The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent a letter to Apple, raising concerns about potential political bias in its news curation app, while the UK's markets regulator announced changes to Apple and Google's app stores. These developments come as the US House of Representatives voted to overturn tariffs imposed by Donald Trump on Canadian goods, and a report highlighted children's exposure to weight loss drug advertisements online.
The FTC's letter, addressed to Apple CEO Tim Cook, warned that Apple News could be in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices, according to Fox News. The specific nature of the alleged political bias was not detailed in the available sources.
Meanwhile, in the UK, Apple and Google agreed to make changes to their app stores following an intervention by the UK markets regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The tech giants committed to not giving preferential treatment to their own apps and will be transparent about how others are approved for sale, according to BBC Technology. The CMA had previously stated that Apple and Google held an "effective duopoly" in the UK app market. CMA's head Sarah Cardell said the proposed commitments "will boost the UK's app economy."
In other news, the US House of Representatives voted to rescind Donald Trump's tariffs on Canadian goods. The vote, with 219 to 211 in favor, saw six Republican lawmakers joining Democrats to back the resolution, as reported by BBC World. However, the vote is largely symbolic, as it requires approval from the Senate and, ultimately, Trump, who is unlikely to sign it into law. Trump had previously imposed tariffs on Canada and recently threatened a 100% import tax in response to Canada's proposed trade deal with China.
A report by the children's commissioner for England revealed that children are routinely exposed to advertisements for weight loss injections and pills online. The report found young people were "bombarded" with ads for products claiming to change their bodies and appearance, despite advertising bans, according to BBC Technology. Dame Rachel de Souza, the children's commissioner, called the posts "immensely damaging" to young people's self-esteem and called for a ban on social media advertising to children. A spokesperson for the media regulator Ofcom stated that it did not tolerate "tech firms prioritizing engagement over children's online safety."
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