Teens Face 2-Hour Screen Cap as Meta Agrees to $18 Billion Settlement
Meta Platforms has agreed to an $18 billion court settlement with 48 US states, forcing default two-hour daily time limits and midnight app blackouts for users under 18 on Instagram and Facebook.
The historic agreement resolves widespread litigation accusing the company of creating a public nuisance and failing to protect minors from platform harms. Paid out over a decade, the $18 billion payout comes alongside binding operational mandates that overhaul how the social media giant verifies age and manages underage accounts.
Platform impact across age groups
The regulatory mandates impose distinct operational rules based on user age, moving several long-contested safety features from optional tools to compulsory defaults.
- Users under 13: Strictly barred from creating accounts under federal privacy law and company policy. Under the settlement, when a user under 13 is detected and removed, Meta must automatically audit the ages of users on that account’s friend list.
- Teens aged 13 to 17: Automatically locked into restricted accounts featuring a hard two-hour daily limit, a nightly access block between midnight and 6:00 AM, and hidden public “like” counts. The daily limit and night block can only be turned off with explicit parent permission.
- Adult users over 18: Granted access to individual time-management features, such as voluntary daily reminders, but blocked from opting into the full teen safety configuration.
Systemic age checks and algorithmic controls
To enforce the limits, Meta must overhaul its age-detection infrastructure using a combination of proprietary technology and third-party tools. The system will be subjected to regular independent audits and measured against explicit target thresholds for false positives, specifically instances where minors are incorrectly classified as adults over 18.
Former Meta engineering director Arturo Bejar, who testified during the federal trial that preceded the deal, called the settlement a significant milestone but cautioned that it leaves content recommendations largely untouched. While daily limits and night blackouts will deploy by default, other controls, including disabling video autoplay and switching feeds to chronological order instead of algorithmic recommendations, remain optional opt-in choices for young users.
Josh Golin, executive director of online safety non-profit Fairplay, criticized the reliance on parental management tools, arguing that harmful recommendation features should have been disabled across the board.
| Financial Obligation | Amount | Term and Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-State Lawsuit Settlement | $18 billion | Paid out over 10 years across 48 US states |
| State Public Nuisance Abatement Order | $567 million | Direct court order to abate public nuisance and child harm |
Flash Floods Risk: Saudi Arabia Red Alert Rain Covers Mecca
Red Weather Alerts Hit Mecca Region as Temperatures Touch 47°C
The National Centre for Meteorology issued red weather alerts for heavy rain, flash floods, and hail across western Saudi Arabia on August 27, 2026. Residents and motorists across Mecca, Medina, Jazan, Asir, and Al Baha face severe thunderstorms and dust-laden winds alongside summer heat reaching up to 47°C.
Mecca and Medina Face Downpours Alongside 47°C Extreme Heat
Red weather alerts cover Taif, Al Kamil, and Adham in the Mecca region, where downpours risk triggering localized flash flooding and severe dust storms. Orange weather warnings cover Al Ais, Al Mahd, and Badr in the Medina region for moderate rainfall, while yellow alerts for light rain and blowing dust extend to coastal and inland areas including Jeddah, Rabigh, and Al Khurmah.
The National Centre for Meteorology warned that thunderclouds carrying active winds could also form over parts of the Northern Borders, Jazan, the southern Eastern Province, and the Riyadh region. Coastal zones in eastern Saudi Arabia face reduced visibility overnight and during early morning hours due to fog. Despite the widespread storm activity, high temperatures persist nationwide, with Medina forecast to record 47°C, Dammam reaching 46°C, and both Riyadh and Buraidah touching 45°C.
The unstable atmospheric conditions form part of a broader storm system expected to bring heavy downpours to southwest Saudi Arabia through Saturday.
UAE No Homework Policy Starts Aug 31 for KG1 to Grade 2
No Homework for Younger UAE Students as Screen Cuts Reach Grade 6
If your children attend public schools or private schools managed by the Ministry of Education, their school bags will look a bit lighter when the new academic year begins on August 31, 2026.
Fewer Worksheets and Screens When Term Starts Monday
The Ministry of Education has officially scrapped homework for all students in Kindergarten 1, Kindergarten 2, Grade 1, and Grade 2. Minister of Education Sarah Al Amiri announced the decision at a press conference in Dubai, explaining that nightly worksheets for young learners are being replaced with daily home reading focused on early literacy, language, and thinking skills.
For older children, the shift focuses on classroom screens. Starting this term, an initiative to cut device use during instruction is expanding to cover every Grade 6 student in public schools across four core subjects: Arabic, English, Mathematics, and Science. This builds on an existing policy where public school students from Kindergarten to Grade 4 do not use screens in class, except for designated digital skills lessons.
The changes follow a Ministry of Education study involving 2,500 students across nine public schools. That trial compared traditional book-and-paper classrooms against screen-based lessons, finding that borderline students nearly doubled their academic attainment when devices were removed. Ministry officials also noted calmer classrooms, better student focus, and stronger peer relationships without screens. Computer science and artificial intelligence classes will continue to use digital tools where appropriate.
These adjustments arrive alongside broader 2026, 2027 updates under the National Education Charter, including a 50-50 assessment model combining centralised and school-based tests for Grades 9 through 12 in Group A subjects, alongside a new Project-Based Learning model launching in Grade 7.
MOHRE WPS UAE Shift: Early Warnings Before Salary Delay Fines
Salary Delay Warnings First as MOHRE Updates WPS Compliance Rules
Across workplaces in Dubai and the wider UAE, companies managing payroll are seeing a practical shift in how wage issues are resolved. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) has rolled out a phased enforcement model under the Wage Protection System (WPS) to address delayed salary payments before taking punitive action.
Early Digital Alerts Give Companies Time to Fix Salary Issues
Under the revised workflow, MOHRE’s system relies on automated electronic monitoring to flag delayed wage payments early. Instead of immediately hitting non-compliant businesses with administrative sanctions or portal freezes, the system first sends digital alerts directly to employers. This window gives management a dedicated chance to settle outstanding wages and bring their records up to date.
MOHRE clarified that the update does not create new legal or financial requirements for business owners. Instead, it streamlines existing monitoring tools to resolve payroll bottlenecks before they escalate, placing a strong operational focus on labor-intensive industries that manage high headcount operations.
The Wage Protection System processes more than AED 37 billion in salaries every month. By building early digital notifications into the oversight process, the ministry aims to protect worker earnings while preventing operational disruptions for local firms. MOHRE noted that early digital intervention ultimately reinforces labor market stability and boosts transparency for both employers and workers across the UAE.
36 Teams, 8 Matches: Champions League Draw Rules Explained
8 Opponents, 4 Pots: How the Champions League League Phase Works
The expanded 2026/27 UEFA Champions League layout features a single 36-team league phase, shifting away from standard group structures. Drawn in Monaco, the format forces every participating club into an eight-match fixture matrix against eight entirely distinct opponents.
Instead of playing three teams twice in a standard home-and-away group, every club faces eight different opponents during this initial stage. The schedule maintains a balanced venue split, locking in four home fixtures and four away fixtures for every club.
To establish the fixtures, UEFA distributes the 36 participating teams across four seeded pots. Every team, regardless of its own pot placement, is drawn against two clubs from Pot 1, two from Pot 2, two from Pot 3, and two from Pot 4.
This structure ensures that higher-seeded teams still face two Pot 1 clubs during the league phase, alongside two opponents from each remaining pot level. The outcomes of these eight matches directly determine the standings on the unified league leaderboard.
Hogwarts & Diagon Alley Coming to Abu Dhabi by 2029
Hogwarts Castle and Diagon Alley Set for 40,000 Sq M Abu Dhabi Theme Park Land
Hogwarts Castle and Diagon Alley head to Yas Island
Miral's planned Harry Potter expansion at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi will cover 40,000 square metres, with construction underway on Yas Island ahead of an expected 2029 launch window. Project consultancy firm Entertainment + Culture Advisors expects the dedicated area to welcome visitors in 2029, following the start of site construction last year.
The layout is set to bring both Hogwarts Castle and a replica of Diagon Alley under a single theme park footprint. It is expected to be the first Harry Potter land in the world to feature both iconic locations together.
Rides, immersive areas, and what to expect on Yas Island
Beside Hogwarts Castle and Diagon Alley's cobbled shopping streets, project plans include a snow-covered Hogsmeade Village filled with shops and dining outlets, along with an iteration of the chill-inducing Forbidden Forest.
Three rides and attractions are currently listed on the official Warner Bros. World website for the new land. Specific ride details, mechanisms, and storylines remain under wraps while development progresses.
The 40,000-square-metre build forms part of a massive expansion push across Yas Island. Topgolf is confirmed to open on the island later this year, while the Sphere Abu Dhabi live entertainment venue is scheduled to open its doors in 2029.
Harry Potter retail experience open right now at Warner Bros. World
You don't have to wait until 2029 to get a first look at official merchandise on Yas Island.
The former Treasures of Hollywood Store on the edge of Warner Bros. World’s central plaza has already completed a full Harry Potter takeover. The retail location is stocked with wands, books of spells, t-shirts, scarves, and jerseys bearing the signature Hogwarts house emblems. Even the store team works the floor wearing Hogwarts-style gowns.
Theme park tickets and site updates can be checked directly through the official destination portal at wbworldabudhabi.com.
