Social media companies accused of “addicting the brains of children” as trial begins

The world’s biggest social media companies face several landmark trials this year that seek to hold them responsible for harms to children who use their platforms. Opening statements in one such trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court began on Monday. Instagram’s parent company Meta and Google’s YouTube face claims that their platforms deliberately addict…

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How safe is America from polio?

When 13-year-old music prodigy Itzhak Perlman performed on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1958, viewers could see his extraordinary talent. What they couldn’t see were the braces and crutches he needed to walk.  Perlman was four when he contracted polio. “I was already running and walking, and I remember one morning when I got up…

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Elon Musk’s X social media platform fined $140 million for violating EU transparency rules

European Union regulators on Friday said it is fining Elon Musk’s social media platform X $140 million (120 million euros) for violating regulations aimed at protecting internet users in the trading bloc from digital abuses.  The European Commission said that X breached “transparency obligations” under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The fine represents the EU’s…

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Children who have smartphones by age 12 are at increased risk of health problems, new study finds

Having a smartphone may be harmful for children younger than 12, according to a new study.  The study published Monday in the peer-reviewed journal Pediatrics found that owning a smartphone during early adolescence is associated with increased risks of mental health issues and obesity. As far as psychological impacts, it pinpointed higher incidences of depression and insufficient…

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iRobot, the maker of Roomba vacuums, files for bankruptcy and sells itself to Chinese company

Roomba maker iRobot filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sunday and said the robotic vacuum cleaner would sell itself to a Chinese contract manufacturer.  Shenzhen PICEA Robotics Co., which makes Roombas for Bedford, Massachusetts-based iRobot, will buy the company, according to a news release. iRobot said it doesn’t expect any disruptions to its app,…

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