Meta settles for $18B in lawsuit brought by 29 states over social media harms to children

image via TechCrunch
image via TechCrunch

The lawsuit alleged that the social media giant knowingly designed platforms like Instagram and Facebook to addict children, despite knowing about the harms the platforms could pose to young users. The states also claimed that Meta knowingly collected data from children without parental knowledge, which violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/26/meta-settles-for-18-billion-in-lawsuit-brought-by-29-states-over-social-media-harms-to-children

Oura faces lawsuit accusing it of misleading consumers about sleep-tracking accuracy

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image via techcrunch.com

The lawsuit, filed on Thursday by Clarkson Law Firm in San Francisco, alleges that Oura rings are unable to measure any of the physiological signals needed to assess sleep quality or determine sleep stages, and that they instead rely on AI-generated estimates that have “a coin flip’s chance of being correct,” according to the complaint.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/21/oura-faces-lawsuit-accusing-it-of-misleading-consumers-about-sleep-tracking-accuracy/

Cursor capitalizes on GitHub frustration, launches rival hosting platform

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image via techcrunch.com

For as long as anyone can remember, GitHub has been the de facto code host preferred by a majority of developers. However, in recent times, the platform has struggled with widely reported outages and performance degradation and, as it drops the ball, Cursor is waiting to pick it up.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/18/cursor-capitalizes-on-github-frustration-launches-rival-hosting-platform/

Amazon will show AI product images when you search for some reason

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image via techcrunch.com

In what may be one of the more questionable uses of AI to date, Amazon announced on Wednesday that it will display AI-generated images of products within its shopping app based on users’ search queries. That’s right — a retailer where people shop for real-world products thinks that displaying fake photos will “help” consumers better find what they’re looking for.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/03/amazon-will-show-ai-product-images-when-you-search-for-some-reason/

DuckDuckGo installs are up 30% as users reject being ‘force-fed’ Google’s AI Search

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image via techcrunch.com

In response to Google’s changes, many have begun defecting to DuckDuckGo, a privacy-focused alternative that has never been able to break past Google’s dominance, accounting for only around 2% of the U.S. search market. “Google is force-feeding AI with no way to opt out,” Weinberg said Tuesday in a statement, referring to Google’s Search overhaul. “As a result, their results are getting worse, not better. We want to be the place that puts users in charge and allows them to decide how much or how little AI they want.”

https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/26/duckduckgo-installs-are-up-30-as-users-reject-being-force-fed-googles-ai-search/

Meta quietly launches a new Reddit-like app called Forum

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image via techcrunch.com

Meta has quietly released a new standalone app for Facebook Groups, called “Forum.” The company seems to be positioning Forum as a platform that functions similarly to Reddit, describing the app as a “dedicated space built for deeper discussions, real answers and communities you care about.”

https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/22/meta-quietly-launches-a-new-reddit-like-app-called-forum/

Maka Kids is redefining kids’ screen time with a streaming app optimized for well-being, not engagement

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image via techcrunch.com

Maka Kids is building a streaming app for children ages zero to six featuring content designed for healthy development. The startup has now raised $3 million in seed funding to scale its platform, and is currently accepting waitlist sign-ups. Unlike traditional streaming platforms, Maka Kids doesn’t have recommendation algorithms, ads, or auto-play. Instead, it is designed to offer a predictable experience that supports learning, creativity, and emotional growth.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/21/maka-kids-is-redefining-kids-screen-time-with-a-streaming-app-optimized-for-well-being-not-engagement/