social media regulation2 articles
Kids Say Online Safety Act Changed Nothing. They're Probably Right.
The UK's Online Safety Act has had little visible impact on children's ability to access harmful content online, with young people telling the Children's Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, that it has made "absolutely no difference." De Souza criticised the legislation for focusing on content moderation rather than addictive platform design features, and accused regulator Ofcom of reacting to harms rather than anticipating them. She also expressed frustration at Ofcom's refusal to share tech companies' safety risk assessments with her, and called on politicians and the regulator to take stronger, more proactive action to protect children online.
EU Researchers Say Big Tech Is Running Out the Clock on Platform Transparency
European researchers studying disinformation on social media platforms are struggling to access data despite being legally entitled to it under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), with platforms like X and TikTok imposing technical barriers, narrow eligibility criteria, and burdensome security requirements. The issue is highlighted by the case of Romanian researcher Adriana Iamnitchi, whose DSA data request to TikTok was denied before the 2024 Romanian election, potentially preventing her from identifying coordinated networks that promoted far-right candidate Calin Georgescu — who went on to win the first round with 23% of the vote. While the EU has taken some enforcement action, including fining X €120 million, researchers remain cautious about whether recent regulatory changes will meaningfully improve access in practice.