Dating app Hinge is implementing a new feature called ‘Hidden Words’ to address the issue of online harassment. This feature allows users to filter out likes from profiles whose comments contain specific words or phrases that they find offensive or inappropriate. Users can create a list of up to 1,000 hidden words, ensuring that profiles containing those words do not appear in their regular like list but in a separate ‘Hidden Likes’ section.
On February 7, 2021, 16-year-old Sammy Chapman was killed in his Santa Monica home after purchasing drugs on social media. Now, his parents are fighting to pass Sammy’s Law, which would require social media platforms to allow integration with third-party monitoring software. The bill has passed the Senate Judiciary Committee and is one step closer to becoming law.
Following the tragic death of their 16-year-old son Sammy, who purchased a fentanyl-laced pill on Snapchat, Sam Chapman and Laura Berman are advocating for Sammy’s Law. This legislation (SB 1444) aims to require major social media platforms to allow integration with third-party monitoring software, empowering parents to detect potential dangers such as drug sales, firearm sales, bullying, or suicidal thoughts on their children’s accounts. While the bill faces opposition from technology industry groups and civil liberty organizations citing concerns about user privacy and data misuse, it has incorporated safeguards and amendments to address these issues. If passed, Sammy’s Law would potentially have a significant impact by protecting children from social media-related risks and driving changes in social media companies’ practices at a national level through the ‘California Effect.’
In response to ongoing concerns regarding the negative impact of social media on young individuals, Australia’s Coalition party has advocated for age verification measures and the implementation of restrictions barring underage children from accessing digital platforms.
The Coalition’s stance aligns with the concerns raised by ASIO chief Mike Burgess and federal police chief Reece Kershaw, who have highlighted the vulnerability of children to extremist propaganda online. They have urged platforms like X and Facebook to assume greater responsibility in protecting youth from harmful content.
The debate has escalated following the refusal of social media platform X’s owner, Elon Musk, to comply with an Australian take-down order regarding footage of the Sydney church stabbing. Musk’s stance has drawn criticism from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has called him “out of touch with the values of Australian families.”
TikTok, the popular social media app, offers a range of parental controls to help parents safeguard their young children’s online experience. These controls include setting screen time limits, filtering content, and managing privacy settings. This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to activate TikTok parental controls and outlines the different privacy measures available based on the user’s age. Additionally, it explores alternative ways to manage children’s TikTok usage and offers tips to ensure a safe and enjoyable online environment.
As the 2024 elections approach, social media giants pledge to combat misinformation, but WhatsApp, with its vast reach, remains largely absent from these efforts. Mozilla researchers express concerns over the platform’s vulnerability to election manipulation and call on Meta to implement stronger safeguards.
