns grow over the impact of toxic fan behaviour on young public figures.
Greece will ban access to social media for children under 15 from 1 January 2027, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday, citing rising anxiety, sleep problems and the addictive design of online platforms.
A Los Angeles jury on Wednesday found Alphabet’s Google and Meta liable for $6m in damages in a landmark social media addiction lawsuit, a ruling that could influence thousands of similar cases.
The UK government is to trial social media bans, curfews and app time limits in the homes of 300 teenagers, as part of a wider consultation on restricting under-16s’ access to platforms and improving online safety.
Heavy social media usage appears to contribute to a drop in wellbeing among young people, especially girls, in some English-speaking countries, the World Happiness Report found.
Türkiye’s official anti-disinformation agency has issued a statement refuting what it described as online “disinformation” and reiterating the strength of relations between Türkiye and Azerbaijan.
Indonesia will restrict access to social media platforms for children under 16, its communications and digital ministry said on Friday (6 March), becoming the latest country to introduce online guardrails aimed at reducing the risks of addiction and cyberbullying.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was pressed for answers in a Los Angeles courtroom as a youth social media addiction case probed how far Meta went in shaping young users’ behaviour on Wednesday.
Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify in a high-profile trial in Los Angeles examining claims that the company’s platforms contributed to youth addiction and mental health harm.
Spain’s government has instructed prosecutors to investigate social media platforms X, Meta and TikTok over the alleged creation and dissemination of AI-generated child sexual abuse material, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama has criticised a video shared by President Donald Trump depicting him and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes, describing it as “deeply troubling”.
Portugal's parliament approved a bill on Thursday (12 February), on its first reading, requiring explicit parental consent for children aged 13 to 16-years old to access social media, in one of the first concrete legislative moves in Europe to impose such restrictions.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
