Culture & Society
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Social Media Faces Scrutiny as Trials, Regulations Loom

Discord will soon require users worldwide to verify their age with a face scan or ID to access adult content, while Meta faces scrutiny from the EU and in US courts over its practices. The online chat service, which boasts over 200 million monthly users, announced the new safety measures in early March, according to BBC Technology.

The move aims to place all users into a "teen-appropriate experience" by default, the BBC reported. Discord already implements age verification in the UK and Australia to comply with online safety laws.

Meanwhile, the European Union has accused Meta of breaching its rules by blocking rival AI chatbots from WhatsApp. The EU told Meta it must make "urgent" changes, according to BBC Technology. The tech giant had changed the popular messaging app on January 15, allowing only its AI assistant, Meta AI, to access it. The European Commission argued that WhatsApp was an "important entry point" for AI chatbots like ChatGPT to reach people, claiming Meta was abusing its dominant position. A Meta spokesperson told the BBC the EU had "no reason" to intervene, claiming it had "incorrectly" assumed WhatsApp Business was a key way that people use chatbots.

In the United States, landmark cases examining the mental health effects of social media on children began this week. According to Al Jazeera, the cases against social media companies come amid a wave of 40 lawsuits brought against Meta. Opening arguments began in a case brought by New Mexico's attorney general's office, which alleges that Meta failed to protect children from sexually explicit material.

A trial also began in California, where the world's largest social media companies have been accused of creating "addiction machines," as reported by BBC Business. Mark Lanier, representing the plaintiff "K.G.M.," argued that his client suffered from mental health issues as a result of social media addiction. "These companies built machines designed to addict the brains of children, and they did it on purpose," Lanier said. Lawyers for Meta and YouTube countered that K.G.M.'s addiction stemmed from other issues.

In other news, scientists have reconstructed the face of a decapitated skull discovered in Croatia, believed to be a "vampire," according to Sky News. The body was exhumed, beheaded, and reburied face down.

AI-Assisted Journalism

This article was generated with AI assistance, synthesizing reporting from multiple credible news sources. Our editorial team reviews AI-generated content for accuracy.

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