Content Policy Archives | Digital Watch Observatory

Meta expands Teen Account protections across its platforms

Meta has announced the global expansion of its 13+ content settings for Teen Accounts across Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger.

The settings are designed to provide more age-appropriate experiences by limiting teens’ exposure to content deemed unsuitable for younger users. On Facebook, the 13+ default setting is intended to hide inappropriate content in areas such as Feed and Reels, and to limit teens’ ability to interact with profiles, pages, groups, and events that primarily post inappropriate content.

On Messenger, the default setting limits teens’ ability to view links to inappropriate Facebook content or to chat with accounts that primarily share such content. Meta said its stricter Limited Content setting will also become available on Facebook and Messenger later in 2026.

The company is also testing new measures on Instagram to prevent teenagers from repeatedly viewing similar types of content in areas such as nutrition, weightlifting, and anxiety. Meta said such content can be useful, but should be balanced with other types of content rather than shown repeatedly.

Meta also highlighted findings from an external assessment conducted by Alice, formerly ActiveFence, a digital safety organisation. According to Meta, the review found that Instagram Teen Accounts using the default 13+ setting saw 68% less mature content than a leading competitor’s teen experience, while those using the stricter Limited Content setting saw 96% less.

The company said the assessment helped identify areas for improvement, including detecting accounts that regularly share age-inappropriate content and ensuring policy coverage for risky stunts and viral challenges. Meta said it updated its detection signals and policies in response, and will continue stress-testing and refining Teen Accounts.

Why does it matter?

Meta’s update shows how major platforms are expanding age-appropriate design and content-governance tools for younger users. The focus on repeated exposure to topics such as nutrition, weightlifting, and anxiety also reflects a broader shift in child online safety: platforms are not only trying to block clearly inappropriate content, but also to manage recommendation patterns that may affect young users’ well-being.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

UNESCO promotes media literacy as response to online hate speech

UNESCO has announced a new issue brief examining how Media and Information Literacy (MIL) can help address the spread of hate speech, disinformation and other harmful content across digital platforms. The publication will be officially presented on 18 June, the International Day for Countering Hate Speech.

UNESCO argues that addressing online hate speech requires measures that extend beyond content moderation and regulation. According to UNESCO, strengthening critical thinking, ethical awareness and digital skills can help individuals better navigate information environments, assess online content and engage responsibly in digital spaces while respecting human rights and freedom of expression.

The brief presents Media and Information Literacy as a long-term educational approach to strengthening information integrity and building more resilient societies. UNESCO officials emphasise that sustainable solutions depend on combining governance measures with investments in education, digital citizenship and informed engagement with information.

The publication forms part of UNESCO’s wider efforts to promote information integrity and responsible digital governance. A related webinar will examine how digital platforms, AI and generative technologies can amplify harmful narratives and social polarisation, as well as strategies for fostering safer and more inclusive online environments.

Why does it matter?

The spread of hate speech, disinformation and other harmful content remains a major challenge for governments, platforms and civil society. While regulatory and moderation measures often focus on limiting harmful content, UNESCO argues that long-term resilience also depends on strengthening citizens’ ability to critically assess information and engage responsibly online.

The initiative reflects growing international interest in combining platform governance with education, digital literacy and information integrity efforts as societies adapt to the influence of AI-powered content creation and increasingly complex online information environments.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

EU court annuls Meta Marketplace designation

The General Court of the European Union has annulled the European Commission’s decision designating Meta as a gatekeeper for Marketplace under the Digital Markets Act, while upholding the company’s designation for Messenger.

The case concerned the Commission’s 5 September 2023 decision designating Meta as a gatekeeper for several core platform services, including Facebook, Messenger, and Marketplace. Meta challenged the decision in part, contesting the classification of Messenger and Marketplace as important gateways under the DMA.

The General Court upheld the Commission’s assessment of Messenger, finding that the service is a number-independent interpersonal communications service distinct from Facebook. The court said Messenger is available through standalone applications, can be used independently of Facebook, and includes tools that allow businesses to engage with users.

The court also found that the Commission did not have to count only Messenger users who were not also Facebook users when assessing whether the quantitative threshold under the DMA was met. It also said the Commission was not required to open a market investigation in the absence of sufficiently substantiated arguments from Meta calling the DMA presumptions into question.

For Marketplace, the court found that the Commission erred in law by relying only on data from the three years preceding designation without taking account of changes made at the end of July 2023. Those changes limited the number of listings that could be published per user and led to the disappearance of the criterion used by the Commission to identify business users.

The court also found that the Commission had not provided sufficient reasoning for classifying Marketplace as an online intermediation service. It said the Commission failed to provide a concrete analysis of the July 2023 changes or to explain their effect on whether Marketplace-enabled business users could offer goods and services to consumers.

As a result, the decision was annulled only to the extent that it designated Meta as a gatekeeper for Marketplace. Meta’s Messenger designation remains in place.

Why does it matter?

The judgement is an important test of how the EU courts will review Digital Markets Act gatekeeper designations. It confirms that the Commission can rely on DMA presumptions where companies do not provide sufficiently substantiated counterarguments, as seen with Messenger. But it also shows that the Commission must properly assess relevant changes and provide sufficient reasoning when classifying a service as a core platform service, as the Marketplace annulment demonstrates.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

OpenAI advocates for global action on youth AI safety

OpenAI has called for stronger international action on youth AI safety, including the creation of a dedicated institute to support common evidence, guidance, and safeguards for young users.

Ahead of the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Évian, France, the company said governments, researchers, civil society, and industry should work together to raise standards for safe and age-appropriate AI use by children and teenagers.

OpenAI said a dedicated youth AI safety institute could provide continuity beyond a single summit, helping stakeholders share evidence, develop guidance, and keep standards aligned with fast-moving AI systems. The company said such a body could take the form of a new international institute or an existing or newly created national AI institute with a global mandate.

The principles outlined by OpenAI include privacy-preserving age estimation, default safeguards when a user’s age is uncertain, annual youth safety risk assessments, accessible parental controls, clearer transparency about youth protections, and stronger protocols for serious safety situations involving self-harm, exploitation, grooming, sexually exploitative content, and other high-risk interactions.

The company also called for stronger protection of minors’ personal information, including prohibitions on privacy-invasive targeted advertising to young people and the sale of their personal information. It also said youth safety frameworks should promote AI literacy, learning, creativity, skill development, and future opportunities.

OpenAI said AI tools can help young people understand difficult concepts, practise languages, improve writing, learn to code, organise research, explore creative ideas, and prepare for changing labour markets. However, it argued that safeguards, family and educator guidance, and clear accountability mechanisms such as independent audits should support access.

The proposal builds on existing youth safety initiatives and education partnerships, including work with Common Sense Media, educators, and national education deployments in countries such as Estonia, Greece, and Singapore.

Why does it matter?

Youth AI safety is becoming a central policy issue as children and teenagers increasingly use AI tools for learning, creativity, social interaction, and everyday digital tasks. OpenAI’s proposal adds to pressure for international coordination on age-appropriate design, privacy, parental controls, safety protocols, and independent accountability. The G7 context also shows that youth AI safety is moving from product policy into broader debates over digital governance and education policy.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

UK publishers gain control over Google AI search content

Online publishers in the UK will be able to prevent their content from appearing in Google’s AI-generated search features without losing visibility in traditional search results, following new requirements introduced by the Competition and Markets Authority.

The measures are part of the CMA’s conduct requirements for Google’s search services under the UK’s digital markets competition regime. They are intended to give news organisations and other publishers greater control over how their content is used in AI-powered search products such as AI Overviews and AI Mode.

Publishers have argued that AI-generated summaries can reduce website traffic by providing users with key information directly in search results, limiting the need to visit original articles. Until now, opting out of Google’s AI features could also affect visibility in standard search results, creating a difficult choice for organisations that rely on search traffic to reach readers and generate revenue.

Under the new requirements, Google must give UK website owners more control over how their content and links appear in AI search features. Google will test new tools with selected UK sites before wider rollout, allowing publishers to opt out of AI-generated search features while remaining visible in traditional search results.

Google will also be required to provide clearer attribution and links to the publisher when publisher content appears in AI-generated results. The CMA said the measures are designed to improve transparency, support fairer dealing between publishers and Google, and help users understand where information in AI search results comes from.

The regulator described the measure as a world-first for Google’s search services. Further announcements concerning Google’s search business are expected from the CMA in the coming weeks.

Why does it matter?

The decision addresses one of the central tensions created by AI search: search engines can summarise publishers’ content while reducing users’ incentive to click through to the sources. By separating AI search opt-outs from traditional search visibility, the CMA aims to give publishers greater, more meaningful control without forcing them to sacrifice reach. The case could shape how other regulators approach attribution, content use, traffic diversion, and bargaining power between AI platforms and publishers.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our chatbot!

UK CMA targets AI search content use in new Google conduct requirements

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has imposed a new conduct requirement on Google Search under the country’s digital markets competition regime. The measure is designed to give publishers greater control over how their content is used and to improve transparency for users.

Under the new requirement, publishers will be able to prevent their content from being used in Google’s AI-powered search features, including AI Overviews. The CMA said the measure is intended to strengthen publishers’ ability to negotiate content licensing and usage agreements with Google.

Google will also be required to provide clearer attribution for publisher content used in AI-generated search results through prominently visible links. Following consultation feedback, publishers will also be able to opt out of having their content used to fine-tune Google’s AI models.

The CMA said it will continue monitoring Google’s AI-related changes to search and may introduce additional measures if competition concerns persist. Google will have up to nine months to implement the requirements and must publish regular compliance reports as the rollout progresses in the UK.

Why does it matter?

The decision highlights growing regulatory scrutiny of how AI-powered search systems use third-party content. As search engines increasingly generate answers directly within search results, publishers have raised concerns about attribution, traffic losses and the use of their content for AI training.

The UK’s approach could influence broader debates about the relationship between AI platforms, publishers and competition policy, particularly as regulators seek to balance innovation with transparency and fair commercial practices.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

UK strengthens Online Safety Act protections against intimate image abuse

The UK Government has announced an amendment to Ofcom’s Illegal Content Codes of Practice under the Online Safety Act, introducing new measures to tackle non-consensual intimate images. The update was outlined in by the Minister for AI and Online Safety, Kanishka Narayan.

The amendment requires relevant online services to use perceptual hash-matching technologies, or equivalent tools, to identify and prevent the re-upload of known non-consensual intimate images, including AI-generated intimate image deepfakes.

According to the government, the change strengthens the framework established by Ofcom’s Illegal Content Codes of Practice, which entered into force in 2025. The updated approach aims to ensure that once abusive content has been identified and removed, systems are in place to prevent it from being repeatedly shared.

The amendment has been laid before Parliament for scrutiny and will take effect if neither House objects. The government said the measure is intended to strengthen protections for victims, particularly women and girls, and forms part of the ongoing implementation of the Online Safety Act in the UK.

Why does it matter?

Governments and regulators are increasingly treating AI-generated intimate imagery as a form of image-based abuse alongside authentic non-consensual intimate content. As generative AI tools make it easier to create and distribute realistic deepfakes, policymakers are looking for mechanisms to prevent harmful content from repeatedly reappearing online.

The UK’s proposal reflects a broader trend towards requiring platforms to deploy technical measures that can identify and block known abusive content while strengthening protections for victims of online harms.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

IWF and CaseScan partner to strengthen the detection of child abuse material

The Internet Watch Foundation has announced a new partnership with CaseScan aimed at improving the detection and identification of child sexual abuse material online.

CaseScan, a specialist technology company supporting child protection investigations and digital safety work, has joined the IWF as a member. The company develops tools that help specialist teams identify, classify, and prioritise illegal material more efficiently, reducing manual workloads and supporting faster responses when criminal content is found.

Through its membership, CaseScan will be able to draw on IWF intelligence and services to strengthen how it helps approved clients detect child sexual abuse material. The IWF said the collaboration will support faster identification of criminal content.

The partnership comes amid a rapidly evolving online threat landscape. According to the IWF’s 2025 Annual Data & Insights Report, new technologies, systemic vulnerabilities, and the continued distribution of child sexual abuse material are increasing the challenges faced by investigators and online safety organisations.

CaseScan said the collaboration will strengthen its ability to support professionals working on the front line of child protection investigations. The IWF said industry partnerships are essential to disrupting the criminal distribution of abusive images and videos and preventing the repeated victimisation of children online.

Why does it matter?

The partnership shows how child safety organisations and specialist technology providers are working to improve the speed and accuracy of CSAM detection. As the volume and complexity of illegal material online grow, trusted intelligence and specialist detection tools can help investigators and approved organisations prioritise cases, reduce manual review burdens, and respond more quickly to harmful content.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

UK proposes hash-matching rules to combat intimate image abuse in search results

The UK government has published draft amendments to the Illegal Content Codes of Practice for search services under the Online Safety Act, proposing new measures to help detect intimate image abuse content. The amendments, published on 1 June, would add a recommended measure for large general search services to use hash-matching technology to detect intimate-image abuse content.

According to the draft, Ofcom prepared the amendments under section 41 of the Online Safety Act and submitted them to the Secretary of State on 15 May. The document was presented to Parliament under section 43 of the Act and is due to lie before both Houses for 40 days.

The proposed measure, designated ICS C8, would apply to providers of large general search services. The measure recommends the use of perceptual hash matching to identify known intimate image abuse content, or cryptographic hash matching where perceptual matching is not supported by the provider’s hash database.

Under the proposal, content matching an unverified hash for the first time would be treated as potentially illegal and subjected to review under Ofcom’s search moderation procedures. Other matches may be treated as illegal content or reviewed as suspected video and image abuse, depending on the provider’s assurance in the detection outcomes.

The amendments also set expectations for human moderator review, regular updates to hash databases, removal of hashes found not to relate to intimate image abuse content, and reviews of precision and recall at least every six months. Ofcom said the proposed measure includes safeguards intended to protect freedom of expression and privacy rights while supporting the detection of illegal content.

Why does it matter?

The proposal reflects growing efforts by regulators to address the spread of non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated content, through proactive detection and moderation measures.

By encouraging the use of hash-matching technologies, UK authorities aim to reduce the repeated circulation of known abusive material while maintaining safeguards for privacy and freedom of expression.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

EU welcomes G7 adoption of online child protection principles

The European Commission has welcomed a new agreement by G7 digital and technology ministers on a shared set of principles aimed at improving online safety for children and teenagers. The principles reflect approaches already present in several EU initiatives, including measures focused on online safety, digital literacy and the protection of minors.

The principles build on existing EU measures, including the Digital Services Act, the Better Internet for Kids Strategy and the AI Act. They focus on improving online safety while safeguarding privacy, fundamental rights and access to digital opportunities.

The framework promotes safety-by-design measures, privacy-conscious age assurance tools, stronger protections against harmful and illegal content, parental controls, and digital literacy initiatives. It also promotes greater cooperation between technology companies, researchers, governments and civil society organisations.

Why does it matter?

Governments are increasingly examining how digital platforms, recommendation systems and generative AI tools affect children’s wellbeing, privacy and online experiences. Concerns about harmful content, exploitation and age-inappropriate services have prompted policymakers worldwide to explore new approaches to online child protection.

The G7 agreement signals growing international convergence around child safety principles, while emphasising the need to balance protection measures with privacy, fundamental rights and access to digital opportunities.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!