All articles tagged with #teen safety
OpenAI claims teen usage of ChatGPT is limited and focused on learning, but Common Sense Media argues the platform poses an 'unacceptable risk' because parental safety alerts for self-harm and suicide frequently fail to trigger.
A new report by Common Sense Media found that OpenAI’s ChatGPT for Teens fails to reliably alert parents when users discuss suicide or self-harm. The organization tested over 4,000 prompts and found that parental notifications often did not trigger, even during explicit crisis conversations. OpenAI disputed the findings, citing methodology issues, while Common Sense Media called for restricting access to adults until safeguards are improved.
A man was arrested on Wednesday evening in Mountlake Terrace, Washington, following a series of sexually motivated assaults involving women and girls. Since May, police received at least 12 reports of a suspect approaching victims, initially asking for directions or hugs, before escalating to unwanted touching. The suspect, described as a bald white or Hispanic male in his 30s or 40s, is currently held in the Snohomish County Jail. Detectives are reviewing cases to determine if additional incidents are connected, while the police department stated the immediate threat to the community has been mitigated.
Meta agreed to a $17 billion settlement with California and other states, ending a brief trial that exposed internal evidence of harm to young users. The deal mandates sweeping changes, including a two-hour daily usage limit for teens, stricter age verification, and alerts for predatory behavior. A portion of the payout is conditional on competitors like TikTok and YouTube adopting similar measures, signaling a shift toward industry-wide regulation.
Meta has agreed to a $16.7 billion settlement with 51 state attorneys general to resolve a federal case alleging its platforms harmed youth mental health. The deal requires the company to implement daily usage caps, nighttime blocks, and enhanced age verification for users under 18. While California AG Rob Bonta called it a 'floor' for industry standards, critics argue the payout is insufficient given Meta’s market cap, and separate lawsuits from school districts and individuals remain pending.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri testified that he was unaware of internal efforts to limit his access to negative teen safety data, calling it 'news to me.' This testimony occurred alongside the announcement of an $18 billion settlement between Meta and 29 states, which mandates strict time limits and safety defaults for minors. While Meta denies wrongdoing, whistleblower Arturo Béjar argues the settlement fails to address the core algorithmic harms that make platforms addictive.
Meta has agreed to pay approximately $18 billion to settle a multi-state lawsuit alleging that its platforms were intentionally designed to addict young users. The deal, which resolves claims from 47 states, D.C., and three territories, includes mandatory changes to Facebook and Instagram, such as two-hour daily time limits for teens, nighttime access blocks, and stricter age verification. While Meta denies wrongdoing, the settlement marks a significant shift in industry standards for youth online safety.
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri testified in a federal trial in Oakland, California, admitting that few teenagers used the 'Take a Break' safety feature before it was made default. He acknowledged adoption rates were in the low single digits but argued the company did not hide this data, stating, 'We don't publish every single stat.' The 29-state lawsuit alleges Meta designed addictive platforms that harmed youth mental health and improperly collected data from children under 13. The states seek approximately $200 billion in damages, while Meta denies the claims, asserting its safety teams are industry-leading. Former employees have testified that safety features were difficult to find and that leadership prioritized engagement over child safety. The trial, which could last six weeks, is a landmark test of social media's impact on young users.
OpenAI launched ChatGPT for Teens on August 18, 2026, introducing age-appropriate safeguards for users aged 13 to 17. The update includes content restrictions on sensitive topics, study-focused homework support, and parental controls like 'Quiet Hours' and 'Study Hours.' This move addresses growing concerns over AI's impact on youth mental health and learning, following lawsuits and public scrutiny over ChatGPT's safety for minors.
EU regulators preliminarily found Meta’s autoplay, infinite scroll, and highly personalized content addictive and not adequately assessed for risks to users, especially minors, under the Digital Services Act; they urged Meta to disable these features by default, introduce screen-time breaks, and adjust its recommender system, with fines up to 6% of global turnover if it fails to comply; Meta disputes the findings but says it has teen protections and will defend its approach as the investigation continues.
Four states leading a coalition of 33 allege Meta monetized teen use on Instagram and Facebook and misled consumers about addictive features, seeking about $1.4 trillion in damages; Meta calls the figure unsubstantiated and the case moves to court in August amid broader youth-targeting litigation, including a prior $6 million verdict against Meta and Google.
Australia will double the maximum penalty for violating its social media minimum-age law from AUD 49.5 million to AUD 99 million and expand the eSafety Commissioner’s powers to compel platforms and third parties (including age-verification and app-store providers) to show how they keep users under 16 off their services, six months after the Online Safety Amendment Act took effect. More than five million accounts have been removed or restricted, and the eSafety Commissioner is investigating five platforms—Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube—to close enforcement gaps.
Techdirt argues that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plan to ban under-16s from social platforms mirrors Australia’s approach but amounts to political theater rather than a proven child-safety policy. The piece says forced device controls to block nude images, potential penalties for executives, and stricter age-verification may push teens toward less safe spaces, while the evidence shows teen harm from social media is relatively small. It criticizes rushing the Online Safety Act and questions whether Bluesky fits the ban, framing the move as headline-grabbing regulation rather than data-driven policy.
Meta unveiled new safety features to curb teen exposure to harmful content on Instagram, Facebook and Messenger, limiting how often posts about topics like nutrition, weight lifting and anxiety appear; the move follows legal losses in two child-safety cases and expands a broader teen-safety initiative.
Meta’s Instagram will begin proactively notifying parents when teens using Instagram’s Teen Accounts search for suicide or self-harm terms, starting next week in the UK, US, Australia and Canada with other regions to follow; alerts may come via email, text, WhatsApp or in-app and will include resources to guide difficult conversations. It’s the first time Meta has issued proactive parent alerts for teen searches rather than simply blocking content, drawing mixed reactions: supporters say it aids protection, while critics warn it could alarm families or gloss over underlying platform risks. Meta says alerts accompany expert resources and notes it already hides self-harm content and will extend similar alerts to AI chatbot interactions in coming months amid wider scrutiny of youth safety online.