Global News

Roblox

Roblox Kids and Select accounts: what changes in June

Roblox is splitting under-16 accounts into two age groups from June 2026. What the new defaults mean and three things to check before it happens.

Latest in Global News

Safety

16 apps rated for child safety: the 2026 scorecard

X scores highest risk. Character.AI linked to teen harm. YouTube has the best parental controls. The Wired Parents Platform Safety Scorecard, explained.
AI

AI is being built into your child’s toys — and not safely

Chatbot plushies and AI robot toys are on shelves now, marketed as educational. Congress wants to ban them.
Screen Time

England’s school smartphone ban is becoming law

England is making its school smartphone ban a legal requirement. What the law covers, which schools it applies to, and what it means for your family.
Character.AI

Teens are flagging Character.AI addiction themselves

A Drexel study found all six addiction markers in teenagers' own posts about Character.AI.
WhatsApp

WhatsApp safety settings for kids: 7 things to change

WhatsApp's safety settings aren't designed for kids. Seven changes that take fifteen minutes and fix the biggest risks before your child starts using it.

The EU’s age verification app is live — what changes

Safety
The EU has launched a working, privacy-preserving age verification app. Here's what changes on your child's apps and why "it can't be done" no longer holds.
Safety

UK rejects social media ban for under-16s — what comes next

MPs voted against banning under-16s from social media yesterday. But restrictions could still arrive by autumn.
Social Media

Social media bans for children by country | Live tracker 2026

Which countries are banning or restricting children's social media? Live tracker updated weekly, covering 40+ countries from Australia to the US.
Screen Time

The hidden apps your child may be using to keep secrets

Vault apps disguise themselves as calculators on your child's phone. Here's what they do, which ones are common, and how to check for them.
Screen Time

You’re having the screen time conversation. Not the privacy one.

90% of parents have discussed screen time this month. 21% have never talked to their child about online privacy. The ICO's new research shows why that matters.

Greece just banned under-15s from social media. Then it asked the whole of Europe to follow.

Greece announced a national ban, then wrote to the European Commission asking for a continent-wide age restriction. This is bigger than one country.
Social Media

Indonesia just banned under-16s from social media

Indonesia's ban on children under 16 using major social media platforms took effect on 28 March.
Screen Time

It’s not the scrolling that’s hurting children. It’s the sleep.

New research from Imperial College London found the link between social media and depression runs mainly through disrupted sleep — not screen time itself.

OpenAI funded a child safety coalition — without telling the members

A group recruiting child safety nonprofits to back AI regulation turned out to be founded and funded entirely by OpenAI.
Children & Social Media: Global Tracker
Updated 9 April 2026 · 24 countries
● Law in force
  • 🇦🇺 Australia
  • 🇧🇷 Brazil
  • 🇲🇾 Malaysia
  • 🇮🇩 Indonesia
● Powers granted
  • 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
● Bills in progress
  • 🇫🇷 France
  • 🇩🇰 Denmark
  • 🇳🇴 Norway
  • 🇵🇹 Portugal
  • 🇪🇸 Spain
  • 🇸🇮 Slovenia
  • 🇬🇷 Greece
  • 🇺🇸 US Federal
  • 🇺🇸 US States
  • 🇳🇿 New Zealand
● Proposed
  • 🇩🇪 Germany
  • 🇵🇱 Poland
  • 🇫🇮 Finland
  • 🇪🇺 EU
  • 🇨🇳 China
  • 🇲🇽 Mexico
  • 🇦🇹 Austria
  • 🇮🇹 Italy
  • 🇮🇳 India
See full tracker →

AI & Safety

Roblox

Roblox Kids and Select accounts: what changes in June

0
Roblox is splitting under-16 accounts into two age groups from June 2026. What the new defaults mean and three things to check before it happens.
Safety

16 apps rated for child safety: the 2026 scorecard

0
X scores highest risk. Character.AI linked to teen harm. YouTube has the best parental controls. The Wired Parents Platform Safety Scorecard, explained.
AI

AI is being built into your child’s toys — and not safely

0
Chatbot plushies and AI robot toys are on shelves now, marketed as educational. Congress wants to ban them.
Screen Time

England’s school smartphone ban is becoming law

0
England is making its school smartphone ban a legal requirement. What the law covers, which schools it applies to, and what it means for your family.
Character.AI

Teens are flagging Character.AI addiction themselves

0
A Drexel study found all six addiction markers in teenagers' own posts about Character.AI.
WhatsApp

WhatsApp safety settings for kids: 7 things to change

0
WhatsApp's safety settings aren't designed for kids. Seven changes that take fifteen minutes and fix the biggest risks before your child starts using it.
Safety

The EU’s age verification app is live — what changes

0
The EU has launched a working, privacy-preserving age verification app. Here's what changes on your child's apps and why "it can't be done" no longer holds.
Social Media

TikTok vs Instagram vs Snapchat: what Pew’s new study actually tells parents

0
37% of teen TikTok users say it hurts their sleep. Pew's 2026 study breaks down what each platform actually does in a teenager's life.