Month: June 2026

Amid UK government proposals for a ban, experts discuss what other activities might really serve children well When a Lancashire schoolgirl was asked what she would do if the proposed social media ban for under-16s came into effect, her answer hit a national nerve: “Stare at a wall,” she deadpanned. The clip went viral, not …

Read a book? Join a club? Stare at a wall? Social media alternatives for under-16s Read More »

Guardian readers in the US share concerns about how the SpaceX IPO and AI boom affect their retirement accounts Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire last week after SpaceX debuted on the stock market with a valuation of $1.77tn. Millions of Americans could soon become indirect investors in SpaceX and other emerging AI-focused companies …

‘It’s a scam’: Americans express unease over SpaceX’s influence on retirement savings Read More »

Depending on AI can also potentially decrease the ability to discern misinformation, research says A new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is the latest research to find that relying too much on chatbots can diminish critical-thinking skills, and potentially decrease our ability to discern misinformation for ourselves. As AI tools are becoming more …

Over-reliance on chatbots can diminish critical-thinking skills, study finds Read More »

When a company decided to shut down an online game’s servers, there wasn’t much the players who had bought that title could do – until a group called Stop Killing Games began lobbying for new consumer protection laws You can never be sure how long an online video game will last. Developer BioWare shut off …

‘They kill games, we fight back’: the activists campaigning to keep video games playable Read More »

Exclusive: Richard Hermer’s office understood to be first in government to restrict use after recent riots The attorney general has told his office to no longer post on X, making it the first UK government department to stop using the Elon Musk-owned platform amid increasing worries about its use to incite violence and racism. Richard …

UK attorney general tells department to stop using X amid disinformation concerns Read More »

Exclusive: Telegram urged to clarify how it detects illegal incitement after attacks were coordinated using app Telegram is facing questions from Ofcom over how it detects and prevents illegal incitement after a Ukrainian man was found guilty of carrying out arson attacks on a car and property associated with Keir Starmer. A spokesperson for the …

Telegram questioned by Ofcom after arsonist who targeted Starmer-linked properties recruited on app Read More »

Investigation: The entrepreneur was once the toast of London’s tech scene, a ‘global leader of tomorrow’ who starred on Dragons’ Den and promised untold riches for the startups she championed. But people she worked with in the last decade, from Malta to Switzerland, describe a very different reality Julie Meyer is sitting in a starkly lit …

On the trail of the dotcom queen: how Julie Meyer left a pattern of unpaid bills, missing funds and broken dreams in her wake Read More »

Wealth tax criticized by billionaires and Gavin Newsom would levy a one-time 5% tax on residents worth over $1bn A controversial proposal in California to impose a wealth tax on billionaires has gained enough signatures to qualify for the ballot in November, state officials announced on Wednesday. The news is set to intensify an already …

California ‘billionaire tax’ makes ballot despite opposition from tech moguls Read More »

As the pornography platform has exploded in popularity, a side industry has emerged: middlemen who encourage young women into the industry, then take a large cut of their earnings Markuss Hussle wants his online students to understand one thing: he knows how to make money. There is no subtlety involved. He gives an hour-long presentation …

The malignant rise of OnlyFans managers: ‘It’s exploiting. It’s grooming. It’s predatory’ Read More »

Reform UK leader used private meeting at Bank of England to urge governor to drop plans for state-run cryptocurrency Nigel Farage has been trying to block a Bank of England cryptocurrency plan that could be costly for the billionaire bankrolling his party. The Reform UK leader has said Christopher Harborne wants nothing in exchange for …

Farage trying to block ‘Britcoin’ plans that could be costly for billionaire donor Read More »