Online Safety stories - Page 4

Incode has joined the OpenAge Initiative, bolstering a push for interoperable, privacy-preserving age checks across online services.

McAfee boosts its Scam Detector with instant QR checks and smarter message scanning to counter a surge in personal, AI-powered frauds.

WhatsApp launches Strict Account Settings, a lockdown mode offering tighter privacy and security for journalists and other high‑risk users.

Snapchat adds detailed screen-time and friend context tools to Family Centre, giving parents new teen safety insights without reading chats.

Plans for a UK under-16 social media ban spark warnings it could damage the creator economy while missing deeper online safety flaws.

As generative AI spreads rapidly, experts warn governance is lagging and call for enforceable audits, red teaming and continuous oversight.

Bitdefender warns of a global surge in fake job emails posing as Amazon, Carrefour and the NHS, stealing data, money and account logins.

Virgin Media O2 will donate 12,000 refurbished smartphones in 2026 to help tackle digital exclusion and cut electronic waste across the UK.

YouTube sets 2026 agenda with tougher child safety tools, bigger creator payouts and expanded AI across production and viewing.

Online shopping scams in the UK jumped 416% in late 2025 as malvertising, social media fake shops and deepfake frauds surged, Gen warns.

Betsson adopts Group-IB's real-time fraud tech to counter rising account takeovers, bonus abuse and payment scams across its platforms.

Governments worldwide tighten social media age checks for children, fuelling demand for privacy-friendly facial age estimation tools.

A deepfake surge is driving relentless AI-powered celebrity scams, with persona kits and adaptive fraud campaigns eroding online trust.

Ofcom has opened a probe into X over claims its Grok AI tool enabled deepfake sexual images, testing the UK's new Online Safety Act.

Corsearch has launched CVAN, an AI-driven network that spots suspect listings across 1,500 marketplaces before counterfeit goods go live.

Instagram denies a data breach after a dataset on 17m users appears on hacking forums, blaming old leak scraps and a fixed reset bug.

Black Hat will premiere Semperis documentary Midnight in the War Room in Las Vegas, spotlighting the human cost of cyber conflict.

UK vows Cyber Action Plan with GBP £210m for public-sector defences, as tech leaders warn success hinges on long-term reform and culture.

Liz Kendall presses X to stop AI tool Grok being used for sexual deepfakes, warning it may be breaching the UK's Online Safety Act rules.

AI-powered 'Truman Show' scam uses OPCOPRO app and fake trading rooms in official stores to steal cash and victims' digital identities.