Up Next: Anorexia Algorithm

Unpacking the Public Health Turn in Internet Regulation

Measures designed to protect children from digital harms are ushering in a public health approach to internet regulation, writes Ramiro Álvarez Ugarte.

Debate: Social media in children and young people – time for a ban? Weighing up the implications and limitations of age-based social media restrictions

Recent legislation in Australia banning social media accounts for children under 16, alongside similar proposals worldwide, has ignited debate about whether age-based restrictions are an effective way to protect young people's mental health. While the intent of such bans is to reduce exposure to harmful content, their feasibility and effectiveness remain unclear. Enforcement requires robust age verification, often relying on sensitive data such as government-issued identification or facial scans, which raises privacy concerns and can be circumvented through the use of VPNs. Moreover, social media use is diverse. Although it can intensify harms such as bullying, it also provides vital opportunities for connection and support, particularly for marginalised adolescents. Removing access to accounts may limit risks within platforms, but does not prevent exposure to harmful content elsewhere, nor does it guarantee increased offline engagement. Importantly, blanket bans fail to address unsafe design features embedded within social media or to equip adolescents with the skills needed to navigate online environments. More targeted, evidence-based regulation that promotes safer platform design and accountability may provide a more effective pathway to protecting young people's well-being.

Men, algorithms and how YouTube shapes media consumption

This research project explores the topics and content YouTube’s algorithm recommends to young male users.

The Website Obesity Crisis

This is the text version of a talk I gave on October 29, 2015, at the Web Directions conference in Sydney. [53 minute video].

Banning under-16s won’t fix social media

The toxic ecosystem we have today can be better addressed with competition than regulation

U.S. Social Media Regulations for Minors

The digital lives of American children and teenagers have become a focal point of intense national debate and legislative action. ContentsThe Federal Foundation: The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)The State-Level Surge: A Patchwork of New RulesThe Next Generation of Federal Law: Congress Weighs InThe Constitutional Crossroads: Free Speech vs. State RegulationThe Great Debate: Voices […]

Australia’s Teen Social Media Ban Is Just Training A Generation In The Art Of The Workaround

We’ve been covering Australia’s under-16 social media ban since before it went into effect, first noting the confusion and obvious implementation problems as pretty much everyone realiz…

X-rated

X recommends explicit content to teens 30% of the time and enables strangers to send them explicit DMs. New CCDH UK testing found – read more.

The "Segregate-and-Suppress" Approach to Regulating Child Safety Online

<div> In an effort to protect children online, regulators around the country and the world are enacting laws that compel Internet publishers to age-authenticat

Do You Like These AI Images of Dying, Mutilated Children? Facebook Algorithm Wonders

Facebook's recommendation engine, which is core to the company's business model, is injecting grotesque images of AI-generated child gore into people's feeds.

Australia’s teen social media ban is a flop. But there’s no joy in ‘I told you so’ | Samantha Floreani

Around seven in 10 children remain on major platforms. Who could possibly have predicted that this wasn’t going to work? Well, lots of people

Advocacy groups urge YouTube to protect kids from 'AI slop' videos

Advocacy groups and experts have slammed YouTube for serving up low-quality artificial intelligence-generated videos to its most vulnerable audience: children.

Horrific AI-Generated Breastfeeding Images Bypass Facebook’s Moderation

A page called Mom Daily is using AI-generated images of mothers and babies to bypass Facebook’s rules on nudity, with some really terrifying results.

YouTube Just Ate TV. It’s Only Getting Started

In two decades, the app has grown from a user-generated circus into the most powerful platform on earth. CEO Neal Mohan on his $100 billion vision for YouTube’s future and the disruption it’s left in its wake.