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What's New

A timeline of recent updates, new content, and improvements across Safe Child Guide.

New Content

New: AI chatbots age-limits hub + 2026 platform updates

A new guide sets out, product by product, the minimum age in each AI chatbot's own terms, whether parents get controls, and what has changed recently, for ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Meta AI, Snapchat My AI, Character.AI, Grok, Claude, Perplexity, DeepSeek, Replika, Talkie, Chai and PolyBuzz, with a note that Sora has closed. We have also updated app guides and app alerts for 2026 platform changes. Anything we could not confirm for the UK is marked as such, and the hub shows when it was checked and when the next check is due.

AI chatbots: age limits and parental controls →App alerts →
Correction

Overdue reviews completed and corrections across the site

We re-checked 36 app settings and reporting walkthroughs, 21 letter and message templates, 12 rights-and-law pages for young people and all 12 KCSIE 2026 school guides against current official sources, and corrected what had changed. Highlights: many app menu names and teen defaults have moved on (Roblox, Discord, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Fortnite, Meta Quest); Character.AI's terms say UK users must be 16, WhatsApp's UK minimum age is 13 and Telegram's is 18; child sextortion should go to CEOP and the police; Action Fraud is now Report Fraud (England, Wales and Northern Ireland; in Scotland call 101); the NSPCC Helpline is open 10am to 4pm on weekdays, not 24 hours; the CPSU is now NSPCC Sport; and Thinkuknow is now CEOP Education. The KCSIE guides now follow the 2026 text, including the removal of the shorter Annex A for staff.

KCSIE guides for schools →Templates →Your rights and the law →
New Content

New: 2026 law-change trackers

Two new pages track the 2026 changes that affect children online: the planned under-16 social media restrictions (what is confirmed, what is not yet decided, and what parents can do now), and a table of which new offences and duties are in force and which are not yet. We also corrected pages on phones in schools, which became statutory guidance in England this year, and on spiking, deepfake and mandatory-reporting law. Both trackers show the date they were last checked and when the next check is due.

Under-16 social media ban →Law changes 2026 →
Correction

Expert panel page removed

We have removed the /experts page and the 21 named profiles it contained. The profiles did not correspond to real, verifiable people, and presenting them as reviewers of this content was wrong. No page on this site now claims review by named individuals. What we do publish — the UK statutory and safeguarding sources each page is checked against, the review cadence, and the corrections process — is set out on How This Site Is Reviewed.

How this site is reviewed →Our methodology →
New Content

International Reporting Pathways Launched

We have added comprehensive reporting pathways for six countries — the UK, US, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. Each page includes emergency numbers, child protection hotlines, and online reporting options.

View reporting pathways →
New Content

Seasonal Safety Guides Added

Four new seasonal guides are now available covering summer safety, back-to-school device setup, Christmas device gifting, and Easter travel. Each guide provides practical, age-appropriate advice for parents and carers.

Browse seasonal guides →
Update

Platform Reporting Guides Updated for 2026

All platform reporting guides — including TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, Roblox, Discord, and WhatsApp — have been reviewed and updated to reflect the latest interface changes and reporting flows.

See reporting guides →
Feature

Improved Search Across All Resources

Search now covers articles, guides, FAQs, and downloadable resources in a single unified experience. Results are grouped by content type and ranked by relevance to help you find what you need faster.

Correction

Expert Panel Profiles Published — since retracted

This entry announced an expert panel page listing named contributors. That page has since been removed: the profiles did not represent real, verifiable individuals, and publishing them was a mistake. See the 20 July 2026 entry and our page on how this site is actually reviewed.

How this site is reviewed →
Improvement

Community FAQ Section Expanded

Our frequently asked questions section has been reorganised into six clear categories — General Safety, Online Safety, Devices & Apps, Schools & Professionals, Emergency Situations, and Privacy & Data — with new questions added throughout.

Browse FAQs →
Improvement

Dark Mode and Accessibility Improvements

The site now fully supports dark mode, with improved contrast ratios and focus indicators across all pages. Screen reader compatibility has been enhanced for interactive elements such as accordions and tabbed content.

New Content

Roblox and Discord Guides Added

Two new in-depth platform guides covering Roblox and Discord have been published. Each includes parental control walkthroughs, privacy setting recommendations, and age-appropriate usage advice.

Roblox guide →Discord guide →
Feature

Printable Safety Checklists Now Available

Downloadable PDF checklists are now available for device setup, social media account reviews, and school safeguarding audits. These are free to use and share within your school or community.

View downloads →
Improvement

Performance and Loading Speed Optimisation

Page load times have been reduced by approximately 40% following an infrastructure upgrade. Images are now served in modern formats with responsive sizing, and all pages achieve a Lighthouse performance score above 95.