Australian politicians think 15-year-olds are old enough to go to jail but not go on Facebook. They’re kidding themselves
It would be much better for young people to be supported to navigate social media safely than ban them from it entirely
‘No country in the world has solved this problem’: can Australia make age verification work for social media?
Previously unreported documents suggest age assurance technology has not been successfully implemented anywhere in the world
‘We got the energy’: Irish children’s rap video goes viral
The Spark, a song created by a group of nine-to-12-year-olds including refugees, has amassed 8.6m views
Counterfeit goes cool: high-end brands urged to embrace rise of #dupe
Gen Z are flaunting their knockoffs and imitations – so experts say companies should play along
Spam, junk … slop? The latest wave of AI behind the ‘zombie internet’
Tech experts hope new term for carelessly automated AI webpages and images can illuminate its damaging impact
EU investigates Facebook owner Meta over child safety and mental health concerns
Company’s social media platforms, which also include Instagram, may have addictive effects, says European Commission
Best podcasts of the week: The stone cold truth about the scandal that rocked curling
How can one broom tear apart a Canadian curling community? John Cullen investigates in Broomgate. Plus: five of the best post-apocalyptic podcasts
Young people buying large knives on Telegram and TikTok, police say
Commander says authorities scrambling to keep up with supply trends as knife crimes rise
Revealed: US university lecturer behind far-right Twitter account and publishing house
Guardian investigation identifies Jonathan Keeperman, a former lecturer at the University of California, Irvine, as ‘Lomez’
The week in audio: Fur & Loathing; Dead Man Running; About the Boys; Vanessa Feltz – review
Nicky Woolf investigates a chemical attack at a furry convention, Myles Bonnar pursues a Scottish fugitive, Catherine Carr takes a sensitive approach to teenage boys, and a storm hits LBC
Revealed: how ‘fun’ social media accounts direct fans to betting giant
‘Boring Milner’ and ‘Andy Robson’ accounts work with Fanwave Digital, a firm paid by Paddy Power Betfair to post betting tips
TikTok to auto-flag AI videos – even if created on other platforms
Industry’s digital watermarking scheme will add to existing safeguards on TikTok’s own tools
Best podcasts of the week: Gemma Collins joyfully jumps into her specialist subject – herself
In this week’s newsletter: Celebrity anthology show Everything I Know About Me returns with the Towie star as its focus. Plus: five shows hosted by master podcasters
‘That open tweet is the canvas’: behind the highs, lows and memes of Black Twitter
A new docuseries, from Insecure showrunner Prentice Penny, explores how a section of Twitter became an inventive and impactful community
Tech firms must ‘tame’ algorithms under Ofcom child safety rules
Regulator calls on social media firms to use robust age checks to keep harmful content away from children