TIME on Thursday announced the launch of TIME100 Next India, marking the first-ever international expansion of its TIME100 Next franchise. The initiative, being rolled out in partnership with Reliance Industries, will spotlight 100 emerging Indian leaders across sectors
Pope Leo XIV calls for renewed talks between the United States and Iran to end the war. He strongly condemns capital punishment and advocates for humane treatment of migrants. The Pope also addresses the church's focus on sexual morality, suggesting greater emphasis on justice and freedom
The 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections have etched a new chapter in India’s democratic history, with the state recording a staggering 84.69% voter turnout—the highest ever since Independence. On Thursday, millions of voters braved the summer heat to cast their ballots
Sri Lanka has launched an investigation after hackers breached the finance ministry's computer systems and stole $2.5m (£1.8m), officials say. The funds were part of a bilateral debt repayment to Australia - with a settlement due in September 2025
As countries ban social media for kids, Meta makes a direct pitch to parentsSocial media regulation never worked, and countries are now banning access for children. Meta hopes to gain the trust of parents to build a counter argument Published on: Apr 24
SSC CHT Exam 2026: Notification released for 84 posts, registration begins at ssc.gov.inSSC CHT Exam 2026 notification has been released. The registration process has started at ssc.gov.in. Published on: Apr 24, 2026 10:01 AM IST By HT Education Desk | Edited by Papri Chanda Share via Copy link
Miss Universe 2017 finalist asks Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway to answer question that has haunted her since the pageantWhile promoting The Devil Wears Prada 2, Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway were asked a question by the Miss Universe 2017 top 5 finalist, which has haunted her. Updated on: Apr 24
The makers clarified that Deepika has a major role in Raaka and that her character is important for the story. After Deepika Padukone announced her second pregnancy with Ranveer Singh, fans were overjoyed for the couple. However, some also wondered how the actress would finish the shoot of her
As countries ban social media for kids
As countries ban social media for kids, Meta makes a direct pitch to parents
As countries ban social media for kids, Meta makes a direct pitch to parents
Social media regulation never worked, and countries are now banning access for children. Meta hopes to gain the trust of parents to build a counter argument
Published on: Apr 24, 2026 10:23 AM IST By Vishal Mathur Share via Copy link Even as Turkey joins the list of countries that intend to ban social media access for children and teens, Meta which finds itself impacted the most, is again trying to convince parents that its Teen Accounts proposition is safe. Turkish lawmakers, this week, have passed a bill that includes restricting social media access to children under the age of 15 years, marking continuity for a global trend to protect children from often dangerous activity on these platforms. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan now has 15 days to accept the bill, after which it becomes a law. The bill will mandate social media platforms to put in place age-verification systems. (Representative file photo) The bill will mandate social media platforms including Meta’s Facebook, Threads and Instagram, as well as other social media companies including X, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, Kick, Reddit, band Snapchat, to put in place age-verification systems and extensive parental controls. Governments also expect social media companies to respond and take down content they deem harmful for children, and the wider societal fabric. The addition of artificial intelligence (AI) chat features within these apps, adds another layer of possibly dangerous complexity. “We are living in a period where some digital sharing applications are corrupting our children’s minds and social media platforms have, to put it bluntly, become cesspools,” Erdogan minced no words in a televised address in Turkey, this week, ahead of the bill being passed by lawmakers. Turkey isn’t the only country concerned about the risks and pressures of young adults on social media platforms, with often documented instances of suicide, cyberbullying, addiction and exposure to violent content. Case in point, in 2024, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was asked by lawmakers in the U.S. as to why Meta allowed drug dealers to post ads on the company’s social media platforms—a report by watchdog group Tech Transparency Project had found more than 450 ads on Instagram and Facebook selling an array of pharmaceutical and other drugs. Turkey’s move adds momentum to what is now a global response to often uncontrolled content sharing on social media, which is incredibly easy to otherwise access. Australia, in December, became the first country to ban social media for children under the age of 16 years. In January, France passed a bill to ban social media access for children 15 years or younger. Greece has already announced a ban for social media apps for anyone aged under 15 years, from January next year. Indonesia and Malaysia have banned access to for anyone under the age of 16, while Germany, Poland, Spain and the UK are weighing in on bans as well. The Indian government is expected to propose a tiered approach to limiting social media access depending on age groups till the age of 18 years, with focused expected on enforcement of age verification using Aadhaar verification and verifiable parental consent. Despite attempts over the years, content regulation on social media has never delivered success to the extent that these platforms could be considered safe for children. While it is obvious that social media companies would oppose any restrictions in access to their platforms, since it is a leverage of user base numbers, eyeballs and revenue, they have been forced to respond to the bans imposed in many countries, as others contemplate similar moves. In the days leading up to the ban in Australia, Meta sprung into action and deactivated more than 550,000 accounts suspected to belong to minors, and a new content filtering system inspired by movie ratings, was put in place. YouTube deactivated more than a million accounts linked to minors globally, and continues to argue that it isn’t technically a social media company. TikTok too took down more than 200,000 accounts in Australia alone, while Snapchat saw its teen user base drop as much as 14% after Australia’s ban. Meta makes a pitch to parents Even as more countries ban social media platforms for children, something that particularly hurts Meta, the company is now trying to convince parents that the reinforced tools for them to supervise child social media accounts, can get the job done. This week, they’ve announced detailed insights into the use of Meta AI by their child, and are now rolling out to parents supervising Teen Accounts in US, UK, Australia, Canada and Brazil—with a global rollout expected in the coming weeks. “Parents using supervision on Facebook, Messenger, or Instagram will now see a new Insights tab within supervision, both in-app and on web. From there, parents will be able to see the topics their teen has been asking Meta AI about in that specific app over the past week. Topics can range from School, Entertainment, and Lifestyle to Travel, Writing, and Health and Wellbeing, among others,” the company says, in a statement. Earlier this month, Meta had updated Instagram Teen Accounts, with supposedly stronger safeguards defining age-appropriate content visible on the feeds of teenage users. First, a content filter that Meta says is inspired from the 13+ movie ratings criteria and parent feedback by default. Secondly, teens will no longer be able to follow accounts that are noted to regularly share age-inappropriate content, or if their name or bio suggests the account is inappropriate for teens. But then again, Meta also warned that no system is Pefect and that parents must continue to give feedback. Despite governments in many countries attempting to keep children away from risks on social media by banning access, there is the risk of VPNs, or virtual private networks, being used to circumvent these restrictions by spoofing the user’s location. There is also the reality of bypassing social media platforms for apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram, where mini communities morph into social networks, to share the same type of content that may have otherwise been shared on Instagram or TikTok or Snapchat. An example of this is from the UK’s Online Safety Act which was enforced in July last year, mandating age-checks on web platforms. Proton VPN reported a 1400% hourly increase in new user registrations, while NordVPN reported a 1000% rise in subscriptions from UK based users. In March this year, analytics firm Apptopia reported daily active VPN sessions in Australia have peaked at 1.32 million, since the age restrictions were put in place. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vishal Mathur Vishal Mathur is Technology Editor for Hindustan Times. When not making sense of technology, he often searches for an elusive analog space in a digital world. Social Media Access Stay updated with the latest Business News on Petrol Price, Gold Rate, Silver Rates, Diesel Prices along with Income Tax Calculator News/Business/As Countries Ban Social Media For Kids, Meta Makes A Direct Pitch To Parents See LessEven as Turkey joins the list of countries that intend to ban social media access for children and teens, Meta which finds itself impacted the most, is again trying to convince parents that its Teen Accounts proposition is safe. Turkish lawmakers, this week, have passed a bill that includes restricting social media access to children under the age of 15 years, marking continuity for a global trend to protect children from often dangerous activity on these platforms. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan now has 15 days to accept the bill, after which it becomes a law.
The bill will mandate social media platforms including Meta’s Facebook, Threads and Instagram, as well as other social media companies including X, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, Kick, Reddit, band Snapchat, to put in place age-verification systems and extensive parental controls. Governments also expect social media companies to respond and take down content they deem harmful for children, and the wider societal fabric. The addition of artificial intelligence (AI) chat features within these apps, adds another layer of possibly dangerous complexity.
“We are living in a period where some digital sharing applications are corrupting our children’s minds and social media platforms have, to put it bluntly, become cesspools,” Erdogan minced no words in a televised address in Turkey, this week, ahead of the bill being passed by lawmakers. Turkey isn’t the only country concerned about the risks and pressures of young adults on social media platforms, with often documented instances of suicide, cyberbullying, addiction and exposure to violent content.
Case in point, in 2024, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was asked by lawmakers in the U.S. as to why Meta allowed drug dealers to post ads on the company’s social media platforms—a report by watchdog group Tech Transparency Project had found more than 450 ads on Instagram and Facebook selling an array of pharmaceutical and other drugs.
Turkey’s move adds momentum to what is now a global response to often uncontrolled content sharing on social media, which is incredibly easy to otherwise access. Australia, in December, became the first country to ban social media for children under the age of 16 years. In January, France passed a bill to ban social media access for children 15 years or younger. Greece has already announced a ban for social media apps for anyone aged under 15 years, from January next year. Indonesia and Malaysia have banned access to for anyone under the age of 16, while Germany, Poland, Spain and the UK are weighing in on bans as well.
The Indian government is expected to propose a tiered approach to limiting social media access depending on age groups till the age of 18 years, with focused expected on enforcement of age verification using Aadhaar verification and verifiable parental consent. Despite attempts over the years, content regulation on social media has never delivered success to the extent that these platforms could be considered safe for children.
While it is obvious that social media companies would oppose any restrictions in access to their platforms, since it is a leverage of user base numbers, eyeballs and revenue, they have been forced to respond to the bans imposed in many countries, as others contemplate similar moves.
In the days leading up to the ban in Australia, Meta sprung into action and deactivated more than 550,000 accounts suspected to belong to minors, and a new content filtering system inspired by movie ratings, was put in place. YouTube deactivated more than a million accounts linked to minors globally, and continues to argue that it isn’t technically a social media company. TikTok too took down more than 200,000 accounts in Australia alone, while Snapchat saw its teen user base drop as much as 14% after Australia’s ban.
Meta makes a pitch to parents
Even as more countries ban social media platforms for children, something that particularly hurts Meta, the company is now trying to convince parents that the reinforced tools for them to supervise child social media accounts, can get the job done. This week, they’ve announced detailed insights into the use of Meta AI by their child, and are now rolling out to parents supervising Teen Accounts in US, UK, Australia, Canada and Brazil—with a global rollout expected in the coming weeks.
“Parents using supervision on Facebook, Messenger, or Instagram will now see a new Insights tab within supervision, both in-app and on web. From there, parents will be able to see the topics their teen has been asking Meta AI about in that specific app over the past week. Topics can range from School, Entertainment, and Lifestyle to Travel, Writing, and Health and Wellbeing, among others,” the company says, in a statement.
Earlier this month, Meta had updated Instagram Teen Accounts, with supposedly stronger safeguards defining age-appropriate content visible on the feeds of teenage users. First, a content filter that Meta says is inspired from the 13+ movie ratings criteria and parent feedback by default. Secondly, teens will no longer be able to follow accounts that are noted to regularly share age-inappropriate content, or if their name or bio suggests the account is inappropriate for teens.
But then again, Meta also warned that no system is Pefect and that parents must continue to give feedback.
Despite governments in many countries attempting to keep children away from risks on social media by banning access, there is the risk of VPNs, or virtual private networks, being used to circumvent these restrictions by spoofing the user’s location. There is also the reality of bypassing social media platforms for apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram, where mini communities morph into social networks, to share the same type of content that may have otherwise been shared on Instagram or TikTok or Snapchat.
An example of this is from the UK’s Online Safety Act which was enforced in July last year, mandating age-checks on web platforms. Proton VPN reported a 1400% hourly increase in new user registrations, while NordVPN reported a 1000% rise in subscriptions from UK based users. In March this year, analytics firm Apptopia reported daily active VPN sessions in Australia have peaked at 1.32 million, since the age restrictions were put in place.
Source: HindustanTimes
Related Posts: Karnataka’s Social Media Ban For Kids Sets Off Political War Of Words With Andhra The woman tasked with kicking Australian kids off social media Australia is banning social media for kids under 16 UK To Join List Of Nations With Strict Laws On Social Media For Kids YouTube CEO limits social media use for his kids — ‘Weekdays Supreme Court hears arguments on whether states can ban conversion therapy for LBGTQ+ kids Australian leader defends social media ban as teens flaunt workarounds Australia will enforce a social media ban for children under 16 despite a court challenge Australia social media ban set to take effect UK Weighs Australia-Style Social Media Ban for Children
Two groups exchanged gunfire inside a food court on Thursday (April 23, 2026) at the Mall of Louisiana, in Baton Rouge, U.S., killing one person and wounding five more, police said. Authorities had initially said as many as 10 people were injured
2 minutes ago
United States President Donald Trump on Thursday said that the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be extended by three weeks after fresh discussions between officials of the two countries in Washington. An earlier agreement for a 10-day ceasefire that had been struck on April 17 was set to
2 minutes ago
The US says its forces have boarded a sanctioned ship carrying Iranian oil in the Indian Ocean in the country's latest naval move against Iran. The US Department of Defence (DoD) said in a statement it had carried out a "maritime interdiction" - the interception or inspection of a vessel by a navy
2 minutes ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.2 ton AC under ₹50,000: Best budget options for powerful cooling and efficient performance in large roomsExplore 2 ton ACs under ₹50,000 offering efficient cooling
2 minutes ago
Silver Price Today, April 24: Silver prices edged higher on Friday (April 24), but the metal was still set to decline nearly 7 per cent for the week, mainly due to a stronger US dollar. Market focus has now shifted to ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.Silver Price Today
3 minutes ago
Infosys Share Price Today: Infosys shares declined 3.5% to a 52-week low of Rs 1,198.80 on the BSE on Friday, April 24, tracking weak cues from the US trading session. The fall came despite a broadly in-line March quarter (Q4) performance, as investors reacted negatively to subdued forward guidance
2 minutes ago
New rules are in place for West Bengal assembly elections. SD cards from polling booth cameras will not be removed immediately. Officials must dismount cameras under sector officer supervision. Video footage will be preserved securely. Polling party members and BLOs cannot leave until cameras are
2 minutes ago
One summer afternoon in 2018, two men set out on a road trip into the Karbi Anglong region of India's northeastern Assam state. They never came back. Abhijeet Nath, a 30-year-old businessman, and Nilotpal Das, a 29-year-old musician, were driving from the city of Guwahati. By evening
2 minutes ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.Is your home really secure, these home security cameras help you keep a constant eyeHome security cameras now offer smart monitoring, real-time alerts and easy app control
2 minutes ago
Sachin Tendulkar turned 53, with his record-breaking career in international cricket once again in focus. Widely regarded as one of the greatest batters of all time, he remains the highest run-scorer in international cricket with 34,357 runs, holds the most centuries in Tests and ODIs
2 minutes ago
If you tried to count every tree on Earth, you’d run out of time long before you even got close — but here’s the surprising part: there might actually be more of them than stars in our galaxy. For years, scientists believed there were about 400 billion trees on Earth
2 minutes ago
US President Donald Trump has said next week's state visit from King Charles III and Queen Camilla could help repair relations with the UK. When asked in a phone interview with the BBC whether the visit could help repair the relationship, Trump said: "Absolutely. He's fantastic
2 minutes ago
₹10 crore will get buyers smaller homes in Mumbai than 2020: Wealth Report 2026Delhi and Bengaluru, where the real estate area purchasable for $1 million has increased in this period, even if marginally. Updated on: Apr 24, 2026 10:12 AM IST By Ateeq Shaikh Share via Copy link A budget of $1
2 minutes ago
IPO-Bound PhonePe retained its top position in the UPI ecosystem in March, with its transactions jumping 88% to 1,050 Cr from 928 Cr in February. As per the NPCI data, the fintech giant, which has postponed its IPO plans due to the West Asia conflict, processed transactions worth ₹14
2 minutes ago
Hours after casting her vote in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections 2026, Trisha Krishnan took to her Instagram took to her Instagram handle to drop a picture in which she was seen flaunting her inked finger. As the actress urged others also to come out and exercise their vote
2 minutes ago
‘Ulta latka kar...’: Amit Shah’s warning to TMC 'goons' ahead of Bengal phase 2 votingShah also hailed the state’s voters for casting “historic votes” and breaking all participation records in what he called a grand festival of democracy. Published on: Apr 24
2 minutes ago
'Can run Pakistan better than their politicians': Dhurandhar's Mustafa Ahmed wants Indian agents to run the show thereMustafa Ahmed, who played Rizwan in Dhurandhar, recently spoke about the film with fans in a Reddit AMA session. Apr 24, 2026
2 minutes ago
Welcome to The India Fix by Shoaib Daniyal. A newsletter on Indian politics. As always, if you’ve been sent this newsletter and like it, to get it in your inbox every week, sign up here (click on “follow”). In 2021, the Sweden-based V-Dem Institute released a report that for the first time
2 minutes ago
Career Horoscope Today for April 24, 2026: This is also a good time to invest your energy wisely.Career Horoscope Today, April 24, 2026: Get career astrological predictions to help you prosper at your workplace. Published on: Apr 24, 2026 8:31 AM IST By Kishori Sud Share via Copy link Aries Career
2 minutes ago
IIM Amritsar Admission 2026: Executive MBA program registration opens for 6th batchIIM Amritsar Admission 2026 registration for Executive MBA program has opened. The details can be checked here. Updated on: Apr 24, 2026 10:47 AM IST By HT Education Desk Share via Copy link The Indian Institute of
2 minutes ago
The Centre on Thursday (April 23, 2026) called posts by U.S. President Donald Trump that quoted derogatory remarks about India and Indian immigrants as “uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste”. The posts, which included a video by American right-wing anchor Michael Savage and the four-page
2 minutes ago
Indian-origin politicians in America slam Donald Trump’s ‘hellhole’ jibe: ‘Offensive, ignorant’US President Donald Trump issued a clarification following the backlash involving the “hellhole” remark and called India a “great country”. Published on: Apr 24
2 minutes ago
Arteta is right. It’s a new league nowFor City and Arsenal, this will be a five-game fight to the finish in the Premier League Published on: Apr 24, 2026 8:00 AM IST By Dhiman Sarkar Share via Copy link Sunday evening was one for football on multiple devices. Thunder
2 minutes ago
The Indian government on Thursday described as “inappropriate” and “in poor taste” remarks made by an American political commentator, which were shared by United States President Donald Trump on social media, that termed India as being among “hellhole” countries
3 minutes ago
President of the UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock will visit India next week and hold several bilateral meetings with government officials, her spokesperson said. Ms. Baerbock, President of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly
3 minutes ago
Banaras-Hadapsar Amrit Bharat Express: The Ministry of Railways has approved the introduction of a new Amrit Bharat Express between Banaras and Hadapsar (Pune). This new train is expected to offer affordable service for passengers from lower and lower-middle income category
2 minutes ago
The Kia Syros HTX (O), priced at Rs 14.99 lakh, offers a premium compact SUV experience with advanced tech, strong safety, and high comfort. With dual 12.3-inch screens, Level 2 ADAS, ventilated seats, and petrol/diesel options, it is a well-rounded choice for buyers seeking modern features without
2 minutes ago
