FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM ADDICTION
EU charges TikTok over harmful algorithmic 'rabbit hole' effects
EU tech regulators charged social media platform TikTok on Friday with breaching the bloc's online content rules due to the so-called "rabbit hole" effect of its recommender system, which attracts users' attention to a constant stream of
Google, Meta, TikTok sue to block California youth social media law
The law, known as Assembly Bill 1709, prohibits such platforms from offering underage children "psychologically exploitative features" that could lead to compulsive use, such as providing personal recommendations and sending videos through autoplay features. It also requires the deletion of children's accounts with those features.
Does Snapchat cause depression, anxiety, eating disorders? A court trial that tells bold story against social media platforms
Social media companies face thousands of lawsuits in federal and state courts brought by individuals, school districts, municipalities and other government entities alleging the companies knowingly sought to addict children to their platforms.
Meta settles with teen during trial testing claims social media caused depression, eating disorders
Meta Platforms has settled with a teen plaintiff who accused the company of designing Instagram and Facebook to be addictive, causing her mental health problems
Meta, Snap head to trial in another case about social media's harms
Jury selection is expected to begin on Wednesday in Los Angeles for another landmark trial about the alleged harms of social media on young users, with Meta and, for the first time, Snap as defendants. Meta and YouTube lost the first so-called bellwether case earlier this year, when a jury found them collectively liable for harming a young user known by the initials KGM, and ordered the tech companies to pay a combined $6 million penalty.
Rhode Island sues Meta over alleged tolerance for scam advertising
The suit, filed by Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha in Providence Superior Court, accuses Meta of unlawfully profiting from and participating in the creation of billions of dollars in scam advertising - even as it assured its billions of users that it was working diligently to protect them.
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Meta sued in Australia class action over alleged social media harm to children
A class action lawsuit has been filed in an Australia court against Meta Platforms' Facebook and Instagram, alleging the social media platforms exposed children to harmful content and kept them addictive through algorithms.
Meta stock: Facebook, Instagram parent stock price rises after tech giant announces new types of shares. All you may want to know
Meta posted diluted earnings per share of $3.83 in the quarter, a figure that would have been $7.40, had it not been for a $9.89 billion charge related to the August settlement.
Meta raises AI spending forecast to $145 billion, plans new share issue; Q3 revenue beats estimates
Meta raised its 2026 capital expenditure forecast to $135 billion-$145 billion to accelerate AI expansion and announced plans for non-voting shares, while reporting stronger revenue amid mounting legal challenges and intensifying competition.
US states sue AI giant OpenAI, saying its popular chatbot is hurting children and deceiving adults
Eight US states have initiated lawsuits against OpenAI, alleging violations of consumer protection laws on various grounds. The accusations include harming children and misleading adults in a pursuit of profit. OpenAI's ChatGPT is claimed to provide dangerous advice and encourage harmful behavior among teenagers. The lawsuits assert that OpenAI has relied on inadequate safety testing for its chatbot products.
Florida asks court to force Meta to change Facebook, Instagram for teens
In a filing in a Pasco County court, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier asked for a temporary injunction forcing Meta to identify and remove users in the state under the age of 14 from those platforms, limit teens there to two hours a day across all apps and turn off features like autoplay and infinite scroll for them.
Florida asks court to force Meta to change Facebook, Instagram for teens
Florida is advancing a lawsuit against Meta Platforms to enforce stricter protections for young users. The Attorney General seeks changes including limiting teen app usage and identifying underage users. Meta previously settled claims with other states, including changes for teen safety. Florida argues that the settlement was insufficient and will not prevent future harm. The proposed changes from Florida are stricter compared to those agreed upon in the settlement.
OpenAI says teens use ChatGPT for under 15 minutes a day as worries over risks grow
Teens spend under 15 minutes a day on average on ChatGPT, while less than 2% of them interact with the chatbot for over three straight hours, OpenAI said, as technology companies face scrutiny over the risks AI chatbots pose to children.
Instagram turns 16, but the internet isn't celebrating
While some users shared their early Instagram grids, replies to the post quickly turned sour. Many users said they wished the app could be undone. Others pointed to concerns about teen mental health, addictive design, and the pressure of a curated online life.
Meta expands Instagram school program as teen safety scrutiny grows
Meta said on Tuesday it is adding new features to Instagram's school partnership program in the US, expanding tools for schools and students as the social media company steps up efforts to protect teens online.
TikTok agrees to teen limits in US settlement following Meta
A trial had been set to begin Monday in the southern US state over claims by Alabama that TikTok misled parents about tools meant to shield children from harmful content.
Meta misled consumers in case over Cambridge Analytica scandal, New Mexico jury says
The verdict followed a two-week trial over a lawsuit filed by New Mexico's attorney general in 2021, three years after news reports revealed that personal data from as many as 87 million Facebook users had been harvested through a third-party app and used in efforts to profile voters.
First US trial against TikTok to test claims platform fueled teen mental health crisis
An Alabama jury will hear the state's claims that TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance made the platform addictive to young users and misled consumers about its safety, in the first case against the company to reach trial in the sweeping litigation
Cindy Crawford’s son, model Presley Gerber, dies at 27
Model Presley Gerber, son of Cindy Crawford, has died at age twenty-seven. He passed away Sunday at a rehabilitation facility, with no cause listed. Gerber followed his mother and sister into modeling, walking for major fashion brands. He had spoken publicly about his struggles with mental health and drug use. His family is requesting privacy during this difficult and painful time.
Meta not a simple intermediary but service provider when algorithms decide visibility: Govt source
"Service providers have many responsibilities. Meta must take on more onus after agreeing to be responsible for content on its platform," the agency cited sources as saying.
EU chief to unveil social media, gaming curbs for under-15s
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen will on Wednesday unveil long-awaited plans to protect children from online harm by curbing access to social media, video-sharing platforms, games and AI chatbots for under-15s. Von der Leyen will use her annual keynote speech to the European Parliament to outline new EU legislation, which according to a draft document will set strict limits on access to social media, AI chatbots and online gaming for under-15s.
Meta's Mark Zuckerberg says AI labs have enough incentive to build safely
Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday that competition and liability give AI companies enough reason to act individually on safety, appearing to break from calls by leaders of top AI firms for a coordinated slowdown in AI development.
Limit AI now or humanity will lose its agency, says Nobel laureate Ressa
The Filipino and American journalist, who jointly won the 2021 award in part for her work documenting the power of large tech companies, serves as co-chair of the United Nations' international scientific panel on artificial intelligence, tasked with assessing how AI is transforming lives worldwide.
Limit AI now or humanity will lose its agency, says Nobel laureate Maria Ressa
Nobel laureate Maria Ressa expresses urgent concerns about the risks that artificial intelligence poses to human agency, emphasizing the need for immediate regulation. She encourages citizens to drive legislative changes aimed at holding tech corporations accountable. Ressa outlines AI's progression through social media and manipulation, and highlights the importance of creating platforms that serve the public interest, along with ensuring tech firms face consequences for harm caused.
California governor signs law to limit children's social media risks
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed more than a dozen new laws on Thursday that address various aspects of children's safety online, including one that prohibits social media companies from serving addictive features to users under 16 years old. Instead, it defines "addictive" features as ones that are "psychologically exploitative" and prohibits social media companies from providing children with features such as infinite scroll, algorithmic recommendations and autoplay.
California governor signs laws aimed at protecting kids from risks of social media, AI chatbots
The laws will penalize large social media companies up to $1 million per child if they are found negligent of harming children through their platforms, ban tech businesses from offering addictive feeds to anyone under 16 and require operators of AI chatbots to perform risk assessments before rolling them out.
Portuguese group D3 sues Meta, TikTok and YouTube over addictive design
A spokesperson for Alphabet's Google, owner of YouTube, said providing people with "a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work" and pointed to tools such as "take a break" and bedtime reminders designed to help users manage viewing habits.
Proposed Australian law would let social media users opt out of algorithms
The proposed legislation would also protect children from content that promotes eating disorders, hostile ideas about women, pornography, crime, dangerous stunts and that causes serious mental health distress.
Australia threatens hefty fines if big tech fails 'duty of care'
Social media giants face US$78 million fines if they fail to protect young users from harmful content, Australia's prime minister said Tuesday as he unveiled draft laws reining in big tech. Communications Minister Anika Wells said big tech was facing a "reckoning".
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