A Pennsylvania mother has won the right to sue TikTok over the tragic death of her 10-year-old daughter, Nylah Anderson. Federal law has long shielded Big Tech companies from lawsuits for hosting content created and uploaded by third parties. However, this landmark ruling by the US appeals court asserts that companies can be held accountable for “knowing distribution and targeted recommendation” of harmful content. The Deadly TikTok Challenge Nylah Anderson died in December 2021 after attempting the “blackout challenge,” a viral trend that encouraged users to choke themselves until they
On Friday, Brazil’s top court ordered the immediate suspension of X—formerly Twitter—in the country following a months-long feud with owner Elon Musk. Now, rival platforms are benefiting. Bluesky Sees Surge in Sign-Ups Bluesky, which fully opened to the public in February 2023, is seeing massive surge in users, reportedly gained one million new users in just three days. The decentralized social app started off as a project by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey in 2019 when he was Twitter’s CEO. It has since become an independent public benefit corporation, with Twitter founder
Nvidia, a global leader in AI, has announced a strategic partnership with California Black Media (CBM) aimed at supporting Black-owned newspapers across California. This collaboration will create a resource that uses AI to preserve nearly a century of journalism by Black journalists in the state. Training AI on a Century of Black Journalism The partnership will see Nvidia train a large language model (LLM) on nearly a century of journalism produced by Black journalists within the state. This effort will not only preserve the rich history of Black journalism but
Google has reintroduced its Gemini AI software following widespread criticism of the tool’s initial release, which produced problematic and historically inaccurate images. The tech giant’s image-generating feature was initially paused after it generated offensive depictions, including images of Black Nazis and diverse renditions of America’s Founding Fathers, which sparked backlash. New Features and Safeguards Implemented In response to the controversy, Google has announced significant updates to Gemini’s image generation capabilities. The company revealed that an early access version of the tool will be made available to subscribers of Gemini Advanced,
In a revelation, Sean “Diddy” Combs has been identified as one of the investors in X Corp, the company owned by Elon Musk that acquired the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. The disclosure came as part of a federal court ruling, unsealing a list of shareholders connected to Musk’s $44 billion purchase of the platform in 2022. Court Order Unseals X Corp’s Investors The court-ordered disclosure revealed nearly 100 investors, including high-profile names like Bill Ackman, Larry Ellison, and Marc Andreessen. Among them, Sean Combs Capital, one of
Mirriad, a leader in virtual product placement technology, has launched The Diverse Media Alliance, bringing together content companies like Bomesi, Canela Media, LatiNation, Ntertain’s Neon16, and The Shade Room. This alliance aims to create a more equitable media landscape by helping brands better invest in and track their diverse media campaigns. Addressing the Gap in Diverse Media Investment Despite the surge of pledges in 2020 to invest more in diverse media, actual spending in this area remains disappointingly low. The Diverse Media Alliance aims to address this gap by helping
New York Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux has been named a venture partner in The Collectiv, a new $20 million venture capital fund focused on early-stage sports tech companies and emerging leagues. Strategic Investment for Life After Football Thibodeaux’s partnership with The Collectiv reflects his broader ambition to establish a strong business presence while still actively competing in the NFL, as first reported by Spotico. The fund, which aims to raise $20 million over the next six months, includes a consortium of athletes, sports executives, and industry leaders from major
The California Court of Appeals has upheld a deal between Sony Music Group and the estate of Michael Jackson, allowing the music giant to acquire a substantial portion of the late artist’s catalog for $600 million. According to Billboard, the court’s decision, finalized on August 21, 2024, permits the sale of half of Jackson’s publishing and recorded masters catalog, despite objections from his mother, Katherine Jackson. Court Ruling Dismisses Katherine Jackson’s Objections The legal dispute centered around whether the estate’s executors, John Branca and John McClain, violated the terms of
Rapper and Atlanta native Gunna is launching a $500,000 guaranteed income program aimed at helping families in his hometown, as first reported by Billboard. Set to kick off on September 18, the Gunna x BMAC 30349 Guaranteed Income Program will provide 30 families in the 30349 zip code with $1,000 monthly stipends for a year. Addressing Economic Challenges Head-On In a move to tackle economic inequality, Gunna has teamed up with the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) to create a program that offers direct financial support to those who need
Shaquille O’Neal, the basketball star turned business mogul, is at the center of a class-action lawsuit linked to the Astrals NFT project. The case, which has captured public and legal attention, has recently moved forward following a ruling from the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The court’s decision granted partial progress for the plaintiffs, while dismissing other claims. Lawsuit Moves Forward with Mixed Results The core of the lawsuit revolves around O’Neal’s promotion of Astrals, a project featuring 10,000 3D NFT avatars and a decentralized autonomous
