eta has been ordered to pay US$567 million into a fund aimed at addressing harms associated with social media use among children and teenagers, following a court ruling in New Mexico.
The order follows an earlier US$375 million penalty against Meta and also introduces requirements intended to strengthen protections for younger users of its platforms. These include changes relating to age verification, parental controls and features that may contribute to potentially harmful patterns of social media use.
The case reflects growing scrutiny of how social media platforms are designed and the potential effects of features intended to maximise engagement on younger users. Governments and regulators around the world are increasingly examining the responsibilities technology companies have for protecting children and supporting healthier digital environments.
Meta has said it plans to appeal the ruling.
Read the full article on CNN.
Psychologist Adam Alter provides insight into why we have addiction to technology, explains the science behind why we can't seem to stop such behaviour and offers practical advice for using technology differently, in order to lead a happier life, and to set yourself free.
Read More
New Zealand should copy the Australian ban on social media for children under 16, a public health researcher says. The Australian government said it would pass a law banning social media for children under 16. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced yesterday that a bill will be introduced to parliament within weeks.
Read More
There's a new addiction in New Zealand - more than a third of Kiwis say they are hooked on their screens and many are blaming Covid for it. As the country enters its second week of lockdown, New Zealanders have been averaging five hours of screen time a day on top of using devices for work and school since the Covid pandemic started last year, a new NortonLifeLock study has found.
Read MoreScreen Sense offers personalised one-to-one support to help you better understand your digital habits and make practical, lasting changes to the way you use technology.
Sessions >
