In 2025, age checks started locking people out of the internet

If 2024 was the year lawmakers talked about online age verification, 2025 was the year they actually flipped the switch.​ In 2025, across parts of Europe and the US, age checks for certain websites (especially pornography) turned long‑running child‑protection debates Read More …

Australia: Age verification errors see some under-16s retain access to banned social media platforms

It’s day one of the social media ban and, unsurprisingly, it hasn’t been a smooth launch. Many children have already been able to get around the ban in various ways, with age assurance systems misclassifying users and workarounds such as Read More …

X gets $140 million EU fine for breaching content rules but TikTok settles

Elon Musk’s social media company X was fined 120 million euros ($140 million) by EU tech regulators on Friday for breaching online content rules, the first sanction under landmark legislation that once again drew criticism from the U.S. government. While Read More …

Surveillance tech provider Protei was hacked, its data stolen, and its website defaced

A Russian telecom company that develops technology to allow phone and internet companies to conduct web surveillance and censorship was hacked, had its website defaced, and had data stolen from its servers, TechCrunch has learned. Founded in Russia, Protei makes Read More …

Irish regulator launches investigation into X over handling of reports from users

Ireland’s media regulator has commenced a formal investigation into X over concerns about how it handles reported content. Coimisiún na Meán suspects the platform, formerly known as Twitter, may not be in compliance with its obligations under Article 20 of Read More …

Nepal: Protesters defy curfew, set fire to leaders’ homes

Nepali Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned Tuesday, Reuters reported, after days of mass protests over a social media ban and official corruption in the Himalayan nation culminated in the torching of top leaders’ homes as well as the Parliament Read More …

The growing debate over expanding age verification laws

Technologists and policymakers are reckoning with a generation-defining problem on the internet: while it can be a revolutionary force for unprecedented education and connection across the globe, it can also pose dangers to children when they have completely unfettered access. Read More …

Russia restricts Telegram, WhatsApp calls, citing law breaches

Russia has started restricting some Telegram and WhatsApp calls, accusing the foreign-owned platforms of failing to share information with law enforcement in fraud and terrorism cases, the digital development ministry said on Wednesday. The blocking measures, which extend only to Read More …

Digital Compliance Alert: UK Online Safety Act and EU Digital Services Act Cross-Border Impact Analysis

As of July 25, 2025, all sites and apps that allow pornography will need to have strong age checks in place, to make sure children can’t access that or other harmful content. This represents the most significant change to how Read More …