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Tech Giants Slam UK Social Media Ban For Pushing Teens To “Unregulated” Wild West Of The Internet

Big tech firms have been responding to the UK’s “world leading” social media ban and unsurprisingly they are not impressed. The UK unveiled legislation earlier today that will see 10 social media platforms including X, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat completely banned for under-16s. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK is taking “world leading […]

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Japanese sweets brand creates new drinkable Cigare and we’re totally here for it

Famous “Cat’s Tongue” cookies get a whole new look with a limited-edition release at only one location. 

One of the best places to shop for Tokyo souvenirs is in the basement of Tokyo Station, and some of the most popular souvenirs you’ll find there are buttery rich cookies by Yoku Moku. This long-established Tokyo-based confectionery brand is famous for its elegant langue de chat (“cat’s tongue”) biscuits, with the standout being its signature product, a rolled langue de chat known as the Cigare.

▼ The Yoku Moku Cigare

Image©OonaMcGee/SoraNews24

Now, Yoku Moku is giving us a new way to enjoy the immensely popular rolled cookie, with what’s being dubbed the “Drinkable Cigare”. The official name for it, though, is “Coo-Che” (pronounced “Coo-Shay’), an amalgamation of the word “cookie” and “shake,” as it places an extra large rolled langue de chat biscuit around an original vanilla-flavoured shake.

The vanilla in the shake and langue de chat is the same as what’s used in the filling of a Yoku Moku Cigare, so the flavour will be very familiar to fans of the biscuit. The crunchy cookie crumble pieces on top also deliver the same buttery flavours of a Yoku Moku biscuit, only with a greater crunch for more textural contrast.

Said to be a “drink, mix, and taste” cookie experience, the different components can be enjoyed separately or mixed together to suit your preferences for texture and taste. Unlike Yoku Moku’s boxed cookies, which are sold at a wide number of retail outlets in Japan, this drink will only be available as a Tokyo Station Ichibangai store exclusive, and only in limited quantities.

Sales are limited to specific times as well – 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. daily – and each shake is priced at 780 yen (US$5.01) each.

▼ If you have trouble spotting the store, look for the giant Coo-Che out front (bottom right)

According to Yoku Moku, the new drink was developed out of a desire to introduce people to the long-loved taste of langue de chat in a slightly different form, while also highlighting its oft-overlooked expertise in vanilla cream as well. This drink certainly does that, and if they can showcase its regular cookies this beautifully, we have our fingers crossed for a version that features their matcha cigares too!

Store information
Yoku Moku Tokyo Station Ichibangai store / ヨックモック 東京駅一番街店
Address: Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Marunouchi 1-9-1, Tokyo Station Ichibangai, Basement 1
東京都千代田区丸の内1丁目9-1東京駅一番街 地下1階
Open: 9:00 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Website

Source, images: Press release unless otherwise stated
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UK to ban under-16s from ‘high risk’ social media apps

Measures to include restrictions on ‘safe’ social media apps, with some fearing banning some platforms and not others will lead to legal challenges

Teenagers under the age of 16 are to be banned from accessing “high-risk” social media apps while safer platforms will be subjected to restrictions, under a sweeping government crackdown.

Under-18s will also be banned from using romantic or sexual AI chatbots after a consultation on keeping children safe online.

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© Photograph: David Parry/PA

© Photograph: David Parry/PA

© Photograph: David Parry/PA

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Top 6 Secure Team Chat Apps to Improve Work Communication: A Complete Guide



Post sponsored by Zenzap

If you’ve ever tried to track down a decision buried in a message thread or remember where a task was mentioned, you’ve probably seen how messy team communication can get. When conversations are scattered across emails, texts, and different apps, updates get missed, and company information can end up being stored on personal devices.

This usually happens when teams rely on personal messaging apps that were never designed for team communication. You need a secure team chat app that keeps conversations organized and gives you clear control over who can see and do what.

6 Secure Team Chat Apps to Improve Team Communication

Below are six secure team chat apps that help improve workplace communication, along with a clear breakdown of who each is built for and what to take into consideration when choosing.

1. Zenzap: A Secure Team Chat App to Improve Work Communication

Zenzap is one of the best team chat apps for businesses that want strong security, organized team communication, and better team accountability.

Zenzap is intuitive and easy to use. Anyone can start using it immediately. At the same time, it gives you all the professional features and admin control your business needs.

Why Zenzap Stands Out

Zenzap was built to close the gap between consumer messaging apps that lack business control and enterprise team communication apps that can feel overwhelming for non-technical teams.

You get:

  • One-click offboarding so you can instantly remove access when someone leaves
  • Secure cloud storage, with data stored in the cloud and not on employee devices
  • Full admin oversight
  • Role-based permissions so you can control exactly who can see and do what
  • Audit logs and activity tracking
  • Built-in accountability so you can turn messages into tasks
  • A mobile-first experience that makes daily team communication more convenient for frontline workers
  • Compliance with industry-standard regulations

Zenzap is easy to roll out because it is intuitive and familiar, so teams can start using it with little to no training. You can also import existing chats and add the whole team easily, which helps make setup faster across multiple locations and teams.

Why It Works Best

Zenzap gives you a secure and practical way to manage team communication. It supports daily team communication while making it easier to stay organized, keep information visible, and maintain control as your business grows.

Zenzap delivers:

  • Secure, professional features without complexity
  • Affordable, cost-effective pricing
  • A mobile-first experience
  • Clear visibility and control so nothing falls through the cracks

Zenzap is a work chat app built for businesses that need clarity and control in their internal communication.

2. Slack: Built for Technical Teams

Slack is a well-known team communication app that’s built for highly technical teams.

Strengths

  • Complex workflows
  • Custom automations

What to Keep in Mind

Slack can work well if your team needs custom automations and spends much of the day at a desktop. However, it can often feel too complex or overwhelming for non-technical teams.

Cost is another thing to watch as your team grows. And for frontline teams, it may also be harder to adopt if the app feels too complex for everyday use.

3. Microsoft Teams: For Microsoft-Based Teams

Microsoft Teams is a team communication app frequently chosen by companies that already operate within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

Strengths

  • Connects natively with Microsoft 365 tools
  • Built-in video conferencing
  • Included in Microsoft 365

What to Keep in Mind

Teams is an all-in-one corporate tool that can feel slow and too formal for quick team communication. Its interface is often described as clunky and confusing, especially on mobile, which can also make adoption harder for some teams.

4. Google Chat: Simple and Convenient Chat App

Google Chat is a messaging app built directly into Google Workspace, making it convenient for businesses already using Google tools.

Strengths

  • Easy access inside Gmail
  • Familiar interface
  • Lightweight messaging

What to Keep in Mind

Google Chat was designed for simple, direct messaging and may not provide everything you need to manage internal communication in a more organized way.

5. Discord: Community-Focused Communication

Discord is a social communication app that was built for gaming communities and social groups.

Strengths

  • Conversational and informal
  • Drop-in voice channels
  • Community engagement features

What to Keep in Mind

Discord was originally designed for social communities, so it may not offer the professional security, admin controls, or focused environment that a business needs. It can also feel chaotic for work communication.

6. Twist: Async-Focused Messaging

Twist is a team communication app that’s designed around asynchronous team communication. It organizes discussions into threads to reduce noise.

Strengths

  • Thread-based setup
  • Reduces real-time interruptions
  • Suitable for distributed teams

What to Keep in Mind

Twist is optimized for slower, async-first environments. It is less suited for fast-paced operational teams that rely on real-time coordination.

It also has more limited capabilities, rarely gets new features, and has basic search functionality.

What Makes a Secure Work Chat App Truly Secure

Secure team communication means having clear control over who can access conversations, how data is stored, and visibility across the workspace. A secure work chat app should help you manage all of that easily.

Here is what to look for:

Centralized Admin Control

A secure team chat app should let you:

  • Control exactly who can see and do what
  • Set role-based permissions
  • Monitor workspace activity
  • Access downloadable audit logs

Without that level of control, your security depends on individual behavior rather than company policy.

One-Click Offboarding

When someone leaves, you should be able to remove access immediately.

Delays increase risk. The ability to instantly remove access prevents:

  • Former employees retaining sensitive information
  • Ex-employees poaching staff
  • Compliance risk

Secure Cloud Storage

Team communication should stay in secure cloud storage rather than being stored on personal devices.

This helps keep conversations, files, and updates in one secure place, makes information easier to manage, and reduces the risk of important company data being tied to individual employee devices.

Compliance Readiness

Compliance is an important part of choosing a team chat app, especially for businesses that handle sensitive employee, customer, or internal information.

Your team chat app should support the data protection and industry requirements that apply to your business, such as GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2.

Why Many Businesses Struggle with Internal Communication

The issue usually isn't that your teams have no way to message each other. It's that your communication app doesn't match the way your business actually works.

Personal messaging apps are easy to use, but they may not give you enough control for internal communication. Enterprise team communication apps may offer more control, but they can also require more training and feel less convenient for non-technical teams to use every day.

In many companies, that leaves people switching between apps, chasing updates across locations, and trying to remember where a task, file, or decision was last shared.

That's where communication starts to fall through the cracks, and why many businesses are looking into team chat apps that provide a balance of both professional features and ease of use.

Choosing the Right Team Communication Software

The best team communication software should help you keep team communication clear without making the work chat app harder to use than the work itself.

Look for a team communication app that gives you:

  • Clarity so everyone knows where information lives
  • Accountability so you can turn messages into tasks
  • Accessibility so that every employee actually uses it
  • Control so you decide who has access to what

You shouldn't have to choose between usability and compliance.

You shouldn't have to sacrifice professional control for convenience.

The right professional team chat app gives you both.

Final Thoughts

To improve internal communication, you need a secure team chat app because it makes team communication easier to manage, easier to keep organized, and easier to control across your business.

When conversations, updates, and files stay in one secure place, your team can communicate more clearly, important information is easier to find, and you’ll have better visibility into daily team communication.

About the Author

Post by:

Rebecca Lazar

Rebecca Lazar is the Product Marketing Manager at Zenzap. She specializes in helping companies become more efficient and communicate better, while ensuring data security and compliance.

Company: Zenzap

Website: https://www.zenzap.co

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How social media platforms keep students hooked: Notifications during school hours and paid ‘teen ambassadors’

TikTok executives decided not to disable notifications during school hours, ignoring recommendations from their own safety team, and paid millions of dollars to parents’ and teachers’ associations to promote the social network in schools. Snapchat sent alerts to teenagers while they were in class urging them to share what was happening in the classroom. Google executives knew that YouTube was recommending videos to students during the school day that were unrelated to their lessons. Meta paid “teen ambassadors” to promote Instagram and hand out gifts to their classmates.

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© JUAN BARBOSA

A group of teenagers with their cell phones.
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