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The UK has spent over a decade attempting to regulate who can access adult content online and has failed, again and again. But things might just change, as OfCom, the country's government-approved communication services regulator, has finally published its age checks guidance. How exactly, they'll enforce that guidance is unclear, but baby steps. The new obligations stem from the October 2023 Online Safety Act, which requires services to stop children from accessing pornographic content. Ofcom released an initial draft of expectations for services in late 2023, stating it would publish its final guidance in early 2025 so, we're right on time. "For too long, many online services which allow porn and other harmful material have ignored the fact that children are accessing their services," said Melanie Dawes, Ofcoms chief executive, in a release. "Either they dont ask or, when they do, the checks are minimal and easy to avoid. That means companies have effectively been treating all users as if theyre adults, leaving children potentially exposed to porn and other types of harmful content. Today, this starts to change." First off, Ofcom is requiring all applicable services to determine if children are likely to access any part of their offerings by April 16. That same month, Ofcom will publish its Protection of Children Codes and guidance on conducting a children's risk assessment. Any service likely to be used by children will need to conduct said assessment by July. They also need to have protective measures in place if children try to use their services, such as age checks. Any site that has pornography (whether created by the service, users or generative AI) must introduce strict age checks as soon as possible. As Ofcom puts it, "age-checking methods deployed by services must be technically accurate, robust, reliable and fair in order to be considered highly effective." These techniques can include photo ID matching, facial age estimation, digital identity services, and mobile network operator age checks, to name a few. Users self-declaring their age and online payments in which a person doesn't have to be 18 are not acceptable methods. Pornography shouldn't be at all visible before or while these checks are occurring. However, the regulator stresses that services must balance protecting adult users' privacy and access rights. Ofcom states it will contact many adult services about these requirements and "will not hesitate" to act against or investigate services that ignore their obligations. Again, these exact actions are unclear, so we'll see how well these regulations will be enforced. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/uk-demands-adult-content-sites-introduce-effective-age-verification-methods-150057997.html?src=rss
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Not to be cliché, but if losing things was an Olympic sport then I'd at least get a bronze. To that end, I rely on Find My programs to keep track of my devices, but I've put off dishing out money on a Bluetooth trackers. Now, I don't have an Android but, if you do, then it might be time to learn from my mistakes and tag all your items. Right now, the Chipolo One Point four pack our favorite Bluetooth tracker for Android is on sale for $63, down from $79. The 20 percent discount brings this set down to a new all-time low price. The Chipolo One Point uses Google's Find My Device to keep track of items. We liked how easy it was to set up and how loud it rings. Plus, unlike AirTags, it comes with a hole in it so attaching the tracker to a key ring is simple. However, the One Point isn't as accurate as an AirTag and Find My Device doesn't offer left behind notifications. But, it's still a great option for Android users. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/a-four-pack-of-our-favorite-bluetooth-trackers-for-android-devices-is-cheaper-than-ever-143719990.html?src=rss
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In a few days, TikTok could be banned in the US, rendering the app unusable and removing it from app stores. Instead of making do with Instagram Reels, people looked for a closer alternative and found Chinese social media app "RedNote" or Xiaohongshu, which translates to "little red book." It shot to the top of the Apple App Store download list, and according to Reuters, more than 700,000 users joined the service within just a couple of days. Apparently, though, RedNote isn't the only app that has benefited from TikTok's looming ban. The language learning app Duolingo has revealed that it has seen a "216 percent growth in new Chinese (Mandarin) learners in the US compared to this time last year." Learning Mandarin out of spite? You're not alone. Weve seen a ~216% growth in new Chinese (Mandarin) learners in the US compared to this time last year. https://t.co/9hzwBxfTgD pic.twitter.com/qWM9f5oFYA Duolingo (@duolingo) January 15, 2025 While RedNote has an English interface, most of its content is in Chinese, and American users are probably hoping to be able to interact with more videos. As TechCrunch notes, the graph Duolingo posted clearly shows a big uptick in new learners at the same time RedNote shot up in popularity. On TikTok, Duolingo posted videos with the hashtags #rednote and #tiktokban. In one video, someone wearing a mask of the app's green owl mascot is teaching Mandarin Chinese for beginners, starting with "Welcome, TikTok refugees." Meanwhile, RedNote's original Chinese users are getting language lessons from the app's American imports. They're now apparently getting schooled on gen Alpha American slang and TikTok trends, like "my shayla" and "Raw. Next question." Chinese users are also having fun with the new users, telling them that they're their "Chinese spy" and jokingly asking for their data to give to China's government. TikTok's owner, ByteDance, only has until January 19 to sell the app's US assets to prevent a shutdown. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/tiktok-refugees-are-learning-mandarin-chinese-on-duolingo-for-rednote-140032557.html?src=rss
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