Media

Ofcom move follows concerns about misinformation and online claims over police response to Henry Nowak killingSocial media companies have been ordered to have emergency measures in place to stop illegal content going viral, as regulators battle to stop the type of misinformation spiral that circulated after the 2024 summer riots.Sites such as X, formerly Twitter, and TikTok will have to have a “crisis protocol” in place to intervene when the sharing of dangerous content begins to spike. Continue reading...

Trump administration says restrictions could impose ‘disproportionate’ burden on US tech companiesUK politics live – latest updatesThe White House has urged the UK not to impose a social media ban for under-16s, as it said restrictions could impose a “disproportionate” burden on US tech firms.In a submission to a government consultation on online safety, the US government came out against “prescribed one-size-fits-all government restrictions” and “blunt regulatory instruments” to address online harms to children. Continue reading...

In today’s newsletter: With Keir Starmer expected to announce Australia-style restrictions, further problems – including AI chatbots - are on the horizonGood morning. Keir Starmer’s expected speech next week about young people’s access to social media will be analysed as much for how it benefits the outcome of a certain byelection, as its safeguarding of children’s synapses.After issuing an ultimatum to tech firms yesterday to block children’s phones from sharing nude images, the government is expected to make another major announcement about social media within days. Briefings suggest it will stop short of a blanket ban on under-16s accessing social media. But it will still amount to radical regulation, with Downing Street insisting that Starmer is up for a fight with big tech.UK politics | Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed that he plans to invite King Charles on a state visit to Ukraine as early as this year, which would make him the most senior royal to travel to Kyiv since Russia’s full-scale invasion.Middle East | Fears of a return to a full-scale regional war in the Middle East eased on Monday as Israel and Iran said they had halted attacks on each other after an appeal from Donald Trump to “immediately stop shooting”.UK news | A report has found “widespread and concerning evidence” of bias and victim-blaming in the family courts – primarily disadvantaging women.US news | Donald Trump was loudly booed when he was shown on the video screens at Madison Square Garden on Monday night at the NBA finals.Unemployment | A government-funded pilot of “hyperlocal” job support in 10 neighbourhoods across England has shown “promising early signs of effectiveness”, including for young people, and could be scalable nationwide, a new evaluation has shown. Continue reading...

• Digital leaders from the D9+ group are advocating for a unified set of European rules to combat the harms associated with children's social media use. • While there is a general consensus on the need for a common front, Estonia has raised specific concerns regarding the implementation of age verification checks. • This effort matters as the EU seeks to standardize protections for minors across member states to prevent fragmented regulation and inconsistent safety levels.

• French producers have issued a formal warning to the Culture Minister regarding a new austerity push targeting public-broadcasting funding. • The industry warns that these budget cuts pose "deep risks" to the national production sector and could significantly diminish content diversity. • This conflict highlights the tension between government fiscal tightening and the need to sustain a competitive domestic media ecosystem.

Molly Rose Foundation says government should instead set strict safety standards for appsA rushed under-16s social media ban in the UK could unravel and families will be left to count the cost, a leading child safety charity has warned.The Molly Rose Foundation (MRF) said an age limit on the use of tech platforms could unravel, after a report that the prime minister, Keir Starmer, is to announce a ban on under-16s accessing “harmful” social media apps. Continue reading...

• Global Research criticizes CNN for reporting that Russia is facing a "strategic defeat" and labeling Ukraine as a "military innovator." • The analysis argues that such claims ignore the reality of shifting battlelines and the unreliable nature of casualty counts provided by both sides and their allies. • This critique highlights a perceived bias in mainstream U.S. media, suggesting that the outcome of the Ukrainian conflict remains undecided.

Investigation reveals more than 4.4 million people live in ‘news deserts’ that lack dedicated local reportingLocal social media groups are fuelling misinformation in areas with no reliable sources of news, according to an investigation that reveals the scale of fake news flowing to vulnerable communities across Britain.Misinformation was nearly three times more common in areas with little or no recognised local journalism, according to a study of tens of thousands of posts seen by the Guardian. Immigration and Islamophobia were the most common topics of misinformation across Facebook and X. Continue reading...

• A $160 million chip smuggling ring has been uncovered, highlighting critical vulnerabilities in the global semiconductor supply chain and international trade security. • OpenAI is facing significant controversy regarding a new military contract, sparking a broader debate over the ethical use of artificial intelligence in warfare. • Technological breakthroughs in optical semiconductors and AI memory features are emerging, promising to fundamentally reshape data center operations and efficiency.

Cold storage and logistics body warns food supplies at risk from fuel shortages, cyber attacks and extreme weatherMinisters have been accused of being complacent about the risks to vital supplies of food into the UK amid concerns over fuel shortages, cyber attacks and extreme weather.The trade body for cold storage and logistics has urged the government to make potential disruption to the UK’s food system an “immediate national priority”. Continue reading...

Tech giants claim Australia’s free trade agreement with the United States will be violated, as they try to kill a proposal to force them to pay news companiesTech companies are invoking Australia’s free trade agreement with the United States, and threats of a Trump administration retaliation in a bid to kill off the federal government’s proposal to force them to pay news companies.The news media bargaining incentive is designed to force Meta, Google and TikTok to make commercial deals with Australian media outlets, or be forced to pay a dedicated 2.25% levy on local revenues. Continue reading...

• President Lee Jae-myung's Democratic Party is poised for a major victory in South Korea's local elections, expected to win 11 of 16 municipal races. • This shift follows the political collapse of the PPP, led by former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached and sentenced to life in prison after attempting to impose martial law in 2024. • The victory is significant as Lee seeks to pivot South Korea's foreign policy by improving relations with China and North Korea while preserving ties with Japan.

• Foreign news outlets are framing South Korea's upcoming local elections as a critical litmus test for President Lee Jae Myung's first year in office. • The vote is viewed as a primary measure of public support for Lee's administration and a gauge of the conservative opposition's ability to recover. • This political contest follows significant turmoil triggered by former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law.

• Major foreign media outlets from the United States and Japan are closely monitoring South Korea's nationwide local and National Assembly elections held on June 3. • Most international reports predict a victory for the ruling Democratic Party, citing current polling and political momentum. • Nikkei highlighted a potential risk for the ruling party, noting that South Korean elections often experience sharp shifts in balance due to last-minute variables or opposition supporter consolidation.

Watchdog says ‘publishers will now have effective tools to prevent content being used to power AI features in search’Publishers will be able to opt out of their content being used to train Google’s AI models and power its search summaries, the UK competition watchdog has announced as it imposes new conduct requirements on search services.“Publishers will now have effective tools to prevent their content being used to power AI features in search, such as AI Overviews,” the Competition and Markets Authority said. Continue reading...

• A top media expert has warned the Thai government that the country is facing a digital sovereignty crisis due to the growing influence of foreign tech giants. • The adviser specifically highlighted Elon Musk's Starlink, noting that its ability to beam internet from space could allow users to bypass national networks and government regulators. • This shift matters because it threatens the state's ability to control information, manage data, and enforce domestic media regulations.

High-profile reporters reject accusations of revelling in drama, saying politicians are the people ‘addicted to crisis’Politicians, not reporters, are responsible for driving a decade of chaos in Westminster, prominent political editors have said, after accusations that the media have become addicted to political crises.Britain could yet appoint its seventh prime minister since the Brexit vote 10 years ago, after the turmoil that has engulfed Keir Starmer’s leadership since Labour’s May election results. Continue reading...

Successor to Nicholas Serota from August picks out AI as one of the major challenges facing the sectorThe media executive Dawn Airey has been appointed chair of Arts Council England (Ace) and has immediately identified AI as a key challenge facing the sector.Airey, whose CV includes top jobs at ITV, Channel 5 and Sky, will replace Nicholas Serota, whose tenure coincided with one of the most challenging times for the arts in recent memory. Continue reading...

• The UK legal year's Trinity Term is scheduled to run from Tuesday, June 2, 2026, through Friday, July 31, 2026. • Privacy International has released an analysis criticizing new EU Commission access to documents rules for potentially shielding Big Tech companies. • These rules establish a formal presumption of confidentiality for proceedings under the Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act without citing supporting court authority.

• South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) have launched a public-private committee to address theatrical windows for films. • The initiative aims to establish standardized timeframes between a movie's cinema release and its availability on streaming platforms. • This move is critical as the global screen industry grapples with streaming disruption and the need to protect traditional theatrical revenue models.

• Iranian state media announced that talks with the U.S. have halted and warned that "other fronts" are opening, including potential attacks on key waterways. • This escalation follows statements from Donald Trump suggesting the Iranian regime "really wants to make a deal" to resolve ongoing tensions. • Reports from CBS indicate that potential diplomatic arrangements could include sanctions relief or waivers, granting Iran access to billions of dollars in frozen assets.

Focusing in on the casino operator is a sharp departure from media for Diller at a time when markets remain volatileMedia mogul Barry Diller’s People Inc said on Monday it has proposed to buy MGM Resorts, valuing the casino operator at more than $18bn.The offer comes just weeks after Diller, the digital media company’s chair, told shareholders in a 28 April letter that People would sharpen its focus on its MGM stake, calling the stock “wildly undervalued”. Continue reading...

• ACCORD is analyzing the evolving African mediation landscape, questioning if current mediation architectures are failing to keep pace with rapidly changing conflict dynamics. • A critical "seventh shift" identified is geopolitical fragmentation, where global powers have moved away from multilateral norms toward pursuing transactional interests. • External actors are increasingly competing for African minerals, ports, military access, and ideological alignment, risking the transformation of local conflicts into arenas for global contestation.

• Unproven treatments, including ivermectin, vitamin D, and zinc, are being promoted on social media as cures for hantavirus following a recent cruise ship outbreak. • While vitamin D and zinc are known to support general immune regulation, there is currently no hantavirus-specific clinical evidence to support their use for this disease. • This trend mirrors the misinformation patterns seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, where therapeutic extrapolation led users to adopt unverified medical treatments.

• Researchers from the Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, and Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) conducted a global study on mixed-species bird flocks (MSBFs). • Published on April 20, 2026, the research mapped global diversity patterns of these flocks and identified how they are linked to specific environmental factors. • The study is significant as it reveals latitudinal diversity patterns, providing deeper insight into how different bird species interact and adapt across various global climates.

• France leads all EU countries in the number of citizens challenging social media companies' content moderation decisions over the past year. • According to a new report, France recorded 4,400 challenges, followed by Belgium and Italy, while other nations like Spain (3,000) and Germany (1,800) trailed behind. • This trend highlights a growing push among European users to hold tech giants accountable for how they censor or remove digital content.

• Local media intellectual property (IP) is increasingly being integrated into Asian theme attractions through strategic collaborations and self-developed projects. • The trend is driven by the rapid growth of Asia's creative industries, where online games and streaming platforms have surpassed traditional film, television, and publishing in vibrancy. • This shift matters as it leverages massive regional populations to merge digital media content with location-based entertainment experiences.

Kanishka Narayan says Australia’s pioneering law has contributed to national conversation under way in BritainThe UK’s online safety minister says he has spent a week in Australia learning the “practical lessons” of the country’s under-16s social media ban amid concern that many teenagers are bypassing the law.The British government is expected to announce a social media crackdown within weeks after a public consultation that could see the UK follow in Australia’s footsteps and restrict access to social media for teens – including age limits or changes to allegedly addictive design features – by the end of this year. Continue reading...