META(aka Facebook, WHatsApp, INstagram) was sued in Federal court yesterday by 33 states' Attorneys General, alleging in the 230 page complaint, that META and its policies were harming minor children. The District of Columbia also files suit there and was joined by 8 more states.
Mark Zuckerberg will have lots to talk about this morning while sipping his coffee drink of choice(espresso? Decaf? Latte/half caff?). Seems that internal policies acknowledge that META focused on children as a market niche ripe for corporate exploitation. The lawsuit contends also that the actions were harmful and were not obvious to under age children who were drawn into extended use(the 'rabbit ' hole). Of course, they could then be flooded with paid advertising, the mothers milk of tech companies.
Other social media platforms, eg. TikTok,etc. will also be scrutinized using the same analyses. Adults who use the social media vehicle understand most of the methods used by tech to entrap and manipulate users. Children do not. The lawsuit also asks the court(s) to compensate the states over the harm caused by members of the class.
In Europe, many of the EU countries have already focused their attention on big tech and its minions there. The EU is directing much of its efforts to protect the members from harm caused by monopolistic practices generally by blocking competition across the many platforms.
As an aside, the city of San Francisco, cancelled the operating permit for Cruise self driving vehicles after one of their vehicles ran over a pedestrian who had already been injured by another vehicle! Hmmm. Not ready for prime time in SF.
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