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March 26, 2024 Florida Bans Use of Social Media for Children Under 14

Florida Bans Use of Social Media for Children Under 14

Florida State Governor, Ron DeSantis has signed a bill on Monday that will prohibit children younger than 14 from joining social media in the state.

According to the report, children between the ages of 14 and 15 will need a parent’s consent before they join a social platform.

The bill, HB3, also directs social media companies to delete the existing accounts of those who are under 14.

Companies that fail to do so could be sued on behalf of the child who creates an account on the platform. The minor could be awarded up to $10,000 in damages, according to the bill.

Companies found to be in violation of the law would also be liable for up to $50,000 per violation, as well as attorney’s fees and court costs.

“Ultimately, [we’re] trying to help parents navigate this very difficult terrain that we have now with raising kids, and so I appreciate the work that’s been put in,” DeSantis said in remarks during the bill-signing ceremony.

DeSantis previously vetoed a more restrictive version of the bill that would have banned social media accounts for kids under 16. That bill also required Florida residents to submit an ID or other identifying materials in order to join social media.

HB3, which is slated to take effect in January 2025, comes as efforts to regulate social media continue to ramp up across the U.S. amid concerns from some parents that the platforms don’t do enough to keep their kids safe online.

In December, more than 200 organisations sent a letter urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to schedule a vote on the Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, which seeks to create liability, or a “duty of care,” for apps and online platforms that recommend content to minors that can negatively affect their mental health.

In January, lawmakers grilled CEOs from TikTok, X and Meta about online child safety. The tech executives reaffirmed their commitment to child safety, and pointed to various tools they offer as examples of how they are proactive about preventing exploitation online.

Florida House Speaker Paul Renner and other advocates of the new law argue that social media use can harm children’s mental health and can lead to sexual predators communicating with minors.

Several states that have enacted similar laws to limit teen social media — including Ohio and Arkansas — have been challenged by NetChoice LLC, a coalition of social media platforms whose members include Meta, Google and X, among others.

Florida’s law is also expected to face legal challenges over claims that it violates the First Amendment.

March 26, 2024 NSCDC Uncovers Another Illegal Refinery in Rivers State

NSCDC Uncovers Another Illegal Refinery in Rivers State

The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad has uncovered another illegal oil refining site at a forest in Odagwa Community in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The bunkering site had 10 illegal refineries with an estimated 500,000 litres of crude oil contained in about 50 illegally constructed reservoirs, while five suspects engaging in the illicit act were arrested.

The spokesman for the NSCDC, Rivers State Command, Olufemi Ayodele, disclosed this while parading the suspects and conducted newsmen around the site on Monday.

Ayodele said the discovery was based on credible intelligence.

He said, “The Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Audi, has reiterated over time that all acts of economic sabotage would be fought to a standstill as suspects arrested would face the full wrath of the law, irrespective of their sponsors.

“In furtherance, the CG gave a marching order to the Special Intelligence Squad, charging them to be more thorough and results-oriented in their operations

“Based on credible intelligence, the CG’s SIS swung into action and uncovered 10 illegal local refineries in a forest located at Odagwa Community in Etche LGA of Rivers State where five suspects were caught in the act of illegally refining of crude oil.

“While conducting an operational tour across the large thick forest, about 10 different cooking pots of 50,000 litres capacity were seen with one big pumping machine, receiver tanks, 25 rubber hoses used for pumping crude oil and many long galvanised pipes with unquantified litres of crude oil and illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) stored in six large reservoirs and other 20 smaller reservoirs drugged in the ground.”

The suspects include Favour Chukwu, 29; Desmond Umeh. 25; Godwin Amos, 22; Bineace Galion, 38; and Goodnews David, 23.

March 25, 2024 Police Nab Cultists with 155 Live Rounds in Osun

Police Nab Cultists with 155 Live Rounds in Osun

The Osun State Police Command arrested six suspected cultist with 155 rounds of 9mm live ammunition.

The suspects were arrested at Ipetu-Ijesa, motor park, Oriade local government area of Osun state while attempting to board a public transport out of the town.

It was gathered that the suspects got to the park in groups and park operators suspected their move, hence, alerted police authority in the town.

Four cut to size locally made pistol were also found in their possession.

Osun police command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola while confirming the arrest on Sunday, said the suspect confessed to being members of ‘eiye’ confraternity from Ilorin, Kwara state.

According to her, the suspects disclosed that they were heading to Delta State for cultism operation before they were caught.

Her words, “We recieved information that some hoodlums suspected to be the men of under world were sighted in Ipetu-Ijesa motor park. A police team moved to the motor park and apprehended the six suspects.

“Meanwhile four cut to size locally made pistols with 155 rounds of live 9mm ammunition were recovered from the suspect.

“The suspects confessed to being members of eiye confraternity from Ilorin town, Kwara state and heading to Delta state for cultism operation.”

March 19, 2024 NLC Calls For Immediate Payment of Withheld Salaried to SSANU and SANU

NLC Calls For Immediate Payment of Withheld Salaried to SSANU and SANU

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, has called on the Federal Government to pay the four months withheld salaries of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational Associated Institutions with immediate effect to avoid further industrial action.

This was in reaction to the seven-day warning strike that SSANU/NASU began on Monday, which grounded universities’ activities across the country.

SSANU and NASU had for about a month called the attention of the government to its exclusion from the payment of the withheld salaries which it commenced payment for the Academic Staff Union of Universities in February.

Their salaries were withheld when the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari invoked a ‘No Work, No Pay policy’ against the Academic Staff Union of Universities and SSANU for embarking on a strike that lasted eight months and four months in 2022 respectively.

A statement signed by Ajaero, said, “We join our affiliate unions, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities in demanding the immediate payment of the withheld salaries of their members.

There has been no credible reason or explanation for withholding those salaries in the first place.

We recall this singular act plunged the members into indescribable hardship.

Much worse, it defies logic to try to subject members of these unions to discriminatory treatment. By so doing government is courting avoidable industrial disputes. At a time, when confidence is being restored to the public universities the least the government could do is not engineer another strike. The toll on all the parties will be unacceptably high, especially for students and parents who bear the burden of movement on our dangerous roads. In light of this, we urge the government to expeditiously pay up the outstanding. We advise the government to not take for granted the maturity of these unions.”

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