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Updated / Monday, 2 Feb 2026 10:24 Platforms including Snapchat, Meta, TikTok and YouTube must stop underage users from holding accounts under the legislation, which came into effect on 10 December Snapchat has blocked 415,000 accounts under Australia's social media ban for under-16s, the company has said, but warned some youngsters may be bypassing age verification technology. The platform urged the Australian authorities to oblige app stores to check users' ages as an "additional safeguard" for the world-first crackdown. Platforms including Snapchat, Meta, TikTok and YouTube must stop underage users from holding accounts under the legislation, which came into effect on 10 December. Companies face fines of Aus$49.5 million (€28.6m) if they fail to take "reasonable steps" to comply. Australia's eSafety online regulator reported last month that tech giants had already blocked 4.7 million accounts, delivering "significant outcomes". As of the end of January, Snapchat said it had blocked or disabled 415,000 Snapchat accounts in Australia belonging to under-16s. "We continue to lock more accounts daily," it said in an online statement. But the law leaves "significant gaps", Snapchat said, arguing that age estimation technology was only accurate to within two to three years. "In practice, this means some young

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Snap was written off as dead money. Now the stock is ripping again and Gen Z is back on Snapchat. Is this a real comeback or just another hype cycle you’ll regret buying into? The internet is losing it over Snap Inc – but is it actually worth your money, your screen time, or both? Between Snapchat’s surprise glow-up, new AI tricks, and a stock chart that suddenly woke up, Snap just went from “fallen fave” to “wait, should I buy this?” The Hype is Real: Snap Inc on TikTok and Beyond Snapchat isn’t just that yellow app you forgot in a folder. It quietly stayed glued to Gen Z while everyone else chased Reels and Shorts. Now the receipts are starting to show up in one place you definitely trust: your For You Page. Creators are posting “Snapchat is back” breakdowns, showing off new AR filters, private-story drama, and how Snap’s AI is creeping into everyday chats. It’s not as loud as TikTok, but the people still using Snap? They’re using it hard. On TikTok, Snap content leans into real-life chaos: streak flexes, spotlight payout stories, and “I made this whole video in Snapchat” edits. On YouTube, finance and

NEW DELHI: An ally of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proposed a bill to ban social media for children, as the world’s biggest market for Meta and YouTube joins a global debate on the impact of social media on young people’s health and safety. “Not only are our children becoming addicted to social media, but India is also one of the world’s largest producers of data for foreign platforms,” lawmaker L.S.K. Devarayalu said. “Based on this data, these companies are creating advanced AI systems, effectively turning Indian users into unpaid data providers, while the strategic and economic benefits are reaped elsewhere,” he said. Australia became the first country in December to ban social media for children under 16, blocking access in a move welcomed by many parents and child advocates but criticised by major technology companies and free-speech advocates. France’s National Assembly this week backed legislation to ban children under 15 from social media, while Britain, Denmark and Greece are studying the issue. Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2026

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LONDON -- The year is 2016. Somehow it feels carefree, driven by internet culture. Everyone is wearing over-the-top makeup. At least, that’s how Maren Nævdal, 27, remembers it — and has seen it on her social feeds in recent days. For Njeri Allen, also 27, the year was defined by the artists topping the charts that year, from Beyonce to Drake to Rihanna’s last music releases. She also remembers the Snapchat stories and an unforgettable summer with her loved ones. “Everything felt new, different, interesting and fun,” Allen says. Many people, particularly those in their 20s and 30s, are thinking about 2016 these days. Over the past few weeks, millions have been sharing throwback photos to that time on social media, kicking off one of the first viral trends of the year — the year 2026, that is. With it have come the memes about how various factors — the sepia hues over Instagram photos, the dog filters on Snapchat and the music — made even 2016's worst day feel like the best of times. Part of the look-back trend’s popularity has come from the realization that 2016 was already a decade ago – a time when Nævdal says she

LONDON (AP) — The year is 2016. Somehow it feels carefree, driven by internet culture. Everyone is wearing over-the-top makeup.

Birminghammail Live Icon News Midlands News Crime Liam Moore, 20, posted his break-ins on Snapchat as he burned and snapped locks and also took pictures of the cars he had taken A fame-hungry burglar who filmed himself raiding homes and stole £300,000-worth of cars has been jailed for nine years. Liam Moore, 20, posted his break-ins on Snapchat as he burned and snapped locks and also took pictures of the cars he had taken. He was arrested in October 2023 after dozens of homes were burgled across Birmingham and Solihull. Phone analysis linked him to 13 burglaries and 14 car thefts. READ MORE: Dad 'shouts out ridiculous things' as he's finally jailed after a year on run His search history also revealed he had looked up the cars he was looking to steal. He denied 13 burglaries and 14 theft of motor vehicles that happened between August 13 and October 7, 2023 but changed his plea to guilty on the second day of his trial at Birmingham Crown Court. Det Sgt Charlie Edwards, from Solihull Police, said: “I’m so glad Moore has finally been served the justice he deserves for what he has done. “Moore was that confident he wouldn’t

Coventry Telegraph Icon News Local News Solihull Liam Moore would upload Snapchat videos saying he was 'grafting' Liam Moore was jailed at Birmingham Crown Court(Image: West Midlands Police) A man who stole cars worth over £300,000 and posted videos of his brazen crimes on Snapchat has been jailed. Liam Moore was arrested in October 2023 following a string of burglaries across the West Midlands. Moore, 20, frequently filmed himself burning and snapping locks while capturing footage of the stolen cars, including a luxury Audi. Analysis of his phone linked him to 27 burglaries and car thefts in Solihull and Birmingham. Investigators also uncovered several clips Moore had posted on Snapchat. His search history revealed he regularly looked up the cars he was targeting. READ MORE: Blind Coventry pensioner left in insect-infested house says 'they forgot I existed' Moore was charged with 13 burglaries and 14 vehicle thefts that occurred between August 13 and October 7, 2023. He pleaded guilty on the second day of his trial at Birmingham Crown Court and was sentenced to nine years in jail. Detective Sergeant Charlie Edwards, from West Midlands Police, said: “I am so glad Moore has finally been served the justice he deserves