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UK Weighs Australia-Style Social Media Ban for Children Under 16

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Britain is considering an Australia-style ban on social media use for children under the age of 16, as the government steps up scrutiny of how digital platforms affect young people’s mental health and development. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said children risk being drawn into “a world of endless scrolling, anxiety and comparison,” and warned that the government is ready to take robust action.

The move follows an announcement that officials will examine whether features such as infinite scrolling should be restricted and whether the current age at which children can access social media platforms is appropriate. Ministers are set to visit Australia, which last month became the first country to introduce a nationwide ban on social media for under-16s, to study how the policy is enforced. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said Britain is considering the same age threshold.

While supporters argue that a ban would provide clear protection for children, critics warn it could push harmful activity underground or reduce access to the positive aspects of social media. The government is also reviewing stronger age-verification checks and whether the UK’s digital age of consent is too low.

Concerns have intensified amid the rapid spread of AI-generated content online, including recent reports involving xAI’s Grok chatbot generating non-consensual sexual images. Britain has already announced plans to ban AI nudification tools and remove addictive platform features, alongside enforcing the Online Safety Act, which has increased age checks and reduced access to harmful content.

Starmer said no option is off the table as the government works with experts to identify the most effective safeguards for children online.

Amazon Scraps Drone Delivery Plans in Italy After Strategic Review

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Amazon has decided to halt its plans to launch drone-based delivery services in Italy, citing regulatory and business challenges that undermine the project’s long-term viability. The company confirmed the decision on Sunday following a strategic review of its operations in the country.

Amazon said that although it had made meaningful progress with Italian aerospace regulators, the broader regulatory environment did not support its commercial objectives for drone delivery. “Following a strategic review, we have decided to stop our commercial drone delivery plans in Italy,” the company said in a statement. It added that, despite positive engagement with regulators, the overall business framework remains a limiting factor.

Italy’s civil aviation authority, ENAC, described the move as unexpected. In a statement released on Saturday, ENAC said the decision appeared to be driven by internal company policy and was linked to “recent financial events involving the Group,” without providing further details.

Amazon had previously signaled strong momentum for the initiative. In December 2024, the company announced the successful completion of initial drone delivery tests in San Salvo, a town in the central Abruzzo region. Those trials were seen as a key step toward introducing faster, automated delivery services in Italy as part of Amazon’s broader global drone program.

The halt underscores the challenges facing commercial drone delivery projects, which must navigate not only aviation safety rules but also complex national business and regulatory environments. While Amazon continues to test and operate drone delivery services in select markets, Italy will no longer be part of its near-term expansion plans.

Brazil Central Bank Tightens Cryptocurrency Rules to Curb Fraud and Illicit Payments

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Brazil’s central bank has issued long-awaited regulations for virtual assets and cryptocurrencies, introducing stricter controls aimed at preventing money laundering, fraud, and terrorism financing.

The new framework, which takes effect in February 2026, extends traditional financial-sector safeguards to virtual-asset service providers (VASPs), including brokers, distributors, and exchanges operating in the country.

“New rules will reduce the scope for scams, fraud, and the use of virtual asset markets for money laundering,” said Gilneu Vivan, the bank’s director of regulation, during a press conference in Brasília.

Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy, approved its first legal framework for cryptocurrencies in 2022, but the rollout had been delayed pending regulatory guidance from the central bank. Authorities conducted four public consultations before finalizing the new rules.

Under the regulations, all virtual-asset transactions pegged to fiat currencies — such as the U.S. dollar or the Brazilian real — will be classified as foreign exchange operations. This also applies to international payments or transfers using cryptocurrencies, including those settled via cards or electronic platforms.

Central bank governor Gabriel Galipolo has voiced concerns over the rapid growth of stablecoins, which he said are increasingly being used as informal payment tools, often to bypass tax and oversight systems.

The new framework also mandates stronger governance, transparency, and internal control standards, as well as customer protection and compliance obligations for all crypto-related firms.

Analysts view the move as a major step in Brazil’s effort to bring digital asset markets under tighter regulatory supervision, as crypto adoption continues to expand across Latin America.