Breaking AI & Tech News Analyzed

The European Commission has initiated an investigation into Snapchat over concerns that the social messaging app is putting children at risk of grooming, sexual exploitation, and other criminal activities. This probe is part of the EU's efforts to enforce its Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to protect European society from a wide range of internet harms, including child safety provisions to combat cyberbullying, exposure to adult content, and illegal products.In a separate decision, the commission also accused four pornographic websites - Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX, and XVideos - of failing to prevent minors from accessing adult content, which could lead to mental health issues, negative gender attitudes, and increased tolerance of violent sexual behaviors.The investigations follow a landmark ruling in a Los Angeles court that found two social media companies, Meta and YouTube, had deliberately created addictive products that harmed a young user. The EU is now considering whether to follow Australia and ban social media for under-16s.Snapchat reports 94.7 million monthly users in the EU and is hugely popular among teenagers and young people. However, EU regulators believe the company is failing to ensure its age limit of 13 is respected, and users are not given adequate guidance on privacy and safety features.The commission's tech spokesperson, Thomas Regnier, described the situation as 'quite terrible' in EU member states, citing statistics on the prevalence of minors accessing pornographic websites. The companies may now examine the findings and mount a defense, before any final decision is taken. If the complaint is upheld, the four websites could be fined up to 6% of global annual turnover.

The House of Lords has backed an Australian-style social media ban for under-16s, with peers voting 266 to 141 against proposals for a public consultation.Conservative former minister Lord Nash said the vote sent an 'unambiguous message' to the government, emphasizing that 'hollow promises and half-measures are not enough.'The vote comes after a jury in Los Angeles found that Meta, the owner of Google and Facebook, designed deliberately addictive products that harmed a 20-year-old's mental health.Nash proposed the age limit as part of the children's wellbeing and schools bill, stating that 'techies' had taken a 'cavalier approach' to content damaging to children.The decision could influence thousands of similar lawsuits in the US accusing social media companies of deliberately causing harm.Lady Cass, a paediatrician and crossbench peer, criticized the government for 'failing to understand the impact of social media on our children.'

A landmark jury verdict has found Meta and YouTube liable for deliberately designing addictive products that harmed a young user, KGM. The jury ruled that the tech companies were both negligent and failed to provide adequate warnings about the potential dangers of their products.The plaintiff, KGM, testified that she became addicted to YouTube at age six and Instagram at nine, which she claimed had deleterious effects on her wellbeing. By age 10, she said she had become depressed and was engaging in self-harm as a result. Her social media use allegedly caused her to have strained relationships with her family and in school.The jury awarded KGM $6m in damages, with Meta to pay 70% and YouTube the remainder. This lawsuit, over social media's alleged harm to young people, was the first of its kind to go to trial.KGM's lawyers argued that the companies' features, such as infinite scrolling and video autoplay, were designed to keep people on the apps and made the products addictive. The plaintiffs' arguments mirrored those brought against big tobacco in the 1990s, focusing on the addictive qualities of social media and the companies' public denial despite knowledge of their products' harms.Meta and YouTube have consistently denied wrongdoing and plan to appeal the verdict. A YouTube spokesperson said the video service was a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site. Meta said KGM's mental health issues were brought on by a difficult home life and social media use was not to blame.This trial is the first in a consolidated group of cases brought in California against Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and Snap on behalf of more than 1,600 plaintiffs. The next bellwether case is scheduled to go to trial in July.

In a remarkable display of sportsmanship, Parma footballer Claudia Morelli deliberately missed a penalty that was wrongly awarded to her team. This unusual incident has garnered significant attention in the sports community.The event took place during a match, although specific details about the game and the wrongly awarded penalty have not been disclosed. Morelli's actions have been praised for upholding the integrity of the game, despite the opportunity to gain an unfair advantage.Such acts of sportsmanship are rare and often highlighted as examples of fair play and ethical behavior in sports. Morelli's decision to miss the penalty demonstrates her commitment to fair play and sets a positive example for athletes and fans alike.

The United Nations has recorded 143 deaths in an air strike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul, significantly lower than the figure offered by Afghanistan's Taliban government.The attack on Kabul's Omar Addiction Treatment Hospital on Monday night has sharpened a bitter dispute between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with the Taliban putting the casualties at more than 400 people killed and about 265 wounded.The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan provided its figure to the Reuters news agency on Wednesday. The gap between the two counts underscores the difficulty of verifying casualty figures in the conflict as competing claims frequently come from Kabul and Islamabad.Afghanistan's Taliban administration has blamed Pakistan for the attack on the drug rehabilitation centre, a 2,000-bed facility, and Pakistan has denied carrying out the strike. Hamdullah Fitrat, a deputy spokesman for the Taliban administration, said the strike hit the hospital, destroying large sections of the building and triggering fires that rescue teams worked through the night to contain.Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid accused Pakistan of deliberately hitting civilian infrastructure and called the assault a “crime against humanity”. Mujahid said those killed and wounded were patients undergoing addiction treatment at the time of the strike.Pakistan's information minister, Attaullah Tarar, denied the allegation, insisting his country “only targeted terrorist infrastructure and military locations”. The strike is the latest in a widening confrontation between the two neighbours, who have engaged in repeated cross-border clashes.At the heart of the dispute is a long-running Pakistani accusation that the Taliban government shelters the Pakistan Taliban, known as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, as well as outlawed Baloch separatist groups responsible for attacks on Pakistani soil. Kabul has consistently denied providing sanctuary to the groups.

In the final moments of January 29, 2024, five-year-old Hind Rajab’s desperate pleas for help were cut short as she remained trapped in a car surrounded by the bodies of six relatives. Despite obtaining clearance from the Israeli military, a Red Crescent ambulance dispatched to rescue the child was struck by tank fire, killing two paramedics and leaving the vehicle abandoned for over a week.Two years after the tragedy, the global campaign group Avaaz has released a report alleging that this incident was a deliberate 'double-tap' strike. This tactic, often used in warfare, involves a first attack followed by a second strike targeting civilians or emergency responders attempting to assist victims of the initial assault.The Avaaz analysis, shared exclusively with Al Jazeera, documents over 40 alleged human rights violations and argues that the attack contravenes international combat law, specifically the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute. The report suggests that the Israeli military possessed full situational awareness of the rescue mission but deliberately targeted the ambulance.Forensic evidence contradicts the Israeli military's initial claims that the family car was destroyed during an exchange of fire. Analysis by Forensic Architecture at Goldsmiths, University of London, found no evidence of combatants in the vicinity, only the presence of Israeli Merkava tanks. The report highlights that the ambulance was fired upon with 120mm tank rounds without warning, a finding supported by the Hind Rajab Foundation, which has identified 24 potential perpetrators.'I am absolutely convinced that this is another case of double tap,' said Sarah Andrew, legal director of Avaaz. 'The kind of weaponry used on the ambulance, the timing, and the fact that no warning was given – it immediately triggered a question in my mind.'The Avaaz brief urges the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the matter. The group notes that more than 1,500 healthcare workers have been killed during the ongoing conflict in Gaza, raising serious concerns about the safety of medical personnel in the region.

The Gaza conflict continues to escalate, with devastating consequences for civilians. Since October, 677 Palestinians have been killed and 1,800 injured in Israeli strikes across the territory. The attacks have averaged about 10 per day over the past five months, leaving a trail of destruction and despair.Abed Elrahman Hamdouna, a 31-year-old father of two and volunteer ambulance driver, was killed in a reported drone strike west of Gaza City. His death is a stark reminder of the ongoing risks faced by healthcare workers in the conflict zone. Hamdouna's family had been worried about him the most during the war, given his role in helping injured people.The Israeli military's actions in Gaza have been widely criticized, with UN experts accusing Israel of 'medicide' and deliberately targeting healthcare workers and facilities. The destruction of Gaza's healthcare system has had a catastrophic impact on the population, with over 1,500 healthcare workers killed in the war.The conflict has also had a profound impact on the mental health and well-being of those affected. Hamza Nabhan, a medical student, described the despair and hopelessness that has become a daily reality for many in Gaza. 'I think about how to wake up, charge my phone, fill my water container. I don’t think about tomorrow.'The international community has expressed concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, with Amnesty International accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians. The organization has called for an end to the violence and for those responsible to be held accountable.