Roblox sues YouTuber for over $1.6 million

  • Roblox is taking YouTuber, Benjamin “Ruben Sim” Simon to court over alleged attacks on the platform and its young users.
  • The lawsuit contains several allegations including sexual harassment, terrorist threats, homophobic and racial slurs and tying to upload pictures of Hitler.
  • While Ruben Sim has been banned from Roblox, he allegedly continues to access the platform using alternate/fake accounts and harass Roblox staff with libellous comments.
  • Ruben Sim’s YouTube channel has over 700,000 subscribers and makes approximately $600 per video through Patreon.
  • Full story, here.

Cosmetic surgery ads aimed at under-18s to be banned in UK

  • Cosmetic surgery clinics are to be banned from targeting adverts for procedures to under-18s.
  • The rules ban adverts on all forms of media – from social media to newspapers and influencer marketing that are aimed at under-18s or appeal to that age group.
  • The changes come into force in May, following a consultation by the Committee for Advertising Practice (Cap).
  • The consultation investigated the potential harm of cosmetic procedure ads on mental health and body image pressures.
  • While it is illegal to perform procedures on under-18s, there are no current restrictions on advertising.
  • Full story, here.

Rise in children treated for depression in Western Trust

  • Children as young as five years old have been attending hospital emergency departments for self-harm, depression, and suicidal thoughts.
  • Figures show an 11% rise during the first year of the pandemic in those aged 18 and under attending emergency departments.
  • The number of children and young people in emergency departments rose to 527 during between March 2020 and February 2021, 102 of those were aged between 14 and under.
  • The rising trend has continued in 2021, with 333 children and young people attending the trust’s emergency department from March until August.
  • Full story, here.