Unsafe Online

How social media platforms are harming a generation of kids.

Child safety online has become a national issue. The US surgeon general has called for warning labels on social media sites. Congress has held hearings taking CEOs to task. And lawsuits claiming harm to thousands of kids have been piling up in the courts.

For the past two years, Bloomberg senior reporter Olivia Carville has been investigating child safety in the digital world. Here are her stories.

Social Media Victims Are Ready to Be Heard

A new Bloomberg documentary follows a team of attorneys representing families whose children have suffered devastating digital harms.

By Olivia Carville

April 4, 2025

How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online

Experts from nonprofits say digital safety starts at home with an open dialogue that doesn’t shy away from the embarrassing — or the terrifying.

By Olivia Carville

April 4, 2025

Fentanyl Almost Killed Michael Brewer. Now He Wants Snap to Pay

A lawsuit arguing that the app helped dealers sell children deadly counterfeit drugs could change the internet as we know it.

By Olivia Carville

Dec. 19, 2024

Roblox Is Fighting to Keep Pedophiles Away, and Not Always Winning

The internet’s biggest recreation zone for kids is fighting to keep predators away, and it’s not always winning.

By Olivia Carville and Cecilia D’Anastasio

July 22, 2024

Sextortion Scams Are Driving Teen Boys to Suicide

Criminal gangs are posing as flirty girls on Instagram and Snapchat to torment high school boys, drain their bank accounts and push them to the edge.

By Olivia Carville

April 15, 2024

No Laws Protect People From Deepfake Porn. These Victims Fought Back

A group of young women in a New York City suburb, horrified to learn their photographs had been manipulated and posted online, took matters into their own hands.

By Olivia Carville and Margi Murphy

Nov. 29, 2023

TikTok’s Algorithm Keeps Pushing Suicide to Vulnerable Kids

The superpopular app can serve up a stream of anxiety and despair to teens. TikTok says it’s making improvements but now faces a flood of lawsuits after multiple deaths.

By Olivia Carville

April 20, 2023

TikTok’s Problem Child Has 7 Million Followers and One Proud Mom

Young creators like Jenny Popach are posting suggestively sexual content, sometimes with parental approval, leaving moderators and executives unsure what to do.

By Olivia Carville

Dec. 12, 2022

TikTok’s Viral Challenges Keep Luring Young Kids to Their Deaths

Children are dying from the blackout challenge. Why isn’t the world’s most popular app doing more to protect them?

By Olivia Carville

Nov. 30, 2022

Podcasts

Levittown: A six-part investigative podcast series on the rise of deepfakes

Fake images. Real Horror.

When dozens of young women discover that manipulated photos of themselves have been posted on a porn site, they fight back—joining up with a global band of investigators and hackers to battle the AI-fueled rise of deepfakes.

By Olivia Carville and Margi Murphy

March 24, 2025

Podcasts

Listen to the Big Take Daily episodes on the harms of social media

Young Kids Love TikTok–and That’s a Serious Problem

Nov. 30, 2022

Teen TikTok is More Complicated Than You Think

Dec. 12, 2022

The Dark Side of TikTok’s Algorithm

April 21, 2023

How These Victims of Deepfake Pornography Found Their Harasser

Dec. 4, 2023

The Disturbing Extortion Scheme Targeting Teen Boys

April 16, 2024

Roblox: The Gaming Platform With a Predator Problem

July 22, 2024

Film

Can’t Look Away explores the real-world consequences of tech companies’ digital practices and outlines widespread concerns over harmful algorithms

Through emotional testimonies and high-stakes legal battles, the documentary explores the tension between corporate profit and child safety, highlighting systemic failures that leave young users vulnerable.

Directed by Matthew O’Neill and Perri Peltz and based on Bloomberg News’ investigative reporting by Olivia Carville