Latest posts
Meta and YouTube designed addictive products that harmed young people, jury finds
Jury in Los Angeles awards plaintiff damages of $6m, with Meta to pay 70% and YouTube the remainder Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Meta and YouTube have been found liable for deliberately designing addictive products that hooked a young user and led to her being…
Meta ordered to pay $375m after being found liable in child exploitation case
New Mexico hails ‘historic’ win after jury finds firm misled consumers over safety and enabled harm against users A New Mexico jury on Tuesday ordered Meta to pay $375m in civil penalties after it found the company misled consumers about the safety of its platforms and enabled harm, including child sexual exploitation, against its users.…
Pinterest CEO calls for ban on social media for youth under 16
Bill Ready pointed to Australia’s social media ban for under-16s as a model, though it does not apply to his company Pinterest’s CEO called on world leaders to ban social media for youth under 16 in a LinkedIn post on Friday. “We need a clear standard: no social media for teens under 16, backed by…
Meta AI agent’s instruction causes large sensitive data leak to employees
Artificial intelligence agent instructed engineer to take actions that exposed user and company data internally An AI agent instructed an engineer to take actions that exposed a large amount of Meta’s sensitive data to some of its employees, in the latest example of AI causing upheaval in a large tech company. The leak, which Meta…
Meta and Google trial: are infinite scroll and autoplay creating addicts?
Features woven into the fabric of platforms have been central to landmark social media harm case in US. How do they work? It was as “easy as ABC”, claimed the lawyer prosecuting a landmark social media harm case against Meta and Google which heard closing arguments this week. The defendants were guilty, said Mark Lanier,…
Meta reportedly plans sweeping layoffs as AI costs increase
Sources tell Reuters layoffs could affect 20% or more of company as plans reflect broader tensions within big tech Meta is planning sweeping layoffs that could affect 20% or more of the company, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Meta seeks to offset costly artificial intelligence infrastructure bets and prepare for greater…
‘IG is a drug’: jury to deliberate as US trial over social media addiction wraps up
Meta and YouTube accused of creating harmful products in trial seen as a bellwether for attitudes towards social media The first-ever jury trial over the potential harms of social media wrapped up on Thursday. Lawyers for Meta and YouTube have argued their platforms are safe for the vast majority of young people, while lawyers for…
‘Happy (and safe) shooting!’: chatbots helped researchers plot deadly attacks
Users posing as would-be school shooters find AI tools offer detailed advice on how to perpetrate violence Popular AI chatbots helped researchers plot violent attacks including bombing synagogues and assassinating politicians, with one telling a user posing as a would-be school shooter: “Happy (and safe) shooting!” Tests of 10 chatbots carried out in the US…
AI chatbots point vulnerable social media users to illegal online casinos, analysis shows
Tech firms condemned for lack of controls with Meta AI and Gemini even offering advice on how to bypass UK gambling and addiction checks AI chatbots are recommending illegal online casinos to vulnerable social media users, putting them at increased risk of fraud, addiction and even suicide. Analysis of five AI products, owned by some…
US tech firms pledge at White House to bear costs of energy for datacenters
Companies will pay for upgrades and new electricity generation in agreement to mitigate concerns of rising bills Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon and several artificial intelligence companies signed a pledge at the White House on Wednesday to bear the cost of new electricity generation to power their datacenters. The agreement is meant to help mitigate concerns…