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October 11, 2023

Utah sues TikTok for getting children ‘addicted’ to its algorithm

  • Utah’s Division of Consumer Protection (UDCP) is suing TikTok over allegations that it misrepresents itself as independent of China and its algorithm being harmful to children.
  • The state’s lawsuit is the latest in an array of bans and legal action from US-based governments.
  • Utah Governor Spencer Cox accused the company of “misleading parents that its app is safe for children”.
  • Beyond TikTok, Utah also passed a law this year requiring parents to consent before their children can use social media.
  • For more, please visit the Verge website.

New report shows the rise of child sexual abuse content and online risks to children

  • According to the NSPCC, mental and emotional health and wellbeing was the top reason children contacted Childline in 2022-23.
  • The NSPCC are calling on the government to commit to funding and delivering mental health support teams across schools and colleges in order to reach those needing help.
  • The Department for Health and Social Care has promised to invest an additional £2.3 billion a year into mental health services by 2024.
  • Dr Lade Smith, president of The Royal College of Psychiatrists, reported: “The public mental health emergency is real. It is having a devastating effect on the lives of thousands of people, particularly children and young people.”
  • For further support, Childline can be contacted via childline.org.uk or calling 0800 11 11.
  • For more, please visit the ITV News website.

Drugs being offered for sale via social media messaging apps, police warn

  • Police have warned that criminals are offering drugs for sale via social media messaging apps following the seizure of mobile phones in the greater Belfast area.
  • As part of Operation Dealbreaker, detectives have identified over 50 mobile numbers, conducted 18 related search operations and arrested 14 people.
  • Detective Superintendent Emma Neill reported that during searches, Class A, B and C controlled drugs were found along with cash and high assets, which have been seized.
  • Ms Neill said the operation was part of the PSNI’s efforts to tackle drugs problem in NI, reporting that she’s “seen vulnerable lives ruined and lost, with families left to pick up the pieces”.
  • For more, please visit the Belfast Telegraph website.

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