The U.K. government has announced that TikTok has now been banned from phones and other devices issued to government ministers and civil servants. Government Minister Oliver Dowden told MPs that the app would be banned on security grounds with immediate effect, describing it as a "precautionary" move, following a review by the National Cyber Security Centre. Mr. Dowden said: "The security of sensitive government information must come first." But he told MPs that the ban would not apply to the personal phones of ministers and civil servants, or to the general public, because this was a response to a "specific risk with government devices."

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has described eight popular social media and video streaming platforms as “goldmines for scammers.” Meta, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snap, Twitter, Pinterest, and Twitch are being asked by the FTC to provide information on how to restrict paid commercial advertising that is deceptive or exposes consumers to fraudulent health care products, financial scams, counterfeit and fake goods, or other fraud. Consumers have reported losing more than $1.2bn to fraud that started on social media in 2022 more than any other contact method. “Social media has been a gold mine for scammers who tout sham products and other scams that have cost consumers enormously in recent years,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. “This study will help the FTC ensure that social media and video streaming companies are doing everything they can to keep scammers and deceptive ads off their platforms.”

American teens are experiencing a rise in mental health challenges, including high levels of sadness amid significant declines in overall well-being, especially among girls and LGBQ+ youth, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Could social media be part of the problem? In a CNN podcast, Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks with Professor Keneisha Sinclair-McBride, a child psychologist at Boston Children’s Hospital, to unpack the data on the issue. “It’s very obvious that so much of what’s happening for the average teen is they’re living so much of their lives in the digital world on social media, and so much of this is connected and impacting their mental health … and how they feel about stuff,” says Sinclair-McBride.

‘Human Workplace’ expert Liz Ryan is polling her LinkedIn network about what they think is the worst recruiting practice. You can vote here.
Washington D.C.-based Lakeisha Skinner observes: “Those aren't even the worst in my view though are still bad . . . it's typically the ones that try to recruit you or interview you for a role, then suddenly you don't qualify for the job anymore or it got filled. Ghosting after a final interview. Offering no feedback. Putting a candidate in for a completely different role they did not apply to. No salary or benefits information upfront.” Ghosting is also mentioned by Aurora, Illinois human resources leader Tony Zamora, who asks: “Why is ghosting seem to be so common now? Reading all the comments, at least makes me feel I am not alone in this process! I've been in countless interviews, 3 - 4 round interviews, with the comments of ‘we'll be in touch and discuss potential offer’, then, silence.”

A graphic designer from Ohio has gone viral online after posting on Twitter a question she was asked on a job application. The application for a visual design lead position at an unnamed company asked: “How do you feel life has worked out for you so far?” adding “Please record a short, roughly 2-5 minute video response, and paste the link here.”  “Oh my god this is atrocious,” someone responded.  The tweet had been viewed more than 2.2m times and had 40,500 likes and nearly 2,800 retweets as of Wednesday.