Backend Software Engineer Project Intern - Trust & Safety

Australia plans to sue Meta and TikTok over failures in age controls on their platforms. Australian legislation requires platforms to prevent under-16s from having social media accounts. The regulator is investigating five companies and preparing evidence to take them to court. By Angus Whitley October 20, 2026 | 02:40 AM Bloomberg - The Australian government plans to sue Facebook, TikTok and other major digital platforms over alleged non-compliance with a national ban on social media use for under-16s, communications minister Anika Wells said in an interview. The country's online safety regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, said in March that it was investigating Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta Platforms Inc. (META), as well as TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube, for possible breaches of the law. The legislation requires companies to take reasonable measures to prevent underage users from having social media accounts, as part of an initiative to protect them from harmful content on the internet. Asked on Monday in an interview in Sydney whether legal action against the five platforms could be expected, Wells replied: "Yes." She added: "It is not a decision for me, but I would expect it." An eSafety report published in July found that most underage social media users were able to keep their accounts or create new ones, largely due to the lack of effective age controls on the platforms. Since Australia's ban, the world's first, came into force almost a year ago, the government has doubled the maximum penalty for non-compliance to A$109.2 million (US$76 million). The government has also given eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant greater investigative powers, including the power to require documents from social media platforms and to summon current or former employees to answer its questions. "It now has more powers to gather the evidence it needs to take those five companies to the Federal Court," Wells said. "It is currently using those powers to prepare its case." Spokespeople for Meta and eSafety did not immediately comment. Representatives for Snap Inc. (SNAP), owner of Snapchat; TikTok and its owner, ByteDance Ltd.; and Google, YouTube's parent company, did not immediately respond to emails requesting comment on the minister's statements. The eSafety Commissioner is an independent regulator, although it is part of the government and is accountable to the Australian Parliament through the communications minister, a role currently held by Wells. Last week, Wells said companies are not doing enough to comply with age restrictions on social media. "The law is not failing; it is the platforms that are not complying," Wells said in an October 15 speech to the National Press Club. "We will not hesitate to hold technology companies accountable." Read more at Bloomberg.com

SiteStakes launches AI-powered websites that turn real estate leads into closed deals. Posted on October 20, 2026. SiteStakes launches AI-powered websites designed to help real estate investors and agents attract qualified leads and turn them into closed deals. The all-in-one platform helps businesses get discovered on Google and AI search, automatically follow up with leads via email and text, and track which marketing channels generate actual revenue. McKinney, Texas - October 20, 2026 - SiteStakes today announced the launch of its AI-powered website platform designed to help real estate investors and agents attract qualified leads, convert them into closed deals, and measure the revenue generated by their marketing efforts. Unlike traditional websites that primarily serve as an online presence, SiteStakes brings together search engine optimization, AI-search visibility, lead capture, automated follow-up, customer relationship management (CRM), and revenue attribution in one platform. For many real estate professionals, generating website traffic is only part of the challenge. Potential deals can be lost when inquiries go unanswered, follow-up stops too early, or businesses cannot determine which marketing investments are producing results. SiteStakes addresses these challenges by connecting every stage of the customer journey, from the first website visit to the final closed deal. Get Discovered on Google and AI Search As more consumers turn to AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity for information and recommendations, businesses need to be visible beyond traditional search results. SiteStakes websites are built with search engine optimization and AI discoverability in mind. The platform helps businesses create locally relevant, search-optimized content, provides structured information that search engines and AI assistants can interpret, and supports access by AI crawlers. Built-in analytics help owners understand how visitors discover their websites, including traffic from AI assistants, and connect those visits to leads and eventual closed deals. Turn More Leads Into Conversations and Closed Deals Attracting visitors is only the beginning. SiteStakes helps businesses turn website inquiries into meaningful conversations through intelligent lead capture forms, automated email and SMS follow-up, and a built-in CRM. When a new lead arrives, the business owner receives an immediate notification, while automated follow-up sequences help maintain contact with prospects who may not be ready to act immediately. The platform's AI-powered CRM scores and prioritizes leads, summarizes their activity and circumstances, and recommends the next best action. This helps investors and agents focus their time on the opportunities most likely to move forward. Know Which Marketing Actually Produces Revenue Traditional analytics show where website visitors come from. SiteStakes goes further by connecting marketing activity to actual closed deals. The platform tracks leads from their original source - whether Google Search, AI assistants, social media, paid advertising, or individual marketing campaigns - through follow-up, conversations, and completed transactions. When a deal closes, SiteStakes attributes the revenue to the originating marketing source, giving business owners a clearer picture of which channels and campaigns are generating results. For businesses running paid advertising, SiteStakes also supports integrations with Google Ads, Meta, and TikTok to send completed-deal conversion data back to the advertising platforms. This helps advertisers optimize campaigns around actual business outcomes rather than relying solely on clicks and form submissions. Purpose-Built for Real Estate Investors and Agents SiteStakes offers specialized websites for different real estate business models, including house buying, wholesaling, rental properties, land investing, apartments, mobile homes, mortgage notes, and real estate agents. Each website is tailored to its business model, with relevant content, lead capture tools, and workflows designed around the customers it serves - from motivated sellers and cash buyers to renters and prospective homebuyers. "Real estate investors and agents don't need another website that simply reports traffic. They need a system that helps turn that traffic into actual deals," said Betty Bobo, Head of Sales and Marketing at SiteStakes. "We built SiteStakes to connect the entire journey - from getting discovered on Google and AI search, to capturing and following up with leads, to showing exactly which marketing efforts produced revenue. That means business owners can spend less time guessing and more time closing deals." More information is available at https://sitestakes.com. About SiteStakes Based in McKinney, Texas, SiteStakes provides AI-powered websites designed to help real estate investors and agents attract qualified leads, convert them into closed deals, and maximize their marketing ROI. The all-in-one platform combines SEO and AI-search optimization, intelligent lead capture, a built-in CRM, automated email and SMS follow-up, and revenue attribution - helping real estate professionals manage the entire journey from online discovery to closed deals. Media Contact Company Name: SiteStakes Contact Person: Betty Bobo Email: Send Email Phone: 4699517955 Country: United States Website: https://sitestakes.com