Weekly News

Default overnight curfews and addictive features to be switched off automatically to protect 16 and 17-year-olds on social media

Nighttime curfews to be set by default and features that get teens hooked onto social media to be automatically switched off for 16- and 17-year-olds Measures look to protect the next generation, ensuring that when kids turn 16, they don't face a cliff edge of being exposed to the most addictive features online.

Features that can keep users scrolling for longer - such as videos that automatically play one after another and feeds that continually serve up personalised content - will also be switched off by default for older teenagers.

The measures follow a first-of-its-kind government pilot involving more than 300 teenagers and parents across the UK, with families reporting that overnight curfews quickly became part of their routine and helped improve sleep and concentration.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: 

Our consultation provided a clear message from parents and teenagers alike - even as young people gain greater independence at 16, they should still be protected from the most addictive online features that can have a harmful impact on their wellbeing.

These measures will be crucial in helping young people get the sleep they need, focus on school and college, and spend more quality time with family and friends, all of which are fundamental to building a happy, healthy and fulfilling adult life.

Alongside these protections, the government will publish new guidance for children, parents and guardians on how to use AI safely and confidently by expanding the Kids Online Safety Hub.

The first set of regulations on the social media restrictions will be laid before Parliament by the end of this year, with measures expected to come into force in spring 2027, alongside robust implementation and enforcement.

The EU's highest court has ruled that publishers who use state-of-the-art geo-blocking are not liable for copyright infringement, even when users bypass their restrictions with a VPN. The ruling, which was handed down in the landmark copyright battle involving digital copies of the iconic Anne Frank diary, also shields VPN providers from liability.

While the diary's importance is universally recognized, the accessibility of its digital manuscripts has been at the centre of a Dutch copyright battle that eventually made its way to the Court of Justice of the European Union ( CJEU ).

The legal dispute was triggered by differences in copyright protection terms in the EU. Parts of Anne Franks manuscripts remain protected in the Netherlands until 2037, while the same material entered the public domain in Belgium and many other EU member states years ago.

To navigate these conflicting laws, the Dutch Anne Frank Stichting published a scholarly edition online using state-of-the-art geo-blocking to prevent Dutch residents from accessing the site. Visitors from the Netherlands and other countries where the work is protected are met with a clear message, informing them about these access restrictions:

The scholarly edition of the Anne Frank manuscripts cannot be made available in all countries, due to copyright considerations=

Despite these blocking measures, the Swiss-based Anne Frank Fonds was not pleased. The Fonds essentially argued that if a block isn't 100% bypass-proof, the content shouldnt be online at all.

The Dutch lower court dismissed this argument, stating the defendants had taken reasonable measures to prevent access from the Netherlands. The Fonds appealed, without result, and the case is now heading back to the Dutch Supreme Court, which referred several questions to the EUs top court to decide the fate of VPN neutrality and the sufficiency of geo-blocking.

In January, Advocate General Rantos published his opinion concluding that geo-blocking is a sufficient measure and that VPN providers are neutral intermediaries. That opinion was not binding, but it set the tone for what followed.

Last week, the CJEUs Second Chamber delivered its final judgment. The Court ruled that a work thats in the public domain in some EU member states, but still under copyright in another, can be published on a geo-blocked website without being considered an infringing communication to the public in the protected country.

The Court recognized that geo-blocking can be circumvented with a VPN, but that is not the decisive factor. If a publisher specifically chose to use a state-of-the-art geo-blocking to block visitors from a specific country, it is clear that these people are not the intended audience.

The Court also rejected the idea that publishers should be required to use stricter access controls, such as subscriptions or login requirements. Imposing those measures would disproportionately restrict free access for users in public-domain countries.

VPN providers are also not liable if they are used to bypass state-of-the-art geo-blocking measures. The EUs top court sees VPN providers as neutral intermediaries, referring to previous rulings where YouTube and Uploaded were not held liable for pirating users. As an intermediary, a VPN itself simply acts as a secure, neutral routing tool thats not communicating anything to the public.

This conclusion is significant. It effectively confirms that the EUs highest court does not see VPN providers as copyright infringers simply because their technology enables users to bypass geographical restrictions. The Broader Fallout

Hard Boiled is a 1992 Hong Kong comedy thriller by John Woo
Starring Chow Yun-Fat, Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Teresa Mo  

Cut by the BBFC for an 18 rated 1993 cinema release and further cut for 1994 VHS. Passed 18 uncut for DVD since 2001. Uncut and MPAA Unrated in the US. There is also a shortened and cut Hong Kong Theatrical Version and an extended Taiwan Version.

Summary Notes

A tough-as-nails cop teams up with an undercover agent to shut down a sinister mobster and his crew.

US: Uncut and MPAA R rated for:

• 2025 SHOUT! FACTORY R0 4K Blu-ray at US Amazon #ad released on 4th November 2025

Promotional Material

In this genre-defining masterpiece from action legend John Woo (Face/Off, Mission: Impossible 2, The Killer), a cop (Chow Yun-Fat, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, The Killer) who loses his partner in a shoot-out with gun smugglers goes on a mission to catch them. In order to get closer to the leaders of the ring he joins forces with an undercover cop (Tony Leung, In the Mood for Love, Marvel's Shang-Chi) who's working as a gangster hitman. They use all means of excessive force to find them.

Bonus Content:

• 4K Scan from the Original Camera Negative
• Presented in Dolby Vision
• Optional English Subtitles Newly Translated for this Release
• Audio Commentary with Director John Woo and Film Journalist Drew Tayler
• Audio Commentary with Film Historian Frank Djeng
• Audio Commentary with Director John Woo, Producer Terence Chang, Filmmaker Roger Avary, and Critic Dave Kehr (Recorded by The Criterion Collection)
• Violent Night: Interview with Director John Woo
• Boiling Over: Interview with Actor Anthony Wong
• No Time For Failure: Interview with Producer Terence Chang
• Hard To Resist: Interview with Screenwriter Gordon Chan
• Boiled to Perfection: Interview with Screenwriter Chung Hang Ku
• Body Count Blues: Interview with Composer Michael Gibbs
• Hong Kong Confidential: Inside Hard Boiled with Author Grady Hendrix
• Gun-Fu Fever: Interview with Author Leon Hunt
• Chewing The Fat: Interview Academic with Lin Feng
• Deleted and Extended Scenes
• Trailers
• Image Gallery

Crocodile Dundee: The Encore Cut is a 1986 Australia/US comedy adventure by Peter Faiman
Starring Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski and John Meillon  

The shortened International Version was cut for strong language. This was released in the UK without further cuts for a 15 rated cinema release in 1986. However BBFC category cuts were required for 15 rated VHS. These video cuts were waived for the DVD release of the International Version. In 2025 modern sensitivities resulted in transgender jokes being cut for a version entitled The Encore Cut.

The UK theatrical version was uncut though video releases were edited by 23 seconds for a '15' certificate by the BBFC to remove shots of a man snorting cocaine and Sue's referral to the drug as "a buzz" during the party scene. These cuts were waived in 2002. However all UK releases feature the US print which replaces 'stickybeak' with 'busybody' and overdubs one of the pimp's 2 uses of 'fuck' (replaced with 'screw') which were made to secure the film a US PG-13 certificate.

Summary Notes

An American reporter travels to the Australian outback to meet eccentric poacher Mick "Crocodile" Dundee and invites him to New York City, where he comes face-to-face with the complexities of modern life.

UK: The Encore Cut: Uncut and BBFC 15 rated for drug misuse:

• 2025 Signature Entertainment (RB) Blu-ray at UK Amazon #ad released on 3rd November 2025
• 2025 Signature Entertainment R2 DVD at UK Amazon #ad released on 3rd November 2025

Promotional Material

Mick's back... in CROCODILE DUNDEE: THE ENCORE CUT. Paul Hogan is the legendary Mick Dundee, a larrikin bushman with a unique philosophy, rugged charm and easy humour. American journalist, Sue Charlton, travels to the wild Australian Outback to investigate the tall tale of Mike's croc attack survival, but bites off more than she can chew. When Mick saves Sue's life, sparks fly, opposites attract, and the adventure really begins. She entices her unlikely hero to New York City, where he conquers the confusing complexities of the concrete jungle. Fall in love all over again with Mick Dundee in the encoure of Australia's most iconic film.

HOH Subtitles

Audio Description