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The Social Media Addiction Trials: What to Know

Landmark trials beginning this week will test a new legal strategy claiming that Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube caused personal injury through addictive products.

Β© David Gray/Agence France-Presse β€” Getty Images

The lawsuits are for the first time putting social media companies on the spot for creating harmful products, exposing them to new kinds of liability.
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Social Media Giants Face Landmark Legal Tests on Child Safety

Starting this week, a series of trials will test a new legal strategy claiming that Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube caused personal injury through addictive products.

Β© Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Jury selection is expected to start Tuesday for the first trial in a series of lawsuits that target social media companies with a strategy that had success against tobacco giants.
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Worn Down by Worry, Parents Look Longingly at Australia’s Social Media Ban

After the country barred children under 16 from using social media, many parents have been asking whether similarly tough action is needed in their own countries.

Β© Matthew Abbott for The New York Times

Students waiting for the bus in Sydney, Australia, in November. The country’s new law barring children from using social media has helped fuel emotional debate across the world.
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TikTok Signs Agreements With Investors in Step Toward Avoiding a U.S. Ban

The Chinese-owned video app formalized commitments from the software giant Oracle and two investment firms as part of a deal to keep operating in the United States.

Β© Hollie Adams/Reuters

Investment agreements bring TikTok, one of the country’s most popular social media apps, closer to resolving years of questions about its future.
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Senators Investigate Role of A.I. Data Centers in Rising Electricity Costs

Three Democrats are seeking information from tech firms about the growing energy use of data centers and the utility bills of individuals and other businesses.

Β© Nathan Howard for The New York Times

The energy needs of data centers used for artificial intelligence are forcing utility companies to spend billions of dollars to upgrade the power grid, the lawmakers said.
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After Australia, Which Countries Could Be Next to Ban Social Media for Children

Governments are studying the decision to prohibit youths from using platforms like Facebook and TikTok as worries grow about the potential harm they cause.

Β© Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix, via Agence France-Presse β€” Getty Images

Elementary school children in Denmark, which could become the first country in the European Union to impose an age limit on access to social media.
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