A report published by eSafety shows a significant divide between risks parents think teens are exposed to online, including about suicide and violent sexual material, and what their kids actually see. Interestingly, while nearly 70% of teens told parents about negative experiences they’d had, only 51% of parents recalled them doing so.
CNET compared Android VPNs to determine which only require critical permissions,and which others put privacy at risk by making unnecessary requests. CNET editors considered Surfshark, ExpressVPN, NorvidVPN, and IPVanish best in class, and identified a number of others as dangerous to privacy. Further, CNET editors warn that Five Eyes (US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand)-based VPNs can come with backdoor access to data.
Meta’s new virtual-reality app, Horizon Worlds is just for adults 18-up. But kids are finding their way in and, if history is any guide, child predators are likely to follow, according to Thorn, a tech nonprofit that works to protect kids from online abuse. Instagram, Minecraft, Fortniite and other social apps and games saw this happen, so it should come as no surprise to Meta – and should not be left untended.
It’s tough to get brand safety right, but the industry keeps trying. IPG Mediabrands announced a new set of tools to find and block inappropriate ad placements, while IAS expanded its suitability measurements to include standards from the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM). Meanwhile, DoubleVerify admitted a mistake made brand safety on X/Twitter look worse than it really was in October 2023 and March 2024.