Ban – LSD News

Bernie Sanders and AOC launch bill to ban new data-center construction | Fortune

LSD News Szerkesztőség — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 20:54:04 +0000

Two high-profile progressive lawmakers are introducing a bill Wednesday that would pause new data centers in the United States until national safeguards are in place to protect workers and consumers and ensure the technologies don’t harm the environment.

The legislation by Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders is unlikely to advance in either the House or Senate, but it shows the deep concerns many progressives share about the growing impact of data centers and artificial intelligence.

Communities across the country have seen a backlash against data centers over fears about rising electricity prices and concerns about pollution and water consumption. Opposition to rising power prices was also a key factor in Democratic wins last year in elections in states including Georgia, Virginia and New Jersey.

Although advances in artificial intelligence are seen by President Donald Trump and other leaders as critical to the nation’s economic and national security, their growing energy needs are threatening to overwhelm the power grid. Trump has sought to deflect public concerns about AI, inviting major technology companies to the White House earlier this month to commit to developing their own power generation.

“They need some PR help because people think that if a data center goes in there, electricity prices are going to go up,” Trump said.

Voters need more than voluntary assurances from tech companies, Sanders said Wednesday.

“AI and robotics are creating the most sweeping technological revolution in the history of humanity. The scale, scope and speed of that change is unprecedented. Congress is way behind where it should be in understanding the nature of this revolution and its impacts,” he said in a statement ahead of the bill’s formal introduction.

“Bottom line: We cannot sit back and allow a handful of billionaire Big Tech oligarchs to make decisions that will reshape our economy, our democracy and the future of humanity,” Sanders said. “We need serious public debate and democratic oversight over this enormously consequential issue. The time for action is now. We need a federal moratorium on AI data centers.”

Most lawmakers of both parties have rejected the idea of a moratorium.

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania said he agreed with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s warning that a moratorium on data centers amounts to waving a “surrender flag” to China. “I refuse to help hand the lead in AI to China,” Fetterman wrote on X.

The White House said last week that Congress should “preempt state AI laws” that it views as too burdensome, laying out a broad framework for how it wants Congress to address concerns about AI without curbing growth or innovation in the sector.

The legislative blueprint outlines a half-dozen guiding principles for lawmakers, focusing on protecting children, preventing electricity costs from surging, respecting intellectual property rights, preventing censorship and educating Americans on using the technology.

U.S. electricity consumption hit a record high in 2024 and is expected to keep rising as data centers continue to expand at a rapid pace. A typical AI-focused data center consumes as much electricity as 100,000 households.

Companies that committed to Trump’s pledge to protect ratepayers include Google, Microsoft, Meta, Oracle, xAI, OpenAI and Amazon. The companies agreed to build or buy new sources of power generation for their data centers and cover the expense of infrastructure upgrades.

Social media giants urged to tighten child safety after UK rejects blanket ban for teens

LSD News Szerkesztőség — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 11:34:55 +0000

Photo: Jaromir Chalabala / Getty

U.K. regulators are calling on social media giants to enforce stricter protection for children on their platforms after a blanket ban for under-16s was rejected by lawmakers.

Online safety organizations Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office said they had written to YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat on Thursday, urging them to tackle a broad range of child safety issues, from implementing stringent age verification measures to tackling child grooming on their platforms.

It comes after U.K. lawmakers voted against a proposal to include a social media ban for under-16s in the a piece of child welfare legislation being debated earlier this month.

The U.K. government has launched a consultation on children’s social media use to gather views of parents and young people on whether a social media ban would be effective.

Governments across Europe are weighing stricter regulations to limit teens’ use of social media after Australia became the first country to enforce a sweeping ban for under-16s in December. Spain, France, and Denmark are among the countries weighing similar measures.

Meta urges Australia to rethink under-16 social media ban after blocking over 500,000 accounts

Better age verification technologies

Ofcom said it had written to social media platforms calling on them to report on what they’re doing to keep children off their platforms, with a deadline of April 30 for them to respond.

Its demands included better enforcement of minimum age requirements, preventing strangers from being able to contact children, safer content for teens, and an end to product testing, such as AI, on children.

Tech giants are “failing to put children’s safety at the heart of their products,” and are falling short on promises to keep children safe online,” said Ofcom CEO Melanie Dawes.

“Without the right protections, like effective age checks, children have been routinely exposed to risks they didn’t choose, on services they can’t realistically avoid,” Dawes said.

The ICO published an open letter on Thursday, saying that social media platforms need to use facial age estimation, digital ID, or one-time photo matching to get better at age verification.

Many platforms rely on “self-declaration” as the main way to check a user’s age, but this is “easily circumvented” and ineffective, according to the regulator.

“This puts under-13s at risk by allowing their information to be collected and used unlawfully, without the protections they are entitled to,” ICO’s CEO Paul Arnold said in the letter.

“With ever-growing public concern, the status quo is not working, and industry must do more to protect children. You should act now to identify and implement current viable technologies to prevent children under your minimum age from accessing your service,” Arnold added.

Meta complied with Australia’s social media ban, blocking over 500,000 accounts believed to belong to under-16s from Instagram, Facebook, and Threads in the initial days. But it called on the Australian government to reconsider, saying a blanket ban would drive teens to circumvent the law and access social media sites without the necessary safeguards.

Instagram said it would alert parents when their teens repeatedly search for terms like suicide and self-harm over a short period of time.

A landmark trial brought against Meta and Alphabet kicked off in January, focusing on a young woman and her mother who allege that Instagram and YouTube have design features that contribute to addiction.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri have already testified, with an outcome expected in mid-March. The case could set a precedent on what responsibility social media companies have over their youngest users.

The European Commission opened an investigation in January into Elon Musk’s X over the spreading of sexually explicit material of children by its AI chatbot Grok. Additionally, the ICO issued a £14 million fine ($18 million) against Reddit for unlawfully processing children’s personal data in February.

What tech firms say

In a statement, a Meta spokesperson told CNBC that it already implements certain measures that the regulators outlined, including using “AI to detect users’ age based on their activity, and facial age estimation technology.”

It also has a separate teen account with built-in protections, the spokesperson said. “With teens using on average 40 apps per week, we believe the most effective way to complement our own age assurance approach is to verify age centrally at the app store level,” they added.

TikTok says its rolled out enhanced technologies across Europe since January to detect and remove accounts that belong to anyone under its minimum age requirement of 13, with the help of specialist moderators.

It also utilizes facial age estimation, credit card authorization, or government-approved identification to confirm users’ ages, the company said.

Snapchat is investing and working on its safety efforts, a spokesperson from the company told CNBC in emailed comments.

“We strongly support app store-level age verification – a consistent, industry-wide solution applied at the point of download, rather than patchwork checks by individual platforms,” they added.

YouTube did not immediately respond to requests for comment from CNBC.

Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.

Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Falls By 11% In Largest Drop Since China’s Ban – Details | Bitcoinist.com

LSD News Szerkesztőség — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 03:55:33 +0000

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

Recent data shows that the Bitcoin mining difficulty has experienced a major decline in the last day. This development follows significant bearish price struggles in the past week, which saw Bitcoin fall by an aggregate 11%.

Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Records Historic Fall Since China’s Crackdown

The mining difficulty, as the name implies, measures how hard it is for miners to solve the mathematical problem required to add a new block to the Bitcoin blockchain. Therefore, a rise in difficulty suggests that mining is challenging for the average network node and vice versa.

Generally, the Bitcoin network adjusts this metric every 2,016 blocks (approximately two weeks). According to the developer mononaut, Bitcoin recorded an 11.6% drop in mining difficulty over the past 24 hours, representing the largest single adjustment since China’s ban and the tenth largest negative adjustment of all time.

In 2021, the Asian nation issued a prohibitive order against all forms of Bitcoin mining activities within its borders, effectively eliminating over half of the global hashrate. In line, mining difficulty also crashed, dropping the participation barrier for new miners.

According to more data shared by mononaut, the Bitcoin mining difficulty now stands at 125.86T after the recent decline, which kicked in at block 935,429.

Source: @mononautical on X

Mining Difficulty Crash Reflects Harsh Price Environment

While a fall in Bitcoin mining indicates an increased ease in mining activity, it also suggests a surge in miner capitulation, i.e., where miners become unprofitable and shut down. This is usually due to energy cost spikes, a regulatory crackdown like in China, or market crashes, as recently seen. Notably, Bitcoin prices recorded an initial loss of 28% in February’s opening week, to trade as low as $60,000 before rebounding to $70,000. Therefore, it’s likely this latest correction pushed many miners into a heavy loss position.

However, it’s worth noting that Bitcoin’s difficulty adjustment is a self-sustaining mechanism designed to ensure new blocks are continuously mined regardless of how many miners are participating. In addition, a new influx of miners is expected, considering the most recent negative adjustment, thus raising no cause for alarm.

Meanwhile, data from MARA Holdings’ disclosure in Q3, 2025, indicated the average Bitcoin mining cost to be at $67,704. According to Julio Moreno, Head of CryptoQuant, most Bitcoin mining companies are likely in steep losses at present market prices and are expected to increase selling activity, contributing to the recent miner flight. At press time, Bitcoin trades at $69,357 after a 1.71% loss in the past day.

BTC trading at $69,385 on the daily chart | Source: BTCUSDT chart on Tradingview.com

Featured image from Bison, chart from Tradingview

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

Who will be next to implement an Australia-style under-16s social media ban?

LSD News Szerkesztőség — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 08:30:17 +0000

Recently the Australian Senate passed a law to ban children under 16 from having social media accounts including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X.

Matt Cardy | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Australia’s social media ban for under-16s has grabbed global attention, and governments worldwide are considering implementing similar policies, with the U.K. seen as likely to be next.

The Australian government’s Online Safety Amendment Act came into effect on December 10, and included major social media platforms including Reddit, X, Meta’s Instagram, Alphabet’s YouTube, Bytedance’s TikTok.

The platforms were forced to implement age verification methods to ensure under-16s are unable to create an account, and the companies can face fines up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32 million) for not complying.

Although teenagers, tech giants, and experts have had mixed reactions since the ban came into force, governments globally are drafting bills to implement an Australia-style ban.

“This is a global issue, and governments everywhere are under pressure to respond,” Daisy Greenwell, co-founder of U.K.-based Smartphone Free Childhood, told CNBC. SFC is a grassroots campaign urging parents to delay giving children smartphones and social media access.

“We’re already seeing countries move in this direction, and as confidence builds and evidence accumulates, more will follow. No one thinks the status quo is working for children, parents, or society – and this is one of the clearest policy responses currently on the table,” Greenwell added.

Other countries that are considering an under-16s social media ban include the U.K., France, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Italy and Greece.

The U.S. is trailing behind on this front with a national ban being unlikely, however there is certainly state and local interest, according to Ravi Iyer, a managing director of the University of Southern California Marshall School’s Neely Center.

Iyer has worked closely with social psychologist Jonathon Haidt who wrote the renowned book The Anxious Generation, about the harmful impacts of social media and smartphones on children and teens.

“It’s really hard to predict Federal policy, but it is one of the few bipartisan issues left, so it certainly is possible,” Iyer said in emailed comments.

“I’m more confident at the state level and I believe we will see a few U.S. states enact such a policy in the next couple years.”

Lawmakers in California and Texas are looking at bringing in state-level bans in 2026.

But governments looking to implement such bans could face resistance from the tech giants.

Following Australia’s move, community-focused forum Reddit launched a lawsuit, arguing that the new law goes too far by restricting political discussion online. Facebook and Instagram owner Meta urged Canberra to reconsider the ban. And in a statement to users explaining how the restrictions work, Elon Musk’s X said: “It’s not our choice – it’s what the Australian law requires.”

U.K. set to vote on social media ban

Meanwhile, calls for a social media ban for under-16s in the U.K. have grown rapidly at the beginning of this year. The U.K.’s House of Lords is expected to vote this week to amend the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to include a social media ban for under-16s.

Greenwell’s SFC launched an email campaign this week, which saw more than 100,000 emails sent to local U.K. lawmakers. The SFC template email urged the government to set “reasonable, age-appropriate boundaries that protect children’s wellbeing.”

“We consistently see that the more time children spend on smartphones and social media, the worse their mental health outcomes tend to be. If these platforms are no longer available, the network effects collapse – and young people can reconnect with each other and with the real world,” Greenwell told CNBC.

This is the right age to give your child a smartphone, according to an NYU mental health researcher

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has even backed the idea saying “we need to better protect children from social media” and that he’s studying Australia’s ban.

“All options are on the table in relation to what further protections we can put in place – whether that’s under-16s on social media or an issue I am very concerned about, under fives and screen time,” Starmer said last week.

“Children are turning up age four at reception [the first year of school] having spent far too much time on screens,” he added.

Meanwhile, U.K. health secretary Wes Streeting asked The Anxious Generation author Haidt to address his officials at an event to push for stricter limits on young people.

France is also a strong contender as it debates two bills, one backed by French President Emmanuel Macron, to prevent social media access for under 15s, France24 reported last week. France’s public health watchdog ANSES outlined that social media’s negative effects are “numerous” and well documented.

USC’s Iyer said that if a teen ban becomes a global norm, it alleviates the pressure on young people to self-police.

“One of the primary goals of the law is to change the norm, such that teens don’t feel pressure to use social media because all their friends are doing so” Iyer said.

“It’s not really a realistic choice to abstain if you feel that all your friends are using a particular platform. If we can solve that problem and the majority of teens are off of social media, we’ll have done a lot of good,” he added.

18 states set to ban SNAP recipients from using benefits for some junk food in 2026

LSD News Szerkesztőség — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 04:01:48 +0000

18 states set to ban SNAP recipients from using benefits for some junk food in 2026 – CBS News

Watch CBS News

In 2026, several states are set to prohibit individuals from purchasing certain junk food items using their federal benefits. Meg Oliver has the details.

Israel to ban 37 aid groups operating in Gaza

LSD News Szerkesztőség — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 14:12:53 +0000

Israel has said 37 aid organisations will be banned from operating in Gaza from Thursday unless they comply with guidelines requiring detailed information on Palestinian staff, drawing criticism from the United Nations and the European Union.

Several NGOs have told AFP the new rules will have a major impact on food and medical shipments to Gaza, at a time when humanitarian organisations say the amount of aid getting in is inadequate to the devastated territory’s needs.

Israel’s deadline for NGOs to provide the details expires at midnight on Wednesday.

“They refuse to provide lists of their Palestinian employees because they know, just as we know, that some of them are involved in terrorism or linked to Hamas,” spokesman for the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, Gilad Zwick told AFP, naming 37 NGOs that had so far failed to meet the new requirements.

“I highly doubt that what they haven’t done for 10 months, they will suddenly do in less than 12 hours,” Zwick said. “We certainly won’t accept any cooperation that is just for show, simply to get an extension.”

The ministry had said in a statement on Wednesday that the move was part of Israel’s decision to “strengthen and update” regulations governing the activities of international NGOs in the Palestinian territory.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place in Gaza since October, following a deadly war waged by Israel in response to Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israeli territory on October 7, 2023.

For Israel, it says the new regulation aims to prevent bodies it accuses of supporting terrorism from operating in the Palestinian territories.

On Tuesday, Israel specified that “acts of de-legitimising Israel” or denial of events surrounding Hamas’ October 7 attack would be “grounds for license withdrawal”.

Israel has singled out international medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), alleging that it had two employees who were members of Palestinian militant groups Islamic Jihad and Hamas.

Apart from MSF, some of the 37 NGOs to be hit with the ban are the Norwegian Refugee Council, World Vision International, CARE and Oxfam, according to the list given by Zwick.

‘Guarantee access’

On Wednesday, the United Nations rights chief Volker Turk described Israel’s decision as “outrageous”, calling on states to urgently insist Israel shift course.

“Israel’s suspension of numerous aid agencies from Gaza is outrageous,” he said in a statement, warning that “such arbitrary suspensions make an already intolerable situation even worse for the people of Gaza”.

The European Union also warned that Israel’s decision would block “life-saving” assistance from reaching Gazans.

“The EU has been clear: the NGO registration law cannot be implemented in its current form,” EU humanitarian chief Hadja Lahbib posted on X.

“IHL (international humanitarian law) leaves no room for doubt: aid must reach those in need,” Lahbib wrote.

On Tuesday, the foreign ministers of ten countries, including France and the United Kingdom, had already urged Israel to “guarantee access” to aid in the Gaza Strip, where they said the humanitarian situation remains “catastrophic.”

In a territory with 2.2 million inhabitants, “1.3 million people still require urgent shelter support,” the ministers of Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland said.

While a deal for a ceasefire that started on October 10 stipulated the entry of 600 trucks per day, only 100 to 300 are carrying humanitarian aid, according to NGOs and the United Nations.

COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, said last week that on average 4,200 aid trucks enter Gaza weekly, which corresponds to around 600 daily.

Source: AFP

–Agencies

‘Witch hunt’: Ex-EU commissioner Breton denounces U.S. visa ban targeting ‘censorship’

LSD News Szerkesztőség — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 11:48:34 +0000

European leaders on Wednesday condemned a move by the U.S. to ban visas for five individuals — including a former EU commissioner — for alleged censorship.

The Trump administration imposed visa bans on Thierry Breton, a former European Union commissioner behind the Digital Services Act (DSA), and four anti-disinformation campaigners, accusing them of censoring U.S. social media platforms.

“The State Department is taking decisive action against five individuals who have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetize, and suppress American viewpoints they oppose,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.

The DSA forces tech giants like Google and Meta to police illegal content more aggressively, or face hefty fines.

Rubio added that “these radical activists and weaponized NGOs have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states—in each case targeting American speakers and American companies.”

As such, their entry to the U.S. has “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences,” he said.

“Based on these determinations, the Department has taken steps to impose visa restrictions on agents of the global censorship-industrial complex who, as a result, will be generally barred from entering the United States.”

Breton, who served as EU commissioner between 2019 and 2024, wrote on X: “Is McCarthy’s witch hunt back?”

He added: “As a reminder: 90% of the European Parliament — our democratically elected body — and all 27 Member States unanimously voted the DSA.”

“To our American friends: “Censorship isn’t where you think it is.””

‘Witch hunt’

The European Commission “strongly condemned” the move on Wednesday.

“Freedom of expression is a fundamental right in Europe and a shared core value with the United States across the democratic world,” it said in a statement, adding that “the EU is an open, rules-based single market, with the sovereign right to regulate economic activity in line with our democratic values and international commitments.”

“Our digital rules ensure a safe, fair, and level playing field for all companies, applied fairly and without discrimination.”

The Commission has asked for clarifications from U.S. authorities, it said.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that his country condemns the visa restrictions. “These measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty,” he said in a statement on X.

“The European Union’s digital regulations were adopted following a democratic and sovereign process by the European Parliament and the Council.”

He also said that the DSA does not target any specific third country but is designed “to ensure that what is illegal offline is also illegal online.”

It comes as President Donald Trump continues to ramp up travel restrictions for foreign visitors and criticizes Europe.

Rubio did not identify who his department had taken action against, however Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers later did so on X.

Josephine Ballon, the co-leader of HateAid who serves on Germany’s Advisory Council of the Digital Services, was among those working on anti-disinformation campaigns to receive sanctions. Her co-leader Anna-Lena von Hodenberg was also affected. CNBC has reached out to Ballon and Von Hodenberg for comment.

The bans are part of efforts to enforce what Rogers refers to as a “red line” for the U.S. and the “extraterritorial censorship of Americans.”

In an interview with GB news on Dec. 4, Rogers took aim at the U.K.’s Online Safety Act (OSA), saying the law was being applied extraterritorially, accounting for U.S. citizens’ speech about U.S. politics on U.S.-based platforms.

Europe’s DSA and the U.K.’s OSA are among only a handful of pieces of legislation designed to keep the power of Big Tech in check and improve safety for children online. OSA law requires age verification on adult sites and a number of other platforms.

Reddit challenges Australia’s under-16 social media ban in High Court filing, says law curbs political speech

LSD News Szerkesztőség — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 05:00:43 +0000

Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

Reddit, the popular community-focused forum, has launched a legal challenge against Australia’s social media ban for teens under 16, arguing that the newly enacted law is ineffective and goes too far by restricting political discussion online.

In its application to Australia’s High Court, the social news and aggregation platform said the law is “invalid on the basis of the implied freedom of political communication”, saying that it burdens political communication.

Canberra’s ban came into effect on Wednesday and targeted 10 major services, including Alphabet’s YouTube, Meta’s Instagram, ByteDance’s TikTok, Reddit, Snapchat and Elon Musk’s X. All targeted platforms had agreed to comply with the policy to varying degrees.

Australia’s Prime Minister’s office, Attorney-General’s Department and other social media platforms did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Under the law, the targeted platforms will have to take “reasonable steps” to prevent underage access, using age–verification methods such as inference from online activity, facial estimation via selfies, uploaded IDs, or linked bank details.

Reddit’s application to the courts seeks to either declare the law invalid or exclude the platform from the provisions of the law.

In a statement to CNBC, Reddit said that while it agrees with the importance of protecting persons under 16, the law could isolate teens “from the ability to engage in age-appropriate community experiences (including political discussions).”

It also said in its application that the law “burdens political communication,” saying “the political views of children inform the electoral choices of many current electors, including their parents and their teachers, as well as others interested in the views of those soon to reach the age of maturity.”

The platform also argued that it should not be subject to the law, saying it operates more as a forum for adults facilitating “knowledge sharing” between users than as a traditional social network, saying that it does not import contact lists or address books.

“Reddit is significantly different from other sites that allow for users to become “friends” with one another, or to post photos about themselves, or to organise events,” the platform said in its application.

Reddit further said in its court filing that most content on its platform is accessible without an account, and pointed out a person under the age of 16 “can be more easily protected from online harm if they have an account, being the very thing that is prohibited.”

“That is because the account can be subject to settings that limit their access to particular kinds of content that may be harmful to them,” it adds.

Despite its objections, Reddit said that the challenge was not an attempt to avoid complying with the law, nor was it an effort to retain young users for business reasons.

“There are more targeted, privacy-preserving measures to protect young people online without resorting to blanket bans,” the platform said.

— CNBC’s Dylan Butts contributed to this story.

Australia is trying to enforce the first teen social media ban. Governments worldwide are watching.

LSD News Szerkesztőség — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 10:53:56 +0000

In this photo illustration, iPhone screens display various social media apps on the screens on February 9, 2025 in Bath, England.

Anna Barclay | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Australia on Wednesday became the first country to formally bar users under the age of 16 from accessing major social media platforms, a move expected to be closely monitored by global tech companies and policymakers around the world.

Canberra’s ban, which came into effect from midnight local time, targets 10 major services, including Alphabet‘s YouTube, Meta’s Instagram, ByteDance’s TikTok, Reddit, Snapchat and Elon Musk’s X.

The controversial rule requires these platforms to take “reasonable steps” to prevent underage access, using age–verification methods such as inference from online activity, facial estimation via selfies, uploaded IDs, or linked bank details.

All targeted platforms had agreed to comply with the policy to some extent. Elon Musk’s X had been one of the last holdouts, but signaled on Wednesday that it would comply.

The policy means millions of Australian children are expected to have lost access to their social accounts.

However, the impact of the policy could be even wider, as it will set a benchmark for other governments considering teen social media bans, including Denmark, Norway, France, Spain, Malaysia and New Zealand.

Controversial rollout

Ahead of the legislation’s passage last year, a YouGov survey found that 77% of Australians backed the under-16 social media ban. Still, the rollout has faced some resistance since becoming law.

Supporters of the bill have argued it safeguards children from social media-linked harms, including cyberbullying, mental health issues, and exposure to predators and pornography.

Among those welcoming the official ban on Wednesday was Jonathan Haidt, social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation, a 2024 best-selling book that linked a growing mental health crisis to smartphone and social media usage, especially for the young.

In a post on social media platform X, Haidt commended policymakers in Australia for “freeing kids under 16 from the social media trap.”

“There will surely be difficulties in the early months, but the world is rooting for your success, and many other nations will follow,” he added.

On the other hand, opponents contend that the ban infringes on freedoms of expression and access to information, raises privacy concerns through invasive age verification, and represents excessive government intervention that undermines parental responsibility.

Those critics include groups like Amnesty Tech, which said in a statement Tuesday that the ban was an ineffective fix that ignored the rights and realities of younger generations.

“The most effective way to protect children and young people online is by protecting all social media users through better regulation, stronger data protection laws and better platform design,” said Amnesty Tech Programme Director Damini Satija.

Meanwhile, David Inserra, a fellow for free expression and technology at the Cato Institute, warned in a blog post that children would evade the new policy by shifting to new platforms, private apps like Telegram, or VPNs, driving them to “more isolated communities and platforms with fewer protections” where monitoring is harder.

Tech companies like Google have also warned that the policy could be extremely difficult to enforce, while government-commissioned reports have pointed to inaccuracies in age–verification technology, such as selfie-based age–guessing software.

Indeed, on Wednesday, local reports in Australia indicated that many children had already bypassed the ban, with age-assurance tools misclassifying users, and workarounds such as VPNs proving effective.

However, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had attempted to preempt these issues, acknowledging in an opinion piece on Sunday that the system would not work flawlessly from the start, likening it to liquor laws.

“The fact that teenagers occasionally find a way to have a drink doesn’t diminish the value of having a clear national standard,” he added.

Experts told CNBC that the rollout is expected to continue to face challenges and that regulators would need to take a trial-and-error approach.

“There’s a fair amount of teething problems around it. Many young people have been posting on TikTok that they successfully evaded the age limitations and that’s to be expected,” said Terry Flew, a professor of digital communication and culture at the University of Sydney.

“You were never going to get 100% disappearance of every person under the age of 16 from every one of the designated platforms on day one,” he added.

Global implications

Experts told CNBC that the policy rollout in Australia will be closely watched by tech firms and lawmakers worldwide, as other countries consider their own moves to ban or restrict teen social media usage.

“Governments are responding to how public expectations have changed about the internet and social media, and the companies have not been particularly responsive to moral suasion,” said Flew.

“We see similar pressures are emerging, particularly, but not exclusively in Europe,” he added.

The European Parliament passed a non-binding resolution in November advocating a minimum age of 16 for social media access, allowing parental consent for 13 to 15-year-olds.

The bloc has also proposed banning addictive features such as infinite scrolling and auto-play for minors, which could lead to EU-wide enforcement against non-compliant platforms.

Outside Europe, Malaysia and New Zealand have also been advancing proposals to ban social media for children under 16.

However, laws elsewhere are expected to differ from Australia’s, whether that be regarding age restrictions or age verification processes.

“My hope is that countries that are looking at implementing similar policies will monitor for what doesn’t work in Australia and learn from our mistakes,” said Tama Leaver, professor at the Department of Internet Studies at Curtin University and a Chief Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child.

“I think platforms and tech companies are also starting to realize that if they don’t want age-gating policies everywhere, they’re going to have to do much better at providing safer, appropriate experiences for young users.”

Arkansas one of several states weighing fluoride ban

LSD News Szerkesztőség — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 04:16:00 +0000

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont this week signed legislation requiring the state to keep fluoride at existing levels. But Florida and Utah have banned adding fluoride to drinking water, and other states may follow, as the decades-old practice of adding it to public drinking is facing renewed attacks, including from the federal government.

Arkansas state Sen. Bryan King, a cattle and poultry farmer in Fayetteville, told CBS News he has “concerns” about adding fluoride to water.

Since 2011, when the state mandated most public drinking water to include fluoride, King has thrown his anti-fluoride voice behind a handful of bills seeking to repeal that mandate.

Fluoride is a natural mineral. It strengthens teeth and fights dental decay. It’s been added to the U.S.’s public drinking supply since the 1940s.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rated fluoride as one of the top ten public health achievements of the 20th century.

And according to the American Dental Association, “70 years of research, thousands of studies and the experience of more than 210 million Americans tell us that water fluoridation is effective in preventing cavities and is safe for children and adults.”

“If that’s the case, they need to individually go out to each water district and sell it to the people there, and let them make their own water decisions,” King said.

At least 19 states have considered legislation to remove, ban or make fluoride optional in public drinking water this year. One of fluoride’s most prominent critics is Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

In the latest skirmish over science, fluoride opponents argue that at high levels, it can lead to kidney and liver damage and lower IQs in children.

The National Institutes of Health’s toxicology program in 2024 determined “with moderate confidence” that there is a link between high levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQs in children. That conclusion was based on studies involving fluoride levels of about twice the recommended limit for drinking water.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has questioned the validity of the NIH’s report, noting it had “important limitations,” including the high fluoride levels, and that other reviews have come to different conclusions about fluoride’s risks and benefits.

The EPA in 2011 lowered the recommended limit for fluoride in water to cut down on fluorosis — when spots appear on kids’ teeth — and in the wake of a 2006 report from the National Academy of Sciences that found a lifetime of overconsumption of fluoride can lead to weakened, brittle bones and teeth.

At Arkansas’ Fort Smith water system, Lance McAvoy, who oversees the system, told CBS News it’s monitored 24/7.

“We actually take samples every 15 minutes to verify the online equipment,” McAvoy said, adding there had never been an instance of significantly higher fluoride levels to date.

Dentists such as Kenton Ross, who also serves as president of Arkansas’ dental association, say the science supporting fluoride is indisputable.

“You’re gonna see a 25% reduction in tooth decay,” Ross said of adding fluoride to drinking water. “We have over 75 years of research over community fluoridation.”

For dentists, losing fluoride could mean losing the battle against tooth decay.

“It’s gonna affect the children the worst because if they don’t get it, we can’t put it in later in life,” Ross said.

Alexander Tin and

Sara Moniuszko

contributed to this report.

Mark Strassmann

Mark Strassmann is CBS News’ senior national correspondent based in Atlanta. He covers a wide range of stories, including space exploration. Strassmann is also the senior national correspondent for “Face the Nation.”