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Coca-Cola Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Alleged Cookie Tracking After Rejection

Coca-Cola Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Alleged Cookie Tracking After Rejection

Coca-Cola Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Alleged Cookie Tracking After Rejection
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California Governor Newsom Enacts Law Restricting Supplement Sales to Minors

California Governor Newsom Enacts Law Restricting Supplement Sales to Minors

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 2030 into law, prohibiting the sale of certain weight-loss and muscle-building supplements to individuals under 18 without a prescription. Authored by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, the legislation was signed on September 28 and is set to take effect on January 1, 2027. The restrictions apply to various retailers, including pharmacies, grocery stores, supplement retailers, and online businesses. These establishments are now required to request identification when a customer's age cannot be reasonably determined. Online sellers must verify a purchaser's age through qualifying databases or mandate an adult signature and identification upon delivery. Businesses found in violation of this new law could face civil penalties of up to $500 per infraction. The legislation identifies ingredients such as creatine, green tea extract, and raspberry ketone as factors courts may consider, though their presence does not automatically ban a product.
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White House Accord on AI Audits Lacks Clear Rules for Independent Oversight

White House Accord on AI Audits Lacks Clear Rules for Independent Oversight

Leaders from major tech companies, including Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, xAI, and Nvidia, signed the White House Accord on Super Intelligence on September 29. This accord includes a commitment to engage independent outside auditors to verify the effectiveness of their artificial intelligence safety controls. While these commitments are currently voluntary, there is a possibility they could be codified into law. However, a significant concern highlighted by an auditor with over 25 years of experience is the absence of clear rules governing these independent audits. The accord does not define what constitutes an 'independent' auditor, the extent of access auditors should have, or the standards against which they should measure AI systems. This lack of defined parameters means that two companies could claim to have passed an independent audit, yet the rigor and scope of those audits could differ significantly, potentially undermining public trust and the credibility of the audit process.
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Meta, TikTok join Google to push back on Indonesia's planned AI copyright law revisions

Meta, TikTok join Google to push back on Indonesia's planned AI copyright law revisions

JAKARTA, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Digital platforms Meta and TikTok joined Google on Wednesday in pushing back against proposed revisions to Indonesia's copyright law that would require digital platforms to pay publishers for displaying news content and set rules for AI.
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Advocacy groups sue AI giants to freeze new models, warning of 'catastrophic' risks

Advocacy groups sue AI giants to freeze new models, warning of 'catastrophic' risks

A coalition of online safety and consumer advocacy groups has sued five leading AI companies to halt further development
ReutersReuters
Spain demands that TikTok suspend operations until child sexual abuse material gone

Spain demands that TikTok suspend operations until child sexual abuse material gone

MADRID, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Spain's government has demanded that TikTok suspend its operations in Spain until it eliminates child sexual abuse material, it said on Tuesday, after a media report documented 1,183 explicit posts on the platform with millions of views.
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California Tech Giants Sue to Block New Social Media Law Protecting Teens

California Tech Giants Sue to Block New Social Media Law Protecting Teens

Tech giants Meta, Google, and TikTok have filed lawsuits to prevent a new California law, designed to protect the mental health of children on social media platforms, from taking effect. The law, part of a series of bills signed by Governor Newsom this year, aims to block social media companies from offering 'addictive' features to users under 16. These features include infinite scroll, autoplay, and recommendation algorithms, which are cited as contributors to a teen mental health crisis. The lawsuits, filed in multiple federal courts in California last week, argue that the law infringes upon the companies' First Amendment rights. They contend that the law would make the state an 'editor, curator, and controller of online speech' and would hinder efforts to provide safe and enriching experiences for young users. The companies are seeking court intervention to block the law before its January effective date.
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California voters reject measure to tax the wealth of billionaires

California voters reject measure to tax the wealth of billionaires

California voters have rejected a tax on the net worth of billionaires following a contentious and expensive ballot fight
ReutersReuters
Court blocks California from enforcing climate disclosure laws

Court blocks California from enforcing climate disclosure laws

By Jonathan Stempel Nov 9 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court dealt a setback to California's desire to enforce its first-of-its-kind climate disclosure laws, blocking the state from requiring large companies to disclose climate-related financial risks and "indirect" greenhouse gas emissions.
ReutersReuters
Australia regulator rejects warning of internet safety bill chilling free speech

Australia regulator rejects warning of internet safety bill chilling free speech

SYDNEY, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Australia's internet regulator on Tuesday rejected warnings from tech giants that a proposed online safety law would trigger widespread censorship by platforms anxious to avoid liability, arguing that their business models incentivised them to maximise user engagement.
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California Enacts Law Banning Sale of Weight Loss and Muscle-Building Supplements to Minors

California Enacts Law Banning Sale of Weight Loss and Muscle-Building Supplements to Minors

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB2030 into law, prohibiting the sale of over-the-counter diet pills and supplements marketed for weight loss or muscle building to individuals under 18. This legislation, set to take effect on January 1, 2027, will require buyers to present identification when purchasing such products. Items that may fall under this regulation include those containing creatine, green tea extract, and green coffee bean extract. Proponents of the bill, including Assemblyman Josh Lowenthal, argue that these supplements pose significant health risks to children, linking their use to increased rates of eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and depressive symptoms among teenagers. The National Eating Disorders Association has also voiced support, emphasizing the importance of protecting young people from companies that profit from body insecurities. This bill is part of a broader package of health-related legislation, which also includes AB2244, aimed at creating a voluntary 'Non-Ultrapr...
ReutersReuters
Spanish watchdog opens TikTok probe but denies government demand to block app

Spanish watchdog opens TikTok probe but denies government demand to block app

MADRID, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Spain's data protection watchdog AEPD said on Wednesday that it had launched a probe into the alleged proliferation of child sexual abuse material on social media platform TikTok brought to light in an investigation by a local news website.