How will the UK ban on social media for under 16s work?

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would impose a ban on social media sites for children under 16 and restrictions on gaming and livestreaming ​platforms to “give kids their childhood back”. The government said it would block children using social media Read More …

US intel officials scramble to keep surveillance law running amid Iran war tensions

With just days until a powerful surveillance law lapses, US national security officials are scrambling to prepare for potential blind spots in intelligence collection amid the US’ delicate ceasefire with Iran, current and former officials told CNN. Some communications carriers Read More …

Malaysia to introduce new cybercrime bill to replace outdated computer crimes act

The government is drafting a new Cybercrime Bill aimed at strengthening Malaysia’s legal framework against the growing threat of online fraud, digital manipulation and emerging cyber risks. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (Bagan Datuk-BN) said the bill, Read More …

Ireland proposes new law allowing police to use spyware

Ireland is considering new legislation to give its law enforcement agencies more surveillance powers, including allowing the use of spyware. The Irish government announced this week the introduction of the Communications (Interception and Lawful Access) Bill, which would regulate the Read More …

UK government exempting itself from flagship cyber law inspires little confidence

From May’s cyberattack on the Legal Aid Agency to the Foreign Office breach months later, cyber incidents have become increasingly common in UK government. The scale extends far beyond these high-profile cases: the NCSC reports that 40 percent of attacks Read More …

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 …

South Korea to mandate facial recognition for opening new mobile numbers

Korea will make it mandatory for people to undergo facial recognition when opening a new mobile phone number, as part of efforts to root out illegally registered handsets used for scams, the science ministry said Friday. Under the plan, Korea Read More …

The EU prepares ground for wider data retention – and VPN providers are among the targets

EU governments are pushing to widen data retention obligations for apps that citizens use every day – and the best VPN apps are among those targeted. A new internal document dated November 27 (first published by Netzpolitik) provides important insights 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 …