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Larnaca Expands Tourism Projects With New Heritage And Digital Initiatives

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

August 28, 2026

The department has allocated an estimated €220,000 for restoration work at the Kanellopoulou mine gallery entrance and nearby mining facilities under the Interreg Greece-Cyprus 2021–2027 programme. The project covers the gallery entrance, ore-separation infrastructure, transport rails and an unloading area.

Village Projects Expand The Visitor Offer

Etap is also developing smaller projects, including the completion of Ayios Theodoros Farm, which will combine a village farm with a picnic area and introduce visitors to traditional agricultural life.

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The project follows Etap’s 2024 proposal to include Cypriot farm animals, native plants and traditional products. Other planned works include permanent sculptures at Mesoyios Artists’ Park and improvements to the Choirokoitia nature trail entrance.

Digital Access Expands Across Larnaca

Sixteen museums in the region have already been digitised, with the Ecclesiastical Museum of Athienou, Archbishop Georgios expected to join the platform before the end of the year.

Opened in July 2025, the museum houses icons, manuscripts, religious vessels, embroidery and vestments, including objects dating to the late 15th century. Visitors can also explore the region through the Larnaka 360° Cultural Walk, which connects virtual museums, storytelling statues and QR-coded routes.

Sustainability And Accessibility Projects Continue

Planned public-space projects include additional planting in Voroklini, improvements to Pyla’s coastal park and themed benches along Voroklini’s coastal walkway. An upgrade to the garden beside the tourism information office is also under consideration.

Etap is also planning further work at Livadia’s Kalamourgiki Memorial Museum and an accessible seating unit at Finikoudes. The Livadia museum already offers large-caption video screens, sign-language interpretation and a Braille booklet.

Tourism Links To Local Producers

Etap is seeking to strengthen links between tourism and local businesses through initiatives such as the CyFood B2B Forum. The wider programme combines heritage restoration, digital access, public-space improvements and accessibility projects across the Larnaca region.

Several initiatives are at different stages, from completed digital projects to planned infrastructure and visitor facilities.

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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.