Children’s rights

Australia’s eSafety study examines children’s digital habits

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has published two studies showing that parents are helping children develop safe digital habits from an early age, while highlighting growing gaps in awareness of newer online risks such as generative AI, algorithmic recommendations and online sexual extortion.

The research found that Australian parents actively supervise their children’s online activities, establish rules for internet use and regularly discuss online safety.

Among children aged three to ten, almost all had used the internet outside school or childcare settings, while nearly nine in ten parents had discussed online safety and around half allowed internet use only under parental supervision. However, significantly fewer parents had spoken about algorithmic recommendations or exposure to sexual content online.

The second report, covering children aged 10 to 17, found similarly high levels of parental engagement, with most parents regularly discussing online safety, setting internet rules and providing ongoing guidance. However, conversations about emerging risks were far less common: only 26% had discussed how algorithms shape online content, 11% had spoken about generative AI and just 8% had addressed online sexual extortion.

The eSafety Commissioner said digital parenting should evolve alongside children’s online experiences and stressed that responsibility should not rest solely with parents.

To support the families, eSafety has expanded access to practical resources, including webinars, guidance materials and conversation tools designed to help families navigate changing online technologies and risks.

Why does it matter?

The findings suggest that while many parents have successfully integrated online safety into everyday family life, digital literacy is struggling to keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies. Emerging issues such as generative AI, algorithm-driven content and online exploitation require new forms of guidance that extend beyond traditional internet safety advice.

The research also reinforces the idea that protecting children online is a shared responsibility. Alongside parents, governments, schools and technology companies all have a role in ensuring that children develop the knowledge and skills needed to navigate an increasingly complex digital environment.

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EU restores temporary child safety rules online

The European Council has approved the reinstatement of a temporary regulation allowing online service providers to continue voluntarily detecting, reporting and removing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) while negotiations on a permanent EU framework remain ongoing.

The regulation creates a temporary exception to certain electronic communications privacy rules, allowing providers to use voluntary technologies to detect child sexual abuse material and support criminal investigations. The measure is intended to prevent a legal gap after the previous framework expired and will remain in force until April 2028.

Amendments adopted by the European Parliament exclude certain number-independent interpersonal communications where end-to-end encryption applies, has applied or will apply. The Council emphasised that these temporary measures do not prejudge the outcome of negotiations on a permanent legislative framework for tackling online child sexual abuse.

The reinstated regulation is intended to provide legal certainty for online service providers while ensuring that voluntary child protection measures can continue until EU institutions agree on a long-term approach.

Why does it matter?

The temporary regulation helps ensure that voluntary efforts to detect and report child sexual abuse material can continue without interruption while the EU debates a permanent legislative framework. For online platforms, it provides legal certainty during a period of regulatory transition.

The wider negotiations remain significant because they address one of the most sensitive issues in digital governance: how to strengthen child protection while respecting privacy and secure communications, including the use of end-to-end encryption. The eventual EU framework could influence similar policy discussions in other jurisdictions.

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Mozilla urges privacy-first approach to online child safety

Mozilla has urged policymakers to prioritise online child safety while warning that stricter age verification requirements alone are unlikely to address online harms and could create new risks for privacy, security and encryption.

The organisation argues that governments have a responsibility to protect children from harms associated with online platforms, including cyberbullying, harmful content and negative impacts on mental health. However, it warns that age verification systems involve significant trade-offs.

According to Mozilla, many age verification technologies rely on identity checks or other sensitive personal data, potentially increasing privacy and security risks while creating opportunities for surveillance, exclusion and discrimination.

Mozilla also questions the effectiveness of age assurance technologies in practice. It points to Australia’s ban on social media for children under 16, introduced in December 2025, arguing that many young users continue to access their accounts.

It also cites recent research on the UK’s Online Safety Act, which found that one-third of children bypassed age verification by changing their birthdate, using another person’s credentials or altering their appearance, while one-quarter of parents had helped their children circumvent age assurance measures.

Instead of relying primarily on age verification, Mozilla argues that policymakers should address the underlying design of digital platforms. It calls for restrictions on dark patterns and addictive design features that encourage excessive engagement, while highlighting the extensive collection of personal data used to personalise recommendation systems and targeted advertising.

Why does it matter?

The debate illustrates a growing policy divide over how to protect children online. While many governments are introducing stricter age verification requirements, privacy advocates and technology organisations argue that such measures should not come at the expense of users’ privacy, security or access to encrypted services.

Mozilla’s recommendations also shift attention towards platform accountability rather than user verification. By focusing on manipulative design practices and data-driven engagement models, the organisation argues that policymakers should address the structural causes of online harms instead of relying primarily on age assurance technologies.

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Meta avoids social media addiction trial as wider litigation continues

Meta has avoided a scheduled social media addiction trial after the teenage plaintiff withdrew his claims less than a week before proceedings were due to begin, although broader litigation against major technology platforms over alleged harms to young users continues.

The case was brought by a 15-year-old Florida plaintiff identified as R.K.C. and was expected to become the second bellwether trial examining claims that major social media platforms used allegedly addictive design features that harmed teenagers.

TikTok, Snap and YouTube had already settled the plaintiff’s claims for undisclosed amounts, while his lawyers said he decided to withdraw the remaining case against Meta after weighing the overall outcome of the litigation and the burden of a lengthy trial.

Meta did not reach a settlement. Company spokesperson Andy Stone described the claims as baseless and said Meta would continue defending itself against similar lawsuits.

Litigation against major social media companies continues on several fronts. In an earlier bellwether case, a jury found Meta and Google’s YouTube negligent and awarded one plaintiff a total of US$6 million in compensatory and punitive damages.

In New Mexico, Meta was ordered to pay US$375 million, while further proceedings seeking structural changes to the company’s business practices remain pending.

Seven additional bellwether cases are scheduled in California state court, alongside separate federal litigation in Oakland and lawsuits brought by state attorneys general alleging that Meta misled the public about harmful and allegedly addictive platform features.

Why does it matter?

Although this individual case will not proceed to trial, it forms part of a much wider wave of litigation examining whether social media platforms can be held legally responsible for allegedly addictive design features and their effects on young users. Courts across the United States are increasingly being asked to assess where platform responsibility begins and how companies should balance user engagement with safety.

The remaining bellwether cases could influence future litigation and regulatory debates on child safety, platform accountability and product design. Their outcomes may also shape how courts evaluate claims involving algorithmic recommendation systems and other features designed to maximise user engagement.

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India strengthens online child safety rules for social media

India is strengthening enforcement of its online child safety framework by introducing stricter obligations for social media platforms, including faster content removal requirements and new safeguards for AI-generated content.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said it has requested a detailed report from a social media platform following allegations that advertisements linked to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) appeared on its service. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has also issued notices to the platforms concerned.

The updated framework significantly shortens compliance deadlines for intermediaries. Platforms must remove unlawful content within three hours of receiving a court order or a reasoned government notice, compared with the previous 36-hour deadline.

Complaints involving nudity, morphed intimate images and similar sensitive content must be addressed within two hours, while intermediaries are also required to report offences involving CSAM and other relevant crimes to the appropriate authorities.

The amendments also expand obligations for AI-generated content. Intermediaries must ensure that permissible synthetic content is clearly labelled and accompanied by traceable metadata, while preventing the creation and dissemination of unlawful AI-generated material, including child sexual exploitation material, non-consensual intimate imagery, impersonation and deepfakes.

Significant social media intermediaries must also deploy automated tools and other technical measures to proactively detect CSAM and previously identified illegal content. India said compliance will be reinforced through government advisories and a standard operating procedure on non-consensual intimate imagery issued in 2025.

Authorities warned that platforms failing to meet their due diligence obligations could lose the liability protections provided under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act and face prosecution under applicable laws.

Why does it matter?

India’s measures reflect a broader shift towards faster and more proactive platform accountability. Rather than relying primarily on user reports, regulators are increasingly requiring platforms to respond within hours, deploy automated detection systems and demonstrate that they can effectively prevent the spread of harmful content.

The inclusion of specific obligations for AI-generated content also illustrates how online safety regulation is evolving to address emerging risks such as deepfakes and synthetic child exploitation material. Together, the measures reinforce the expectation that platforms are responsible not only for removing illegal content but also for preventing its creation, distribution and recurrence.

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France adopts law banning under-15s from social media

France’s parliament has approved legislation that will prohibit children under 15 from accessing social media, making it the first European country to introduce a nationwide ban of this kind. The law, backed by both the National Assembly and the Senate, will be implemented in two phases, with age verification for all new accounts beginning in September 2026 and extending to all existing accounts from January 2027.

Under the new rules, social media platforms will be required to use age verification systems approved by the French data protection authority (CNIL). From January 2027, every user in France will have to verify that they are at least 15 years old to continue accessing social media services.

French Digital Minister Anne Le Hénanff said the timetable is achievable because age verification technologies are already available, while President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the law as a key step in protecting young people online.

The legislation comes as European governments are increasingly considering stricter safeguards for minors’ online activity. The UK plans to prohibit under-16s from accessing social media from January 2027, while the European Commission is examining additional measures to strengthen child protection online. France follows Australia, which introduced a similar ban for under-16s in late 2025, although early evidence suggests many children continue to access social media despite the restrictions.

Privacy advocates and digital rights experts have questioned whether age verification technologies can be implemented without compromising users’ privacy. Others have warned that determined teenagers may circumvent the restrictions or migrate to less regulated online platforms. Experts have also argued that involving young people in designing such policies could improve their effectiveness and reduce unintended consequences, including reduced access to news and civic participation.

Why does it matter?

France’s legislation reflects a growing shift from platform self-regulation towards direct government intervention in protecting children online. Rather than relying primarily on platforms to introduce safety features, lawmakers are increasingly imposing mandatory age verification and restricting access to online services through legislation.

The law also highlights the policy trade-offs at the centre of the online child safety debate. While stronger age assurance measures may reduce children’s exposure to harmful content, they also raise questions about privacy, the proportionality of mandatory identity checks, and the practical effectiveness of enforcing age-based restrictions. As other European countries and the EU consider similar measures, France’s approach is likely to become an important test case for future online safety regulation.

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Meta expands Threads parental controls for teenagers

Meta is expanding parental supervision on Threads with new tools that allow parents and guardians to monitor activity, set screen-time limits and manage privacy settings for teenage users.

The tools will begin rolling out in the United States next week through Meta’s Family Center. They build on the company’s existing Teen Accounts, which provide private profiles and restrictions on potentially sensitive content by default.

Parents will be able to view a teenager’s Threads usage over the previous seven days, including average daily screen time, set daily usage limits and block access during selected hours or days.

The restrictions apply across devices, while supervision also extends to overnight use through sleep mode, which mutes notifications and enables automatic replies between 10 pm and 7 am by default.

Parents can also manage who is allowed to tag teenagers in posts and approve changes to selected privacy and sensitive-content settings.

For users under 16, parents may decide whether default Teen Account protections can be relaxed.

Meta said the expanded supervision tools are intended to provide families with a single place to manage teenage experiences across its apps and that additional features will be introduced over time.

The controls can be activated through Meta’s Family Center once supervision has been established between a parent and teenager.

Why does it matter?

The expanded supervision tools reflect growing pressure on social media platforms to provide parents with greater oversight of children’s online experiences. Features such as screen-time limits, overnight restrictions and stronger privacy controls are increasingly becoming standard expectations rather than optional additions.

The effectiveness of these measures, however, will depend on accurate age verification, teenagers’ ability to circumvent restrictions and the extent to which parental controls are complemented by platform-wide safety measures. The announcement also reflects a wider regulatory trend, with governments increasingly expecting platforms to offer stronger protections for younger users.

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Victoria proposes tougher child safety laws for social media and AI

Victoria’s Labor government plans to introduce child safety laws that would make it easier for families to bring legal claims against social media and AI companies accused of harming children.

The proposed reforms would remove the requirement for claims brought on behalf of minors to demonstrate permanent psychiatric impairment of at least 10% before proceedings against social media or AI providers can begin.

The government argues that addictive platform features can damage children’s mental health and that the current legal threshold creates an unnecessary barrier for affected families seeking compensation.

The reforms would also give the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) new powers to issue ‘demasking orders’, requiring social media companies to reveal the identities of anonymous users accused of online vilification.

Premier Jacinta Allan said families should be able to hold technology companies accountable when their platforms harm children and that anonymity should not shield users responsible for hateful conduct.

The government will also consider whether the lower legal threshold should apply to claims involving adults before finalising the legislation. The reforms will be developed through targeted consultations with VCAT, the courts and other stakeholders before being introduced to parliament.

Why does it matter?

The proposed reforms reflect a growing international trend towards holding technology companies more accountable for the real-world impacts of platform design, particularly where children are concerned. Lowering the threshold for legal claims could make it easier for families to seek redress while increasing pressure on platforms to address features that may contribute to harm.

The introduction of ‘demasking orders’ also illustrates how online safety policy is expanding beyond content moderation to include stronger legal mechanisms for identifying anonymous users and enforcing accountability. If adopted, the legislation could influence similar debates in other jurisdictions considering tougher platform liability rules.

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IWF partners with Tuteliq to strengthen child online safety

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has partnered with Swedish behavioural detection technology company Tuteliq to strengthen the early detection of online grooming and child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

As a new IWF Member, Tuteliq will integrate the organisation’s URL List and Image Hash List into its detection platform, enabling online services to identify and block known CSAM more effectively.

Unlike traditional moderation systems that analyse individual messages or files, Tuteliq’s technology examines how conversations evolve over time to identify behavioural patterns associated with grooming, coercion and online sexual exploitation before abuse occurs.

The platform analyses text, voice, images and video across 27 languages and is intended for youth-focused apps, gaming platforms, sports organisations and other online communities.

The partnership combines Tuteliq’s behavioural analysis with the IWF’s verified databases of known CSAM, aiming to strengthen prevention alongside detection by enabling earlier intervention before harmful content is created or shared.

Tuteliq said its platform retains no user data, is hosted within the EU and is designed to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)..

Beyond the technical integration, Tuteliq will also draw on the IWF’s research, policy expertise and threat intelligence to further develop its detection models. According to the organisations, the collaboration reflects a broader shift towards combining behavioural analysis with verified intelligence to improve online child protection.

Why does it matter?

The partnership reflects a broader shift from reactive content moderation towards preventing online abuse before illegal material is created or shared. Behavioural AI capable of identifying grooming patterns could allow platforms to intervene earlier, potentially reducing harm before exploitation escalates.

At the same time, expanding behavioural detection raises important questions about transparency, privacy and accountability. As platforms increasingly analyse patterns of user behaviour rather than individual pieces of content, ensuring appropriate safeguards and oversight will become an important part of child online safety governance.

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Claude for Teachers released for verified US educators

Anthropic has launched Claude for Teachers, offering verified K-12 educators in the US free access to premium Claude features, teaching skills and curriculum-aligned resources.

The product is designed to help teachers plan lessons, adapt materials, differentiate instruction and manage classroom workflows.

Claude for Teachers connects to Learning Commons, giving it access to academic standards across all 50 US states and related learning competencies.

Anthropic says the tool can use those standards to draft scaffolded lesson plans and student-facing materials based on widely used curricula, including OpenSciEd and Illustrative Mathematics.

Educators can also connect Claude with K-12 tools such as ASSISTments, Brisk Teaching, Canva Education, Coteach, Diffit, Eedi, MagicSchool, Snorkl and TeachFX.

The platform includes tailored teaching skills grounded in learning science, with use cases including standards-aligned lesson planning, differentiated materials and analysis of class data for instructional planning.

Anthropic says that Claude for Teachers is for educators only and complies with K-12 privacy requirements.

Data from the product will not be used for model training, and student information is covered by a K-12 Data Processing Addendum designed to comply with FERPA.

The company is also working with the American Federation of Teachers on safety and privacy principles for AI in education.

Verified educators can access Claude for Teachers free of charge if they sign up by 30 June 2027, with a dedicated version for schools and districts planned later.

Why does it matter?

Claude for Teachers shows how major AI companies are moving from general-purpose chatbots into specialised education tools with curriculum alignment, workflow integrations and sector-specific privacy commitments. The launch could support lesson planning and differentiated instruction. Still, it also raises familiar questions about student data, vendor dependence, AI quality, teacher autonomy and how schools evaluate the educational impact of AI tools before scaling them.

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