New media technologies for content creation, sharing and community building
The government has signalled a shift in how the state pension will rise from 2030, with reforms replacing the highest-of-three rule with a focus on inflation and 2.5%, funded by a National Care Service. Reactions vary as experts warn about long-term effects on savers and taxpayers.
A body of studies is showing that a blood marker called p-tau217 can forecast an elevated risk of cognitive impairment in healthy older adults years before symptoms appear. The evidence is not yet clinical-ready, but it is guiding trials that aim to slow or prevent Alzheimer’s disease and is being tested in Scotland’s primary care setting.
The government has proposed a midnight curfew and automatic disabling of addictive features for 16- and 17-year-olds on major platforms. The move follows a plan to ban under-16s and aims to improve sleep and focus, with provisions allowing users to switch off defaults. Public debate centers on effectiveness and enforcement as the policy awaits formal legislation and a potential successor to prime minister Keir Starmer.
Independent reports that Jools Roome’s mother campaigns for Jools’ Law to compel social media firms to hand over children’s data to bereaved parents. ITV Studios will produce a drama through Etta Pictures; Roome will consult. The project follows a 2022 death ruled a suicide with unclear events; campaigners say access to data could help prevent future tragedies.
France has approved a law that will require social platforms to verify users' ages and bar under‑15s from accounts. The measure also bans mobile phones in secondary schools, phases in from September and will apply to existing accounts from January 2027. The law faces constitutional review and questions about technical feasibility and privacy.
Australia’s under‑16 social-media ban shows limited early success. A regulator’s three‑month follow‑up finds most youths retain or recreate accounts; age-checks remain weak and offline activity has shifted little. Governments may tighten enforcement and penalties.
Fact-checkers have struggled to curb mis- and disinformation around Kenya’s 2022 vote, despite a dense verification network. Speed of false claims in closed networks outpaces corrections, while slow, rigorous verification remains essential but challenged by polarisation.
EU lawmakers have rolled out the AI Act’s transparency rules and delayed high‑risk obligations to December 2027, prompting businesses to map AI usage across products and processes. Authorities warn breaches can incur hefty fines as enforcement begins.
The FBI has warned that hackers are infiltrating social media and personal accounts to grab explicit images, then selling them on dark-web markets or using them for sextortion. The advisory highlights social-engineering methods, password compromises, and phishing aimed at adults and minors, urging strong passwords, MFA, and caution with messages claiming to be from social platforms.
France’s Constitutional Council has ruled that the law banning under-15s from opening social media accounts is unconstitutional, finding the bill fails to set limits for age verification and disproportionately infringes freedom of expression and privacy. President Emmanuel Macron has asked Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to draft a revised, legally robust proposal before spring 2027.
The OECD has released 2025 PISA results showing a global drop in reading, math, and science scores among 15-year-olds, with the United States experiencing a widening gap between low and high performers. The data link increased AI and social media use with weaker performance, while a minority of countries buck the trend.
The EU is advancing a plan to shield children from social media harms, with von der Leyen set to unveil the “EU Kids Act.” The package aims to make platforms safer for youngsters and considers age limits, while delegations discuss the broader digital and defense agendas ahead of the Strasbourg speech.
The EU will propose a new law to shield children from social media harms, while Ursula von der Leyen is due to outline a possible age limit for minors. Canada’s Carney will address the European Parliament as Brussels pushes for safer platforms and closer Canada–EU ties.
A collage of personal essays from UK writers shows growing anxiety about AI’s impact on work, parenting and daily routines. Writers describe navigating automation, education choices and the future with both worry and pragmatism.
The European Commission has proposed a law to ban children under 13 from social media, allow 13–14-year-olds supervised "mini accounts" with time limits, and permit standalone accounts from 15. The proposal will require platforms to prove products are safe by design and could expose firms to fines and enforcement if they fail to comply.
Ukraine has struck three of Russia’s data centers since 8 October. Zelenskyy says online spaces feel safer as disinformation operations are disrupted, but experts caution against overstatement and note ongoing bot activity and service disruptions.