Web firms turn blind eye to children – UK

1st minister of Wales quits

LONDON, April 22, (Agencies): Britain’s health minister Jeremy Hunt threatened to impose new regulations on social media firms unless they do more to protect young people using their services.

Hunt said the groups were “turning a blind eye” to the effect social media had on children’s well-being — an accusation that comes as Facebook and others face heightened scrutiny worldwide over their impact and influence.

Google’s UK operation and Facebook said they were committed to protecting children and working on new features to help. There was no immediate comment from Twitter, Snapchat and other firms. Hunt did not say what kind of regulations the government could impose, but gave the companies an end-ofApril deadline to come up with measures to tackle cyber bullying and control the amount of time youngsters spent online.

“I am concerned that your companies seem content with a situation where thousands of users breach your own terms and conditions on the minimum user age,” Hunt said in a letter sent to tech firms.

“I fear that you are collectively turning a blind eye to a whole generation of children being exposed to the harmful emotional side effects of social media prematurely.”

In an article in the Sunday Times newspaper, Hunt said there had been a few welcome moves to improve children’s online protection, but that the overall response had been “extremely limited” and that a voluntary approach might not be enough.

Hunt

Under pressure Jones steps down:

Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones, who has been under pressure over the death of a former colleague, announced Saturday he was stepping down after almost nine years.

Jones, 51, told a meeting of his Welsh Labour party that he had been through “the darkest of times” and did not want to put his family through any more.

He has faced months of questions over the way he handled allegations of personal misconduct against a member of his cabinet, Carl Sargeant.

Sargeant was sacked in November and just days later he was found dead, apparently having killed himself.

“I intend — as I’ve always maintained — to be here to give every answer to every question,” Jones said Saturday.

“But I intend to stand down in the autumn, allowing for a new first minister to take place by the end of this year.”

The former lawyer has been first minister of the devolved government in Cardiff since December 2009.

‘Overturn abortion restrictions’:

Ireland’s premier has urged his country to show compassion as he launched a campaign to overturn some of Europe’s strictest abortion rules.

Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said Saturday that Ireland’s May 25 referendum on whether to lift a constitutional ban on most abortions is an opportunity to “put compassion at the center of our laws.”