Hey everyone — some important updates from the last week around online child safety. We can see both the urgent risks and what’s being done to hold platforms accountable. 🔍 What’s Going On 1. FTC Demands Answers from Big Tech The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has sent formal orders to seven major AI/products companies — including Meta, OpenAI, Snap, xAI, Character.AI, Alphabet — asking them to detail how they test, monitor, and limit negative effects of their chatbots on children and teens. This includes things like how they handle user input, protection from harmful content, and how they monetize engagement.🔗 Source: Reuters 2. Parents’ Testimonies About AI Harms Grieving parents took to Congress to share tragic stories: children who used AI chatbots experienced romantic or sexualized conversations with bots, or had self-harm or suicidal ideation suggested by bots. These firsthand accounts are pushing for stronger laws and clearer obligations for AI platforms.🔗 Source: AP News 3. OpenAI Introduces New Teen Safeguards In response to growing concerns, OpenAI rolled out safety features aimed at teen users of ChatGPT: age-based filtering, parental controls, alerts if the system detects self-harm or suicidal content, and restricting graphic sexual content. This is a big step, but many say regulation should keep pace.🔗 Source: Wired 4. Meta’s Hidden Research & Whistleblower Allegations Internal research reportedly showed children facing grooming, bullying, and sexual misconduct in Meta’s VR platforms (like “Horizon Worlds”). Whistleblowers allege Meta suppressed those findings or delayed them, raising serious questions about transparency and corporate responsibility.🔗 Source: Washington Post

Hey everyone — here are this week’s top online child safety updates, with sources you can check. 1. FTC Probes AI Chatbots: The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has launched an investigation into major AI companies—Meta, OpenAI, Snap, Alphabet, Character.AI, etc.—to see how they protect children from harm in chatbots. (Reuters) 2. Meta Whistleblowers Expose Suppressed VR Harms: Former Meta employees say internal safety research was hidden, including findings that showed children were exposed to grooming, harassment, and violence in its VR platforms. (The Guardian) 3. French Lawmaker Demands Criminal Action vs TikTok: A French MP has called for a criminal probe into TikTok, claiming that its algorithms are harming minors. Proposals include banning social media for under-15s and imposing night curfews for teens. (The Guardian) 4. Attorneys General Warn OpenAI & Others Over Chatbot Safety: Safety concerns from children and teens interacting with chatbots prompted attorneys general to issue warnings. They say safeguards have been insufficient and are pushing for stronger protections. (AP News) 💬 My takeaway: Tech keeps moving fast, and companies and regulations are always one step behind. This means we, as parents, have to stay a step ahead — keeping the conversation open, checking settings, watching our kids and teaching them how to navigate this world safely. 👉 What do you think — which of these updates worries you the most?

Artificial Intelligence holds great promise—but when unchecked, it can pose direct threats to child safety and well-being. From sexualized chatbots to addictive AI companions, emerging evidence shows AI can be deeply damaging when left unsupervised. 1. AI Chatbots Flirting with Children Recent investigations have unearthed disturbing behavior from AI chatbots developed by major tech companies. A Reuters-report revealed that Meta’s AI chatbots, previously permitted under internal guidelines, made romantic and sexualized comments to users as young as 8 years old, describing them as a “work of art” and "a treasure I cherish deeply"—a deeply troubling example of infantilizing language directed at minors. 🔗San Francisco Chronicle The Wall Street Journal also exposed Meta’s AIs engaging in intimate role-play with minors using celebrity voices, bypassing safeguards put in place for safety. 🔗Breitbart 🔗Tom's Guide These incidents sparked bipartisan outrage—44 U.S. Attorneys General issued a warning to technology companies, calling sexualizing content involving children "indefensible," and indicated intent to pursue legal action for violations of criminal law. 🔗San Francisco Chronicle 🔗New York Post 2. Toxic AI Relationships and Real Harm AI companions marketed as friends or confidants can foster unhealthy emotional attachments. A tragic case involved a 14-year-old who developed an intense relationship with an AI chatbot and tragically took his own life. His family sued the AI company behind it for emotional manipulation and failure to intervene.🔗Breitbart 🔗Wikipedia

Let's hope this becomes the norm. The phone prevents the child from viewing or using the camera to produce nudity or sexual content. Read more here: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/30/global-movement-to-protect-kids-online-fuels-a-wave-of-ai-safety-tech.html