Karandeep Anand takes over Disney's technology on 2 October, about a year after Disney's lawyers told the company he ran to strip its characters out of user-made chatbots. Several of his engineers come with him.
Perspective Coverage
7 publishers
- Builder
- Builder 26%
- Operator
- Operator 37%
- Investor
- Investor 37%
Reality
- Evidence72
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap+10
- Incentives60
- Confidence70
buildOne report1 publisher European Commission's KIDS Act proposal pushes age checks and safe defaults into product design
European Commission's KIDS Act proposal expects services minors can reach to build in age-banded access and safe defaults, with comments due 26 November 2026. Nothing is binding yet. The design it points to ties each default to an age check that keeps no ID documents.
Reality
- Evidence35
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap+10
- Incentives65
- Confidence40
The EU's draft Kids Act makes adults prove their age to switch off child-safe defaults
EU Commission's draft Kids Act bars social media accounts for under-13s and locks the unrestricted version of covered apps behind an age check. Techdirt argues platforms will play it safe and check everyone, so adults carry the privacy cost too.
Reality
- Evidence45
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap+30
- Incentives65
- Confidence40
One in five Australian under-16s stayed on TikTok and Snapchat after the national ban
One in five Australian under-16s still used TikTok and Snapchat after 4.7 million accounts were restricted, according to a parental-control firm. Other governments are copying the approach with no evidence yet that it makes children safer.
Reality
- Evidence40
- Adoption50
- Hype gap+15
- Incentives
- Not scored
- Confidence35
The EU Kids Act would bar under-15s from social media and AI chat services, while the age-verification wallet the Commission finished in April certifies 18 and can be adapted to 13. Member states are meant to be tooled by the end of 2026.
Perspective Coverage
5 publishers
- Builder
- Builder 28%
- Operator
- Operator 48%
- Investor
- Investor 24%
Reality
- Evidence60
- Adoption20
- Hype gap+15
- Incentives55
- Confidence58
The EU's draft Kids Act would strip companion chatbots of emotion and memory for under-18s
A draft seen by WIRED would bar chatbots from simulating emotions with anyone under 18 and stop them carrying memory between conversations. Fines reach 6% of worldwide turnover. The scoping work lands on product teams.
Reality
- Evidence50
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap+10
- Incentives
- Not scored
- Confidence55
Von der Leyen announced a ban on social media for under-13s and one-hour parent-run accounts for 13- to 15-year-olds. WIRED and a draft seen by the Financial Times describe the youngest tier differently, and the text is years from force.
Perspective Coverage
8 publishers
- Builder
- Builder 29%
- Operator
- Operator 47%
- Investor
- Investor 24%
Reality
- Evidence70
- Adoption8
- Hype gap+30
- Incentives55
- Confidence65
The Commission president's September 16 speech named model-enabled intrusion as a sharpening risk and pointed to the AI Act as the guardrail, while the new bills she promised cover children's feeds and jobs.
Perspective Coverage
5 publishers
- Builder
- Builder 21%
- Operator
- Operator 50%
- Investor
- Investor 29%
Reality
- Evidence70
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap+30
- Incentives45
- Confidence62
The EU KIDS Act proposal ties every 13- to 15-year-old account to a parent's login
The Commission adopted the proposal on September 18. Under-13s would be kept off social media, and 13- to 15-year-olds would only get parent-linked accounts carrying a 60-minute daily cap that platforms have to enforce.
Reality
- Evidence38
- Adoption10
- Hype gap+30
- Incentives68
- Confidence48
The Commission's proposal bars under-13s, holds 13-to-15-year-olds to an hour a day through accounts created from a parent's, and threatens fines of up to 6% of global sales. Council and Parliament have not voted.
Perspective Coverage
3 publishers
- Builder
- Builder 25%
- Operator
- Operator 47%
- Investor
- Investor 28%
Reality
- Evidence72
- Adoption15
- Hype gap+30
- Incentives70
- Confidence66
Eight jurisdictions set four different minimum ages for a social media account
The under-16 ban Australia passed in December 2025 now has company in Brazil, Canada and the EU, and each version picks its own age and its own list of covered surfaces. Two of the nine are actually in force.
Reality
- Evidence44
- Adoption52
- Hype gap−12
- Incentives62
- Confidence48