Social

• Nove partiti politici giapponesi, tra cui il Partito Liberal Democratico al governo e gruppi di opposizione, hanno concordato giovedì di richiedere agli operatori dei social media di ridurre la disinformazione, le informazioni errate e la calunnia durante le elezioni. • Il piano spingerebbe le piattaforme a interrompere i pagamenti di ricompensa agli utenti, a rispondere più rapidamente alle richieste di cancellazione e a etichettare i contenuti generati dall'AI, con i legislatori che mirano ad approvare la legge durante l'attuale sessione della Dieta. • La mossa è significativa poiché il Giappone sta cercando di attenuare le interferenze online prima delle elezioni locali unificate della prossima primavera, aumentando al contempo la trasparenza su come le piattaforme moderano i contenuti legati alle elezioni.

Il ministro degli Affari Interni Tony Burke afferma che l'inserimento in elenco impedirà al gruppo di organizzarsi e riunirsi, e potrebbe prevenire ulteriori "orribili raduni fanatici". • Il governo ha bandito il gruppo neo-nazista National Socialist Network, noto anche come White Australia, come gruppo d'odio proibito, in base alla legislazione approvata a seguito degli attacchi terroristici di Bondi. • L'inserimento in elenco significherà che attività quali il sostegno, il finanziamento, l'addestramento, il reclutamento e l'adesione al gruppo costituiranno un reato penale con una pena massima di 15 anni di prigione.

L'Australia Palestine Advocacy Network afferma che le critiche a Israele vengono regolarmente rappresentate come antisemite – e che le voci palestinesi vengono escluse dal dibattito.Ricevi le nostre email con le ultime notizie, l'app gratuita o il podcast quotidiano.Le voci palestinesi vengono escluse dal dibattito sulla coesione sociale, ha dichiarato l'organismo di rappresentanza dei palestinesi in Australia dopo che gli è stato negato il permesso di comparire davanti alla commissione reale sull'antisemitismo e la coesione sociale.L'Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (Apan) ha presentato memorie dettagliate sulle questioni dell'antisemitismo – incluso come esso venga definito – nonché sul razzismo e sulla coesione sociale, ma è stata informata di non avere un interesse "diretto e sostanziale" nelle udienze pubbliche, attualmente in corso a Sydney. Continua a leggere...

• Gli attivisti sostengono che l'uso di leggi per limitare le libertà di internet faccia parte di una storia ampiamente documentata di repressione del dissenso • Quando l'ente regolatore dei media del Gabon ha sospeso a tempo indeterminato le principali piattaforme di social media a febbraio, citando motivi di sicurezza durante le proteste anti-governative, la notizia divenne l'argomento principale di conversazione – letteralmente. • Nelle settimane successive all'annuncio, l'uso di Virtual Private Networks (VPN) per aggirare le restrizioni è aumentato drasticamente nel paese dell'Africa centrale. Quando la gendarmeria ha iniziato a fermare i giovani uomini ai posti di blocco stradali nella capitale Libreville e in altri centri urbani per confiscare i telefoni cellulari con VPN installate o per detenere i proprietari, gli avvertimenti si sono diffusi passaparola.

• Il Presidente ha pubblicato più di 50 post in tre ore, attaccando Obama, il NY Times e la Corte Suprema

Stuart Prior, eletto nell'Essex la scorsa settimana, avrebbe celebrato lo stupro di una donna Sikh e dato dei “ratti” alle persone musulmane. • Un consigliere di Reform UK si è dimesso pochi giorni dopo l'elezione, dopo aver presuntamente celebrato sui social media lo stupro di una donna Sikh nelle Midlands, aver dichiarato le persone bianche come la “razza superiore” e aver definito le persone musulmane come “ratti”. • Stuart Prior è stato eletto consigliere del consiglio provinciale dell'Essex lo scorso giovedì, ottenendo 2.404 voti, il totale più alto tra tutti i candidati del collegio.

Parlando a Desert Island Discs di BBC Radio 4, l'attore nato a Liverpool afferma che la depressione e l'ansia sono seguite alla morte del padre all'età di 15 anni L'attore David Morrissey ha raccontato come una “terribile” ansia sociale abbia contribuito a renderlo alcolista. “Sono un alcolista in fase di recupero”, ha dichiarato Morrissey, sobrio da 21 anni, a Lauren Laverne nel programma Desert Island Discs di BBC Radio 4. “All'inizio bere era legato all'ansia. Ho sofferto di questa terribile ansia sociale e l'alcol mi ha aiutato a superarla.”

• AI agents are emerging as tools to help social enterprises scale operations efficiently with leaner teams, addressing resource constraints in the social impact sector. • Without proper boundaries, AI agent deployment risks eroding trust, compromising data safety, and diminishing human connection—critical elements for social enterprises. • The development highlights the need for responsible AI implementation frameworks that balance automation benefits with ethical considerations and user trust in mission-driven organizations.

Jimmy Wales remembers a toxic internet even before social media and says AI is ‘not a disaster’ for the free – and freely edited - online encyclopaediaFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWikipedia’s founder, Jimmy Wales, has branded the Australian social media ban an “unmitigated disaster” and an “embarrassment” that is teaching kids to accept surveillance from tech companies when they go online.The online encyclopaedia that anyone can edit was born in a world before social media, in 2001. But Wales told Guardian Australia that many of the ills of social media existed even in the earlier stages of the internet. Continue reading...

• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) inadvertently exposed Social Security numbers of thousands of doctors through a data breach. • The agency failed to adequately secure sensitive personal information in its systems, raising concerns about federal data protection practices. • The breach has prompted investigations into CMS security protocols and potential regulatory reforms.

• A bipartisan advisory panel convened under President Biden’s tech‑regulation agenda delivered a draft report recommending that Congress ban politically targeted digital ads that spread “clearly false or misleading information” about voting procedures, candidates, or ballot access. • The panel, whose members include former FEC commissioners and civil‑rights leaders, argues that such ads undermine trust in elections and disproportionately affect voters of color, urging platforms to adopt stricter labeling and ad‑library rules. • The proposal sparks backlash from free‑speech advocates, who warn that any government‑defined standard for political misinformation could chill legitimate debate and benefit incumbent parties.

An 89-year-old man was apprehended in Patras after allegedly injuring at least four people in two separate shootings in Athens. Authorities believe pension grievances and psychological issues fueled the attacks, which targeted a social security office and a court building. The suspect, found with a weapon, is under investigation.

An 89-year-old man armed with a shotgun wounded an employee at a social security office in Athens before opening fire at a courthouse, injuring several more people. Police are actively searching for the suspect, with the motive behind the attacks currently unknown.

Education secretary says children will face restrictions and government will consider range of views on their formChildren in the UK will face restrictions on their use of social media but the government remains open-minded about what form the limits will take, Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, has said.Phillipson told broadcasters on Tuesday she had concerns about the content that under-16s were exposed to online and the length of time they spent staring at screens. Continue reading...

Mining magnate also claims children are being taught to be ashamed of the Australian flag in a speech to 4,000 people on the Sydney Opera House stepsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, called for immigrants’ social media to be screened and said children are being taught to be ashamed of the Australian flag in untelevised remarks before an Anzac memorial service on the steps of Sydney Opera House on Friday.Rinehart’s public appearance was attended by about 4,000 people and sponsored by her company, Hancock Prospecting, and RSL New South Wales. Continue reading...

Peers and campaigners say proposal for three-year window to impose controls breaks promise of quick actionPeers will vote on Monday on a government move that could delay action on children’s access to social media for up to three years, which has triggered a backlash from campaigners and senior figures in the Lords.Ministers tabled an amendment to the children’s wellbeing and schools bill that would allow them to wait before introducing new restrictions, Critics warn it risks watering down earlier commitments to act within months and could result in only limited interventions such as parental controls rather than sweeping measures on access. Continue reading...

Klaudia Zakrzewska, 32, was hit at about 4.30am six days ago in Soho in incident that left 58-year-man with life-changing injuriesA social media influencer has died six days after a car hit her and other pedestrians outside a nightclub in London, police said.Klaudia Zakrzewska, 32, was injured in Argyll Street, Soho, at about 4.30am on 19 April and was pronounced dead on Saturday. Continue reading...

Report from Elizabeth Warren calls Trump administration cuts to Social Security Administration ‘catastrophic’Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxCuts to the Social Security Administration have caused “customer service chaos” for millions of older Americans and those with disabilities who rely on the agency’s services, according to a new report from a group of Democratic senators.An investigation found that phone wait times were more than 10 times higher than what the agency claimed on its website, if the calls were even answered at all. Continue reading...

UK representatives from Meta, Roblox and TikTok also tell MPs they believe under-16 ban would be ‘unenforceable’Executives from three social media companies have denied their platforms are inherently addictive to children and young people in a combative appearance before MPs in Westminster.Representatives from Meta, Roblox and TikTok faced robust questioning from the cross-party education select committee about the impact of screen time and social media on children. Continue reading...

Vulnerable children placed in caravans, Airbnbs and holiday camps, with children’s commissioner saying practice must stopMinisters must get to grips with the “national scandal” of England’s shadow child social care system, the children’s commissioner has warned, as a shocking new report reveals the number of children in unregulated settings has increased by more than 370% in five years.Some of the most vulnerable children in England are being temporarily placed in unregulated caravans, Airbnbs and holiday camps, which risk the “accumulation of increasing levels of harm for children who have already faced enough distress for several lifetimes”, according to a new report. Continue reading...

Need something brilliant to read this weekend? Here are six of our favourite pieces from the last seven days Continue reading...

PM summons senior figures from Meta, TikTok, Google and X and says social media is ‘putting our children at risk’Keir Starmer has told social media bosses “things can’t go on like this” in a Downing Street meeting over internet safety.The prime minister summoned senior figures at Meta, TikTok, Google and X to No 10 on Thursday morning as his government considers imposing new restrictions on platforms, including an Australia-style ban for under-16s. Meta owns Facebook and Instagram, and Google owns YouTube. Continue reading...

Commons rejects proposal by 256 to 150 to side with government on plan to tackle online harms affecting childrenMPs have voted against a proposal to ban under-16s from using social media for the second time, as the prime minister summoned tech bosses to demand tougher action on internet safety.The House of Commons rejected a Lords amendment to the children’s wellbeing and schools bill that imposed a new age limit on using social media platforms, amid pressure from parents and campaign groups for greater urgency in tackling online harms. They voted by 256 to 150, a majority of 106, to side with the government on its plan to tackle social media-linked harms affecting children. Continue reading...

In hardline rhetoric, leader Angus Taylor also says ‘many’ prospective migrants would be a ‘net drain’ on the countryGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Coalition government would end Australia’s non-discriminatory immigration program and introduce Trump-style social media vetting for visa applicants, as Angus Taylor accuses Labor of allowing migrants of “subversive intent” into the country.As the opposition loses support to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, Taylor says too many people seek to use Australia’s generosity “for self-serving purposes”, promising to speed up rejections of asylum seekers from countries deemed safe to return to. Continue reading...

Use of UK military bases in Gulf region has been ‘invaluable’ to US military operation in IranMiddle East crisis live – latest updatesThe UK’s actions in the Gulf should be the basis for any US judgment of the country’s value rather than Donald Trump’s social media posts, the defence secretary has said.Speaking at a conference in London, John Healey said the UK’s recent efforts “spoke for themselves”, as Keir Starmer flew home after a trip that included discussing how to keep the strait of Hormuz open with Donald Trump, as well as meeting leaders in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Continue reading...

Thinktank says algorithms are fuelling isolation and division after analysing posts shown to social media usersReform UK voters are the least likely to see posts from friends and family on social media and most likely to see content from brands and news organisations, a study has found.The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) thinktank said algorithms were fuelling isolation and division after its research analysing users’ feeds on Instagram, Facebook, X, Bluesky and TikTok found that only 13% of Reform UK voters saw content from someone they knew, compared with 23% of Green party voters. Continue reading...

Mayor says disinformation, including about London crime rates, is ‘eating away at basic bonds of trust’Sadiq Khan has called on ministers to take significantly stronger action against social media companies that spread disinformation after a study showed a surge in hostile accounts posting falsehoods about London’s crime rates and integration.In an intervention on what he called “the outrage economy”, the London mayor, who has also written to social media firms demanding change, said a lack of action could prompt more domestic terrorism by people who believe conspiracy theories they find online. Continue reading...

Prime minister says ban would come into force next year and calls for united action across European UnionGreece has announced a social media ban for under-15s from 1 January, with the country’s prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, citing rising anxiety, sleep problems and the addictive design of online platforms – although he acknowledged it may incur the wrath of some children.“We have decided to go ahead with a difficult but necessary measure: ban access to social media for children under 15 years old,” he said in a TikTok video intended to address a young audience. Continue reading...