Yazılar

Indonesia Set to Enforce Social Media Curbs for Under-16s

/in /tarafından

Indonesia is preparing to implement new restrictions on social media use for users under 16, but uncertainty remains over how the rules will be enforced.

The regulation targets platforms deemed “high-risk,” including Roblox, Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube, TikTok and X. These services may be required to deactivate accounts belonging to underage users or restrict access based on risk criteria such as exposure to strangers, addictive algorithms and psychological harm.

Officials say the policy is designed to reduce cyberbullying and digital addiction among children. However, key implementation details—such as verification systems and enforcement mechanisms—remain unclear just as the rules are set to take effect.

Authorities indicated that account deactivations will begin gradually, with some platforms already outlining initial compliance steps. Roblox, for example, is expected to introduce stricter controls for younger users, while TikTok and X have signaled readiness to enforce minimum age requirements.

Despite these measures, experts question the effectiveness of the policy, noting that enforcement could be technically complex and that children may still find ways to bypass restrictions.

The move reflects a broader global trend of tightening social media regulations for minors, as governments respond to increasing concerns over mental health, online safety and platform design.

X Restored After Brief Outage in US

/in /tarafından

Elon Musk’s social media platform X experienced a brief outage affecting thousands of users in the United States before services were restored.

At the peak of the disruption, more than 34,000 users reported issues, according to outage-tracking platform Downdetector. The number of reports later dropped significantly as the platform recovered.

Downdetector compiles user-submitted reports to estimate service disruptions, meaning the actual number of affected users may vary.

X did not immediately comment on the cause of the outage.

Meta Fails to Block Illegal UK Finance Ads

/in /tarafından

Meta has repeatedly failed to stop illegal advertisements for high-risk financial products in Britain, despite previously committing to block them, according to a review by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority.

The regulator found that in a single week in November, 1,052 ads for foreign exchange trading and complex financial products appeared on Meta platforms from advertisers not authorized to promote them. More than half of those ads were linked to unauthorised advertisers the FCA had already flagged to Meta.

The findings add to growing pressure on the company to do more to stop scam-related financial promotions on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. British authorities say social media platforms have become a major source of fraud targeting consumers with risky investment schemes and misleading trading offers.

The FCA said it has continued testing Meta’s systems and has not seen a meaningful improvement. Meta responded by saying it acts aggressively against fraud and removes most reported violations within days, while arguing that it has ongoing safeguards in place.

The issue is especially sensitive in Britain because regulators currently have limited power to punish platforms for paid scam ads. While the Online Safety Act is being introduced, the section allowing direct action against paid fraudulent ads is not expected to take effect until at least 2027.

The case has renewed calls for stronger enforcement and faster action from technology companies, with critics arguing that scam advertising remains too easy to run in the UK compared with countries such as Australia, where stricter financial ad verification rules already apply.