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Tech Giants Face Backlash: AI, Abuse, and Addiction

UEFA is investigating alleged racist abuse directed at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during a Champions League match against Benfica in Lisbon, Portugal, which was halted after the incident. Meanwhile, Amazon has halted its Blue Jay warehouse robotics project after only months of development, and social media giants are facing lawsuits over concerns of addiction, safety, and mental health. These developments, along with Discord's new age verification rollout causing concern among top streamers, highlight a range of issues across technology, sports, and social media.

The Champions League match in Lisbon was stopped five minutes into the second half, shortly after Vinicius gave Real Madrid a 1-0 lead in the first leg of the knockout playoffs, according to Sky News. UEFA appointed an ethics and disciplinary inspector following the allegations.

Amazon's Blue Jay project, a multi-armed robot designed to sort and move packages, was unveiled in October for use in the company's same-day delivery facilities, as reported by TechCrunch. The company was testing the robots at a facility in South Carolina. Amazon spokesperson Terrence Clark told TechCrunch that the project was halted.

Discord's upcoming age verification requirements have raised concerns among users, particularly popular streamers. Alastair, known online as Eret, a Twitch streamer with over one million followers and 60,000 members in his Discord server, expressed worry about the implications for user data, according to BBC Technology. "I do not trust them," Eret stated.

In the realm of social media, several tech giants are facing lawsuits. A set of bellwether cases alleging that social media platforms harmed teens' safety and mental health is going to trial this year, according to The Verge. Executives like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg are expected to testify. These cases managed to overcome the companies' attempts to get them dismissed based on objections citing Section 230, a law that protects online platforms from being held liable for their users' speech.

In other news, Ring's AI-powered Search Party, initially designed to find lost dogs, has plans for expansion, according to an internal email from Ring founder Jamie Siminoff, as reported by The Verge.

AI-Assisted Journalism

Synthesized from multiple sources. Reviewed for accuracy.

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