Cyprus Families Face Wide Price Gaps On Back-To-School Supplies

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

August 28, 2026

School supply prices in Cyprus remained broadly stable compared with 2025, but significant differences between retailers mean families can pay very different amounts for similar products, according to the Cyprus Consumers’ Association.

The association surveyed online and physical stores operated by 10 businesses across Cyprus. Some products showed wide price gaps, while online prices were sometimes lower than those in physical stores.

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School Supplies Show Wide Price Gaps

School bags ranged from €1.89 to €209.95, depending on size, design and brand. Pencil cases cost between €0.48 and €45.55, while pencils, pens and markers ranged from €0.20 to €18.99. Notebook prices varied from €0.32 to €12.99, while filing folders cost between €0.19 and €8.48. The association advised families to compare prices across retailers and shopping channels.

Clothing Prices Also Differ

Jerseys and shirts ranged from €3.99 to €48, while trousers cost €12 to €27 and skirts €11.50 to €25. Parents were advised to consider quality and value rather than relying on brand names or advertising when choosing school products.

Focus On Need And Safety

Families should make a list of essential items before shopping and distinguish between school requirements and products influenced by advertising or trends. Younger children should avoid stationery designed to resemble or smell like food because of potential health and safety risks.

When choosing a school bag, parents should consider the child’s physical strength, the bag’s weight and its construction.

Check Return Policies

Consumers should check a retailer’s return policy before buying. Shops in Cyprus generally do not have to accept returns or exchanges when customers simply change their minds, so individual store policies apply.

Unsafe products, pricing discrepancies, misleading offers and missing price displays can be reported to the Cyprus Consumers’ Association at [email protected] or through the consumer line at 1429.

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Meta’s $18 Billion Settlement Limits State Claims Over Children’s Data

by News Editor

August 28, 2026

Meta’s $18 billion settlement with attorneys general from 29 U.S. states includes a provision limiting future state claims over the company’s use of children’s data for age-assurance systems.

Under the agreement, Meta must develop, train and begin testing a system to identify users under 13 within a year of the settlement taking effect. The company already uses AI-based age-detection tools, although the agreement does not require the new system to use AI.

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States Agree To Limits On Future Claims

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) generally restricts the collection and retention of personal data from children under 13. Under the settlement, the 29 state attorneys general agreed not to bring past, present or future claims under COPPA or similar state laws over the specified use of children’s data.

Meta will not be permitted to use information from users under 13 for advertising, marketing or algorithmic optimisation.

Federal Enforcement Remains Unclear

COPPA is primarily enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, which is not a party to the agreement. That leaves open the possibility of separate federal action over how Meta collects or uses children’s data.

Another issue is whether Meta can keep age-assurance data isolated from its other systems. An independent auditor will monitor compliance, but the settlement does not fully specify what data Meta can retain for training, how long it can be stored or whether derived insights can be used elsewhere.

Legal Risks Remain

Joshua Wurtzel, a partner at Schlam Stone & Dolan, said states could still pursue claims if Meta uses the data outside the settlement’s limits. Such cases could depend on how those limits are interpreted.

Peter Jackson, a data and intellectual property attorney at Greenberg Glusker, said the provision could “disincentivize future enforcement actions.”

The agreement gives Meta greater legal certainty around using children’s data for age assurance, but questions remain over federal enforcement, data retention and secondary use.

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