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.
This pre-post study recruited 50 adult gamers from New Zealand to test the feasibility of a brief internet-delivered intervention. Completers (n = 35) reported a significant increase in well-being and reduction in severity, intensity, and time spent gaming, which reduced from an average of 29 to 11 hours per week.
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The amount our kids use technology, including social media, is the number one worry for 70% of New Zealand parents, according to the latest State of the Nation Parenting Survey from NIB. Now get this stat: 50% of parents admit they are addicted to their own devices.
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The UK will go further to protect kids with world-leading additional restrictions on harmful features online such as live streaming and strangers communicating with children. Social media platforms will be blocked from offering services to under-16s, marking a line in the sand and setting a new normal for future generations.
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.
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