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☆ EU elections: How Russian trolls are meddling in the world’s second-biggest democratic vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

There is a focus on fake stories to influence attitudes on subjects like the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. But for the past year, the climate crisis has been the second-most targeted subject, according to the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO). Official statistics, however, tell a different story: In 2022, renewables accounted for 23% of the energy consumed in the EU. The EU is considered a global leader in tackling planet-heating pollution, but climate disinformation could undermine the bloc’s ambitious goal to reduce carbon emissions by 90% by 2040, compared with 1990 levels. Its community standards policy in the past had only targeted video, but in April, it was expanded to include audio.

Persons: Morgan Wright, “, streetlights, Paula Gori, ”, Gori, EU DisinfoLab, Wright, Gaizka Iroz, they’ve, “ They’ve, ” Gori, Pallavi Sethi, ’, —, Facebook —, ” Wright Organizations: CNN, European Union, EU, Guardian, Bild, European Digital Media, Facebook, Getty, West, Grantham Research, London School of Economics, stoke, Services, European, Meta Locations: European, Russia, United States, United Kingdom, American, Europe, Germany, Ukraine, Gaza, EU, Spain, France, Biriatou, AFP, Africa, Asia, industrializing, Gori, Italy, Croatia, Poland, England, Grantham, Prague, Russian, Slovakia, Moscow

☆ Google to invest $2 billion in Malaysia and build data center to capture rising AI demand
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Sheila Chiang | In Sheilachiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Google on Thursday said it will invest $2 billion in Malaysia, with part of the funds going toward building its first data center and cloud region in the country, as the demand for AI and cloud services rises. The Malaysia cloud region is the latest addition to Google's network of 40 regions and 121 zones in the world, the U.S. tech giant said. This comes after Microsoft said earlier this month it will invest $2.2 billion in Malaysia to advance new cloud and AI infrastructure. Tech giants like Google and Microsoft have pledged billions of dollars to Southeast Asia to capitalize on the rising demand for AI and cloud computing services. The AI boom has boosted demand for cloud computing services and data centers, as large amounts of data are required to train AI models and the cloud provides access to vast datasets.

Persons: Ruth Porat, Porat, Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Aziz Organizations: Google, Government, Microsoft, Tech, Industrial Locations: Malaysia, U.S, Indonesia, Thailand, Southeast Asia

☆ These innovative airline cabin concepts could be the future of flying
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Welcome to the future of aviation – at least according to the 2024 Crystal Cabin Awards. Courtesy QantasCaroline Oxley, who works for the Crystal Cabin Award Association, tells CNN Travel this year’s finalists share a “more democratic approach” to improving the passenger experience. This year’s winner of the “sustainable cabin category” was Diehl Aviation for their “ECO Sidewall” – a greener take on an airplane wall. The winners of this year’s Crystal Cabin AwardsWinner Cabin Concepts: Factorydesign, Coop. Qantas Airways Ltd “The Wellbeing Zone”Winner IFEC and Digital Services: Thales Avionics “FlytEdge”Winner Sustainable Cabin: Diehl Aviation “ECO Sidewall”University winners: Tongji University, Coop.

Persons: whittling, Diehl, Qantas Caroline Oxley, Oxley, AirPRO, DesignBüro Stühmer, Scholz, intriguingly, Crystal, BermudAir, theCUBE, Dupont “ Organizations: CNN, Germany CNN, Aircraft, Diehl Aviation, Qantas, Accenture, Schroth Safety, ”, Tongji University, University of Sao, Embraer, Sao Paolo, University of Virginia Tech, Boeing, Collins Aerospace, Wheelchair, Safety, Coop, Qantas Airways Ltd, Digital Services, Thales Avionics “ FlytEdge, Aviation, Sidewall ” University Locations: Hamburg, Germany, Sydney, London, New York, Shanghai, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Coop

☆ A new Netflix docuseries unravels what it calls a ‘cult’ for TikTok dancers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Jacqui Palumbo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Over two years ago, a 40-minute-long public plea made on Instagram Live rippled across social media. Melanie and Miranda had performed together as the Wilking Sisters, but the family said Derrick had disappeared from their lives. Until then, it’s unlikely that Derrick’s millions of followers would have noticed anything amiss, based on her social media accounts. Melanie Wilking and Miranda Derrick (formerly Wilking) built up a following together on social media platforms including YouTube and TikTok as the Wilking Sisters. They have maintained through social media posts that Miranda's issues with her family are a personal dispute.

Persons: Melanie Wilking, Miranda —, Miranda Derrick —, Melanie, Miranda, Derrick, James Derrick, Ellen DeGeneres, Miranda Derrick, James " BDash, Robert Shinn —, Kevin “ Konkrete ” Davis, BDash, Aubrey Fisher, Kylie Douglas, Davis, Fisher, Douglas, Instagram, Shinn, —, Isaiah Shinn, ”, Hannah, “, Derek Doneen, we’d, Priscylla Lee, Priscylla, Leigh, Melanie Lee, Jessica Acevedo, — Priscylla, Lee, ” BDash, it’s, Robert, Hannah Shinn, James, Matt Winkelmeyer, ” Shinn “, ” Doneen, you’re, God ”, Amy Carlson, Max, God, LHW, Jane Schoenbrun, Caleb Organizations: CNN, YouTube, Netflix, 7M Films, 7M, Internet, Shekinah Church, The Recording, Warner Bros ., Blair, The New York Times Locations: Los Angeles, TikTok, Shekinah, Korean

☆ Meta’s Facebook and Instagram probed over fears they may be too addictive for children
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —The European Union is worried that Meta is failing to protect children on its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, and has launched a formal investigation that could result in a hefty fine. The probe is the latest evidence that regulators are increasingly focussing on the harmful impact of Meta’s platforms — and other social media — on young users, including by encouraging addictive behavior. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, will consider whether Meta (META) has complied with its obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the bloc’s sweeping new law for online platforms. The legislation requires online platforms to put in place measures to protect children, including by preventing them from accessing inappropriate content and ensuring a high level of privacy and safety. The European Commission is concerned that Facebook’s and Instagram’s online interfaces “may exploit the weaknesses and inexperience of minors and cause addictive behavior,” it said in a statement Thursday.

Persons: Meta, Thierry Breton, ” Meta Organizations: London CNN, Facebook, European Commission, Digital Services, European, Meta, CNN, New Locations: New Mexico, Gaza

☆ E.U. Investigates Meta Over Addictive Social Media Effects on Children
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Adam Satariano | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

regulators could ultimately fine Meta up to 6 percent of its global revenue, which was $135 billion last year, as well force other product changes. The investigations are part of a growing effort by governments around the world to rein in services like Instagram and TikTok to protect minors. Meta has for years faced criticism that its products and recommendation algorithms are fine-tuned to hook children. In October, three dozen states in the United States sued Meta for using “psychologically manipulative product features” to lure children, in violation of consumer protection laws. People younger than 13 are not supposed to able to sign up for an account, but E.U.

Persons: Meta Organizations: Facebook, European Commission, United, Meta, Digital Services Locations: United States

☆ Want to see Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ without breaking the bank? Try Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Planning a summer vacation in Europe usually requires an exorbitant amount of cash, but when Taylor Swift is involved, it actually might be a deal. For example, secondary market ticket prices for Swift’s show in Stockholm, Sweden, this Saturday are as cheap as $300 for standing room-only and seats in the nosebleed sections. Compare that to Swift’s show in Miami in October where seats are selling for about $2,000 to as much as $8,500 on StubHub. Julien De Rosa/AFP/Getty ImagesAlthough Europe’s laws on ticket resale vary country by country, a number of them, including Ireland and Portugal, ban ticket sellers from making a profit on the secondary market. For Swifties looking to jump over the pond for their London Boy, Shemtob recommends using ticket sellers such as Ticketmaster, AEG, Eventim or Twickets.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Swift, Sam Shemtob, Julien De Rosa, reselling, Shemtob, it’s, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Union, Alliance, CNN, Friends Arena, Swedish men’s national football team, Sweden isn’t, Getty, EU, Digital Services, European Court, Justice, ”, London, Ticketmaster, AEG Locations: New York, Europe, Stockholm, Sweden, Swedish, Miami, New Orleans, Indianapolis, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Paris, AFP, Ireland, France, EU

☆ How to integrate OT and IT for maximum business value
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Sponsor Post | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

By Ganesh Bukka, Vice President & Global Head, Industry 4.0, Hitachi Digital ServicesData is supposed to unlock operational efficiency and productivity. OT and IT integration can enable business agility, optimize operations, help businesses hone their competitive edge, and inform decision-making so they can quickly seize emerging business opportunities. Data integration supports intelligent decision-making, which in turn supports business continuityThe real-world perspective is essential because this is not a theoretical discussion. Realize OT and IT integration with an industry-experienced partnerAchieving that level of performance requires the intelligent integration of OT and IT. Learn more about how Hitachi Digital Services partners with companies to integrate OT and IT and empower informed decision-making.

Persons: Ganesh Bukka Organizations: Global, Industry, Hitachi Digital Services, Hitachi, Insider Studios

☆ EU seeks information from X on content moderation amid first major probe under new tech rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The European Union is seeking information from social media platform X about cuts to its content moderation resources as part of its first major investigation into the company under its tough new laws governing online content. X reduced linguistic coverage within the EU from 11 languages to seven, the Commission said, again citing X's transparency report. X, which was formerly known as Twitter, was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC. X must provide information requested by the EU on its content moderation resources and generative AI requested by May 17, the Commission said. Remaining answers to questions from the Commission must be provided no later than May 27, the agency said.

Persons: it's Organizations: European, European Commission, Digital Services, Twitter, CNBC, EU Locations: EU

☆ Meta hit with major EU probe into disinformation handling ahead of European elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 31, 2024 in Washington, DC. Meta on Tuesday was hit by the European Commission — the executive body of the European Union — with a major investigation into its compliance with the EU's strict internet content rules. The Commission said it is investigating Meta over concerns the company hasn't done enough to ensure effective combatting of disinformation ahead of upcoming European Parliament elections. The European Parliament elections are due to take place on June 6-9. "We look forward to continuing our cooperation with the European Commission and providing them with further details of this work."

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Meta Organizations: Dirksen, Meta, European Commission, European, DSA, Services, EU, Facebook, CNBC Locations: Washington ,

☆ EU investigates Meta over fears of election interference and foreign disinformation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Officials said the investigation highlights apparent violations of Europe’s signature law governing online platforms, the Digital Services Act. They added that Meta’s tools for users to report illegal content don’t appear to align with the DSA’s requirements, either. The investigation comes after Meta submitted required materials to the European Commission last fall outlining how it manages perceived risks linked to its products. Without it, the European Commission said, users and researchers will have less visibility into what is happening on Meta services and could have a harder time detecting foreign election interference. “We look forward to continuing our cooperation with the European Commission and providing them with further details of this work.”

Persons: Meta, CrowdTangle, “, ” Organizations: CNN — European Union, European Commission, Officials, Digital Services, European, Facebook

☆ TikTok suspends TikTok Lite rewards program in the EU amid regulatory scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —TikTok said Wednesday it would suspend a controversial program in the European Union that has prompted growing alarm among EU regulators. The program at issue appears within TikTok Lite, a less data-intensive version of TikTok’s main app, and which contains a feature that rewards users with cash for engaging with TikTok content and app features. “TikTok always seeks to engage constructively with the EU Commission and other regulators,” TikTok said in a post on X. “We are therefore voluntarily suspending the rewards functions in TikTok Lite while we address the concerns that they have raised.”The EU warnings to TikTok reflected an exercise of new oversight powers granted by the Digital Services Act, the trading bloc’s recently enacted law governing online platforms. TikTok also faces further, additional fines of up to 6% of its global annual revenue if the TikTok Lite feature is determined to be in violation of the DSA.

Persons: Washington CNN — TikTok, TikTok, “, “ TikTok, ” TikTok, Joe Biden Organizations: Washington CNN, European Union, European Commission, EU Commission, Digital Services, TikTok, Commission, DSA, Wednesday Locations: European, Europe, United States, Israel, Ukraine

☆ How Hitachi Digital Services is helping companies adopt AI models responsibly to meet their operational and financial goals
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Sponsor Post | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

To assess the value of investments in generative AI models, companies must first develop their knowledge of the tools' potential for financial impact. We then help pair each use case with the right AI strategy, including the applicability of generative AI. To further support optimal financial operations for your company, your generative AI models must be trained to encompass operational and information technology priorities and perspectives. Learn more about how Hitachi Digital Services uses AI to empower informed decision-making. This post was created by Hitachi Digital Services with Insider Studios.

Persons: Premkumar Balasubramanian, observability, HARC Organizations: Hitachi Digital Services, Hitachi, Insider Studios

☆ A new version of TikTok that rewards you with Amazon vouchers and gift cards for watching videos is facing a crackdown in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewDigital regulators in Europe are clamping down on a new feature by TikTok that rewards users for consuming videos and interacting with creators, citing addiction concerns among children. The European Commission said on Monday that it had opened formal proceedings against TikTok Lite, a spinoff version of the TikTok app that uses less mobile data and launched in Spain and France in March. Users can earn such points on the Lite app by watching videos for up to 85 minutes daily. "We suspect TikTok 'Lite' could be as toxic and addictive as cigarettes 'light,'" said Thierry Breton, commissioner for the internal market in the EU. "The TikTok Lite rewards hub is not available to under 18s, and there is a daily limit on video watch tasks," the spokesperson said.

Persons: —, TikTok, Thierry Breton, Tiktok, TikTok didn't, Breton, it's Organizations: Service, European, Business, AFP, Digital Services Locations: Europe, Spain, France, EU

☆ EU threatens to suspend TikTok Lite’s money-for-views program over addiction fears
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This photograph taken on April 11, 2024, in Paris, shows the logo of the Chinese social network application TikTok Lite displayed in Apple's App Store. Users aged 18 or older can "collect points by discovering new content or completing certain actions," the social network said. The European Union on Monday opened proceedings against ByteDance's TikTok and threatened to suspend its newly launched TikTok Lite rewards program, where users can earn points for liking content or inviting friends to the app. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said TikTok had 24 hours to provide a risk assessment report for TikTok Lite or face fines. Children are thought to be at risk given the suspected absence of effective age verification mechanisms on TikTok, the EU said.

Persons: ByteDance's TikTok, TikTok, Margrethe Vestager Organizations: European Union, European Commission, TikTok, CNBC, EU, Digital Services Locations: Paris, France, Spain, EU

☆ TikTok could face EU fines and a suspension over sister app TikTok Lite
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —European officials are threatening TikTok with massive fines and a possible forced suspension this week of parts of a new spinoff app, launched this month, that regulators allege contains addictive features. The warnings target TikTok Lite, a less data-intensive version of TikTok’s main app which contains a feature that rewards users with cash for engaging with TikTok content and app features. EU officials fear the feature could be used to turn TikTok Lite users into addicts who can’t stop using the app and described it as an “experiment” on unwitting EU citizens in Spain and France where TikTok Lite has been made available. A decision to order the suspension could come as early as Thursday, commission officials told reporters on a conference call. TikTok could face further, additional fines of up to 6% of its global annual revenue if the TikTok Lite features the Commission is investigating are determined to be violations of the DSA.

Persons: ”, TikTok didn’t, TikTok, we’ve Organizations: CNN, European Union, EU, Digital Services, DSA, European Commission, Lite, Commission, TikTok Locations: Spain, France, European, United States, Israel, Ukraine, TikTok

☆ Colorado Bill Aims to Protect Consumer Brain Data
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Jonathan Moens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

With the advent of consumer neurotechnologies, the data being collected is becoming ever more intimate. One headband serves as a personal meditation coach by monitoring the user’s brain activity. Another reads and interprets brain signals while the user scrolls through dating apps, presumably to provide better matches. The companies behind such technologies have access to the records of the users’ brain activity — the electrical signals underlying our thoughts, feelings and intentions. On Wednesday, Governor Jared Polis of Colorado signed a bill that, for the first time in the United States, tries to ensure that such data remains truly private.

Persons: Jared Polis Organizations: Colorado, Colorado House Locations: United States, Colorado

☆ Ad transparency tools are 'major disappointment' ahead of election, new study shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

That's according to research out Tuesday from Mozilla and CheckFirst, which concludes that leading tech platforms are lagging in their ad transparency tools. None of the results were great, and some were "a major disappointment," according to the researchers. "This is now no longer something that's voluntary," Claire Pershan, EU advocacy lead at Mozilla, told CNBC. It's troubling news as the major platforms prepare for a huge year of elections that affect upward of 4 billion people in more than 40 countries. Lesplingart told CNBC that users had to know the advertiser name, targeted country and date of the advertisement in order to export to an ad file.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, Microsoft's Bing, Claire Pershan, Amaury Lesplingart, CheckFirst, Josh Becker, Lesplingart, Bing, Alibaba's, Zalando, Booking.com, TikTok, it's, we'd Organizations: Inc, Government, Society, Mozilla, Google, LinkedIn, Union's Digital Services, CNBC, Democratic, X, European Commission, DSA, Meta, YouTube Locations: Stanford , California, U.S, Meta, California

☆ Digital Markets Act: Apple, Google and Meta at risk of ‘heavy’ fines as Europe launches new probes
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Olesya Dmitracova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —The European Union has launched investigations into Apple, Google and Facebook parent Meta on suspicion that they are failing to comply with a new landmark European law designed to promote competition in digital services. The European Commission said it “suspects” that various practices by all three companies “fall short of effective compliance” with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which went into effect earlier this month. If the probes find a “lack of full compliance,” they could face “heavy fines,” said European Commissioner Thierry Breton. The practices the European Commission is investigating include what it calls Meta’s “pay or consent” approach. Last October, Meta (META) launched a subscription service, called “Subscription for no ads,” allowing European users of Facebook and Instagram to pay up to €12.99 ($14) a month for ad-free versions.

Persons: “, ”, Thierry Breton, Elon Musk’s, Meta’s, Meta’s ‘ Organizations: London CNN, European Union, Apple, Google, European Commission, Digital Markets, Microsoft, Commission, Meta, Facebook, CNN

☆ EU opens probe into Alibaba's AliExpress over illegal content, pornography on platform
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of the Alibaba office building is seen in the Huangpu District in Shanghai, June 16, 2023. The Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, opened the probe into AliExpress under its landmark Digital Services Act, which came into effect this month. The European Commission on Thursday said it opened a formal investigation into AliExpress, an international e-commerce website run by Chinese tech giant Alibaba , over concerns surrounding the dissemination of illegal content. Other areas of the probe include how AliExpress recommends products to users and whether the e-commerce site complies with a rule that allows a searchable repository of ads that are provided on the platform. This is the third formal probe under the DSA, following those opened into TikTok and social media platform X.

Persons: AliExpress Organizations: European Union, Digital Services, European, DSA Locations: Huangpu District, Shanghai

☆ Europe investigates Big Tech’s use of generative AI
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Regulators at the European Commission say they’re particularly concerned about how generative AI could sow chaos in the run-up to this summer’s EU parliamentary elections. Online platforms will have until April 5 to respond to questions about steps they’ve taken to prevent AI tools from spreading election misinformation. The companies’ responses could be incorporated into a series of election security guidelines for tech platforms the European Commission plans to finalize by March 27, another commission official said. The AI investigation also covers a broader set of topics including how platforms are addressing generative AI’s impact on user privacy, intellectual property, civil rights and children’s safety and mental health. “One of the grievances we have is the ability to manipulate the service through automated means and this can include generative AI, so yes, there’s a link to the ongoing investigation,” one of the commission officials said.

Persons: “, ”, Linda Yaccarino, Thierry Breton Organizations: CNN, European Union, Meta, Microsoft, Commission, Digital Services, Elon Locations: Israel, EU

So we have to talk about the drama that has been playing out in the past week between OpenAI and Elon Musk. According to OpenAI, Elon Musk wanted majority, equity, initial board control, and to be CEO of this new for-profit subsidiary. It’s basically —casey newtonIt’s like, I’m going to find a way to follow your rule, but in the worst way possible. Like, working was one I thought that, oh, I’m going to work in this all the time. kevin roose[LAUGHS]: Well, I thought, like, I’m going to take some spatial videos.

Persons: casey newton Casey, kevin roose, casey newton, Kevin, casey newton What’s, Kevin Roose, Casey Newton, OpenAI, Will, Joanna Stern, Casey, it’s, kevin roose I’m, Elon Musk, It’s, casey newton Let’s, Elon, he’s, I’ve, casey newton What’d, there’s, you’ve, we’re, GPT, Sam Altman’s, that’s, AGI, Annie “, Sam Altman, who’s, isn’t, “, we’ve, ” casey newton Go, He’s, Ilya Sutskever, Greg Brockman, Ilya, casey newton Yes, Tesla, casey newton Well, they’ll, casey newton Oh, kevin roose It’s, don’t, kevin roose Will, casey newton Right, casey newton Mhm, kevin roose They’re, Microsoft’s Bing, Microsoft Bing, Bing, Apple, Europe — casey newton, Charles Duhigg, John Gruber, they’ve, casey newton It’d, — casey newton, they’re, They’ve, you’ll, Apple’s, casey newton It’s, I’ll, casey newton Sure, GDPR, you’re, kevin roose Really, let’s, kevin roose Casey, kevin roose —, Jonah Stern, casey newton Wow, Joanna, Let’s, kevin roose Joanna Stern, joanna, casey newton Hi, kevin roose Long, joanna stern, —, kevin roose We’re, Kara Swisher, kevin roose Don’t, I’m, casey newton Don’t, casey newton That’s, Neil Patel, Um, kevin roose That’s, kevin roose Sure, casey newton Great, KEVIN, IV, wearables, Fitbits, kevin roose Oh, hadn’t, casey newton —, casey newton I’ve, Joe Rogan Organizations: The New York Times, Elon, Apple’s, OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Google’s, Facebook, Tesla, Big, European Union, Digital Services, Giants, Apple, Digital Markets, EU, Bloomberg, Digital, Spotify, General, Apple Vision Pro, Street, Apple Vision, Vision, New York Times, “, Housewives, Club, Ray, Tesla Chargers, Vision Pro, Apple Watch, Sony Locations: Los Angeles, Europe, what’s, Elon, OpenAI, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Reddit, American, America, California, Florida, United, Mars, The

☆ The EU opens formal probe into TikTok over online protection of children
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

“The opening of proceedings means that the (European) Commission will investigate TikTok’s functionalities, systems and policies related to certain suspected infringements. It does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation,” a spokesperson for the bloc’s executive arm said in a statement Monday. TikTok’s age verification tools, aimed at preventing children from accessing inappropriate content, “may not be reasonable, proportionate and effective,” the European Commission said in a press release Monday. TikTok has almost 136 million monthly active users in the EU, according to the European Commission. It is the second time in as many months that the commission has launched formal proceedings against a large social media company.

Persons: ”, China’s ByteDance, TikTok, “, X Organizations: London CNN, European Union, Digital Services, Commission, European Commission, CNN, Social, European Commission . Companies

☆ TikTok Is Subject of E.U. Inquiry Over ‘Addictive Design’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Liz Alderman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

European Union regulators on Monday opened an investigation into TikTok over potential breaches of online content rules aimed at protecting children, saying the popular social media platform’s “addictive design” risked exposing young people to harmful content. TikTok has been under the scrutiny of E.U. regulators for months. The company was fined roughly $370 million in September for having weak safeguards to protect the personal information of children using the platform. Policymakers in the United States have also been wrestling with how to regulate the platform for harmful content and data privacy — concerns amplified by TikTok’s links to China.

Persons: TikTok Organizations: Digital Services, European Commission Locations: United States, China

LONDON (AP) — The European Union said Monday it is investigating whether TikTok has broken the bloc's strict new digital rules for cleaning up social media and keeping internet users safe. The European Commission, the EU's executive branch, said it has “opened formal proceedings to assess" whether TikTok has breached the Digital Services Act, which took effect last year. The commission is focusing on whether TikTok is doing enough to curb “systemic risks” stemming from its design, including "algorithmic systems" that might stimulate “behavioral addictions." The EU has deemed nearly two dozen of the biggest online and social media platforms including TikTok, as ones that deserve the highest level of scrutiny under the DSA and hefty fines if they fail to comply. The bloc is already investigating Elon Musk’s X, previously known as Twitter, for breaches including failure to curb the spread of illegal content.

Persons: TikTok, ” Thierry Breton, We’ll, Elon Musk’s Organizations: Union, European Commission, Digital Services, DSA, EU

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