Neowin News Feed for: Safety

Google doesn't want to be held responsible for OS-level age assurance

Paul Hill — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:36:01 +0000

Google has said it opposes OS-level age assurance measures. It said individual providers should be responsible for verifying the age of their users. Read more...

Character.AI to end open-ended chats for under-18s

Paul Hill — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 15:42:01 +0000

The AI platform Character.AI has announced new safety measures. One of them is that open-ended chats for under-18s will end soon. Read more...

The "miracle material" can finally be built safely with this new method

Sayan Sen — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 23:46:01 +0000

The "miracle material" is called so because of its nature, and scientists have now found a way to create it safely. Read more...

Google reveals several new safety features coming to Android users

Pradeep Viswanathan — Wed, 14 May 2025 01:10:01 +0000

Google has announced several new safety and security enhancements for Android users alongside its Material 3 Expressive design language. Read more...

Boeing's Starliner has finally landed. Not flawlessly, but it got the job done

Martin Hodás — Sat, 07 Sep 2024 08:40:02 +0000

After three months on the ISS, the crew-less Starliner capsule has successfully returned to Earth. NASA stands behind the decision to keep two astronauts on the space station. Read more...

Microsoft announces general availability of two new AI security features

Pradeep Viswanathan — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 17:18:01 +0000

Microsoft has launched new AI security features, Prompt Shields and Protected Material Detection, in Azure AI Content Safety and Azure OpenAI Service. Read more...

The hypocrisy of Elon Musk and his vision of an AI doomsday

Martin Hodás — Sun, 25 Aug 2024 11:00:01 +0000

Elon should be concerned with his own actions regarding Grok AI. For years, he has been warning us about the threat of artificial intelligence. Today, it seems like he was warning us about himself. Read more...

Starliner's departure from ISS might be delayed for weeks due to a critical software update

Martin Hodás — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 16:16:01 +0000

Boeing's Starliner might be stuck on the ISS for a few more weeks, so SpaceX's Crew-9 mission would be delayed for over a month because Starliner lacks one of its features and needs an OTA update. Read more...

Snapchat brings new features to make it harder for strangers to contact users

Aditya Tiwari — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 13:40:01 +0000

Snapchat has added some new features to improve user privacy and safety on the platform. It has enhanced in-app warnings and friending protections for teens and simplified location sharing. Read more...

Tinder reveals new 'Share my Date' feature to provide date details to friends and family

Steve Bennett — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 09:06:01 +0000

The online dating app Tinder has revealed a new safety feature that helps users to provide family and friends with a full breakdown of date details that they have arranged within the app. Read more...

Ofcom says search engines act as self-harm gateways

Paul Hill — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 04:44:02 +0000

Ofcom is set to make search engines do more to protect users against self-harm content. A study it commissioned found that self-harm glorification was easily accessible from search results. Read more...

Australia tells dating apps to improve safety standards or face legislation

Paul Hill — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 13:40:01 +0000

Dating apps like Tinder and Bumble have been told by the Australian government to improve user safety by 30 July 2024. If they fail to do so, the government has said it will introduce legislation. Read more...

Snapchat adds strike system to clamp down on inappropriate content

Paul Hill — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 02:56:01 +0000

Snapchat has announced a range of new features to help protect teenagers that use its platform. The features help to remove inappropriate content and keep teens away from people they don't know. Read more...

Pinterest expands teen safety features, private profiles mandatory on under 16 accounts

Paul Hill — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 17:12:01 +0000

Pinterest has some new rules aimed at protecting teens under 16. It said that it will now force under 16s to have private accounts that are non-discoverable. They can be found with profile links. Read more...

Anthropic launches Claude Instant 1.2 which hallucinates less than other models

Paul Hill — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 20:08:01 +0000

Anthropic has announced the availability of Claude Instant 1.2 through an API. Interestingly, benchmarks show it to be the safest of all the models so far with fewer hallucinations. Read more...

Instagram is changing how unknown users can (or can't) text you

Aditya Tiwari — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 18:32:01 +0000

Instagram is bringing some changes to its message requests feature that keeps unwanted senders from the inbox. The feature won't allow unknown users to send you unlimited message requests. Read more...

Apple is aware of a Screen Time issue and says it'll issue an update fixing it

Paul Hill — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 21:08:01 +0000

Apple has acknowledged a bug in Screen Time that causes parental settings to be reset. The company has confirmed that they are working on a solution, but no specific timeline has been provided. Read more...

OpenAI sees challenges with full AGI and outlines plans to address them

Karthik Mudaliar — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 11:02:01 +0000

OpenAI is acknowledging the challenges and risks associated with AGI and is proposing appropriate principles for its future development so that the rest of the humanity can actually catch up. Read more...

Twitter assures users that policies haven't changed as it embraces "public testing"

Usama Jawad — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 03:14:01 +0000

In its first blog published since the acquisition by Elon Musk, Twitter has assured users and partners that "Twitter 2.0" is on its way to becoming the (safe) town square of the internet. Read more...

UK's Online Safety Bill sees yet another delay

Paul Hill — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 15:16:01 +0000

Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the House of Commons, has said the Online Safety Bill has been temporarily paused for further scrutiny. She assured colleagues that it would be back soon. Read more...

Facebook dismantles its ‘Responsible Innovation' team, but will remain 'safe and ethical'

Alap Naik Desai — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 22:32:02 +0000

Meta has disbanded the Responsible Innovation team that was tasked with finding potential problems with Facebook and Instagram. The members will have work opportunities, but no guaranteed jobs. Read more...

Intelligent speed assistance (ISA) becomes mandatory for new car models across Europe

Anushe Fawaz — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 16:38:01 +0000

Intelligent speed assistance (ISA) technology has become compulsory for all new vehicles introduced to the EU market. As such, no vehicle without ISA will be sold in the EU after July 2024 deadline. Read more...

UK porn age check law comes to parliament for first reading

Paul Hill — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 15:52:01 +0000

The UK government is introducing its Online Safety Bill before parliament today for its first reading. MPs will be able to debate on the wide-ranging legislation that could bring age checks for porn. Read more...

Tesla to recall over 800,000 cars over faulty audible seatbelt reminder which can be tricked

Alap Naik Desai — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 19:22:01 +0000

Tesla will have to recall more than 800,000 of its electric cars because the seat belt warning chime can be tricked into silence by drivers who do not want to wear them or simply forget. Read more...

Meta announces Instagram improvements to boost teen safety

Paul Hill — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 13:24:02 +0000

Meta has announced a raft of new features for Instagram designed to make the platform safer for teenagers to use, including Take A Break. Parents will also see how long kids are on Instagram. Read more...

Huawei, Haier, and China Mobile detail 5G smart manufacturing breakthroughs

Paul Hill — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 06:50:01 +0000

Huawei, Haier, and China Mobile have developed three new techniques using 5G technologies to boost production and safety inside smart factories. They will offer these solutions to other manufacturers. Read more...

Samsung and Internet Matters launch a new project to promote positive online culture

Fiza Ali — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 18:16:01 +0000

Through Samsung's collaboration for anti-bullying week with Internet Matters, the tech giant aims to support parents and empower youths to promote an inclusive and positive culture online. Read more...

Airbnb announces the global expansion of its Urgent Support Line to 11 new languages

Fiza Ali — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 23:14:02 +0000

Airbnb's global expansion of its Urgent Support Line reflects its commitment to creating a safer community for all. The Safety Center provides quick access to tools users may need in an emergency. Read more...

Vodafone issues a warning of the risks of so-called sharenting

Paul Hill — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 15:30:02 +0000

Vodafone has issued a warning to parents and carers about sharing too much information about your children's lives online. It also shared some tips on how you can carry on sharing, in a safer manner. Read more...

Twitter Super Follows is finally live along with Safety Mode to block unwanted interactions

Jay Bonggolto — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 21:04:01 +0000

Twitter introduced two new features to its platform today. Super Follows is meant to bring subscriber-only content to paying followers and Safety Mode aims to block unwelcome interactions. Read more...

Instagram now asks for everyone's birthday to create a 'safer' place for younger users

Jay Bonggolto — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 07:36:01 +0000

Instagram will now require you to share your birthdate if you haven't previously provided that information as part of an effort to create a safer environment for younger users on the platform. Read more...

TikTok bans viral "milk crate challenge" due to fear of serious injuries

Usama Jawad — Sat, 28 Aug 2021 06:26:01 +0000

TikTok has banned the viral "milk crate challenge" from its platform amid safety concerns. The activity can result in serious injuries due to people tumbling from an unstable pyramid of milk crates. Read more...

Tinder will introduce voluntary ID verification to reduce catfishing incidents

Paul Hill — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 22:24:01 +0000

Tinder has announced plans to bring voluntary ID verification to its platform to help people avoid being catfished. The firm will have to work out which type of ID it should accept in each country. Read more...

TikTok update introduces mindful push notifications for teens

Paul Hill — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 16:24:02 +0000

TikTok has introduced new rules for teenagers that are designed to help them disconnect from the service late at night. Other changes ensure teens have full control over their online content. Read more...

Apple to scan iPhone, iPad, and Mac to detect child sex abuse

Chandrakant Isi — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 21:58:01 +0000

Apple has introduced new safety features for iPhone, iPad, and Mac to safeguard children from predators. It is working alongside the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Read more...

Online civility deteriorated in the second year of the pandemic, claims Microsoft

Usama Jawad — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 07:30:01 +0000

Microsoft has reported that digital civility has taken a turn for the worse in the second and ongoing year of the pandemic. 18 out of the 22 surveyed countries reported net-negative stats. Read more...

Amazon opens European lab to boost employee safety and well-being

Paul Hill — Thu, 20 May 2021 19:36:01 +0000

Amazon has opened a new lab in Italy that will develop new technologies to improve the safety and well-being of its staff, especially those working in the numerous warehouses around Europe. Read more...

TikTok will now let you bulk delete comments and block multiple accounts at once

Jay Bonggolto — Thu, 20 May 2021 14:04:01 +0000

TikTok launched today a new feature that allows you to remove multiple comments or block multiple accounts at once, up to 100 at a time. This capability is rolling out across select markets. Read more...

Google expands Android Earthquake Alerts System notification coverage

Namerah Saud Fatmi — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 19:20:02 +0000

Last year, Google introduced the Android Earthquake Alerts System. Notifications of the feature were only available in the U.S. so far. That changed today with the addition of two more countries. Read more...

Uber and Lyft share lists of banned drivers in safety boost

Paul Hill — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 01:32:01 +0000

Uber and Lyft have established a mechanism in the U.S. to share lists of banned drivers who were kicked off of one of the services for serious violations so they can be kept off the other platform. Read more...