A US court has ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million to a woman who alleged she was raped by a driver, a ruling that could impact thousands of similar cases. The decision, handed down in Arizona after a two-day jury deliberation, found Uber responsible for the driver's actions, according to BBC Technology reports. The company has stated its intention to appeal the verdict.
The plaintiff, Jaylynn Dean, claimed she was sexually assaulted while using the ride-sharing service. The jury rejected additional claims in the lawsuit, including allegations of negligence and defective safety systems. This case, as reported by BBC Technology, may influence the outcomes of numerous other lawsuits against Uber.
In other news, the EU has instructed TikTok to modify its "addictive design" or face substantial fines, following an investigation into the video-sharing platform. The European Commission's preliminary findings, as detailed by BBC Technology, indicated that TikTok did not adequately assess how features like autoplay could harm users, particularly children, and failed to implement measures to mitigate these risks. A TikTok spokesperson, according to BBC Technology, refuted the findings, calling them a "categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform" and stated the company's intention to challenge the decision.
Meanwhile, the price of Bitcoin fell to its lowest level in 16 months, despite public support for cryptocurrency from former US President Donald Trump. A single Bitcoin dropped to $60,000 before slightly recovering, according to BBC Technology. The decline followed months of rising prices, which saw the cryptocurrency reach an all-time high in October 2025. Joshua Chu, co-chair of the Hong Kong Web3 Association, told Reuters that investors who had "bet too big, borrowed too much or assumed prices only go up are now finding out the hard way what real market volatility and risk management look like."
In a separate development, voluntary student loan repayments are increasing in England. Luke England, a recent graduate and new father, is making extra payments to clear his student debt faster, as reported by BBC Business. "There's a hundred other things that I could put that money to," Luke said. "By deciding to add voluntary payments, I can look to clear the debt within six years."
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