Australian police defended their actions following violent clashes with protesters during a demonstration against a visit by the Israeli president in Sydney on Monday night, while in California, a trial began examining the mental health effects of Instagram and YouTube, with the platforms accused of creating "addiction machines." Additionally, the European Union has told Meta it breached its rules by blocking rival AI chatbots from WhatsApp.
According to BBC World, police in Sydney used pepper spray and were filmed charging and punching protesters during the rally. NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon stated that officers showed "remarkable restraint" and "did what they needed to do." The BBC reported that 27 people were arrested, with nine later charged, and 10 officers were assaulted. A state parliament MP was among those who said they were injured in the clashes.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, a trial began where the world's largest social media companies, Meta (owner of Instagram) and YouTube, are accused of creating "addiction machines," as reported by BBC Technology and BBC Business. Mark Lanier, representing the plaintiff "K.G.M.," argued that she suffered from mental health issues due to her 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.
Also, the EU has told Meta that it breached its rules by blocking rival AI firms' chatbots from WhatsApp, according to BBC Technology. The European Commission stated that WhatsApp was an "important entry point" for AI chatbots like ChatGPT to reach people and claimed Meta was abusing its dominant position by blocking them. Meta changed the messaging app on January 15th, and since then, only its AI assistant, Meta AI, can access it. A Meta spokesperson told the BBC the EU had "no reason" to intervene and claimed it had "incorrectly" assumed WhatsApp Business was a key way that people use chatbots. "We must protect effective competition in this vibrant fi," the spokesperson said.
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