In a bold move, Burkina Faso's media authority has put a halt to operations of the French news outlet TV5Monde, levying accusations of "disinformation" and "apology for terrorism" against the network. This suspension stems from the broadcaster's coverage of the ongoing insurgencies affecting Burkina Faso and its neighbor, Mali, which highlighted rising insecurity and purported human rights abuses by the security forces. Human Rights Watch has characterized this action as a component of a wider initiative aimed at stifling…

Meta is facing fresh scrutiny in Europe after the European Commission issued a preliminary finding this week alleging the company failed to stop children under 13 from using Instagram and Facebook. According to the commission, weaknesses in Meta's systems amount to a breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA). It said the safeguards in place did not sufficiently stop children under 13 from getting onto the services, or quickly detect and remove those who had already managed to sign up. Meta said it does not accept the…

Sweden is moving to crack down on what officials describe as brazen online “murder adverts,” with the government proposing new rules that would force platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat to remove gang-linked recruitment posts within an hour or risk steep financial penalties. Authorities say criminal networks in Sweden are making growing use of social media to enlist people to carry out killings and other violent crimes, as the phenomenon known as “crime as a service” continues to spread. Those targeted for recruitment are…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia’s National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) on Monday met with the National Independent Human Rights Commission (NIHRC), led by Chairperson Dr Maryan Qasim, to formally hand over its 2025 State of the Media Report. The document records 72 verified violations of media freedom between January and December 2025, painting a stark picture of a press corps operating under constant strain and official pressure. The report details a wide pattern of abuses, ranging from arbitrary arrests and…

Tuesday April 28, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — A new report handed to Somalia’s top human rights watchdog on Monday paints a stark picture of the pressures facing the country’s media, with the National Union of Somali Journalists warning that abuse of reporters remains widespread and rarely punished. NUSOJ presented its 2025 State of the Media Report to the National Independent Human Rights Commission (NIHRC), saying it had verified 72 violations of media freedom between January and December 2025. The union said the findings point…

Norway is moving to tighten children’s access to social media, with the government saying it will propose a ban for users under 16 and place the burden of age verification on technology companies. "We are introducing this legislation because we want a childhood where children get to be children," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said in a statement. "Play, friendships, and everyday life must not be taken over by algorithms and screens. "This is an important measure to safeguard children's digital lives," Mr Stoere said. The…

Somalia’s press came under relentless pressure in 2025, with a new report from the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) detailing 72 violations of media freedom over the course of the year and describing an environment in which journalists are routinely targeted while perpetrators remain untouched. The union said the pattern of abuse, from arrests to violence, shows repression of journalism is not only continuing but deeply rooted. According to the State of the Media Report, 70 of the cases involved individual…

Monday April 20, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s media landscape is still operating under heavy pressure, with journalists facing repeated attacks and those behind them largely escaping punishment, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) said. In its annual State of the Media report, released Sunday, the union recorded 72 violations of media freedom from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025, and said the pattern of abuse was broad, persistent and deeply rooted. The report said 70 of the cases involved individual…

Greece will block children under 15 from accessing social media starting 1 January next year, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced today, unveiling what he described as a tough but necessary step. "We have decided to proceed with a difficult yet necessary measure: ban access to social media for children under 15 years old," he said in a video posted on TikTok. "Greece is one of the first countries in the world to adopt such a measure," the prime minister said, adding that he intends to press the European Union to…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Alarm is growing over a string of social media posts by Somalia’s ports and maritime transport minister, Abdulqadir Mohamed Nur, with critics warning that the messages could deepen political tensions and even help trigger conflict in the Southwest state. Over the past several days, Nur has used Facebook to comment on the movement of national army units, including posts saying when troops would arrive in Baidoa and claiming that some areas had already been secured. The remarks have prompted sharp…