Most Australian teens still on social media three months after under-16 ban began: Study

thehindubusinessline.com Jul 31, 2026

Most Australian teens still on social media three months after under-16 ban began: Study

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Jul 31, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

A study released by eSafety revealed that more than 80% of Australian children aged 10‑15 were still active on social media three months after the December 10 ban on under‑16 accounts took effect. Account ownership fell from 52% to 42%, yet usage of platforms such as YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok remained statistically unchanged. The report blamed ineffective age‑verification systems, noting that many users retained or recreated accounts because platforms failed to confirm their age. The ban, introduced to protect youth mental and physical health, is now under scrutiny as enforcement gaps persist.

💡 Why It Matters

· The findings expose a loophole that undermines Australia’s pioneering regulatory approach, raising doubts about the ban’s real‑world impact and prompting calls for stricter compliance measures.

Capsules Policies

Read full article on thehindubusinessline.com

Meta India Head Named Co-Accused in FIR Over Morphed PM Modi Videos

Hyderabad cybercrime police filed two FIRs against operators of multiple Facebook and Instagram accounts and listed Meta’s India head as a co‑accused for allegedly hosting morphed and derogatory content targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The complaints were lodged by BJP supporters in Telangana, who submitted a list of 20 social‑media links they said spread obscene material during the NEET paper‑leak protests and digitally altered videos featuring Modi, the U.S. president and former minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Police invoked provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, served notices to Meta, and named the platform’s Indian chief alongside the individual account operators. The investigation focuses on whether the content violates national‑sovereignty, integrity and public‑order statutes.

💡 It tests the extent of corporate liability for user‑generated political content in India’s tightening digital‑law environment.

cleantechnica.com · Jul 31

Europe’s Waste Creates Value Elsewhere

Europe’s recycling sector is failing to scale, with the majority of critical‑material‑rich “black mass” from end‑of‑life vehicles and batteries being shipped abroad. Transport & Environment estimates that at least 60 % of this material—worth roughly €150 million annually—is leaving the EU, and forecasts suggest up to 200 kt could be exported by 2030, representing about €1.1 billion in recoverable resources. The proposed Circular Economy Act aims to reverse this trend by providing financial, de‑risking and industrial support, mandating on‑shoring of the battery value chain, and creating demand for recycled outputs such as cathode active materials. Without such measures, Europe will remain dependent on imported critical minerals like nickel and cobalt, while its recyclers struggle against higher energy costs and longer project timelines.

💡 Retaining and processing black mass within Europe could cut import reliance on scarce minerals and unlock a multi‑billion‑euro economic opportunity hidden in waste.

artificialintelligence-news.com · Jul 31

OpenAI aligns safety practices with EU AI Act’s GPAI Code

OpenAI detailed how its safety, security and transparency processes align with the EU AI Act’s General‑Purpose AI (GPAI) Code of Practice as enforcement looms. The company has endorsed both the GPAI Code and the Transparency of AI‑Generated Content Code, citing pre‑release testing, system‑card disclosures, and an external Red Teaming Network as evidence of compliance. Internally, a 2023‑originated Preparedness Framework (updated 2025) and a Frontier Governance Framework guide risk assessment, safeguards, reporting and incident response, mapping directly to legal requirements. OpenAI also highlighted its participation in the Frontier Model Forum and collaborations with US and UK AI standards bodies. For provenance, it deploys C2PA‑based Content Credentials and SynthID watermarking across images, audio and, eventually, text, while acknowledging the limits of any single signal. Its Trusted Access for Cyber programme, now operating in Europe, offers vetted defenders advanced AI tools to bolster cyber resilience, aligning with the EU’s Action Plan on Cybersecurity and AI.

💡 By embedding EU‑mandated standards into its core governance, OpenAI positions itself as a benchmark for responsible AI deployment, potentially shaping regulatory expectations for the entire sector. Its layered provenance and cyber‑defense tools illustrate a pragmatic path toward meeting compliance while still advancing AI capabilities.

thisdaylive.com · Jul 31

FROM BAN TO BLUEPRINT: NIGERIA’S VIRTUAL ASSETS TURN

Nigeria has officially transitioned its regulatory stance on virtual assets, moving from a previous ban to a comprehensive legal framework. This significant policy shift establishes clear guidelines for cryptocurrency operations within the country, aiming to integrate digital currencies into the formal financial system. The new blueprint provides necessary oversight mechanisms for exchanges and service providers, ensuring compliance with international standards while fostering innovation. By replacing uncertainty with structured regulation, the government seeks to protect investors and mitigate financial risks associated with unregulated digital transactions. This development marks a pivotal moment for Africa’s largest economy, signaling its readiness to embrace emerging financial technologies. The move is expected to attract foreign investment and stimulate growth in the fintech sector. Stakeholders have welcomed the clarity, noting it aligns with global trends in digital asset governance. The regulatory body will now oversee licensing and enforcement, creating a safer environment for both retail and institutional participants in the Nigerian virtual asset market.

💡 Formalizing crypto regulations transforms Nigeria from a restricted market into a compliant hub for digital finance. This shift directly enables institutional capital to enter the space, bypassing previous legal barriers that stifled growth.

energy-storage.news · Jul 31

China’s 15th Five-Year Carbon Peaking Action Plan aims to accelerate shift of…

The State Council of China unveiled the 15th Five‑Year Carbon‑Peaking Action Plan on 9 July 2026, defining the final blueprint for meeting the nation’s 2030 carbon‑peaking pledge. The plan targets a 17 % cut in CO₂ emissions per unit of GDP relative to 2025 levels and a 25 % share of non‑fossil energy in the power mix by 2030. To achieve these goals, it mandates steady declines in coal and oil use, expands wind, solar, hydro and nuclear capacity to 2.8 TW, 410 GW, and 110 GW respectively, and boosts grid flexibility through 160 GW of pumped storage, 300 GW of new‑energy storage, and virtual power plants exceeding 50 GW. Flagship initiatives include inter‑provincial transmission corridors and clean‑coal substitution projects, while institutional reforms aim to improve emissions accounting and cost‑sharing mechanisms.

💡 By coupling massive renewable capacity targets with grid‑integration projects, China is forcing a structural shift that could redefine global energy supply chains and set the pace for other coal‑dependent economies.

completeaitraining.com · Jul 31

Trump administration limits agentic AI models as cybersecurity agencies face staff cuts

The Trump administration has moved to restrict the public release of advanced “agentic” artificial‑intelligence models that can autonomously locate and exploit software vulnerabilities faster than human hackers. The policy shift arrives as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the General Services Administration’s FedRAMP office operate with dramatically reduced staff after extensive cuts, weakening the federal government’s capacity to defend its cloud infrastructure. CISA issued new guidance on AI‑related threats, while FedRAMP revised security requirements for cloud providers, adding reporting obligations and promising further rules. Officials warn that agentic AI will enable large‑scale commodity attacks—automated spear‑phishing and MFA bypasses—that bypass traditional skill and time constraints, expanding the attack surface of government systems that store sensitive citizen and national‑security data.

💡 Agentic AI removes human limits on speed and expertise, turning routine cyber‑attacks into mass‑scale threats against under‑resourced federal networks.