The European Union has announced plans to restrict social media for children under the age of 15, including a full ban on platforms for those under 13.

The Government has announced plans for new legislation which would require technology companies to prevent children from taking, viewing or sharing nude images on their devices.

Meta, parent company of Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp, have agreed to pay up to $18 billion (over £13 billion) to settle a lawsuit which claimed their social media platforms harmed children.

The head of the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has warned that the environment online is not safe for children to use.

Meta, the company that runs Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has been accused of intentionally producing addictive products for children in a trial which began on Tuesday.

Artificial intelligence apps which allow users to upload photographs to generate nude pictures are freely available to download on Apple’s App Store.