Android phone number verification now links your numbers to every Google account on the device. Here is how to turn it off.

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The post Android Phone Number Verification Is On by Default appeared first on Daily CyberSecurity.

Discord is rolling out machine-learning age assurance that estimates whether users are teens or adults without requiring most accounts to submit ID.

The post Discord Wants to Estimate Your Age Without Asking for ID appeared first on TechRepublic.

The EU Kids Act would ban under-13s from social media and require age verification via a privacy-preserving open-source app across 27 countries.

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The post EU Kids Act Would Ban Social Media for Under-13s appeared first on Daily CyberSecurity.

New Zealand is moving ahead with a social media ban for under-16s, with the Government introducing the Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill to Parliament. The proposed law would require high-risk social media platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent children under 16 from accessing their services and would place greater responsibility on technology companies to address risks to children online. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the Government was responding to concerns about the amount of time young people spend on social media and their exposure to harmful content, addictive technology and online pressures. “We simply cannot accept the harm being done to a generation of New Zealand children,” says Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. According to the Government, one in three children aged 13 to 17 spends at least five hours a day on social media.

New Zealand Social Media Ban Introduces Age Verification

Under the proposed social media ban, high-risk platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook would be required to take reasonable steps to establish whether users are over 16. The Bill allows for multiple age-checking methods, including existing account information, facial age estimation, digital ID services and formal identification. The proposed framework would also require platforms used by children to regularly assess the risks they pose and report on how those risks are being identified and reduced. The Government said the framework is designed to evolve alongside technology and would also cover emerging services, including AI companion platforms.

Companies Could Face Significant Penalties

The proposed online safety law would introduce significant penalties for platforms that fail to meet their obligations. Companies could face fines of up to 10 percent of their global revenue. An online safety regulator within the Department of Internal Affairs would independently monitor compliance, investigate platforms and enforce the law. Education Minister Erica Stanford said the Bill would place legal obligations on technology platforms rather than children, parents or caregivers. No penalties are proposed for children, their parents or caregivers under the proposed framework. “The Bill places legal obligations on platforms. No penalties are proposed for children, their parents or caregivers,” Ms Stanford says. “It doesn’t just introduce a minimum age requirement. It creates an enduring framework that can evolve alongside technology and holds platforms responsible for understanding and reducing the risks they create for children,” she says. The Government also plans to strengthen education and public awareness so parents, schools and communities have information and tools to help children navigate online services safely.

New Zealand Joins Growing Push for Child Online Safety

The proposed New Zealand social media ban follows similar moves in other countries seeking to place greater responsibility on technology companies. Earlier this year, Spain announced plans to prohibit social media access for children under 16. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the internet as a “digital Wild West” and said stronger protections were needed to shield young people from online harm. France has also moved toward age-based restrictions. In February, French lawmakers approved legislation banning children under 15 from accessing social media platforms, with the measure expected to take effect at the start of the next school year. French President Emmanuel Macron backed the proposal, arguing that children’s development should not be dictated by algorithms designed to maximize engagement.

Government Says Rules Aim to Change Online Behaviour

Luxon acknowledged that the Government does not expect every child to stop using social media but said early evidence from Australia showed minimum age requirements were already changing behaviour. The Government said the child online safety framework is intended to make a meaningful difference while creating longer-term obligations for technology companies. The Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill will now be introduced to Parliament, beginning the legislative process for the proposed under-16 social media restrictions.

ChatGPT for Teens adds stronger protections for users ages 13 to 17, but parents still face limits around monitoring, age prediction, and AI safety.

The post ChatGPT for Teens Adds New Safeguards — but Safety Gaps Remain appeared first on TechRepublic.

Google’s new Android verification flow adds a 24-hour wait for apps from unverified developers as broader identity checks approach.

The post Google Tightens Android Sideloading: Unverified Apps Now Face a 24-Hour Wait appeared first on TechRepublic.

France’s Constitutional Council blocked an under-15 social media ban, raising questions over free expression, age verification and online privacy.

The post France’s Top Court Blocks Under-15 Social Media Ban appeared first on TechRepublic.

Meta is introducing a free Facebook badge that uses video selfies to verify human-run accounts, but questions remain about privacy and trust.

The post Meta Launches Free Facebook Verification Badge for Personal Accounts appeared first on TechRepublic.

France will ban social media for children under 15, requiring nationwide age checks and raising privacy and platform compliance concerns.

The post France Bans Social Media for Under-15s, Requires Age Checks appeared first on TechRepublic.

Australia’s under-16 social media ban faces scrutiny after testers found major platforms did not ask for age proof.

The post Australia’s Teen Social Media Ban Exposes Age Verification Gap appeared first on TechRepublic.

How modern age-verification laws, like the California Digital Age Assurance Act, dismantle the principle of data minimization by mandating the collection of sensitive personal data, effectively turning "don't know" into "must know" and knowledge into liability.

The post When Privacy Laws Force You to Know Too Much: The Perverse Incentives of Age Verification Regimes appeared first on Security Boulevard.

A landmark jury verdict has found Meta and YouTube negligent in a social media addiction case, raising major questions about platform accountability and legal protections under Section 230. This episode covers the details of the case, why the ruling is significant, and what it could mean for the future of social media, privacy, and cybersecurity. […]

The post Meta & YouTube Found Negligent: A Turning Point for Big Tech? appeared first on Shared Security Podcast.

The post Meta & YouTube Found Negligent: A Turning Point for Big Tech? appeared first on Security Boulevard.

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HIPAA is often used as a shorthand for "no," but the law is a nuanced permissions framework, not a blanket prohibition. Explore why "HIPAA-compliant" software often enforces a caricature of the actual 45 C.F.R. pt. 164.

The post HIPAA – I Do Not Think That Word Means What You Say It Means appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Passkeys secure authentication but do not prove users are human. Learn how bots operate after login and why modern apps need bot detection, behavioral analysis, and runtime identity.

The post Passkeys vs Bots: Do They Really Solve the Human Verification Problem? appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Use OTP authentication to secure HVAC appointments, payments, and service confirmations while improving customer trust and service efficiency.

The post How OTP Authentication Streamlines Service Delivery for HVAC Companies appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Protect e-commerce transactions with OTP, passkeys, and fraud detection. Reduce shipping fraud and secure high-value purchases easily.

The post Securing E-commerce Transactions with Modern Authentication appeared first on Security Boulevard.

AI tools may better protect children online by detecting harmful content without the privacy risks of strict age verification laws.

The post Making the Internet Safer for Children: The Case for Automated, Privacy-Preserving Solutions appeared first on Security Boulevard.

It's been nearly 20 years since Google revealed Android, which the company described as the first "truly open" mobile operating system, setting Google-powered phones apart from the iPhone's aggressively managed experience. Over time, though, Android has become more aligned with Apple's approach. For the moment, users still have the final say in what software runs on their increasingly locked-down smartphones. Later this year, though, Google plans to seriously curtail that freedom in the name of security.

In the coming weeks, Google will officially debut Android developer verification, which will require app makers outside the Play Store to register with their real names and pay a fee to Google. Failure to do so will block their apps from installation (sometimes called sideloading) on virtually all Android devices. Google says this is a necessary evolution of the platform's security model, but upending the status quo could push developers away from Android and risk the privacy of those that remain.

This might make your phone a little safer, sure, but it won't stop people from getting scammed. At the same time, it could rob the Android ecosystem of what made it special in the first place.

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In a new take on an old scam, AI Overviews are inadvertently coughing up fraudulent phone numbers for companies that appear in search queries leading callers to miscreants who elicit sensitive data and payment information. 

The post AI Overviews Rife With Scam Phone Numbers appeared first on Security Boulevard.