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Instagram Continues to Endanger Children Despite New Safety Features and Whistleblower Concerns at Meta

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A study spearheaded by whistleblowers from Meta reveals that children and teens are facing online dangers on Instagram, despite the implementation of “highly ineffective” safety features.

A thorough examination by Arturo indicated that 64% of Instagram’s newly introduced safety measures were ineffective. Bejar, a former senior engineer at Meta, provided testimony before US Congress, along with scholars from NYU and Northeastern University, the Molly Rose Foundation in the UK, and other organizations.


Meta, the parent company of several well-known social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Threads, mandated the creation of teen accounts on Instagram in September 2024.

However, Bejar stated that Meta has “consistently failed” to protect children from sensitive or harmful content, inappropriate interactions, and excessive use, claiming the safety features are “ineffective, unacceptable, and have been quietly altered or removed.”

He emphasized: “The lack of transparency within Meta, the duration of this neglect, and the number of teens harmed on Instagram due to their negligence and misleading safety assurances is alarming.”

“Children, including many under 13, are not safe on Instagram. This isn’t solely about bad content online; it’s about negligent product design. Meta’s intentional design choices promote and compel children to engage with inappropriate content and interactions daily.”

The research utilized a “test account” that mimicked the behavior of teens, parents, and potential predators to evaluate 47 safety features throughout March and June 2025.

Using a rating system of green, yellow, and red, it was discovered that 30 tools fell into the red category, indicating they could be easily circumvented or ignored with minimal effort. Only eight received a green rating.

Findings from the test account revealed that adults could effortlessly send messages to teens who were not following them, despite indications that such accounts were blocked. Although the system claims to prevent this after the testing period, it was found that minors could initiate conversations with adults on the platform, making it difficult to report sexual or inappropriate messages.

The research also highlighted that the “hidden language” feature failed to block offensive language as promised. Testers were able to send messages saying, “You are a prostitute and you should kill yourself,” with Meta clarifying that this feature applies only to unknown accounts, not to followers.

The algorithms still promote inappropriate sexual and violent content, and the “non-interested” features proved ineffective. Researchers found that the platform actively recommends search terms and accounts related to suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, and illegal substances.

Furthermore, researchers identified hundreds of reels where users claimed that various well-publicized time management tools aimed at curbing addictive behaviors had been discontinued. Meta asserts that these features still exist but altered, and despite claims that Meta would block these, there remain numerous reels featuring users claiming to be under 13 years old.

The report noted that Meta continues to structure Instagram’s reporting features in a way that does not promote actual usage.

In the report’s introduction, co-authors Ian Russell of the Molly Rose Foundation and Ian Russell of David’s Legacy Foundation highlighted tragic cases where children died by suicide after encountering harmful online content.

Consequently, they advocate for stronger online safety laws in the UK.

The report also urges regulators to adopt a “bolder and more assertive” stance on implementing regulatory measures.

A spokesperson from Meta stated: “This report misrepresents our ongoing efforts to empower parents and safeguard teens, misunderstanding how our safety tools function and how millions of parents and teens utilize them today. Our teen accounts are the industry standard for automated safety protections and parental controls.”

“In reality, teens using these protections encounter less sensitive content and receive fewer unwanted contacts while spending time on Instagram safely. Parents also have robust monitoring tools in place. We are committed to improving our features and welcome constructive criticism, though this report doesn’t reflect that.”

An Ofcom spokesperson commented:

“Our online rules for children necessitate a safety-first approach in how technology companies design and operate their services in the UK.

“Clearly, sites that fail to comply can expect enforcement action.”

A government representative added: “Under the online safety law, platforms must protect young users from content that promotes self-harm and suicide, thus enforcing safer algorithms and reducing toxic feeds.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Impact of Visa Fees on Talent: Trump’s Tariffs Endanger Technology’s Top Professionals

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Greetings from TechScape! I’m back in the US and busy writing this from the plane. This week’s Tech News revolves around a significant deal involving Donald Trump, which has implications for the high-tech industries in China, the UK, and the US due to unexpected fines on favored visas.

Trump’s Talent Tariff: Visa Fines Threatening the Industry’s Most Valued Employees

Last year, a major tech firm brokered an agreement where tens of millions of dollars went to Trump’s presidential campaign in exchange for favorable policies that foster access to the president and stimulate industry growth. If Elon Musk is included, this figure rises to hundreds of millions. However, Trump’s new fees on frequently utilized visas pose a threat to this arrangement.

My colleague Johanna Bouyan reports:

On Friday, Donald Trump signed a declaration imposing a $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visa applications, which could have significant repercussions for the US tech landscape.

The potential crackdown on H-1B visas has become a central issue for the tech industry. Government data reveals that around two-thirds of H-1B visa employment is tech-related, as employers utilize these visas to attract engineers, educators, and healthcare professionals.

In response to the initial announcements, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google encouraged their overseas staff to return quickly to the US and advised dependents against traveling abroad. The implications of the fines that began at 12 AM on September 21 were uncertain, raising concerns within their HR departments. The White House later clarified that the fees would only apply to new applicants and would not impact existing visa holders with six-figure annual fees. The US Secretary of Commerce reiterated this point. With the camera Fees will be collected on an annual basis.

These penalties are particularly alarming for immigrants from India. Approximately 700,000 H-1B visa holders reside in the US, with 71% originating from India. Chinese nationals make up about 10% to 15% of this group. Additional noteworthy insights: nearly three-quarters of H-1B visa holders are male, earning a median salary of around $120,000. If these penalties survive potential legal challenges, the cost of hiring these workers in the US could become prohibitive for employers.

“Fearing for Our Talent”: India Responds to Trump’s H-1B Visa Fee Increase

These fees serve as tariffs on talent, paralleling Trump’s duties on goods from nearly all US trading partners. The president’s protectionist approach towards professional work resonates like his stance on imports from Vietnam. Additionally, similar to these tariffs, the rationale behind his employee fees is challenging to discern. The US lacks adequate domestic manufacturing capabilities to assemble smartphones fully and will not erect barriers preventing parts made abroad. Likewise, it doesn’t possess a robust pipeline of trained technical workers comparable to those in India and China, creating a talent gap that many leading American companies currently face. Enter H-1B. Advocates of the program, including Elon Musk of Tesla, argue it will address the talent void and attract essential skilled workers to maintain competitiveness. Musk, a US citizen originally from South Africa, once held an H-1B visa himself.

In December, Trump expressed his support for the program.

“I have a lot of H-1B visas for my properties. I support H-1B. I’ve utilized them many times. It’s a valuable program,” said the president. New York Post.

Will Trump’s Talent Tariff catalyze a resurgence of technical manufacturing, prompting the American education system to inspire more students toward technical careers? Perhaps not while he continues to battle against a university system that trains many international students who subsequently obtain H-1B visas and contribute to American companies.

At Last: Trump Finalizes the TikTok Transfer Agreement




Will the TikTok deal go through? Photo: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

Five years later, TikTok faces uncertainty, having dealt with multiple deadline extensions, and Trump claims he has finalized an agreement to transfer TikTok from its parent company in Beijing to US ownership, which is expected to be accepted.

“We have a deal concerning TikTok. A group of major companies is interested in acquiring it,” Trump stated last Tuesday without elaborating.

Since the initial vague announcement, further details have emerged. Trump mentioned in an interview on Fox News Sunday that media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan, CEO of Fox Corporation, might be involved in the deal. Additionally, Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, is reportedly a part of the discussions.

White House officials revealed that Larry Ellison, who recently lost his Forbes title as the world’s richest man to Elon Musk, would lease and manage TikTok’s algorithm, extending to the management of data collected from American users.

Broader Technology Landscape

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Attention Big Spenders: Starmer and Trump’s Multi-Billion Dollar Tech Agreement




Last week, Trump and Keir Starmer met at Checkers, the Prime Minister’s residence. Photo: Evan Vucci/AP

Just a week ago, Keir Starmer and Trump announced a commitment from numerous US companies to invest £31 billion in the UK technology sector in the coming years.

Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, hailed it as the “largest announcement” with a commitment of £22 billion over the next four years. Google has also promised to invest £5 billion.

CoreWeave, a US data center company, plans to invest an additional £1.5 billion in the UK, including its site in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The US software company Salesforce is contributing another $2 billion in the UK.

Nvidia, the leading AI chip manufacturer, has pledged a £11 billion investment in the UK economy as part of this agreement, providing up to 120,000 Blackwell GPUs for projects developed over the coming years in the UK.

A notable critique has suggested that this contract resembles the US’s Stargate project, which promises either $500 million in commitments from high-tech companies or the establishment of the world’s largest data center in Abu Dhabi. The government isn’t obliged to oversee the significant financial transactions. Nvidia announced on Monday that it would invest $100 million in OpenAI, which is more than three times its UK commitment.

Nick Clegg, former UK Deputy Prime Minister and past top policymaker for Meta, criticized the arrangement as a “second-class offer” for the UK in the US technology market.

At a Royal Television Association meeting in Cambridge, Clegg stated that the relationship between the UK and the US tech sectors is heavily lopsided and that the announcement primarily serves US businesses.

He cautioned that the UK risks becoming overly dependent on the US tech industry instead of fostering its own capabilities.

“These companies need these infrastructure resources anyway,” he noted. “They are constructing data centers globally. Perhaps they’ve merely made a token effort to align with the timing of this week’s state visit, but the flow of benefits isn’t mutual.”

“We are technically becoming a kind of vassal state. This is a reality. As soon as our high-tech companies begin to grow in size and ambition, they must turn to California.”

Learn More About Tech in the UK

Source: www.theguardian.com

White House Funding Cuts Endanger AI Weather Forecasting Institute

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Funding for a $20 million artificial intelligence lab aimed at enhancing weather forecasts has been halted by the Trump administration. This decision threatens both the pipeline of scientists and the nation’s capability to evaluate the effects of hurricanes and other weather-related disasters.

According to Amy McGovern, the director of the Institute for AI2ES (AI Institute for Heather and Weather, Climate, and Coastal Oceanography), the National Science Foundation (NSF) informed the institute last month that it would not extend its five-year grant.

McGovern, who serves as a professor of meteorology and computer science at the University of Oklahoma, stated:

She emphasized that, without private funding, the institute may have to close its doors next year.

AI2ES collaborates with various universities to integrate AI into weather forecasting while evaluating its reliability.

This move to shut down AI2ES occurs as the Trump administration is heavily investing in AI and accelerating the establishment of data centers. The administration’s own AI plan advocates for the development of AI systems and programs aimed at fostering AI vocational training programs and specialized AI labs across various scientific fields.

In July, the administration unveiled an ambitious plan to achieve “global dominance” in artificial intelligence, emphasizing both innovation and its implementation—key areas of focus for AI2ES.

Alan Gerald, the former director of the National Intensive Storm Institute at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, described the cut as “dissonance” in light of this trend toward advancing technology.

The White House has not responded to requests for comments regarding this matter.

The institute was established in 2020 under the previous Trump administration as part of the NSF’s AI research labs, having received around $20 million in funding over the past five years. An NSF spokesperson, Michael England, stated that the agency holds the AI Institute’s groundbreaking work in high regard.

The National Science Foundation is fully committed to advancing artificial intelligence research through the National AI Research Institute Program, a pivotal aspect of the administration’s strategy to reinforce the US’s leadership in transformative AI.

NSF and its collaborating partners have provided funding for a network of 29 AI institutes. This year, AI2ES was one of five labs updated through the NSF, with three labs having received updates, while the status of the fourth remains pending, according to McGovern.

The Trump administration has proposed a 55% budget cut for the NSF; however, Congress has not yet ratified the budget. Senate and House appropriations have diverged from the Trump administration’s proposals, suggesting smaller cuts to scientific institutions like the NSF.

“We were an AI lab, so we believed we were secure, given our alignment with the president’s priorities,” McGovern noted.

The Trump administration’s AI plan aims for NSF and other organizations to expose K-12 students to AI careers, develop industry-driven training programs to generate AI jobs, and bolster workforce initiatives to enhance the nation’s AI talent pool.

“They desire a more robust AI-trained workforce. We were doing a significant amount of work,” McGovern emphasized.

She expressed concern that private AI firms are “poaching talent constantly,” as the institute funds around 70 positions each year at various universities, creating a talent pipeline. Among the institute’s achievements are over 130 academic publications and the development of AI tools used by the government today.

The center aided in the creation of AI tools that predict weather events potentially endangering sea turtles near Corpus Christi, Texas, making these animals susceptible to hazards onboard vessels.

Additionally, the institute developed an application enabling forecasters to “see” within hurricanes, even without a polar orbit satellite equipped with a microwave sensor capable of penetrating storm clouds. This application utilizes data from Earth-measuring satellites that cannot penetrate clouds and simulates the internal structure of a hurricane.

The center is also investigating how forecasters evaluate the reliability of AI tools developed by private companies, including Google.

“We have social scientists who engage with end-users to comprehend their trust in AI, their reservations, and what improvements are necessary,” remarked McGovern.

According to Gerald, if the center were to shut down, it wouldn’t adversely affect current weather forecasting but could limit innovation and place the nation at a disadvantage.

“Many other countries are heavily investing in AI-related weather research, like China. They risk falling behind many nations committed to enhancing weather forecasting,” Gerald concluded.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

NASA’s Budget Cuts Endanger Wildfire Combat Program

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Hinesville, Ga. — From an elevation of 9,000 feet, NASA researchers observed extensive areas of prescribed burns at Fort Stewart Army Base this month, actively monitoring the flames and engaging with the landscape.

This burn is intentional and controlled, conducted as part of “prescription burns” to clear specific regions. The study, part of NASA’s FireSense project, aids firefighters in combating actual wildfires and may even help land managers avoid unnecessary ignitions.

However, initiatives like FireSense may face challenges as reports suggest significant budget cuts for NASA and other federal agencies under the Trump administration.

Last year, the U.S. experienced nearly 9 million acres consumed by wildfires, according to the National Interagency Fire Centre. Their annual report noted that wildfires and burned acreage in 2024 were “significantly higher than the five- and ten-year averages.”

Research indicates that climate change not only increases the frequency of wildfires but also exacerbates their destructiveness.

“The situation is deteriorating,” stated Michele Steinberg, director of the Wildfire Division at the National Fire Prevention Association. “We are witnessing fires in areas previously unaffected, burning hotter than ever.”

Severe wildfires pose substantial health, financial, and environmental threats, highlighting the importance of safeguarding lives and livelihoods through research.

NASA is not the only agency focused on wildfire issues. The U.S. Forest Service, the Department of the Interior, and the Bureau of Land Management are among the key federal entities engaged in wildfire response and prevention. What sets space agencies apart is their application of advanced technologies, including tools used in space, to bridge existing knowledge gaps.

“FireSense emerged from NASA’s recognition of wildfires as a significant issue. We are leveraging our expertise to assist the government in improving its wildfire management efforts.”

Project scientists will collaborate with local, state, and federal agencies, as well as academic partners, to enhance understanding of fire behavior, air quality concerns during and after wildfires, and ecosystem recovery post-ignition. Researchers are also exploring ways to manage vegetation in at-risk areas to minimize wildfire risks and curb rapid spread.

“Our objective is to adopt innovative technology, work closely with Wildland Fire Managers, and ensure this technology is accessible for wildfire situations,” explained Jacquelyn Shuman, a NASA Firesense project scientist.

The project employs equipment designed similarly to instruments used in low-Earth orbit on the International Space Station, providing detailed and accurate metrics to assist firefighters and land managers before, during, and after major fires.

At Fort Stewart, scientists monitored the prescribed burns, documenting the spread and mapping the flames with advanced infrared instruments known as Aviris-3 (short for Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer 3). The fire ultimately consumed around 700 acres.

NASA scientists are studying prescribed burns at Fort Stewart on April 14th.
Milan P. Leikono / NASA

Researchers closely monitored fire spread, its ground position, and temperature variations.

Prescription burns are intentionally ignited to manage ecosystems that rely on regular fires for health. They also help diminish dry, combustible vegetation that could ignite uncontrollably.

These burns are meticulously planned and conducted under specific weather conditions to control their spread; they also serve as scientific experiments for wildfire researchers, according to Harrison Raine, a former elite firefighter and current project coordinator for FireSense.

“We’re aiming to integrate all aspects of the fire lifecycle and utilize scientific understanding to address ongoing issues,” said Raine, who has extensive wildfire experience across multiple states.

“This is a profoundly personal issue for me,” he shared. “Coming from Los Angeles, I’ve witnessed the devastation firsthand, and I am committed to tackling this critical challenge. It requires all available tools, and science is crucial.”

NBC News correspondent Jacob Soborov (left) visits FireSense burns with Department of Defense employees.
Milan P. Leikono / NASA

Nevertheless, the future of FireSense may be uncertain due to ongoing concerns regarding funding for NASA and other federal programs.

While the budget cuts could impact project viability, the precise effects remain unclear. Signals indicate significant reductions to NASA’s Science Mission Bureau, which includes geoscience initiatives.

“Funding decisions have not yet been finalized,” stated Rachel Courley, a spokesperson for the White House Office of Management and Budget. NASA declined to comment and referred questions about the budget to OMB.

As the administration gears up to unveil its budget proposals shortly, concerns about possible cuts intensify.

“As a former NASA leader, I take pride in the agency’s comprehensive efforts to monitor and respond to wildfires,” remarked Sen. George Whiteside (D-Calif) in a statement. “Cutting essential wildfire programs like FireSense poses a risk to rebuilding communities like mine after devastating fires in Southern California.”

Stanford University’s Wara emphasized the far-reaching consequences of NASA’s wildfire research, noting that space agencies have significantly contributed to contemporary wildfire models and fire-related data.

“There’s no doubt that FireSense has considerably enhanced our understanding of fire behavior and risk,” he commented. “Losing this initiative would be detrimental, as regaining that knowledge is exceedingly challenging.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com