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Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Claiming Amazon Sold ‘Suicide Kits’ to Teenagers
A U.S. judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) brought by the parents of two teenagers who committed suicide by consuming sodium nitrite they bought on the online retailer’s platform.
U.S. District Judge James Robart in Seattle on Tuesday rejected claims by the parents of Ethan McCarthy and Kristine Jónsson that Amazon was liable for negligence and violating Washington state product liability laws.
The parents sought unspecified damages from Amazon for letting an outside vendor sell sodium nitrite at 99.6% purity, which they labeled “suicide kits,” to their children, saying it was known the chemical would likely be used for suicide.
Carrie Goldberg, a lawyer for the parents, in a statement on Wednesday, called the decision a “setback” but “hardly the end of the road” for the case. “There are no household uses for sodium nitrite and no consumer, let alone children, could reasonably know how lethal it was,” she said. “In Washington State, it is against the law to aid in suicide and that’s exactly what Amazon did.”
Apple Warns the U.K.’s Online Safety Bill Threatens Citizens’ Privacy and Security
Apple has joined WhatsApp, Signal, and other messaging companies, by raising concerns that end-to-end encryption would be threatened if the United Kingdom passes the “Online Safety Bill.” The bill moved to Parliament for review, and if passed, it would give the Office of Communications (Ofcom) the technology and authority to scan messages for concerning content.
The U.K. originally proposed the “Online Safety Bill” to criminalize content on social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, that encouraged self-harm to users. However, after the initial stages of review, the bill’s parameters were broadened to focus on any and all illegal content as it relates to adult and child safety.
WhatsApp and other messaging sites accused the U.K. that the bill would effectively ban end-to-end encryption, and wrote an open letter in April, saying: “The bill provides no explicit protection for encryption.” It continues: “If implemented as written, could empower OFCOM [the Office of Communications] to try to force the proactive scanning of private messages on end-to-end encrypted communication services, nullifying the purpose of end-to-end encryption as a result and compromising the privacy of all users.”
WhatsApp has previously said it will not lower its security for any government, while Signal has said it refuses to eliminate end-to-end encryption and will stop providing services in the U.K. if the bill is passed. End-to-end encryption protects users from outside parties gaining access to the contents of their messages, but the U.K. government says the “Online Safety Bill” is necessary to expose and catch criminals.
AI Is the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ — and Will See $1 Trillion in Investment, Wedbush Analyst Dan Ives Says
Some investors have called the investor excitement over artificial intelligence a passing hype, but it’s not, according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives.
“I think this is the fourth industrial revolution playing out. This is something I call a 1995 moment, parallel with the internet. I do not believe that this is a hype cycle,” Ives said.
U.S. stocks, especially in the tech sector, have rallied this year as investors piled into companies exposed to AI, followed by the successful release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. While the S&P 500 has risen about 14% so far this year, the Nasdaq 100 has seen an impressive 36% surge since the start of January.
Per CNBC, Ives said the AI industry will see a trillion dollars of incremental spending over the next decade. “That could be conservative — that wasn’t here six months ago,” he said.
A Lawsuit by TikTok Users Challenging Montana’s Ban Is Being Funded by the Social Media Company Itself
A high-profile lawsuit brought by TikTok users and creators last month challenging Montana’s statewide ban against the short-form video app is being funded by the social media giant itself, the company told CNN on Wednesday.
TikTok has been covering legal fees for the group of five TikTok creators, said Jodi Seth, a TikTok spokesperson, separately from the company’s own lawsuit to block the state’s new law targeting the app over national security concerns.
TikTok’s involvement in the creators’ suit was first reported this week by The New York Times, weeks after the initial court case was filed. The company’s role in the litigation had not been previously known.
This Top Mobile Phone Spying App Says It Has Been Hacked, With Thousands of Users at Risk
LetMeSpy, an Android application with thousands of customers that lets users spy on other smartphones, has been compromised and sensitive user data stolen, the app’s manufacturer has confirmed.
“As a result of the attack, the criminals gained access to e-mail addresses, telephone numbers and the content of messages collected on accounts,” the announcement added.
The message horde collected by the hacker seems to be quite extensive. After reviewing sample data, TechCrunch noted at least 13,000 devices have had data taken, which includes “years of victims’ call logs and text messages”, dating back to 2013.
Also, more than 13,000 location data points, for thousands of victims, were stolen, as well. This data suggests most victims live in the US, India, and Western Africa. Furthermore, the app’s master database was taken too, which holds data on some 26,000 customers who used the app for free, as well as the email addresses of those who paid for the subscription.
EU Countries, Lawmakers Reach Data Rule Deal Targeting Big Tech
EU countries and EU lawmakers on Tuesday agreed on rules that govern how Big Tech and other companies use European consumer and corporate data, with safeguards against non-EU governments gaining illegal access.
The European Commission proposed the Data Act last year to cover data generated in smart gadgets, machinery and consumer products, part of a raft of legislation aimed at curbing the power of U.S. tech giants.
EU concerns about data transfers have grown following revelations by former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden in 2013 of mass U.S. surveillance.
The new legislation gives both individuals and businesses more control over their data generated through smart objects, machines and devices, allowing them to copy or transfer data easily from across different services. It also gives consumers and companies a say on what can be done with the data generated by their connected products.
The COVID Vaccine Mandate in English Care Homes Led to Fewer Staff — and May Not Have Reduced Resident Deaths
Mandatory COVID vaccination as a condition of employment has been a commonly used — though controversial — policy around the world during the pandemic.
Much of the debate on vaccine mandates has rightly focused on ethical issues. For some people, considerations such as the right to refuse healthcare and objections to the use of coercion mean vaccination as a condition of employment can never be justified, irrespective of how effective the policy might be.
In our new study, we sought to estimate the effects of the 2021 COVID vaccine mandate for staff in elderly care homes in England. We found that the mandate was successful in reducing the percentage of unvaccinated workers, but this came at the cost of a reduction in net staffing in the sector. We also didn’t find any evidence that the mandate reduced COVID deaths among residents.
