The European Commission accused TikTok of designing its app to be addictive, while Spotify rolled out a new feature allowing users to explore the stories behind songs, and Amazon's Alexa app redesign drew criticism, leading some users to switch to Siri. These developments highlight the evolving landscape of digital platforms and their impact on user experience, as reported by TechCrunch and The Verge.
The European Commission's preliminary findings, announced Friday, indicated that TikTok did not adequately assess how its design decisions could harm users, particularly minors and vulnerable adults. The Commission cited features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and push notifications, as well as its recommendation engine, as contributing factors. According to TechCrunch, the EU's executive arm noted that the company disregarded indicators of compulsive use, such as the time users spend on the app at night and how often they open it.
Meanwhile, Spotify introduced its "About the Song" feature, allowing users to access short stories behind the music they are listening to. The feature, currently in beta on mobile for premium users in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, displays swipeable story cards summarized from third-party sources. This feature is not available on rival platforms like Apple Music, according to TechCrunch.
In other tech news, Amazon's recent redesign of its Alexa app has been met with user dissatisfaction. The Verge reported that the overhaul made the shopping list feature difficult to use, prompting some users to switch to Apple's Reminders app. Senior reviewer Jennifer Pattison Tuohy noted that the new UI made it harder to add to and use the list.
Spotify also announced changes to its Developer Mode API. The changes, aimed at curbing risky AI-aided or automated usage, now require a premium account, limit the number of test users to five per app, and restrict the number of API endpoints. TechCrunch reported that Spotify debuted Developer Mode in 2021 to allow developers to test their applications with up to 25 users.
Finally, OpenAI's decision to retire older ChatGPT models, including GPT-4o, sparked backlash from users. According to TechCrunch, for some users, the retirement felt like losing a friend or emotional support system. One user wrote on Reddit, "He wasn't just a program. He was part of my routine, my peace, my emotional balance." This situation underscores the potential for AI features to create dependencies.
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