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Zuckerberg Was Warned on Social Media Addiction, Filing Says
Employees at Meta Platforms Inc. and ByteDance Inc. were aware of the harmful effects of their platforms on young children and teenagers but disregarded the information or in some cases sought to undermine it, according to claims in a court filing.
The revelations were disclosed in a lawsuit over social media addiction that had been filed previously but with key portions sealed from public view. An unredacted version filed over the weekend in federal court in Oakland, California, offers details about how much engineers and others, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, knew about the harms of social media and their misgivings about it.
The case in Oakland comprises a collection of scores of complaints filed across the U.S. on behalf of adolescents and young adults who allege that Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Google’s YouTube caused them to suffer anxiety, depression, eating disorders and sleeplessness. More than a dozen suicides also have been blamed on the companies, based on claims that they knowingly designed algorithms that drew children down dangerous and addictive paths. Several public school districts have filed suits, too, alleging they can’t fulfill their educational mission while students are coping with mental-health crises.
“These never-before-seen documents show that social media companies treat the crisis in youth mental health as a public relations issue rather than an urgent societal problem brought on by their products,” according to a statement by the three plaintiffs’ lawyers leading the lawsuit, Lexi Hazam, Previn Warren and Chris Seeger. “This includes burying internal research documenting these harms, blocking safety measures because they decrease ‘engagement,’ and defunding teams focused on protecting youth mental health.”
U.S. Government Agencies May Have Been Double Billed for Projects in Wuhan, China, Records Indicate; Probe Launched
The U.S. government may have made duplicate payments for projects at labs in Wuhan, China, through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), according to records reviewed by CBS News.
“What I’ve found so far is evidence that points to double billing, potential theft of government funds. It is concerning, especially since it involves dangerous pathogens and risky research,” said Diane Cutler, a former federal investigator with over two decades of experience combating white-collar crime and healthcare fraud.
Cutler found evidence of possible double payments as she investigated U.S. government grants that supported high-risk research in China leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic. She was hired by Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, who took her records to USAID and the internal watchdog at USAID, which launched a new probe, details of which have not been previously reported.
Cutler said she has viewed over 50,000 documents, and that the U.S. government may have made duplicate payments for possible medical supplies, equipment, travel and salaries. Sources told CBS News that tens of millions of dollars could be involved.
Tech Investor David Sacks Predicts Next Stage of Silicon Valley Bank Crisis
Tech investor David Sacks has warned that regional banks will suffer from the ripple effects of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) as deposits will be moved to banks that are “too big to fail.”
Talking about the meltdown of the 40-year-old, California-headquartered bank on The Megyn Kelly Show, Sacks said: “It’s not about SVB anymore. It’s about the 20 banks and the cascade that comes next.”
Sacks claimed that JPMorgan Chase, the largest bank in the U.S. and currently the world’s largest bank by market capitalization, will benefit from the shake-up of the financial market which is likely to follow the meltdown of SVB. “Do you know where all these deposits are going from all these regional banks? They are flooding into the top four banks,” he said.
“If the Fed is not being clear that your deposits are safe, if you have any doubt about that, if there is a one percent chance that you might lose your money, why wouldn’t you go to a ‘too big to fail’ bank? This is the problem.”
Senators Unconcerned Over Economic Impact as They Move Toward TikTok Ban
As the Senate moves closer toward providing the Biden Administration with the power to ban Chinese-owned TikTok over national security concerns with the wildly popular visual social media app, an effort first initiated in the twilight of Donald Trump‘s presidency, there seems to be little concern in the upper chamber over the impact such a ban could have on U.S. commerce.
TikTok boasts more than 100 million American users — nearly one-third of the total population. And with this popularity, it has emerged as a prominent fixture within the American economy. According to a May 2021 Adweek-Morning Consult survey, 49% of TikTok users said they have purchased a product or service after seeing it promoted, advertised or reviewed on the app.
Newsweek asked members of the 12-person bipartisan group drafting the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act how they’re weighing the economic considerations of users who do business on TikTok as they move forward with the bill.
“Remove the platform, and other platforms will step up to the plate,” Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a member of the working group, told Newsweek. “We have to have American control.” Manchin’s opinion on the matter mirrored that of other lawmakers: National security concerns posed by TikTok outweigh its role in the U.S. economy, and other American social media platforms should have the ability to fill a TikTok void.
Michigan Governor Admits COVID Lockdowns Went Too Far
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) admitted on Sunday that her administration’s pandemic-era lockdown policies went too far, such as her April 2020 executive order barring most stores from selling gardening supplies, including seeds and plants, to Americans who wanted to grow their own fruits and vegetables.
“People said ‘oh, she’s outlawed seeds.’ It was February in Michigan, no one was planting anyway,” she continued (except it was in April). “But that being said, some of those policies I look back and think, you know, maybe that was a little more than what we needed to do.”
Whitmer’s office even published a list of prohibited items deemed “not necessary to sustain or protect life,” which couldn’t be sold during the height of the pandemic, and which required that businesses physically restrict customers from certain areas of stores, or remove nonessential items — including gardening items, flooring materials, furniture and paint.
Whitmer’s order even banned travel from one residence to another, including vacation properties, rental properties, or second homes within the state.
Law Group Alleges Stanford Fired Doctor for Criticizing COVID Policies: ‘Engaged in Employment Discrimination’
In Santa Clara, California, the Dhillon Law Group on Thursday filed a complaint against Stanford Health Care alleging that a doctor’s resignation was forced due to criticizing COVID-19 policies such as school closures, mask mandates and vaccine mandates.
Dhillon Law Group said further that Dr. Ram Duriseti made the decision not to get a COVID booster shot based on his analysis of the vaccine trial data, prior infection and pre-existing medical conditions.
The law group also claims that Stanford Health Care overlooked Dr. Duriseti’s non-compliance with its booster requirement, allowing him to continue to work in the pediatric emergency room.
Dhillon Law Group said that Stanford Health Care terminated Dr. Duriseti’s employment by “unilaterally converting his status to voluntary resignation” based on a “late and selective” enforcement of its booster mandate.
Here Are the Stadiums That Are Keeping Track of Your Face
In recent months, Madison Square Garden earned headlines for using facial recognition technology to ban or kick out people with tickets to their events. A Long Island attorney was removed from a Knicks game in December after getting flagged by the software. In January, a loyal Rangers fan was barred from watching his beloved team.
The use of facial recognition technology at sports stadiums goes far beyond MSG. I’ve tracked at least 20 other venues and stadiums across the country — including college sports venues — that have used this technology on their attendees, usually to admit them through the gates, although it’s unclear just how broadly this technology can be used by venues if they are inclined.
There are almost certainly many more, according to experts who say the lack of transparency about the use of technology has obscured its spread. It represents an extension of the surveillance network in private spaces that helps to amplify the power of law enforcement.
Privacy experts are also worried about the way data can be shared with law enforcement and the expanding surveillance network it creates. “It’s harder [for law enforcement] to set up in private locations, but the companies are kind of doing it for them,” said Katie Kinsey, chief of staff of the Policing Project at NYU Law. “Oftentimes, law enforcement only needs to ask these companies to hand it over; there’s no process that is required.”
It’s Been 3 Years Since COVID Lockdowns. But We Still Haven’t Learned From These 3 Mistakes
As the COVID pandemic reaches the three-year mark, and the public perception of a pandemic mindset finally fades, it is high time to review the mistakes that were made. We can find a pattern to learn from, especially as it applies to the government’s reaction. Themes that unfortunately characterize the response are dogma, dictum, mandate, censorship and so-called misinformation, as well as insensitivity to the collateral damage of interventions.
I have had unfettered access to Dr. Robert Redfield, former CDC director and one of the top virologists in the U.S. throughout the pandemic via multiple interviews and conversations. Redfield was curious about the possibility of a lab origin of SARS-CoV-2 from the beginning.
I wrote about the limited effectiveness of masks for the Wall Street Journal back in May 2020. Even in the OR, where they are used routinely, the proof is scant. But as the pandemic wore on, studies from Mass General Hospital, Bangladesh, and elsewhere, did show some effectiveness of masks in population control of viral spread. The Department of Defense used a simulation study to show they decreased spread on planes. But there were limitations.
As I wrote in USA Today in January 2021, the U.S. was an outlier when it came to not counting immunity from infection as a form of protection. In fact, Israel and the European Union allowed proof of infection (as well as vaccination) as a pass for entry to crowded places for six months afterward.
The Possibility of the Digital Euro
We have seen the emergence of cryptocurrencies from private actors and the concept of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) take hold globally. In this context, we need to consider how best to ensure our common currency — the euro — can keep pace with these developments and continue to meet the needs of our citizens and businesses. Hence, the possibility of the digital euro.
For many observers, the central question is: What makes a digital euro any different, or better, than the many innovative digital solutions already available? And the answer to this lies in “central bank money” — or “fiat currency.”
So, at the heart of the digital euro project is the objective to maintain the link between citizens and central bank money. For as a CBDC, the digital euro would be central bank money, convertible, one-to-one, with euro banknotes.
This conversation around a digital euro, which began in earnest when the ECB launched its investigation in 2021, has quickly moved from being a possibility to a probability. And while a final decision on whether to launch won’t be made for several years, it’s increasingly looking like a case of not if but when.
China to Reopen to Tourists, Resume All Visas Wednesday
China will reopen its borders to tourists and resume issuing all visas Wednesday as it tries to revive tourism and its economy following a three-year halt during the COVID-19 pandemic.
China is one of the last major countries to reopen its borders to tourists. The announcement Tuesday came after it declared a “decisive victory” over COVID-19 in February.
All types of visas will resume from Wednesday. Visa-free entry also will resume at destinations such as Hainan island as well as for cruise ships entering Shanghai that had no visa requirement before COVID-19.
Google Is About to Unleash AI for Gmail and Google Docs
Google announced it’s finally unleashing its generative AI tools Tuesday, bringing a set of features to Gmail and Google Docs that will automatically create drafts based on simple prompts. Google will also add new AI capabilities to its business products, including Google Cloud and a new API for developers
There’s no question AI is going to change the world, the only question is how much. Google CEO Sundar Pichai once offered a preview of his thinking. “AI is one of the most important things humanity is working on,” Pichai said in 2018. “It is more profound than, I dunno, electricity or fire.”
The heads of giant tech companies often make big, meaningless statements, but Pichai isn’t one of them. Where Tim Cook might tell you a shiny new iPad screen is going to change the world, Google’s CEO tends to be pretty reserved.
Pichai has been less hyperbolic as his company’s AI work shifts in the direction of actual products, but as Google focuses on technology that its leader compares to the invention of fire, it’s worth pausing to consider what that actually means. That’s especially true when Google is in a better position than any other company to introduce AI on a massive scale.
