Social

• Negen Japanse politieke partijen, waaronder de regerende Liberal Democratic Party en oppositiegroepen, zijn donderdag overeengekomen om te eisen dat exploitanten van sociale media desinformatie, misinformatie en laster tijdens verkiezingen verminderen. • Het plan zou platforms dwingen om beloningsbetalingen aan gebruikers te staken, sneller te reageren op verzoeken tot verwijdering en AI-gegenereerde inhoud te labelen, waarbij wetgevers streven om wetgeving tijdens de huidige sessie van de Diet aan te nemen. • Deze stap is van belang omdat Japan online inmenging wil beperken vóór de lokale gedelegeerde verkiezingen van volgende lente, terwijl de transparantie over hoe platforms verkiezingsgerelateerde inhoud modereren, wordt vergroot.

Minister van Binnenlandse Zaken Tony Burke zegt dat de vermelding de groep zal beletten zich te organiseren en bijeen te komen, en mogelijk meer 'verschrikkelijke bigotische rallies' zal voorkomen.

• Het Australia Palestine Advocacy Network stelt dat kritiek op Israël routinematig wordt misrepresenteerd als antisemitisme – en dat Palestijnse stemmen worden uitgesloten van het debat • Palestijnse stemmen worden uitgesloten van het debat over sociale cohesie, aldus de overkoepelende organisatie voor Palestijnen in Australië nadat zij geen toestemming kregen om te verschijnen voor de royal commission over antisemitisme en sociale cohesie. • Het Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (Apan) had gedetailleerde inzendingen gedaan over kwesties rond antisemitisme – inclusief de definitie daarvan – alsmede over racisme en sociale cohesie, maar kreeg te horen dat het geen "direct en substantieel" belang had bij de publieke hoorzittingen, die momenteel plaatsvinden in Sydney.

• Activisten beweren dat het gebruik van wetten om internetvrijheden in te perken deel uitmaakt van een goed gedocumenteerde geschiedenis van het neerslaan van dissidenten • Toen de mediaregulator van Gabon in februari grote sociale mediaplatforms voor onbepaalde tijd schorste, met een beroep op veiligheidszorgen tijdens anti-regeringsprotesten, werd dit het gesprek van de dag – letterlijk. • Binnen enkele weken na de aankondiging nam het gebruik van Virtual Private Networks (VPN's) om de beperkingen te omzeilen sterk toe in het Centraal-Afrikaanse land.

President postte meer dan 50 keer in drie uur, waarbij hij Obama, NY Times en het Hooggerechtshof aanviel

• Stuart Prior, die vorige week in Essex werd verkozen, vierde naar verluidt de verkrachting van een Sikh-vrouw en noemde moslims 'ratten'. • Een raadslid van Reform UK is enkele dagen na zijn verkiezing teruggetreden, nadat hij op sociale media naar verluidt de verkrachting van een Sikh-vrouw in the Midlands zou hebben gevierd, witte mensen tot het 'meesterras' verklaarde en moslims 'ratten' noemde. • Stuart Prior werd vorige donderdag verkozen tot raadslid van de Essex county council met 2.404 stemmen, het hoogste totaal van alle kandidaten in het kiesdistrict.

In een gesprek bij Desert Island Discs van BBC Radio 4 vertelt de in Liverpool geboren acteur dat depressie en angst volgden op het overlijden van zijn vader toen hij 15 was De acteur David Morrissey heeft verteld hoe "verschrikkelijke" sociale angst heeft bijgedragen aan zijn alcoholisme. “Ik ben een herstellende alcoholist,” vertelde Morrissey, die inmiddels 21 jaar nuchter is, aan Lauren Laverne bij Desert Island Discs van BBC Radio 4. “Het drinken ging in eerste instantie over angst. Ik heb deze vreselijke sociale angst gehad en dat hielp me erdoorheen.” Lees verder...

• 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...