Full Research(52 Pages PDF).

Our recent research paper into Snapchat’s gamification features shows that some of the respondents are experiencing negative effects. Think of the feeling of pressure and having more screen time than desired. The results of the research support the importance of freedom of choice on large online platforms. Young people need to have more control over where their attention is going, what they are seeing and what they are displaying of themselves online. We therefore want to use the report to advise policy makers on guidelines on gamification on social media.

Tech Oversight.

A California jury on Wednesday found that Meta and Google were to blame for the depression and anxiety of a woman who compulsively used social media as a small child, awarding her $3 million in a rare verdict holding Silicon Valley accountable for its role in fueling a youth mental health crisis.

The jurors concluded that Meta and Google should pay the woman $3 million in compensatory damages, with Meta on the hook for 70% of that amount.

The jury also decided that Meta and Google’s actions should trigger punitive damages, which means there will be a separate phase of the trial where the jury will decide what amount of damages are appropriate to punish the multi-trillion-dollar companies for their conduct.

• Reddit;
• Digg.

Study.

It turns out that intense mechanical pressure experienced by early cancer cells as they grow cramped in a restricted space can benefit some cancer cells, rather than impede growth, as might be expected.

Scientists found that early breast cancer cells used this ‘squeeze’ to their advantage.

Lobsters.

We’ve been searching for a memory-safe programming language to replace C++ in Ladybird for a while now. We previously explored Swift, but the C++ interop never quite got there, and platform support outside the Apple ecosystem was limited. Rust is a different story. The ecosystem is far more mature for systems programming, and many of our contributors already know the language. Going forward, we are rewriting parts of Ladybird in Rust.

In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a Spanish court has labeled VPN services as “technological intermediaries,” ordering them to actively block IP addresses that host illegal LaLiga matches. The “dynamic” injunction compels NordVPN and ProtonVPN to intervene, similar to local ISPs. But with both companies operating outside EU jurisdiction with privacy-centric business models, it remains unclear if and how the order will actually be enforced.

It feels like this is very intense here compared to other social media services/protocols.

Why is that?

• Lobste.rs;
• Tildes.

Beginning with a phased global rollout to new and existing users in early March, users may be required to engage in an age-verification process to change certain settings or access sensitive content. This includes age-restricted channels, servers, or commands and select message requests.