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‘The era of invincibility is over’: the week big tech was brought to heel
Ruling that Meta and YouTube deliberately designed addictive products marks possible watershed moment for social media The young woman at the heart of what has been called the tech industry’s “big tobacco” moment was on YouTube at six and Instagram by nine. More than a decade later, she says, she still can’t live without the…
What does new guidance in the UK say about screen time for children?
Experts recommend extremely limited use for children under-two amid ‘mounting evidence’ of harmful impact The government has issued new guidance on how much time children below the age of five should spend on screens. Children’s relationships with screens have become one of the key struggles of 21st-century parenting, along with the impact of the content…
Keep under-fives’ screen time to no more than an hour a day, UK advice says
Keir Starmer promises to help parents limit children’s online activity as government issues guidance to families Children under five should spend no more than an hour a day on screens, new government advice says. Screen time for children under two should be avoided except for shared activities encouraging interaction, families are advised. Continue reading…
‘Accountability has arrived’: dual US court losses show shifting tide against Meta and co
With two unprecedented trial defeats, big tech firms face crisis akin to that faced by cigarette makers in the 1990s In the span of just two days, the most powerful social media company in the world faced a more severe public reckoning than it has in years. Jurors in California and New Mexico gave back-to-back…
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…
Hundreds of UK teenagers to trial six-week social media curbs for major study
Government’s pilot ban for under-16s accompanies consultation as peers vote on Australia-style restrictions Hundreds of UK teenagers will trial social media bans, digital curfews and time limits on apps under a government pilot, which will run alongside a consultation to decide whether the UK should ban access to social media for the under-16s. During the…
Protect men and boys from manosphere influencers, Labour MPs tell Ofcom
Exclusive: Group says measures to curb harmful content will also help to tackle violence against women and girls Men and boys need as much protection as women and girls from harmful influencers and “the worst parts of the internet”, a group of MPs have told Ofcom as they called for the regulator to give specific…
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…
‘Another internet is possible’: Norway rails against ‘enshittification’
Absurdist video urges policymakers and users to resist deliberate deterioration of platforms and devices The video’s opening shot shows a man hiding under a bed snipping in a hole in someone’s sock. Seconds later, the same man uses a saw to shorten a table leg so that it wobbles during breakfast. “My job is to…
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,…