Prime Minister Keir Starmer says Britain will ban under-16s from major social media platforms and target features that let children interact with strangers. Tech companies and some advocates warn the plan could drive young users to less safe services.
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A New Mexico jury found Meta Platforms Inc. violated state consumer protection laws by harming children’s mental health and failing to address child sexual exploitation on its platforms, resulting in thousands of violations with substantial penalties. The lawsuit, initiated by the New Mexico Attorney General, accused Meta of prioritizing profits over safety and misleading the public, while Meta plans to appeal the verdict. Concurrently, a related trial in Los Angeles involving Meta and YouTube is examining claims that social media products are deliberately addictive to children, reflecting growing legal challenges against tech companies over their impact on youth mental health.
Two families with ties to New York City are mourning the loss of their daughters, who were among the 260 people killed by Hamas militants at a music festival in Israel. Hannie Ricardo found a message from her daughter on WhatsApp saying, "Mom, I love you so much," and realized it was a goodbye. The other family is mourning the loss of Noa, a young woman who was taken by Hamas at the festival, and her family has been searching for her since. Both families are now left to grieve the loss of their daughters and remember them for the lives they lived.
Vivian Silver, a Canadian-born Jewish humanitarian living near the Gaza Strip, has gone missing after Hamas fighters attacked Israel over the weekend. Silver was known for her work to improve the plight of Palestinians and create a shared society between Jews and Arabs, and her son has started a Facebook page to spread awareness of her disappearance. The Israeli government is working with the international community to locate Silver and other missing people, and her friends and family remain hopeful that she will be found safe and sound.
An American woman living in Israel has spoken out about the experience of having five of her family members taken hostage by Hamas during their recent attacks. The woman and her family are now in a state of limbo, not knowing when or if their loved ones will be released. The incident highlights the devastating effects of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and the fear and uncertainty it has caused for many families in the region.
Hunter Biden's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, has accused congressional Republicans of attempting to undermine the plea deal recently reached between President Biden's son and prosecutors by pushing forward what he described as "false allegations" from IRS whistleblowers. Lowell has called for an investigation into the timing of the agents' leaks and Biden's subsequent decision to release their statements, and the Biden administration has yet to comment on the accusations. It remains to be seen how the allegations will affect the plea agreement.
Facebook and Instagram have reinstated former President Donald Trump's accounts after a two-year suspension following the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol. The accounts will be subject to the same rules as any other user, and any content that violates the company's policies will be removed. The decision has been met with mixed reactions, with some praising the decision as a step towards restoring free speech and others criticizing it as a potential source of further violence and division.
The European Union has been cracking down on tech giants for their data privacy practices, and the latest company to face the consequences is Facebook…