Guidance update

4 new advisories and 1 updated in the last 30 days.

No new time-sensitive alerts.

21 current advisories · 6 priority topics · 12 to review soon · 3 for awareness · 3 being watched

In this issue: 2 new · 1 updated since 2026-07-09

Priority guidance Updated

Financial sextortion involving teens

Scammers may pose as peers, request an intimate image, and then demand money or threaten to share it. Tell your teen that they can come to you without punishment, and that paying rarely ends the threats.

Discord · Instagram · Snapchat — ages 13–15, 16–17

Start here: Tell your teen now, before anything happens: if anyone ever threatens them over an image, they are not in trouble, and they should not pay or negotiate.

Full advisory: what to watch for, and every step →

Review soon New

Heated squishy-toy trend and burn risk

Videos have encouraged children to microwave gel-filled squishy toys, best known as NeeDoh, to change how they squish. The sealed toy bursts and the scalding gel sticks to skin.

Toys · TikTok · YouTube — ages 5–8, 9–12, 13–15 · Read advisory →

Review soon New

AI companion chatbots and teen attachment

Always-available AI companions and in-app assistants can foster real emotional dependency in teens, blur what is real, and have given harmful advice in documented cases.

Snapchat · Instagram · Discord — ages 9–12, 13–15, 16–17 · Read advisory →