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The European Union (EU) has opened a second formal investigation into TikTok and has accused the platform of running afoul of the region's Digital Services Act (DSA), according to a report by TechCrunch. The probe involves the addictive nature of TikTok Lite, which is a smaller version of the app that takes up less memory on a smartphone and was built to perform over slower internet connections.
TikTok Lite launched earlier this month in France and Spain and includes a design aspect that allows users to earn points by watching and liking videos. These points can be exchanged for stuff like Amazon vouchers and TikTok's proprietary digital currency, which is typically used to tip creators. The EU's Commission has expressed concern that this type of "task and reward" design language could impact the mental health of young users by "stimulating addictive behavior."
The Commission hasn't yet confirmed any breaches of the DSA, but has suggested that it might impose temporary measures to force parent company ByteDance to suspend TikTok Lite in the EU while it continues the investigation. The company has until April 24 to argue against these potential measures, so the app's still available for EU residents. However, ByteDance failed to provide the EU with a risk assessment document regarding TikTok Lite after being asked last week.
This failure to comply with the DSA could open the company up to steep penalties of up to one percent of its total annual income and periodic penalties of up to five percent of daily income. The Commission hasn't indicated if it plans on issuing these fines as the investigation continues.
"We suspect TikTok Lite could be as toxic and addicti
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 Apple is working to secure an exclusive TV deal with soccer governing organization FIFA, reports The New York Times. FIFA will launch a revamped version of Club World Cup in 2025, and Apple wants the TV rights. Club World Cup 2025 will feature 32 teams from each of the six confederations.
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North Korean animators may have helped create popular cartoons for Amazon Prime Video, Max and other streaming services. Researchers from the Washington-based 38 North project allegedly discovered a misconfigured cloud server on a North Korean IP address that contained thousands of animation files, as reported by Wired. US sanctions prohibit commercial activity with North Korean entities, due to human rights abuses and the advancement of its nuclear weapons program.
The server included animation cells, videos and notes discussing the work, in addition to requested changes. Some images appear to be from the popular Prime Video superhero show Invincible and others from an upcoming Max children's anime called Iyanu: Child of Wonder. The data, which was analyzed in part by the Google-owned security firm Mandiant, provides a glimpse into how North Korea likely skirts sanctions.
The researchers were able to analyze incoming connections to the server and noted access from three Chinese cities, suggesting front companies of some kind. "All three cities are known to have many North Korean-operated businesses and are main centers for North Korea's IT workers who live overseas,"
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Anker's Soundcore Space A40 is the top recommendation in our guide to the best budget wireless earbuds, as it offers enjoyable sound and a meaty set of features for well under $100. If you're looking to buy a set on the cheap, take note: A new sale on Amazon has dropped the earbuds down to $49, which matches the lowest price we've seen. The earbuds technically have a list price of $100, but they've sold for $59 for most of 2024, so you're saving about $10 here. We last saw this discount about a month ago.
In an amusing bug, Amazon's product page currently lists the earbuds as a "Gildan Unisex-adult Fleece Hoodie Sweatshirt." Why? We have no idea. The correct name appears when you add the pair to your cart, however, so this shouldn't be any cause for alarm. (Unless you really want a new hoodie.) The deal itself is sold by Anker directly and applies to the black model; the blue and white versions are also on sale for $1 more.
We rec
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