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WhatsApp is rolling out new parental control tools letting parents monitor when their teen joins or leaves groups and adjust privacy settings, such as who can see a profile photo or add them to groups. Parents will not be able to read messages or hear calls, which remain end-to-end encrypted, and the controls can be turned on or off using a parent-set PIN.
TikTok has agreed to pay Alabama at least $100 million and implement new teen-safety measures, including a two-hour daily time limit, overnight access restrictions, stronger age verification, a ban on beauty filters, and an optional non-personalized feed. The settlement, reached just before a scheduled trial, resolves claims that TikTok misled parents about its child-safety tools, and could rise to $300 million if 40 other state attorneys general sign similar agreements.
Discord announced it will introduce a new age-assurance system that avoids requiring most users to submit ID documents. The company said over 90% of users won't be asked to confirm their age, with most sorted automatically into age groups, while those who do need verification can use methods like Google Wallet, Apple App Store records, or a reusable credential called AgeKey. Discord says vendors handling verification data won't use it for ad targeting or AI training.
Discord began rolling out a new age-verification system today, sorting users into adult, teen, and unconfirmed groups and restricting teens' access to sensitive content and message requests from strangers. The system replaces a February plan that required ID scans or facial recognition, which Discord dropped after user backlash and a 2025 breach exposed government IDs of 70,000 users verified through a third-party service.
Discord has begun automatically sorting users into age groups using account signals like account age, activity patterns, and connected servers, rather than requiring ID or selfie verification. Users estimated to be 13-17 will get added safety restrictions, while those judged 18+ see no account changes; anyone misclassified can manually verify age through account settings. The rollout follows a February pause of Discord's prior ID-based verification system after a third-party vendor breach exposed users' scanned identification documents.
Ofcom has opened a formal investigation into Aylo, the owner of Pornhub, to determine whether the site's age verification system—introduced in May and reliant on Apple's third-party checks—actually prevents children from accessing pornography. The regulator says it has concerns Aylo may not have carried out sufficient testing before rolling out the process, which could breach the UK's Online Safety Act requirement for 'highly effective' age assurance.
Discord started rolling out age verification to its entire user base this week, months after pausing the plan in February amid privacy concerns over biometric scans and ID checks. CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy said over 90% of users won't need to submit ID, as the platform will instead rely on existing account signals like tenure and activity patterns to estimate age.
Discord has started automatically classifying users as Adult or Teen using signals like account age, server membership and activity levels, rather than requiring facial scans or ID checks upfront. Users who can't be confidently classified fall into an 'Unconfirmed' category and must verify their age via options such as credit card, app store accounts, Google Wallet, AgeKey, ID scan or video selfie. Discord says it won't read messages or calls to estimate age, won't display age groups publicly, and will require vendors to delete data after verification.
Discord says it is now automatically sorting accounts into age groups using signals like account age and server membership, rather than message content, meaning over 90% of users won't need to verify their age. Adult accounts see no change, while teen accounts (13-17) retain core features like messaging and voice calls but are blocked from age-restricted content and settings. Users who need to confirm their age can now do so via methods like credit cards, app store age-sharing, Google Wallet, or AgeKey, without submitting an ID or selfie.
A São Paulo court has issued an emergency injunction requiring Apple to block minors from downloading Casino Roulette: Roulettist and to add age verification before users can buy virtual chips with real money. The order followed a July lawsuit from four child rights groups alleging minors could easily access the 18+ rated app and spend real money in it. Apple has five days to comply, must extend similar controls to other casino-style apps, and faces a daily fine of about $19,500 if it fails to act.
The European Commission unveiled a plan to bar children under 13 from social media, allowing parent-supervised accounts for ages 13 to 15. To enforce this, Brussels has built its own free, open-source age-verification app, being piloted in Cyprus, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy and Spain, with full EU rollout expected by end of 2026.
The European Commission unveiled the EU Kids Act, a proposal that would ban social media accounts for children under 13, mandate age verification, and force companies like Meta, Google, YouTube and Roblox to prove their platforms are safely designed. President Ursula von der Leyen said the law shifts the burden of proof onto platforms and gives parents more control over children's online experiences. The measure still needs to go through debate and a vote before becoming law.