addictive

British skeleton racer Tabby Stoecker is aiming to follow in the sled path of Lizzy Yarnold and Amy Williams by winning an Olympic gold medal in one of the fastest sports in Milan-Cortina.

The 25-year old is already a double world silver medallist in the mixed team event, with Matt Weston. She credits her time at circus school, learning juggling and the flying trapeze, for giving her the confidence to take on the challenge of skeleton.

TikTok calls European Commission probe ‘meritless’, pledges to challenge findings the video platform harms minors.

Authorities in the European Union said that the video-sharing platform TikTok is in breach of online content regulations, warning the company to change “addictive” features in order to protect minors from compulsive use.

The European Commission shared the preliminary conclusions of a probe into TikTok on Friday, stating that features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and a personalised recommendation algorithm encouraged addiction.

“TikTok has to take actions and they have to change the design of their service in Europe to protect our minors,” EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen told reporters.

European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said the “measures that TikTok has in place are simply not enough”.

“These features lead to the compulsive use of the app, especially for our kids, and this poses major risks to their mental health and wellbeing,” Regnier said, stating that the app is in violation of the Digital Services Act.

The EU regulator has threatened TikTok with a potential fine of as much as 6 percent of the global turnover of ByteDance, the platform’s owner.

TikTok slammed the findings, saying they are without basis.

“The Commission’s preliminary findings present a categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform, and we will take whatever steps are necessary to challenge these findings,” a spokesperson for TikTok said.

The probe comes as EU countries are seeking greater restrictions on powerful tech and social media companies, often with the stated goal of protecting young users.

TikTok stands out among competitors for an algorithm able to craft a precise understanding of the users’ interests, directing related content into their feed.

The investigation into TikTok was first opened in February 2024, with Regnier citing a series of “alarming” statistics compiled during the course of the investigation.

He stated that the app is the most-used social media platform after midnight by children between the ages of 13 and 18, and that 7 percent of children between the ages of 12 and 15 spend four to five hours on the app every day.

Jan. 27 (UPI) — Meta, Snap, TikTok and YouTube will face accusers in a series of lawsuits alleging that they intentionally design their platforms to be addictive.

The trials begin in Los Angeles Superior Court Tuesday, filed by a group of parents, teens and school districts. Once teens are addicted to the platforms, plaintiffs allege, they suffer from depression, self-harm, eating disorders and more. There are about 1,600 plaintiffs involving 350 families and 250 school districts.

“The fact that a social media company is going to have to stand trial before a jury … is unprecedented,” Matthew Bergman, founder of the Social Media Victims Law Center and an attorney in the cases, said in a press conference.

The first case involves a 19-year-old identified as KGM and her mother, Karen Glenn. They are suing TikTok, Meta and YouTube because they say the companies created addictive features that damaged her mental health and led to self-harm and suicidal ideation. Snap was also a defendant in the case, but it settled the case last week.

Her case’s outcome could help determine the outcomes of more than 1,000 injury cases against the companies. The case is expected to last several weeks.

The thousands of cases against these tech giants have been lumped together in a judicial council coordination proceeding, which allows California cases to collaborate and streamline pre-trial hearings.

The plaintiffs want financial damages as well as injunctions that would force the companies to change the design of their platforms and create industry-wide safety standards.

Top company executives are expected to testify, including Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, Instagram’s Adam Mosseri and more. Experts in online harm are also expected to testify.

“For parents whose children have been exploited, groomed, or died because of big tech platforms, the next six weeks are the first step toward accountability after years of being ignored by these companies,” Sarah Gardner, CEO of the Heat Initiative, which advocates for child safety online, told CNN. “These are the tobacco trials of our generation, and for the first time, families across the country will hear directly from big tech CEOs about how they intentionally designed their products to addict our kids.”

KGM alleges in court documents that on Instagram she was bullied and sextorted, which is when someone threatens to share explicit images of the victim unless they send money or more photos.

For two weeks, KGM’s friends and family had to ask other Instagram users to report the people targeting her before Meta would do something about it, court documents said.

“Defendants’ knowing and deliberate product design, marketing, distribution, programming and operational decision and conduct caused serious emotional and mental harms to K.G.M. and her family,” the suit said. “Those harms include, but are not limited to, dangerous dependency on their products, anxiety, depression, self-harm, and body dysmorphia.”

Tech companies and their CEOs reject the allegation that social media harms teens’ mental health. They argue that it offers a connection with friends and entertainment. They also lean on Section 230, a federal law that protects them from liability over content posted by users.