Online

La società proprietaria di Facebook e Instagram sostiene che gli oneri non debbano essere calcolati in base al fatturato globale dell'azienda. Meta ha avviato un'azione legale contro l'organo di regolamentazione dei media del Regno Unito in merito al regime di tasse e sanzioni applicato nell'ambito della storica legislazione sulla sicurezza digitale. La società proprietaria di Facebook e Instagram sostiene che la metodologia di Ofcom per il calcolo degli oneri sia errata e non debba basarsi sul fatturato globale di un'azienda. Le violazioni dell'Online Safety Act possono essere punite con multe fino al 10% del fatturato mondiale qualificato (QWR) o 18 milioni di sterline, a seconda di quale valore sia superiore. Continua a leggere...

Developers at the studio Wizards of the Coast cited AI and layoff protections as some issues driving unionization effortMagic: the Gathering is casting lots for a union. Game developers at the popular digital and tabletop studio Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro that develops online versions of the popular card game and Dungeons & Dragons, are seeking to join the Communications Workers of America.The workers announced their intent to unionize Monday to join the CWA, which has organized thousands of workers in the tech and video game industry in recent years, including the largest certified union in the US video game industry in 2024 representing 600 quality assurance workers at Activision. Continue reading...

The 32-year-old jailed for life for a racially motivated sex attack on a Sikh woman had a collection of hate-filled uploadsJohn Ashby is a man who did not hide his hatred of women.In fact, the rapist, who was sentenced this week to life in prison with a minimum of 14 years for a racially motivated sex attack on a Sikh woman, vented his misogyny online for all to see. Continue reading...

Eurail, which sells passes, says data being ‘offered for sale on dark web’ after December breach affecting 300,000 peopleHolidaymakers across Europe are facing the stress and expense of getting new passports after their personal data was posted on the dark web after a hack of the Interrail company Eurail.Personal data, including passport numbers, names, phone numbers, email and home addresses and dates of birth of more than 300,000 European travellers was accessed in December. But this week Eurail revealed to customers that “data copied during the security incident has been offered for sale on the dark web and a sample dataset has been published on Telegram”. Continue reading...

Lack of funding leaving police forces failing to keep pace with two-thirds annual increase in referrals, says reportChild victims of online sexual abuse are being inadequately protected from further harm because police forces are struggling to cope with an increase in this crime, his majesty’s chief inspector of constabulary has warned.Michelle Skeer said: “Without investment and coordination, the situation will worsen and children could be put at further risk.” Continue reading...

Much is expected of Online Safety Act and less from free speech advocates leaving new boss in difficult placeIan Cheshire’s Ofcom intray is big. It is available online under the regulator’s plan for 2026/27 and covers an array of industries: telecoms; broadband; the postal service; media and the online world.It is the latter that it going to dominate his tenure. Ofcom oversees the Online Safety Act, the legislation that regulates social media in the UK. Much is expected of the act from internet safety campaigners, and a bit less from freedom of speech advocates, which leaves Cheshire in a difficult place. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Call for nudity-detection tech on phones as number of under-18s reporting blackmail attempts rises by 34%• ‘I felt ashamed and scared’: how an online friendship became a sextortion nightmareChildren are reporting online sextortion attempts in record numbers in the UK, as campaigners urge tech companies to do more to stamp out the crime.The Report Remove service, which allows children to flag intimate images or videos of themselves that have appeared, or could appear, online, said it received 394 reports from under-18s last year of blackmail attempts after sending sexual images to predators. The figure is 34% higher than in 2024. Continue reading...

• A New Mexico jury found Meta liable for US$375 million in damages for failing to protect young people from online harm, including exploitation by sexual predators, in violation of state consumer protection laws. • This verdict follows a separate Los Angeles jury decision ordering Meta and Google to pay US$6 million to a 20-year-old woman over claims that their apps were addictive and caused mental health crises. • Multiple states have filed similar cases against Meta, signaling a broader accountability movement targeting major tech platforms' user engagement and safety practices.

Ban includes two exceptions: AI can still be used for translations, and to make minor copy editsWikipedia has banned the use of artificial intelligence in the generation or rewriting of content for its voluminous online encyclopedia.In a recent policy change, Wikipedia said that the use of large language models (or LLMs) “often violates” its core principles and will not be allowed. The English language version of Wikipedia has more than 7.1m articles. Continue reading...

Staff urge managing director to retract comments after he describes industrial action as ‘playing games’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastABC staff and union representatives have urged the managing director, Hugh Marks, to retract “utterly offensive” comments after he said staff had treated taking industrial action as “a bit of a game”.Marks made the comments just hours before the end of the 24-hour strike that saw more than 2,000 staff members walk off the job on Wednesday. Continue reading...

• A 2024 Instagram video of Kid Rock yelling 'You f--k with Trump, you f--k with me!' while shirtless has resurfaced, drawing mockery amid his Rock the Country festival's poor ticket sales. • The musician, real name Robert James Ritchie, appeared aggressive outdoors wearing sunglasses and a 'White boy of the year' cap. • Recent March 2026 comments jeer the clip, questioning his threats after two years, as his festival faces financial struggles.

Bill was introduced in the Senate on Monday as prediction market companies face greater scrutiny on state levelPrediction markets are facing fresh bipartisan scrutiny in the US Senate as companies like Kalshi and Polymarket continue to battle state-led efforts to regulate online betting.A bill was introduced in the US Senate Monday that would ban federally regulated platforms from allowing wagers on sporting events, what would be a huge blow to marketplaces where billions of dollars have been traded on major events like the Super Bowl and the NCAA’s March Madness. Continue reading...

• The FDA issued an urgent safety alert on March 20, 2026, warning of counterfeit versions of semaglutide and tirzepatide circulating through unverified online retailers, with 47 adverse events reported including severe infections and allergic reactions. • Counterfeit products lack sterility assurance and may contain contaminated ingredients or incorrect dosing, posing serious health risks to consumers seeking weight loss or diabetes treatment. • The agency recommends patients obtain GLP-1 medications only through licensed pharmacies with valid prescriptions, emphasizing that legitimate suppliers require medical supervision.

Exclusive: eSafety commission pointed to Musk’s promise that ‘removing child exploitation is priority #1’ in letter obtained by Guardian Australia The Australian online safety regulator warned Elon Musk’s X amid the Grok sexualised image generation scandal that it found child abuse material was “particularly systemic” on X and more accessible than “any other mainstream service”, correspondence obtained by Guardian Australia reveals.The eSafety commissioner wrote to X in January after its chatbot Grok was used to generate sexualised images of women and children online, in what the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, described as “abhorrent”. Continue reading...

As platforms make less from advertising, creators are struggling to monetise work – leading to calls for more government investment and tax breaksOn a humid afternoon in Lagos, a shoot for a comedy skit is under way on a set that looks more like a small film production.Dozens of people mill about: lighting assistants, a sound engineer, a makeup artist and even a content creator recording unscripted behind-the-scenes footage. At the centre is Broda Shaggi, born Samuel Animashaun Perry, who is issuing instructions, rehearsing lines and performing caricatures. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Guardian investigation finds data from flagship medical research leaked dozens of timesConfidential health data has been exposed online on dozens of occasions, a Guardian investigation can reveal, raising questions about the safeguarding of patient records by one of the UK’s flagship medical research projects.UK Biobank, which holds the medical records of 500,000 British volunteers, is one of the world’s most comprehensive stores of health information and is credited with driving breakthroughs in cancer, dementia and diabetes research. But scientists approved to access Biobank’s sensitive data appear to have sometimes been cavalier about its security. Continue reading...