Online Safety stories

Singapore’s young people are the world’s most ready to use AI in work, study and daily life, topping a 120-country digital readiness study.

Indosat’s AI spam shield blocked 2bn risky contacts in six months, averting scam losses of about USD $500m for Indonesian users.

Most Australians doubt the under-16 social media ban has made the internet safer, with many expecting teens to bypass the new rules.

Canada is investing CAD $2,815,999 to boost digital skills and AI adoption across Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon.

Sygnia links 150+ domains to a global recovery-scam ring posing as law firms, using WhatsApp and cloned sites to repeatedly target victims.

Most NFL players’ personal data appears on people search sites, with Super Bowl teams facing above-average exposure and heightened safety risk.

Canada distils record public input into priorities for a 2026 AI strategy, balancing innovation, security, sovereignty and public trust.

cside launches browser-based AI Agent Detection toolkit, helping businesses spot agentic traffic and tailor site experiences in real time.

New research finds most people doubt under-16 social media bans will curb online harm, expecting teens to bypass rules and limits.

Avast rolls out Deepfake Guard for Windows and takes Scam Guardian global on mobile in a push to combat rising video-led fraud.

TUANZ has teamed with Recycle A Device to supply refurbished laptops to students, targeting New Zealand’s growing digital divide in 2026.

Hackers are hijacking ageing home routers worldwide, covertly rewiring DNS to quietly cash in on everyday web browsing traffic.

BSI unveils the first global standard for online age checks, aiming to harmonise safety rules as countries consider tougher social media curbs.

AI voice cloning scams have already cost Australians AUD $25.8m in 2025, as experts warn lifelike fake calls are outpacing public awareness.

Meta promotes parental controls over teen social media bans at NZ Instagram safety camp as debate grows on under-16s’ online access.

Swiss startup Umanitek has unveiled Guardian Agent, a subscription tool to spot deepfakes, fake profiles and AI-driven impersonation online.

Google has begun using AI-powered age checks in Singapore, tightening default safety settings for under-18s on Search, Play, Maps and YouTube.

OpenAI deploys behavioural age prediction for ChatGPT as it prepares a 2026 adult mode, raising fresh privacy and child-safety concerns.

Snap locks 415,000 suspected under-16 Snapchat accounts in Australia and renews calls for stricter app store-level age checks.

Lonely UK daters increasingly turn to AI companions even as romance scams surge, with rising losses and growing trust in chatbots over humans.