CHILD PRIVACY LAW
Meghan Markle says a 2018 letter containing troubling allegations about Thomas Markle shaped her decision to protect Archie & Lilibet. Here is what it revealed
Meghan Markle has distanced her children from their grandfather Thomas Markle due to safety concerns. Allegations about Thomas Markle's behavior were reported to British police before being shared with Meghan. Recent developments include a federal arrest of Thomas Markle on charges of child pornography. The estrangement and reasons behind it are tied to a letter sent to police outlining these concerns.
See data centres less as energy-sucking private warehouses, and more as quasi-public utilities
We need data centres. They run far more than ChatGPT. Search, banking, streaming, social networks, cloud software, government services, hospitals and almost every company's digital operations depend on them. AI simply raises the requirement dramatically. Google says its Vizag hub will provide new subsea connectivity for India. IEA says electricity use by AI-focused data centres jumped 50% in 2025. A country without serious compute infrastructure risks becoming a consumer, rather than a producer, of the AI revolution.
Meta hit with a staggering $25 billion penalty in New Mexico privacy case linked to Cambridge Analytica scandal-here's what happened
Meta has been sentenced to pay a staggering $25 billion for consumer protection infractions in New Mexico. These violations arose from misleading data collection practices tied to the notorious Cambridge Analytica scandal. Upon the court's ruling, Meta's chief legal officer expressed plans to appeal. Attorney General Raúl Torrez highlighted the serious repercussions faced by powerful tech firms, following a series of lawsuits over data breaches and child safety issues.
Children have fundamental right to access internet, can't impose blanket ban on its use: SC
The Supreme Court affirmed the right to access the internet as fundamental for children. It ordered the creation of a national database to detect and remove harmful content targeting minors. The court emphasized the importance of content moderation while ensuring child safety online. It implemented measures to combat the increase in child sexual exploitation material on digital platforms.
Apple names Meta veteran Scott Tucker as litigation chief in legal team shake-up
Apple has hired former Meta litigation chief Scott Tucker as vice president of global litigation and financial services, strengthening its legal leadership amid mounting antitrust, patent and other lawsuits. The appointment is part of a broader reorganisation under General Counsel Jennifer Newstead, as the iPhone maker faces legal setbacks threatening its services business.
Supreme Court seeks Centre's reply on social media curbs for kids
The petition, filed by Emerald Heights International School, Indore, and its director Siddharth Singh, seeks comprehensive safeguards for children using social media platforms.
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A reckoning on social media addiction came late for many kids. Will AI safety be different?
When Meta agreed to changes to its social media platforms and enhanced safeguards in an $18 billion settlement, it made progress by "getting at what we've known for years" about the dangers, said Kristin Bride, a parent advocate who has fought for social media reform since the death of her teenage son. "How are we going to get at what we don't know is coming?"
Facebook accused of deceiving users in New Mexico as trial over privacy scandal wraps up
Jurors heard two weeks of evidence and must now decide whether Facebook violated the state's Unfair Practices Act and if so, how many times. It would then be up to the judge to determine how much the company would pay per violation.
Meta launches camera-free AI glasses amid privacy pushback
Meta unveiled several new wearables powered by its artificial intelligence (AI) models on Wednesday, including an audio-only, camera-free version of its smart glasses, amid global concerns about privacy and the filming of women and girls without their consent. The audio-only versions will complement the release of dozens of new smart glasses models that keep the video filming option.
ETtech Explainer: Decoding EU’s move to dismantle addictive technology for children
The proposed KIDS Act would set different access rules by age, bring AI companions and conversational chatbots under the bloc’s child-safety framework and require platforms to build safeguards into their services. The proposal comes as governments in several countries consider tighter restrictions on children’s access to social media and other online services.
'Born without a sound': How Trump's shooter grew from a silent child to a gunman
Newly surfaced FBI records reveal gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks was withdrawn and fixated on firearms. He opened fire at a Trump rally, grazing the candidate's ear. A fire chief died shielding his family while two others were injured. Crooks was shot dead by Secret Service snipers at the scene. Investigators found no clear motive despite extensive interviews and digital file reviews.
Ground-floor flat owner wins water leakage case as Maharashtra court orders the first-floor owner to let repairmen work in his flat and share the cost this way
1st-floor owner refused to let water leakage repairmen inside flat; ground-floor owner files case; wins case in Maharashtra Co-operative Court; court upheld 50:50 cost-sharing arrangement. Know how ground floor owner won the case.
Eats, shoots and leaves: An influencer's guide to public spaces
After influencers at the US Open were spotted clicking pics with ring lights while matches were underway, Wimbledon tightened its rules around creators. Nupur Amarnath and Pratishtha Bagai put together a guide to creating ‘main character’ content without becoming the villain on the scene.
California governor signs law to limit children's social media risks
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed more than a dozen new laws on Thursday that address various aspects of children's safety online, including one that prohibits social media companies from serving addictive features to users under 16 years old. Instead, it defines "addictive" features as ones that are "psychologically exploitative" and prohibits social media companies from providing children with features such as infinite scroll, algorithmic recommendations and autoplay.
California bans addictive social media features for under-16s, AI chatbot toys
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed technology laws protecting children online. These measures restrict social media features designed for compulsive use. A four-year ban on AI companion chatbots in toys was also enacted. The legislation strengthens online privacy and parental controls for minors. These laws aim to ensure technology supports children's well-being.
Social media companies are trying harder to know which users are kids
Determining which accounts belong to children is the linchpin of child safety measures that other companies, including Google, TikTok, and Roblox, are ramping up as public and regulatory sentiment turns against them in the US and other countries.
Meta’s $17.1 billion settlement puts Instagram and Facebook on a digital bedtime
Meta has agreed to pay up to $17.1 billion to settle a multistate lawsuit alleging Facebook and Instagram were designed to hook children, while introducing stricter controls for U.S. teenagers, including screen-time limits, overnight restrictions, reduced notifications, stronger parental controls and non-personalised feeds, according to ToI correspondent Chidanand Rajghatta’s report.
Brazil fines TikTok $30 million in 'powerful signal' over child safety
Brazil's data protection agency on Tuesday fined TikTok nearly $30 million for failing to implement child safety measures in what it said was a "powerful signal" to social media companies. He said the fine of 153.7 million reais ($29.9 million) was a "powerful signal to other platforms regarding how seriously the ANPD takes this work" and that the agency hoped they "get the message".
Assam: 19 children rescued, 3 arrested in Namsai child trafficking probe
Namsai Police have recovered nineteen children and arrested three alleged facilitators. Economically vulnerable families were approached with false promises for their children. Children were then procured and placed in distant locations for work. Many recovered children are very young and unable to recall family details. The investigation continues to trace more children and identify involved persons.
MPs across party lines push bills to limit social media access for minors
Although private members’ Bills have rarely been cleared by both Houses in the past, their introduction reflects the growing urgency among lawmakers in India to create safeguards to protect children from online exploitation. They also align with the increasing global movement to regulate social media access.
Whatsapp tests age verification in India ahead of DPDP act
WhatsApp is testing privacy-protective age verification methods for Indian users. This initiative aims to comply with the upcoming Digital Personal Data Protection Act. The company assures users that age information will remain private and not shared. This optional test does not alter the current WhatsApp user experience. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act comes into full force on May 13, 2027.
West Virginia sues Apple, saying iCloud distributed 'child porn'
West Virginia's attorney general sued Apple on Thursday, accusing the iPhone maker of allowing its iCloud service to become what the company's own internal communications called the "greatest platform for distributing child porn."
YouTube and Google $30 million child privacy settlement: Who qualifies and how to claim
Google and YouTube will pay $30 million to settle claims of violating child privacy laws. The lawsuit alleged they collected data from under-13s watching kids' content without parental consent, for targeted ads. Eligible individuals who were under 13 between July 2013 and April 2020 can file claims by January 21, 2026.
Italy enacts AI law covering privacy, oversight and child access
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government spearheaded the legislation saying it establishes human-centric, transparent and safe AI use as core principles while emphasising innovation, cybersecurity and privacy protections.
US regulator says TikTok may be violating child privacy law
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced Tuesday that it had referred a complaint against TikTok to the Justice Department, saying the popular video sharing app may be violating child privacy laws. FTC chair Lina Khan said Tuesday on X that the follow-up investigation had "found reason to believe that TikTok is violating or about to violate" COPPA and other federal laws.
WhatsApp and other messaging apps oppose UK's move on encryption
WhatsApp, Signal and five other apps signed an open letter saying the law could give an "unelected official the power to weaken the privacy of billions of people around the world".
Apple wants to scan pictures on your iPhone to fight child abuse. What does it mean for your privacy?
To many technologists, Apple has opened a Pandora’s box.
WhatsApp steps on child sex abuse not enough: Officials
Intermediary rules to address issue will have to wait till new government takes charge.
Jude Law expecting his fifth child with ex-girlfriend
Law is already a father to sons Rafferty, 17, and Rudy, 11, and daughter Iris, 13, whom he shares with ex-wife Sadie Frost. He also has a daughter Sophia, 4.
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