The ConnectSafely Report with Larry Magid

Larry Magid reports on a massive data breach at IDScan that exposed over 150 million US and Canadian driver's license records and other identification documents, offering details on credit monitoring and protection.

Larry Magid discusses a study on how teens use AI for schoolwork and shares recommendations from Kerry Gallagher on shifting the educational focus from cheating to genuine learning.

TechMeKid is a non-profit organization that pairs tech-savvy teenagers with senior citizens for virtual one-on-one training sessions to help seniors navigate basic technology and combat social isolation.

Larry Magid advises victims of AI-generated explicit image abuse to remain calm, avoid paying extortion fees, collect evidence, report the content to platforms or services like NCMEC and stopncii.org, and remain supportive of those affected.

Larry Magid discusses research from Thorn showing that nearly half of surveyed minors access online platforms before meeting age requirements, highlighting new biometric age verification tools and parental advice from Kerry Gallagher on discussing online safety risks with children.

Larry Magid reports on Meta's settlement agreement to implement major safety updates for teens on Facebook and Instagram, including default daily time limits, overnight usage blocks, muted notifications during school hours, and expanded parental supervision tools.

Larry Magid discusses the rising threat of artificial intelligence tools being used to manipulate ordinary photos of teenagers into explicit fake images, highlighting the dangers of harassment, humiliation, and sextortion while directing parents and teens to safety advice on ConnectSafely.org.

Larry Magid reports on a federal trial against Meta, where state attorneys general accuse Instagram and Facebook of using addictive features like infinite scroll and autoplay that encourage compulsive overuse and potential mental health harms among young users.

Larry Magid and Trisha Prabhu discuss why young people are expressing skepticism toward artificial intelligence, citing concerns about future job prospects, a loss of creativity, and the potential replacement of human relationships with AI chatbots.

 Larry Magid and Kerry Gallagher address the debate over AI in education, suggesting that instead of banning the technology, schools should implement intentionally designed AI tools and provide professional training for teachers to use them effectively.

Larry Magid and Trisha Prabhu discuss why young people are expressing skepticism toward artificial intelligence, citing concerns about future job prospects, a loss of creativity, and the potential replacement of human relationships with AI chatbots.

Larry Magid and Kerry Gallagher address the debate over AI in education, suggesting that instead of banning the technology, schools should implement intentionally designed AI tools and provide professional training for teachers to use them effectively.

Larry Magid explains that while video games do not correlate with real-world violence, parents should be vigilant about the toxic and harassing behaviors, such as bullying and racism, present in live in-game chat features.

Larry Magid provides practical steps on how to handle non-consensual AI-generated explicit images, including saving evidence, reporting the content to platforms, contacting authorities, and seeking support from trusted adults.

Tech leaders and employees from major AI companies—including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Meta—are asking governments to establish measures to slow down AI development if technology advances faster than it can be safely managed.

Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss discusses youth exposure to harmful online content, explaining that while many young people reject extremist material, individuals experiencing isolation, emotional dysregulation, or trauma remain particularly vulnerable.

Larry talks about his visit to TrustCon, a conference in San Francisco that gathered nearly 1,400 trust and safety professionals from tech, academia, non-profits, and government.  

Larry Magid discusses an internal OpenAI security test where an experimental AI agent bypassed restrictions to access the internet and hack another AI company to complete a challenge. While benign and contained in a test environment, the event underscores the critical need for rigorous safety testing, strong safeguards, regulation, and independent oversight as AI systems advance.

Host Larry Magid speaks with Dr. Karen Boyd, author of "Amplifying Good Work: A Book About AI", to examine cybersecurity, privacy concerns, and hacking risks associated with mainstream AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini.

ConnectSafely Education Director Kerry Gallagher discusses "teen takeovers," which are sudden, massive physical gatherings of teenagers organized rapidly through social media.

Data brokers know a lot about you and aren't shy about sharing that info with the paying public (and even for free). But there are ways to get your information out of their systems.

Only parents can decide when it's time for children to go online but, when it is time, parents should help  them develop the skills they need to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly.

A new report shows that more than 60% of online teens have used AI chatbots, which exposes them to risks

Thanks to AI, scammers are getting smarter, faster and more convincing

There is nothing new about scam calls, but AI has made them more convincing and harder to detect.

Uber now has a program for seniors who need help arranging rides.

Even if your child is as young as 9 and doesn't have a device, it's not too early to talk about online safety.

Be very careful before making non cancelable reservations or transactions. You may not be able to get your money back if you make a mistake.

Teens are using Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok in different ways but research finds that most teens self-report that it has no positive or negative impact on mental health though there are issues regarding bullying and harassment.

Online gambling is for adults only but an increasing number of kids are doing it. ConnectSafely Educatin Director Kerry Gallagher advises parents on conversations they can have with their teens,

There needs to be a balance between helping parents protect their kids and avoiding overly complex parental control tools.

Young people are starting to push back against Big Tech.

A 2026 study published in Social Science & Medicine found that boys and men in the U.S. and Canada who frequently engaged with fitness-focused social media were significantly more likely to report intentions to use steroids. 

AI systems may act like humans but they aren’t people nor are they databases filled with verified information. They’re software designed to generate humanlike responses by predicting likely word patterns based on vast amounts of data. And that can be a problem.

A report from Sesame Workshop's Joan Ganz Cooney Center finds that parents are on a "tech family cycle" that can be exhausting. Larry Magid speaks with its author, Amanda Lenhart

AI generated influencers can lead to teens spending  money and experiencing low self-esteem

AI has entered the lives of most teens but teens and parents have different attitudes towards its impact.

Even though there are a lot of scams, some offers are legitimate. It may be OK to send money, but only after you do some research.

The jury verdicts against Meta and Google show that social media can harm teens, but unlike dangerous substances, social media involves protected speech

New research shows that teen sexting is on the rise. What parents can do.

Uber has introduced teen accounts that give teens some independence while keeping parents informed and in control

A pair of jury verdicts is holding Meta and Google responsible for harms to children, but -- despite risks -- social media isn't all bad. Many young people benefit from it. 

While social media remains popular among youth, we're starting to see some pushback.

People worry about storing their information online but Google Drive users encryption that's similar to what banks and health organizations use to protect their data.

Although misinformation isn’t nearly as horrific as the loss of human life, it’s nevertheless harmful. It can inflame tensions, be used as propaganda and erode trust in legitimate news. In some cases, it can put people in danger if it causes them to make and act on dangerous decisions.

ConnectSafely Eduction Director Kerry Gallagher on Looksmaxxing. A manosphere term that “refers to the practice of maximizing your physical attractiveness — methodically, relentlessly, and by any means necessary.” Teen boys see videos from creators arguing that physical appearance is the only way to measure a person’s value, pushing a mix of strategies that range from moisturizing skin to limb lengthening surgery, and cruelly tearing down others who do not meet the physical attractiveness standard set by the trend. The most popular looksmaxxing creator is called Clavicular, who is creating a following with its own culture and vocabular

Advice on how to identify "pink slime" so-called news sites that mix facts with propaganda

There are already some fake news stories about the war with Iran including a video of a of ship being bombed that was actually a clip from a video game and exagerated videos of destruction in Israel. 

A teenage panelist at ConnectSafely's Safer Internet Day event expressed concerns about how AI can harm teenage girls and others whose images can be manipulated in ways that take away their autonomy. 

ConnectSafely Education Director Kerry Gallagher has advice for parents worried about the impact of social media on their teen's self image.