California Gov. Gavin Newsom says there's no imminent threat to the state from Iran. ABC News says the FBI warned California that Iran had aspired to send drones to the West Coast in retaliation for war. The FBI later released text of the alert, which noted that the information was based on "unverified information." The White House now says, "No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists." Newsom says California and various agencies plan for worst-case scenarios. Police in Los Angeles and San Francisco say they are monitoring world events for any risks.
Social media companies have revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children in Australia. This follows the country's ban on platform use by those under 16. Communications Minister Anika Wells announced the figures on Friday, highlighting the success of the law enacted in December. The ban has sparked debates about technology use, privacy, and child safety. Platforms like Facebook, YouTube and X face hefty fines if they fail to comply. Officials say the measure is encouraging, though some young users have found ways to bypass restrictions. Other countries, such as Denmark, are considering similar bans.
Clinics, advocacy groups and individuals who share abortion-related content online say they are seeing informational posts being taken down even if the posts don't clearly violate the platforms' policies. The groups, in Latin America and the U.S., are denouncing what they see as censorship even in places where abortion is legal. Companies like Meta say their policies have not changed, and experts attribute the takedowns to over-enforcement. But abortion advocates say the removals have a chilling effect even if they are later reversed, and navigating platforms' complex systems of appeals is difficult, if not impossible.
