Some cancers are inevitable – either because of damage we unavoidably build up in our DNA as we age or because we inherit genes that put us at greater risk of the disease.

But researcher Dr Isabelle Soerjomataram said “people are surprised to hear” that nearly four in 10 cancers can be prevented as it is “a substantial number”.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the WHO, analysed 30 preventable factors known to increase the risk of cancer.

These include smoking and ultraviolet (UV) radiation which can directly damage our DNA; obesity and too little physical activity which alter inflammation and hormones in the body to raise cancer risk; and air pollution which can wake up dormant cancer cells.

The UK government has launched a consultation on whether to implement a ban for under-16s.

Social media companies have argued that the bans would be ineffective, difficult to implement and could isolate vulnerable teenagers. Reddit is challenging Australia’s ban in the High Court.

“Today, our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone,” Sánchez said, describing social media as a place of “addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation [and] violence. “We will no longer accept that. We will protect them.”

Sánchez first mooted a possible ban in November, but on Tuesday, the plan was fleshed out.

Under the changes, social media platforms would be required to have effective age verification systems, “not just check boxes, but real barriers that work,” the prime minister explained, in a possible reference to the loopholes Australian children use to bypass checks – including simply using a photo of an adult.

The new laws would also criminalise manipulating algorithms to amplify illegal content.

“This is something created, promoted, and disseminated by certain actors whom we will investigate, as well as the platforms whose algorithms amplify disinformation in exchange for profit,” Sánchez said.

“Hiding behind code and claiming that technology is neutral is no longer acceptable.”

There would also be a new system designed to track “how digital platforms fuel division and amplify hate”. No further details were given on how this would work.

Another measure, Sánchez said, would be to “investigate and prosecute the crimes committed by Grok [X’s AI tool], TikTok, and Instagram”.

The European Commission has launched an investigation into Grok over concerns it was used to create sexualised images of real people.

The UK has announced its own investigation into Grok and on Tuesday in France, the offices of X were raided by the Paris prosecutor’s cyber-crime unit as it looked into allegations of offences including unlawful data extraction and complicity in the possession of child pornography.

X is yet to respond to either investigation – the BBC has approached it for comment. It has previously characterised the French investigation as an attack on free speech.

[BBC]