Digital identities Archives | Page 2 of 183

Meta accused of using influencers to defend Instagram child safety measures

The Tech Transparency Project has accused Meta of using influencers, parenting creators and healthcare professionals to promote Instagram child safety tools while the company faces scrutiny over the platform’s impact on minors.

According to the investigation, Meta hosted branded Screen Smart events across the United States, during which influencers and clinicians were introduced to Instagram Teen Accounts and parental supervision tools. TTP said many attendees later shared supportive content across Instagram, TikTok and other platforms, often using paid partnership labels or Meta-related sponsorship hashtags.

The group claims the campaign formed part of Meta’s effort to improve its public image on child safety amid lawsuits, whistle-blower disclosures and criticism over youth mental health harms. TTP said Meta relied on creators with large parent audiences and, in some cases, medical credentials to amplify messages about online safety protections.

Also, the investigation identified doctors and psychologists who promoted Instagram Teen Accounts while having financial relationships with Meta. TTP argued that these endorsements contrast with reports and advocacy concerns that Teen Accounts may not fully protect young users from harmful material, including content related to sex, drugs and violence.

TTP also linked some Meta-affiliated influencers to advocacy for app-store age verification laws, which would require Apple and Google to handle user age checks and parental approval for app downloads by minors. Critics argue such measures could shift responsibility for age assurance away from social media platforms themselves.

Meta did not respond to TTP’s questions, according to the investigation. In a statement cited by TTP from CNN coverage, Meta said it works with parents and creators to spread awareness of safety controls and encourage families to use them.

Why does it matter?

The investigation raises questions about transparency in platform safety campaigns, particularly when sponsored creators and professionals are used to promote tools aimed at parents. As regulators and courts scrutinise child safety on social media, public trust may depend not only on whether platforms introduce safeguards, but also on how clearly they disclose paid partnerships, conflicts of interest and the limits of those protections.

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

eSafety Commissioner and Sport Integrity Australia focus on online harms in sport

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner and Sport Integrity Australia have launched a joint initiative focused on online safety in sport.

The Online Safety in Sport Summit brought together representatives from sporting organisations, government agencies, researchers, law enforcement, and technology companies. The discussions focused on cyberbullying, online harassment, and harmful digital behaviour affecting athletes and sporting communities.

During the summit, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said harmful behaviour linked to sport increasingly occurs across social media, messaging applications, and online communities.

Research presented during the summit, titled ‘The Digital Sideline’, found that nearly one in five children participating in organised sport reported experiencing cyberbullying related to sporting activities.

Officials in Australia said that many reported online harms involved peers, including teammates and competitors, and occurred through private messages and group chats.

Participants highlighted the importance of prevention measures, early intervention, and cooperation between sporting organisations, regulators, and technology companies.

Why does it matter?

Online abuse within sport is becoming an increasingly significant policy and governance issue as digital platforms reshape athlete visibility, fan interaction, and youth participation. Cyberbullying, online harassment, and hate speech can affect mental health, athlete safety, participation rates, and broader social cohesion.

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

Spotify verification badges target AI slop and voice impersonation

Spotify has introduced new verification badges for podcast shows and reinforced its impersonation policies as AI tools make it easier to clone voices, imitate creators and produce misleading audio content.

The new Verified by Spotify badge will appear on selected podcast show pages and in search results. According to Spotify, the badge identifies a show as the official presence of a creator, publisher or brand, helping listeners understand who they are hearing and giving creators a clearer way to establish authenticity on the platform.

Also, Spotify said the badge will begin appearing on select shows and expand over the coming months. Eligibility will depend on factors including sustained listener activity, good standing under Spotify’s platform policies and verified audience authenticity, including safeguards against fraudulent or bot-driven listenership.

Spotify is introducing podcast verification badges and stronger impersonation rules as AI slop expands into audio, voice cloning and creator identity. — Image via Magnific

The company also reaffirmed that its policies prohibit unauthorised impersonation, including through AI voice cloning. Spotify said it will remove podcast shows and content that impersonate another creator or host’s likeness without permission, whether through AI-generated voices or other methods.

However, the move shows how concerns over AI slop are expanding from low-quality visual and written content into audio and identity. In podcasting, the issue is not only whether synthetic content is poor quality, but whether listeners can tell when a voice, host or show is authentic.

Spotify framed the update as part of a broader effort to protect creators and give listeners clearer signals about who they are hearing. The company said podcasting depends on trust between creators and audiences, and that authenticity is becoming more complex as AI lowers the barrier to producing and distributing audio content.

Why does it matter?

AI slop is moving beyond visual clutter and into identity. In podcasting, synthetic voices and impersonation can directly affect the creator’s reputation, listener trust and the credibility of audio platforms. Spotify’s verification badges and impersonation rules show how platforms are beginning to respond not only with content moderation, but with identity signals, authenticity checks and stronger creator protections.

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

World Economic Forum highlights growing role of AI in public administration

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has highlighted the growing role of AI in public administration and digital government systems.

According to Ahmed Tamim Hisham Al Kuttab of the Abu Dhabi Department of Government Enablement, future public services may become more automated and integrated across agencies.

The piece points to examples such as Abu Dhabi’s TAMM platform, which integrates more than 1,150 government services into a unified digital system. Officials said the TAMM platform uses AI-enabled systems to support service delivery and reduce administrative processes for users.

The WEF discussed how AI systems could support coordination of public services across government agencies following major life events, such as births, healthcare changes, or residency updates, reducing the need for citizens to navigate complex bureaucratic structures themselves.

The report also emphasised the importance of trust, accountability, transparency, and institutional oversight in government AI deployment. Instead, policymakers are urged to prioritise trust, accountability, transparency, and institutional legitimacy when deploying AI systems in public administration.

WEF’s report also highlights growing interest in agentic AI systems capable of coordinating workflows and executing administrative tasks autonomously. According to the report, decisions involving areas such as healthcare and legal outcomes should continue to involve human oversight and accountability.

The discussion forms part of broader international interest in AI-enabled public services and digital government infrastructure.

Why does it matter?

AI-driven public administration could fundamentally reshape state capacity, public trust, and citizen interaction with government systems, as WEF argues. Automated coordination across agencies may improve efficiency, reduce bureaucracy, and lower administrative costs. However, AI-native governance models also introduce major governance challenges involving privacy, explainability, cybersecurity, algorithmic bias, and democratic accountability. The debate reflects a wider global shift towards AI-powered digital states and intelligent public infrastructure.

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

Ofcom investigates adult platforms under Online Safety Act age-check rules

Ofcom has opened investigations into the providers of pimpbunny.com and kemono.cr to assess their compliance with age-check rules under the UK’s Online Safety Act.

The regulator said pornography services must use ‘highly effective’ age checks to determine whether users are over 18 before allowing access to pornographic material. The investigations will examine whether there are reasonable grounds to believe the providers have failed, or are failing, to comply with those duties.

Ofcom said it prioritised action against the providers based on the risk of harm posed by their services. The regulator took account of user numbers, including significant increases in traffic since age-check laws came into force last summer.

Separately, Ofcom has issued a provisional decision concerning fapello.com, saying it has reasonable grounds to believe the provider is in breach of its duties under the Online Safety Act. Fapello can make representations before Ofcom reaches a final decision.

Ofcom also expanded its ongoing investigation into XGroovy to examine whether it failed to respond adequately to formal information requests from the regulator. The developments form part of wider UK enforcement efforts around online child safety, age assurance and platform accountability under the Online Safety Act.

Why does it matter?

The investigations show that Ofcom is moving from guidance to enforcement under the UK’s Online Safety Act, particularly for services hosting pornographic material. Age assurance has become a central test of the UK’s child online safety regime, with regulators assessing not only whether platforms have age checks in place, but whether those checks are effective enough to prevent children from readily accessing explicit content.

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

Ireland and the EU intensify DSA pressure on Meta

Coimisiún na Meán, the media regulator of Ireland, has launched two formal investigations into Meta over the design of recommender systems on Facebook and Instagram under the Digital Services Act. The investigations focus on whether users are prevented from choosing recommendation feeds that are not based on the profiling of their personal data.

Coimisiún na Meán said concerns emerged following platform supervision reviews and complaints linked to potential ‘dark patterns’ and deceptive interface designs. Regulators are examining whether users can easily access and modify non-profiled recommendation feeds as required under Article 27 of the DSA, alongside whether interface designs may improperly influence user choices under Article 25.

John Evans, Digital Services Commissioner at Coimisiún na Meán, said recommender systems can repeatedly push harmful material into user feeds, particularly affecting children and younger users. The regulator also warned that Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) must ensure users can exercise their rights under the DSA without manipulation or unnecessary barriers.

EU investigates Meta over under-13 access on Instagram and Facebook

At the same time, the European Commission has preliminarily found Meta in potential breach of the DSA over failures to adequately prevent children under 13 from accessing Instagram and Facebook. Regulators said Meta’s age verification and reporting systems may be ineffective, while the company’s risk assessments allegedly failed to properly address harms faced by underage users.

Why does it matter?

These investigations are critical because they could shape how the DSA is enforced across Europe, particularly in cases involving children and algorithmic recommendation systems. If regulators conclude that Meta failed to properly protect minors or used manipulative interface designs that discouraged users from choosing non-profiled feeds, the case may set a wider precedent for how large online platforms handle age assurance, user consent, privacy protections, and recommender system transparency under EU law.

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

New Meta age assurance system aims to prevent underage access

Meta has expanded its use of AI to strengthen age assurance and improve enforcement of underage account policies across its platforms. The systems are designed to detect users under 13 for removal and to place suspected teens into protected Teen Account settings on Instagram and Facebook in regions including the EU, Brazil, and the US.

The technology analyses a range of signals, including profile information, user activity, and other contextual indicators, to estimate age more accurately. Automated systems are also being used to support faster and more consistent review of reports related to underage use.

Visual analysis has also become part of Meta’s broader detection approach, with the company saying its systems look for general age-related indicators rather than attempting to identify specific individuals. Reporting tools have been simplified, and AI-assisted moderation is being used to improve the speed and reliability of enforcement decisions.

Alongside these enforcement measures, Meta is increasing parental engagement through notifications and guidance to encourage more accurate age reporting and safer online behaviour. The wider effort reflects growing pressure on platforms to move beyond self-declared age checks and to build stronger systems to protect younger users.

Why does it matter?

The significance of the move lies in the fact that age assurance is becoming a core platform governance issue rather than a secondary moderation tool. Meta is trying to show that large social platforms can use AI not only to recommend or personalise content, but also to enforce minimum age rules at scale. That matters because regulators are increasingly questioning whether self-declared age data is enough to protect minors online. It also points to a broader shift in which platforms are expected to combine safety obligations, automated detection, and parental tools into a more active system of child protection.

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

European Commission urges fast rollout of EU age verification app

The European Commission has adopted a recommendation urging member states to accelerate the rollout of the EU age verification app and make it available by the end of the year. The recommendation says the app can be deployed either as a standalone solution or integrated into a European Digital Identity Wallet.

According to the Commission, the app is intended to let users prove they meet a required age threshold without disclosing their exact age, identity, or other personal details. The Commission has also published a blueprint for the system, leaving it to member states to customise and produce the app for their citizens.

The recommendation sets out actions for member states to support rapid availability and interoperability, including implementation plans and coordination to ensure the swift rollout of the solution across the EU.

The measure forms part of the EU’s wider approach to protecting minors online under the Digital Services Act, which requires online platforms to ensure a high level of privacy, safety, and security for minors.

Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen said: ‘Effective and privacy-preserving age verification is the next piece of the puzzle that we are getting closer to completing, as we work towards an online space where our children are safe and empowered to use positively and responsibly without restricting the rights of adults.’

Why does it matter?

The move takes age verification in the EU from a general policy objective to a more concrete implementation phase. Rather than leaving platforms and member states to develop separate solutions, the Commission is trying to steer the bloc towards a common privacy-preserving model that can work across borders.

That matters for both child protection and regulatory coherence, because if countries adopt incompatible systems or move at very different speeds, enforcement under the Digital Services Act could become uneven in practice.

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

Digital identity ecosystems expand as verifiable credentials roll out across India and other regions

Digital identity ecosystems are expanding with Google Wallet, introducing new capabilities to simplify secure identity verification across multiple regions.

The latest update enables users in India to store Aadhaar-based verifiable credentials directly on their devices.

The integration allows individuals to confirm identity or age in everyday scenarios while maintaining strong privacy protections. Features such as selective disclosure ensure that only necessary information is shared, reinforcing a privacy-first approach to digital identity management.

At the same time, digital ID passes based on passport data are being rolled out in Singapore and Brazil. These credentials provide a streamlined way to authenticate identity across both online services and physical environments.

Why does it matter?

Such an expansion by Google reflects a broader push towards interoperable and secure digital identity systems. By aligning with global standards and embedding privacy into design, the initiative aims to support more seamless and trusted digital interactions worldwide.

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

EU pushes Android changes to open AI competition

The European Commission has outlined draft measures requiring Google to improve interoperability on Android as part of ongoing proceedings under the Digital Markets Act. Regulators are focusing on how third-party AI services can interact with hardware and software features controlled by the Android operating system.

The proposed measures are intended to give competing AI services access to key Android features already used by Google’s own AI services, including Gemini. In practice, that could allow rival services to support actions such as sending messages, sharing content, or completing tasks through user-preferred applications rather than being limited by Google’s default ecosystem.

The Commission’s approach could also make it easier for users to activate alternative AI assistants through customised interactions and device-level features, reducing dependence on default system tools. The broader aim is to give third-party providers a more equal opportunity to innovate and compete in the fast-moving market for AI services on mobile devices.

Feedback on the proposed measures is being gathered as part of the Commission’s specification proceedings under the DMA. The consultation forms part of a wider regulatory effort to enforce fair access to core platform features and strengthen digital competition across European markets, including in the AI sector.

Why does it matter?

The move targets one of the most important control points in the digital economy: the operating system layer. Opening Android features to competing AI services could reduce the structural advantage held by Google and shift power towards a more competitive, multi-provider mobile ecosystem. This is an inference based on the Commission’s stated objective of giving third-party AI services access equivalent to that available to Google’s own AI tools.

Greater interoperability under the Digital Markets Act could reshape how AI reaches users, turning smartphones into more open platforms rather than tightly controlled default environments. At the same time, the case also shows how strongly the EU is trying to apply competition law to the next phase of AI distribution, not only to search, app stores, and browsers.

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