Author: Grace Johnson

A new investigation claims TikTok recommends pornography and sexualised clips to children. Researchers created fake child accounts, turned on safety settings, and still received explicit search prompts. These led to videos showing masturbation simulations and even pornographic sex. TikTok says it acted immediately after being alerted and insists it prioritises safe, age-appropriate use. Fake profiles highlight hidden dangers In July and August, researchers from Global Witness built four TikTok accounts. They posed as 13-year-olds using false birth dates. The platform did not request extra identification. Investigators enabled TikTok’s “restricted mode”. The company advertises this feature as a barrier against sexual…

Elon Musk has become the first person to amass a personal wealth of more than $500bn. The landmark comes as Tesla and his other companies surged in value this year. His fortune briefly touched $500.1bn on Wednesday afternoon in New York. It later slipped slightly to just above $499bn, according to Forbes’ billionaires index. Valuations of his other firms, including the AI startup xAI and rocket company SpaceX, have also climbed sharply in recent months. Musk stays far ahead of rivals This milestone cements Musk’s place as the richest person on earth. He remains well ahead of competitors in the…

The sunscreen scandal in Australia keeps escalating. Regulators have already taken 18 products off the shelves due to safety concerns. Popular products fail to meet claims A consumer advocacy group reported in June that several well-known sunscreens offered far less protection than promised. Ultra Violette’s Lean Screen Skinscreen claimed SPF 50+ but tested at only SPF 4. The company voluntarily recalled the product in August. Since then, the medicines regulator has identified 20 additional sunscreens from different brands. All share the same base formula, which performed poorly during testing. Investigations reveal very low SPF levels Testing showed the formula rarely…

Donald Trump has repeated his threat to impose a 100% tariff on all films produced outside the United States. He argued that foreign nations had “stolen” America’s movie industry. California highlighted On Monday, Trump said California had suffered most under the current system. He claimed the levy would “solve this long time, never ending problem”. In May, he already revealed plans to meet Hollywood executives. At that time, he warned the American film sector was dying “a very fast death”. Tariffs spread across sectors Trump’s comments came after new tariffs on other industries. These included a 100% levy on branded…

Insider threats sit among the most dangerous tactics in cyber-crime. Few workers ever face them. Even fewer reveal their experiences. I unexpectedly became one of them. A criminal group tried to recruit me with the promise of millions. Sudden contact on Signal The first message arrived without warning. “If you are interested, we can offer you 15% of any ransom payment if you give us access to your PC.” The sender called themselves Syndicate. They reached me in July through the encrypted app Signal. I had no idea who they were, but I quickly understood their proposal. They wanted me…

Donald Trump has ordered troops to Portland, Oregon, and authorised the use of full force if required to stop protests targeting immigration detention centres. The president said the move would protect immigration facilities from what he described as attacks by Antifa and other domestic terrorists. He portrayed the city as war-ravaged in a post on Truth Social. This order expands military deployments in US cities during his wider crackdown on illegal immigration. pushback from democratic leaders Democratic lawmakers strongly criticised the decision. They argued there was no need for federal troops in Portland. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said the state…

Jaguar Land Rover has begun a phased restart of operations following a damaging cyber-attack. Several IT systems are back online, and the company is processing delayed supplier payments with greater invoicing capacity. Cyber-attack forced production to stop The August attack forced Jaguar Land Rover to shut down its IT networks and halt car production. Its plants are expected to remain closed until at least next month. The prime minister said the government is working continuously on a support package for suppliers. Fears are growing that smaller firms could collapse as the shutdown drags on. Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer called…

US President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping set of new tariffs. From October 1, branded and patented medicines imported into the United States will face a 100 percent duty unless companies run production plants on American soil. Washington will also impose a 25 percent tariff on heavy-duty trucks and a 50 percent levy on kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Trump unveiled the measures on Thursday, describing them as vital to safeguard American manufacturing. He said on Truth Social that a “flood” of imported goods left the US with no choice. He insisted the tariffs would shield domestic producers from damaging…

An Indian court has thrown out a case filed by Elon Musk’s platform X. The company argued that a government portal allowed officials to censor content without oversight. A single judge of the Karnataka High Court said X’s challenge to the Sahyog portal was “without merit”. The full judgement has not yet been released. X has not confirmed if it will appeal the ruling. Another setback for the platform This decision marks the second defeat for X in India in just over two years. The platform had earlier lost a case against government content blocking powers. Experts now fear a…

Canadian privacy officials ruled that TikTok does not adequately protect children’s personal data. They said the company allows underage use and exploits sensitive details. Widespread access among minors Hundreds of thousands of Canadian children use TikTok each year. The firm maintains the app is not intended for users under 13. Investigators confirmed that many minors still gain access to the platform. Data used for advertising The inquiry found TikTok collected sensitive information from large numbers of children. The platform then used the data to drive advertising and shape content feeds. Officials warned that these practices put young people at risk.…