Digital Nomad
Relevant information about what is happening in the world of IT and digital nomads 🎒 @dbas13_bot - contact
نمایش بیشتر📈 تحلیل کانال تلگرام Digital Nomad
کانال Digital Nomad (@digital_ai) در بخش زبانی انگلیسی بازیگری فعال است. در حال حاضر جامعه شامل 22 595 مشترک است و جایگاه 5 719 را در دسته فناوری و برنامهها و رتبه 1 741 را در منطقه الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية دارد.
📊 شاخصهای مخاطب و پویایی
از زمان ایجاد در невідомо، پروژه رشد سریعی داشته و 22 595 مشترک جذب کرده است.
بر اساس آخرین دادهها در تاریخ 05 اکتبر, 2026، کانال فعالیت پایداری دارد. در ۳۰ روز گذشته تغییر اعضا برابر -77 و در ۲۴ ساعت گذشته برابر 0 بوده و همچنان دسترسی گستردهای حفظ شده است.
- وضعیت تأیید: تأیید نشده
- نرخ تعامل (ER): میانگین تعامل مخاطب 0.42% است و در ۲۴ ساعت نخست پس از انتشار، محتوا معمولاً 0.15% واکنش نسبت به کل مشترکان کسب میکند.
- دسترسی پستها: هر پست به طور میانگین 96 بازدید دریافت میکند. در اولین روز معمولاً 34 بازدید جمعآوری میشود.
- واکنشها و تعامل: مخاطبان بهطور فعال حمایت میکنند؛ میانگین واکنش به هر پست 2 است.
- علایق موضوعی: محتوا بر موضوعات کلیدی مانند citizen, agreement, worker, airline, destination تمرکز دارد.
📝 توضیح و سیاست محتوایی
نویسنده این فضا را محل بیان دیدگاههای شخصی توصیف میکند:
“Relevant information about what is happening in the world of IT and digital nomads 🎒
@dbas13_bot - contact”
به لطف بهروزرسانیهای پرتکرار (آخرین داده در تاریخ 06 اکتبر, 2026)، کانال همواره بهروز و دارای دسترسی بالاست. تحلیلها نشان میدهد مخاطبان بهطور فعال با محتوا تعامل دارند و آن را به نقطه اثرگذاری مهم در دسته فناوری و برنامهها تبدیل کردهاند.
در حال بارگیری داده...
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| 2 | OpenAI will label ChatGPT texts in the EU with an invisible watermark
On October 5, OpenAI announced that in the coming weeks it will add an invisible watermark to the texts of ChatGPT and Codex for users in the European Union. The company links this move to the EU law requirement for artificial intelligence to label generated text in a way that can be recognized by machines. On the same day, clients using the software interface worldwide can enable labeling for individual models. By default, it is turned off in the interface. The company does not make it a global standard for ChatGPT at the outset.
The technology is called textGrain. It alters the statistics of word choices where models have multiple options and does not add hidden characters, invisible spaces, or unusual punctuation. The detector looks for this signal in a prepared excerpt. The watermark is not tied to a person, organization, account, request, or correspondence and does not indicate which part of the text was written by a person.
OpenAI explicitly limits the reliability of verification. At a target false positive rate of 1%, the detector found the watermark in about 80% of excerpts of 200 tokens and about 95% of excerpts of 400 tokens in texts like psychological ones. In mathematics, where word choice is stricter, the result was notably lower. Editing weakens the signal: in the assessment of 400-token excerpts, replacing 10% of words with synonyms reduced detection from about 92% to 66%, and replacing 25% of words decreased it to 17%. The absence of the watermark, according to the company's statement, does not prove that the text was written by a person. It could be short, edited, translated, created before the labeling was launched, or by another system.
Anthropic has been labeling texts of the new Claude models since August. According to the company's documentation, for models released in the EU on August 2, 2026, and later, a machine-readable label is applied from day one, and this labeling is effective not only in the EU but also wherever Claude is available. There is a transitional period for old models.
The assertion that the content can be identified within seconds has been removed: OpenAI's message does not mention a verification time. The wording that the system can only be bypassed by manually replacing words with synonyms has been removed. The company writes that such replacement weakens detection but does not state it as the only method and does not promise that the watermark disappears completely after it. The word "humanizing" in the source material does not relate to the described technology. Verification: OpenAI's message from October 5, 2026, section about textGrain limitations. | 57 |
| 3 | Turkmenistan has introduced electronic visas. Invitation for tourists is no longer required
The State Migration Service launched the system on October 1, 2026. The portal is evisa.migration.gov.tm. The basis for this was amendments to the "Migration Law" signed in April 2025. It took one and a half years from the law to the launch of the system.
Previously, a tourist almost never applied by himself. A letter from a licensed local company was required, which had to be approved by the migration service before going to the consulate or obtaining a visa on arrival. This step is removed for the tourist electronic visa.
There are three categories on the portal.
e-TU, tourism. There is no invitation required among the mandatory documents. The itinerary, hotel reservation, and medical insurance are listed as optional. The portal does not publish the duration of stay.
e-BS, business, max 30 days. An invitation from a company or organization registered in Turkmenistan, indicating the applicant's position, is required.
e-HM, humanitarian. An official letter from a humanitarian organization or UN agency regarding the assignment is required.
Common package for all three categories: a scan of the passport page with a photo, a passport valid for at least 6 months on the date of entry, a recent color photo on a white background following the ICAO standard, a work email. The visa will be sent to this address.
Processing times: regular procedure 7 business days, expedited 3 days, "super expedited" 24 hours. The fee is calculated in the application, paid online in dollars with bank commission on top. There is no visible price list.
What the portal does not mention. The list of passports eligible for a visa. Entry points where the electronic visa is accepted: Ashgabat airport, land, sea. The duration of the tourist visa. The website was barely accessible on the launch day.
The old procedure with invitation is still valid for applications that travel agencies have already submitted before October 1. Some operators still process electronic visas only along with a full tour: biometrics and payments are made by the client, while handling is done by the agency.
The country has not become visa-free. The obligatory intermediary for the tourist, who now applies independently, has been removed. Business and humanitarian visas still start with an internal letter. As there is no list of countries and duration of stay yet, an independent trip remains an application, not a ticket. | 45 |
| 4 | 42 nomad visas in the registry. The lowest threshold is not worth taking at face value
The private registry WhereNext, as of September 23, 2026, holds 42 programs for remote workers. Additionally, in the same database, there are 24 pension routes, 28 investment routes, and a total of 273 paths in 95 countries. This is not a law or a consular list. It is a summary, and the platform itself states that the thresholds fluctuate and need to be verified before applying.
In its ranking, the lowest declared income is from Albania. Unique Permit for digital mobile workers, article 68 of law 79/2021: around $4,845 per year, 12 months with extensions, duration around 84 days, fee about $57. The link to the regulator in the card is unconfirmed. Other trackers for 2026 give a significantly different threshold: around €815 per month, closer to €9,800 per year, or a one-time amount of 408,000 leks based on a 2023 reference without a recent amendment found. A two-fold difference. For the post, this is more important than just the number. Albania is only inexpensive in one database.
The discrepancies are less pronounced in other cases. Ecuador, Visa Nómada based on rentista: around $17,352 per year, which amounts to $1,446 per month, three local minimum wages at $482 each. Duration is 24 months, registry fee about $300, while on other summaries it is $400-450. The country uses the dollar, the threshold is not affected by the exchange rate. There is a path to permanent residency after 21 months, but it is no longer a nomad visa, rather a separate residency requirement.
Brazil, VITEM XIV: from $18,000 per year or $1,500 per month, or this amount in the account. The duration is 12 months with an extension up to 24, processing takes about 15 days, fee around $136. Here, the registry has a link to an official source, and neighboring summaries confirm the figure. The condition is stricter for the money: remote work for a foreign company, not a local contract.
For comparison, consider a typical European route. In 2026, Spain requires 200% of the minimum wage. SMI - €1,221 per month. This equates to about €2,849 per month, or €34,188 per year per person. The first family member adds 75% of SMI, each subsequent member adds 25%. Greece asks for €3,500 net, not gross. UAE for virtual work - about $3,500 per month. The Thai DTV is not based on a salary but on the remaining amount from 500,000 baht.
A significant shift this year is not in the threshold but in the closed door. As of June 30, 2026, Canada is not accepting new applications for the Start-Up Visa. This is a different category, founder-based, but it fell off the map just when nomad lists started to look stable.
The practical conclusion from the registry is brief. A low figure in the aggregator is a reason to review the law, not to buy a ticket. Albania exemplifies this better than anyone: one database gives $4,845 per year, the other provides almost twice as much, and neither can replace a consular certificate on the day of application. | 134 |
| 5 | OpenAI has launched Dots. An agent that doesn't need you to ask "how's it going" every morning.
Dot sits on GPT-6 Astra, lives on its cloud computer, and is connected to 4000+ applications. It handles your KPIs, gathers demos, checks your calendar, goes through multiple services at once. You can write to it in ChatGPT, by voice, in Slack or Teams. Over time, it learns how you work, sends updates, and even finds the next task for you.
Permissions for sensitive actions are set separately. Currently, one Dot per person is allowed. They promise to release a flock of Dots and "specialists" for different roles in a company.
The first Dot is included in the Pro and Business Premium plans. Not in Plus.
Alongside, GPT-6.1 Sol was released: almost like Astra in code and agent tasks, but priced at about a fifth of the cost. Heavy lifting—on Astra. Conveyor work—on Sol.
And yes, there's a new tariff: $500 per month.
An employee that never sleeps. And a bill that doesn't either.
Who will you entrust your calendar to first? | 69 |
| 6 | Did you know about the existence of "fake English language"? Prisencolinensinainciusol is one of the most unusual, avant-garde, and captivating songs in the history of pop music.
The premiere took place on November 3, 1972. It was performed by Adriano Celentano.
The song is entirely written in "fake English." Originally, it did not have any meaning.
The text consists of made-up words and sounds without real meaning, specifically created to mimic how the English language with an American accent sounds to the ears of speakers of Italian or other languages.
The song became a true cultural phenomenon and rose to the top of the charts in countries like Italy, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands.
Do you enjoy listening to official statements from politicians and officials? Currently, 99% of such statements about the absence of any meaning even surpass Prisencolinensinainciusol and are written in fake-human language. | 76 |
| 7 | Claude Code stopped breaking the problem in the middle
Before, the 5-hour limit could cut off an agent in the middle of editing. Now, with Wrap-Up Allowance: when the limit is reached, the model takes a small piece from the weekly limit and extends it to a normal point. Finish the file. Don't leave a diff in the middle.
It's not unlimited. The volume is fixed and small. On Pro - once a week. On Max and Team Premium - every time you hit 5 hours. The deduction comes from the week, the weekly limit ceiling does not grow.
Next - stop. If you need to continue - you buy additional usage.
Finally, the agent can finish a sentence, not swallow it at a comma.
Who has already encountered "Usage limit reached · wrapping up"? | 86 |
| 8 | CEO of NVIDIA doesn't know his address. Or his phone number either.
Jensen Huang told Ezra Klein directly in the conversation: the multiplication table is already being forgotten, long division even more so. Square roots. Basic math is fading away. "Is this important? I don't think so."
Then he admitted himself. He doesn't remember his home address. At the gas station a few years ago, when asked for the ZIP code, panic set in. He also doesn't keep his phone number in his head. "I can live with that."
His thesis: some skills can be handed over to machines. "Intellectual agility" is diminishing, but people will supposedly become better at thinking in systems and focus on what is more important.
A person with a trillion-dollar company doesn't remember the ZIP code. The question is not whether this is convenient for him. The question is — what exactly are we willing to forget next.
Do you still remember your address? | 76 |
| 9 | Azerbaijan is preparing visas and residence permits for digital nomads
On September 24, the Parliamentary Committee on Economic Policy reviewed amendments to the Migration Code. If the law passes, starting from January 1, 2027, foreigners working remotely will be able to obtain a business visa, temporary residence permit, and even permanent residency. This is not for every freelancer with a laptop. The list is narrow: IT, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, innovations.
The income threshold is tied to the local minimum wage. Currently, it is 400 manats, around 235 dollars. To apply for a visa or temporary residence permit, one must demonstrate an average overseas income for the last six months not less than 13 times the minimum wage - 5,200 manats, approximately 3,060 dollars per month. For permanent residency, the threshold is doubled: 26 times the minimum wage, around 6,120 dollars.
The temporary residence permit is granted for up to three years with the possibility of extension. An invitation from the receiving party is not required. There is also no examination on the Azerbaijani language and basic legislation, which is the main privilege. Then, conditions begin that are not present in the usual "nomad visa for a year and then leave."
To obtain a residence permit or permanent residency, one will have to register for tax purposes and work as a resident of the technopark. Additionally, the individual becomes part of the state social insurance. This scheme is closer to that of a specialist whom the country wants to retain in its digital zone, rather than a tourist with Wi-Fi.
In comparison with the market, Thailand on DTV requires savings of around 500,000 baht and does not require a local tax on foreign income if you do not become a tax resident. Malaysia holds the threshold for tech professionals from 24,000 dollars per year. Azerbaijan sets a monthly income higher than many Asian programs but offers a three-year residence permit upfront and a path to permanent residency — if you are willing to enter the technopark.
The law has not been passed yet. This is a committee draft. It is not possible to submit an application now. It makes sense to follow the text until January: the wording "resident of the technopark" will determine whether this is a real entry point for remote workers or only a filter for those already treated as investors by Baku. | 72 |
| 10 | На конференции Connect 2026 Meta представила несколько уровней продуктов: от доступных «просто очков с ИИ» до полноценной VR-пары за 1300 долларов. Основное внимание не на одной модели, а на всей линейке товаров.
Самый громкий продукт — Meta VR Glasses. Они весят примерно 100 граммов, без ремня, почти неотличимы внешне от обычных очков. Процессор, батарея и память находятся в карманном блоке весом около 300 граммов, к очкам подключается тонкий оптический кабель. Экраны micro-OLED с разрешением 2412 × 2288 на глаз, с частотой обновления 120 Гц, поддержка HDR и Dolby Vision. Meta называет это первым VR-устройством с сертификатом IMAX Enhanced. Каталог Quest остается, добавляются фильмы, спортивные трансляции ESPN/TNT, виртуальный рабочий стол и голографические звонки. Управление осуществляется жестами и голосовым агентом Muse. Цена составляет 1299,99 долларов, начнут продавать только весной 2027 года. Есть и компромиссы: угол обзора около 70 градусов, батарея блока от 3 часов при просмотре контента высокого качества.
Ray-Ban Meta Audio — это первые очки Meta без камеры. Весит 43 грамма, обеспечивает до 12 часов работы на одном заряде, с кейсом до 48 часов. Функционал включает ИИ, музыку, звонки, возможность подгонки под диоптрии. Доступны в стилях Clubmaster и Burbank, в 23 цветовых комбинациях линз. Продажи начнутся 13 октября от 349 долларов. Это решение в ответ на проблему нарушения приватности камерами.
Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 — основные «умные» очки с камерой. Тоньше предыдущего поколения, обеспечивают до 9 часов работы, шесть микрофонов, камеру 12 Мп и видео разрешением 3K. Обещают добавить поддержку Dolby Atmos и объемный звук для записей. Предлагаются в стилях Wayfarer, Aviator и новом стиле Zena. Стоимость начинается с 449 долларов, уже в продаже. К 90-летию Aviator выпущена лимитированная модель в винтажном цвете за 579 долларов.
Немного дешевле по цене — линейка Meta Glasses с EssilorLuxottica. Самый доступный вариант — Meta Adventurer за 249 долларов, предзаказ открыт, продажи начнутся 23 октября. Также доступны модели Fury, коллаборации с Кайли Дженнер и LISA, цены примерно от 399. Oakley остается спортивным направлением. К концу года Meta обещает более 100 вариантов дизайнов, цветов и брендов.
Также стоит упомянуть прошлогодние Ray-Ban Meta Display — очки с небольшим экраном в линзе. Их не заменили, а расширили: уже доступны в Великобритании и Канаде, с 13 октября появятся во Франции, Италии и Германии.
В экосистеме также присутствуют Muse — персональный агент в очках, обеспечивающий управление задачами и планами с помощью голоса. Muse Charm — это брелок к агенту, предназначенный для праздников. Часть ИИ-очков Meta планируют продавать как слуховое устройство без рецепта, в том же форм-факторе, но с другим назначением.
География распространения также расширилась: линейка ИИ-очков доступна в Сингапуре, Южной Корее, Мексике и ОАЭ, позже появится в Бразилии и других странах до конца года.
В общем, если нужен звук и ИИ без камеры — выбирайте Audio за 349 долларов. Если нужна камера и привычный стиль Ray-Ban — Gen 3 за 449 долларов. Дешевая входная точка — Adventurer за 249 долларов. Экран в линзе — Display, его уже расширяют по странам. Если нужен кинозал и Quest без шлема на голове — VR Glasses за 1300 долларов, но придется подождать до весны. Марк Цукерберг лично подчеркнул: фокус не на новом метавселенной ради метавселенной, а на устройствах, которые можно носить в течение часов. | 5 |
| 11 | New Zealand closed the old portal for visitor visas. From 24th September only the new one
Immigration New Zealand is now accepting new applications for most visitor visas only through enhanced Immigration Online starting today. The old online platform for these categories no longer accepts new applications. The entry rules themselves have not changed. It's just the application channel that has changed.
This is not about visa-free entry or NZeTA. Those who already have the right to enter under electronic authorization are in a different queue. This is about the standard Visitor Visa: for tourism, business, medical treatment, parents and grandparents, and group visits. From 24th August, Group and Tour Escort visas also started using the new portal. From 24th September, the majority of other visitor categories will also transition to the new system.
There are two strict deadlines ahead. On 1st October, New Zealand will almost stop accepting paper applications for selected visitor and transit visas. After this date, paper applications will only be accepted in exceptional cases. On 8th October, the old forms will be completely phased out. Draft applications that were not submitted will be deleted. It's not archiving, but a complete reset. Applicants will need to start from scratch in the new portal and re-upload all documents.
Existing applications should not be affected. Unfinished draft applications in the old system can still be completed and submitted before 8th October. INZ promises to notify those with pending drafts. The categories "partner/child of a New Zealander" are still on the old platform for now. Partners and children of military personnel, students, or workers have already transitioned to the new system earlier, in June.
To access the new platform, you usually need a RealMe account. Then provide standard visa photos, documents, and translations in English, and pay online. The average processing time for a standard visitor visa is currently about a week, with most being processed within two weeks. Business visitor visas are processed faster: days, not weeks.
For travelers and tourists, the message is clear. Those who planned to "print out the form and take it to the visa center" are too late. Those who started an application in the old platform and abandoned it can either submit before 8th October or lose their progress. Those who are planning to visit should go straight to the new portal. The country has not closed its doors. It just stopped accepting applications through three different windows at the same time. | 69 |
| 12 | The doomsday repository got hyped on GitHub - the most useful collection for today
Inside are all the survival tools:
- A completely independent computer system that works without the internet, with AI, Wiki, and maps;
- Everything works locally - no clouds or data transmission;
- Installs with ONE command and is managed through a browser;
- Accessible from ANY device on the same network.
Get it — here. | 306 |
| 13 | Grok 4.7 has been released. Coding and long agent tasks have been improved. The price remains unchanged
The database has been expanded. Reinforcement learning has been applied longer on tasks that take agents hours to complete. The model is better at self-assessment, maintains context, and is tailored for the Grok Bot environment. Documents and presentations have also been enhanced.
Comparison to 4.6:
CursorBench 4.0 — 40.4% → 46.3% Terminal-Bench 4.0 — 20.3% → 38% EEBench (electrical engineering) — 53% → 64%
This is not the top of the table. Fable 5.1 on CursorBench is still at 51.8%. The point is different: the same price as in 4.6, and cheaper compared to neighbors for similar results. API: $2 / 1M input, $6 / 1M output. Fast — twice as fast and twice as expensive, not available in the public API, only Cursor and Grok Build.
Available in API, Cursor, Grok Build, and through clouds. | 93 |
| 14 | Elon Musk: “The probability that we live in the real reality is almost zero. According to calculations, this world is definitely a game created by someone.”
• 40 years ago, games were just white squares flying around the edges of the screen (Pong), and now we have full-fledged 3D worlds at the level of movies, with tens of thousands of people connected at the same time.
If evolution continues at the same pace, a simulation indistinguishable from reality by even a millimeter will definitely be completed.
• If at least one advanced civilization arises, it will simultaneously start launching billions or even trillions of simulations of “human history” on supercomputers.
• According to calculations, the probability of being on the “real Earth” is close to zero: in the Universe, there is only one “real reality (basic reality),” while there are billions of created “virtual realities.”
Mathematically, the probability that the world we are in right now is the only real reality is only one in billions.
• If humanity cannot create a complete virtual reality, it would mean that “civilization perished from wars or catastrophes, failing to reach that level of technology.” Therefore, the fact that we are inside a game is the only evidence of civilization's survival.
But what if life itself: “going to work every day, eating, worrying, and living” is just an experimental program launched on someone's computer from the future?
Will you continue to believe that you are a “real human,” or will you accept that you are an avatar moving inside a matrix created by someone?
If we didn’t know that Musk is a technocrat and a transhumanist, we might very well accept his logic.
And yet, in the last postulate, Elon Musk simply undervalues the worth of human beings.
If we are not real, but just avatars, then it wouldn’t be a crime to reset us, or cut us short, or even erase us in the end, only to recreate from a copy in a data center. | 105 |
| 15 | A credit card generator is the best solution to get a free trial period in any service without linking your real card.
To use it:
• Open the service, go to Tools, and click on Card Generator Validator. The service will provide a ready card with a number, name, surname, and CVV.
• Generates numbers for Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, UnionPay.
• Free and no registration required.
You can use it here. | 103 |
| 16 | Free Starlink will be available on all Flydubai aircraft - passengers will be able to use high-speed internet during the flight without any additional payment.
The aircraft will begin to be equipped with satellite Wi-Fi this year, and the airline plans to fully transition its entire fleet to Starlink by 2027.
Finally: watching movies at an altitude of 10 kilometers. | 109 |
| 17 | Americans are selling sea air in a pocket. For $250
The startup Halite made a device that looks like a vape, but it doesn't heat anything. Ultrasonics break down a 0.9% saline solution into a cold mist. Inhale with your mouth or nose — salty vapor. They promise to moisturize the nose and throat, "clear" and soothe. The FDA has not reviewed this. The initial circulation is 300 units.
Cartridge for 400 pulls. Then eucalyptus with aloe and glutathione. An over-the-counter spray with the same saline costs about ten dollars and is not pretending to be a gadget.
Either it's a ritual of calmness for the price of good headphones. Or the most expensive way to fill your mouth with saline solution.
Would you buy it? | 117 |
| 18 | Higgsfield has opened up an API for over 50 generation models. One key instead of a zoo of cabinets.
Seedance, Kling, Wan, MiniMax, PixVerse, Recraft, Ideogram, Grok Imagine, and your own Soul / DoP are all in one catalog. Request → status or webhook → file. Python and TypeScript are already available.
No subscriptions. No slots. You pay for successful runs: videos by seconds, images by pieces. No charge for failed attempts. Prices are visible in the catalog before launching.
At the start, there is a 15% discount on promotional models. You can raise up to 50% on four selected models. Currently: Kling 3.0 -50%, Seedance 2.5 -30%, MiniMax H3 -45%.
This is not "the cost of a lab." This is one bill and less hassle with five providers. Replenishment in dollars from a foreign card.
Would you build your service on this or still stick with subscriptions? | 92 |
| 19 | Grok has learned to change the text on an image without rebuilding it from scratch.
You upload a poster, invitation, poster, or advertising layout and write: replace this inscription. The background, faces, light, and composition remain. Only the text changes.
Previously, any typo in "24 сентября" meant a new generator and roulette with a face on the poster. Now, editing is closer to a layer in Photoshop than to "draw it again".
The tool is still in beta. xAI collects feedback, while letters in complex fonts and small sizes can still float.
For web and print, this is not magic. It's minus ten rounds of "almost there, but the date is wrong". | 92 |
| 20 | The EU will ban social networks for under 13 and personal accounts for under 15
Ursula von der Leyen announced the framework of the future EU Kids Act in Strasbourg on September 16 in a speech about the state of the Union. The formal text will be presented by the Commission on Thursday together with Henna Virkkunen, Vice President for Technological Sovereignty.
The scheme is strict and gradual.
Under 13 years old, social networks are off-limits.
From 13 to 15, only "mini-accounts" are allowed: created and managed by parents, with limited features and time restrictions.
From 15 to 18, teenagers can create their own profile, but the platform must maintain a safe design: without addictive features, with enhanced settings.
Von der Leyen summarized it succinctly: "No social networks until 13. No personal account until 15." And separately: "Each age group has its own vulnerability. Therefore, each will have its own level of protection."
The essence of the law is not in another clause in the user agreement. Currently, a child can simply enter a fake birthdate and proceed. The Kids Act should make age verification a mandated obligation, not just a declaration. Brussels looked at Australia, which was the first to introduce a lower limit.
The logic of responsibility is also changing. "Platforms must prove that they are safe," said von der Leyen. "It's not about minors accessing social networks. It's about when and how we allow social networks to reach minors."
In the same speech, she listed what Europe is "not obliged to accept": features tailored to induce dependence; feeds that draw users into increasingly harsh content; photos of girls that AI turns into sexualized images. According to her, children in the EU spend four to six hours a day on screens. She called this "the capture of attention, focus, and consciousness" and "the theft of childhood."
Drafts that agencies saw before the speech go beyond social networks. Video platforms, online games, and AI chatbots could also fall under the same age ladder. The project discusses penalties for violators of up to 6% of global revenue. Until 18 years old, they want to remove autoplay, rewards for reposts, personal recommendations, and free messages from strangers on children's accounts.
This is not yet law. The text will go to the European Parliament and to the 27 capitals. France pushed for a minimum age of 15, Spain spoke of 16, the Commission's expert panel leaned towards 13. The compromise announced today falls right in the middle: complete shield until 13, a parental corridor until 15, "safe design" until adulthood.
If the text passes close to what was announced, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and others will no longer be able to dismiss it with the phrase "the user stated the age themselves." | 94 |
