In this week’s Plugged In by Wired Parents, the big story this week is age verification and whether it’s Australia mandating facial scans for social media or the UK enforcing stricter checks on adult sites, the digital gatekeeping game is changing fast. And while governments argue these moves will keep kids safer online, privacy experts aren’t so sure. What happens to your child’s face data when it’s stored on a platform they barely understand?

But it's not just regulators making noise. A new WHO report warns that big tobacco and alcohol brands are exploiting virtual worlds like Roblox and the metaverse to quietly nudge kids toward harmful habits. No billboards needed, just branded avatars and digital parties. It’s a sobering reminder that digital risks don’t always look like danger.

Also, parental control tools are evolving across nearly every major platform from Apple’s tighter iOS limits to Xbox’s new chat filters and Roblox’s biometric upgrades. It sounds great, but most of these tools still rely on parents knowing they exist and actually using them.

As always, we’ve pulled together what matters most: the laws, the loopholes, and the quiet shifts that may already be shaping the online world.

Whether you’re tech-savvy or just trying to keep up, we want to help you keep ahead.

TL;DR: scanning faces, dodging ads and upgrading controls.

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Australia is gearing up to become the first Western nation to roll out mandatory facial age verification for both social media and adult content platforms. The law, set to come into force by December 2025, will require users to prove their age using either facial scans or official government ID. It’s a bold move to curb underage exposure to explicit content and online harms, but not without serious controversy.

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner says tech companies have failed to self-regulate effectively. Without mandatory checks, underage users routinely access harmful material often without their parents knowing. Age verification, officials argue, is now a non-negotiable step toward keeping kids safer online.

But critics see the new rules as a dangerous precedent. Privacy groups warn of biometric surveillance becoming the norm and fear sensitive data could be misused, leaked, or exploited. There’s also concern over the effectiveness of these tools, and how they’ll be implemented in practice especially on smaller or international platforms.

Industry voices are divided. While some large platforms may comply, smaller tech firms and adult content providers have already threatened to withdraw from the Australian market entirely, citing prohibitive costs and fundamental privacy concerns.

As digital policy experts watch closely, Australia’s move could ripple globally, influencing decisions in the UK, US, and EU, all of which are grappling with how to balance child protection with digital rights.

👨‍👩‍👧 Parental Takeaway:
This law could set the tone for age checks around the world. If your child is on social media—or will be soon—start thinking now about what age-verification means. It might not just be about what your child sees, but what data they must hand over to see it.

🔗 Read the full article in The Guardian

Big tobacco and alcohol companies are using the metaverse to quietly target children through avatars, NFTs, and immersive brand experiences. That’s the finding from a new World Health Organization (WHO) report, which warns of a digital “Wild West” where underage users are routinely exposed to marketing that would be illegal in the real world.

While many parents focus on screen time or inappropriate language, this report highlights a different kind of threat: the subtle, persistent normalisation of smoking, vaping, and drinking wrapped in virtual games, worlds, and tokens.

The concern is not just that these ads exist s that children don’t even recognise them as ads. In immersive virtual spaces like Roblox or Decentraland, branded items or experiences are often integrated directly into gameplay or social environments, making it far harder for young users to critically assess what they’re seeing.

Public health advocates argue that this could undo years of progress in limiting exposure to smoking and alcohol messages in traditional media. The digital world, they say, is fast becoming a regulatory blind spot, allowing brands to bypass rules that protect kids offline.

🧒 Parental Takeaway:
Your child may not be on social media but if they’re in a game or virtual space, they may already be seeing subtle cues that glamorise vaping, drinking, or smoking. These aren’t traditional ads, they’re experiences. As a parent, staying curious about the digital environments your child visits is the first step toward countering these invisible influences.

🔗 Read the full article in The Guardian

Parental takeaway: This isn't just about keeping kids off adult sites. It’s also about ensuring they don’t give away sensitive data in the process. Start the conversation now: What are you agreeing to when you say 'yes, I’m 18'?

Source: Wired Parents

For more articles from the week, head over to Wired-Parents.com

In 2025, nearly every major tech platform has upgraded its parental control tools making it easier (in theory) to manage screen time, protect kids from harmful content, and tailor their digital lives. Here’s what’s changed:

🟩 Amazon Fire Tablets (May 2025)

🟦 Xbox Family Settings (Spring 2025)

🟥 Meta Quest 3 & VR Headsets

🟨 Google Family Link Overhaul (Mid-2025)

🟧 Apple iOS 18 (June 2025)

🔒 Apple iOS 26 (Coming Fall 2025)

🤖 Roblox Adds Biometric Age Checks (July 2025)

🧠 Takeaway for Parents:
The tech is improving, but these tools still rely on you to activate and adjust them.

✅ Word Your Kid Probably Knows: “FYP”
Short for “For You Page”the main TikTok feed filled with videos chosen by the app’s algorithm.

🔧 Tech Tip for Tired Parents: Schedule Do Not Disturb
Set Do Not Disturb hours on your phone to protect family or quiet time without interruptions.

📴 Offline Challenge of the Week: Tech-free bedtime
Turn off all screens one hour before bed to improve sleep quality and help everyone unwind.

🐶 BBC targets adults in the latest adventure for its top dog Bluey

💛 A child psychologist says self-connection is the skill kids need.

🖼️ A portrait of the Etch A Sketch as an enduring pop culture icon

🌐 Are a few people ruining the internet for the rest of us?

🎮 The unlikely story of how Minecraft was born

What has only two words but thousands of letters?

Answer: The post office.

What is red and smells like blue paint?

Answer: Red paint.

Imagine you are in a dark room. How do you get out?

What has a bottom at the top?

Answers next week!

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Our mission at Wired Parents is to help you critically evaluate your children’s digital access with insight, inquiry and options from news and opinions along with tools, tips and strategies. Because they’ll either thank you later, or wish you’d fought harder.