Technology
TikTok Lite: EU closes addictive design case after TikTok pledges not to reinstate rewards mechanism

The European Commission has closed its investigation into the TikTok Lite rewards feature under the Digital Services Act (DSA), accepting the social media giant’s commitment to permanently withdraw the feature within the EU.
TikTok Lite’s “tasks and rewards” mechanism, launched in France and Spain earlier this 12 months, lets users earn points for completing actions within the app, resembling watching and liking videos. These points might be redeemed for Amazon vouchers. TikTok Lite is an alternate, lower-bandwidth version of the TikTok app that the corporate offers in some markets.
TikTok also agreed not to attempt to circumvent its commitment, for instance by launching the identical feature under a distinct name or implementing a version that serves as an equivalent alternative, according to the Commission. While the settlement covers the TikTok Lite rewards mechanism that the EU was investigating, it’s not a blanket ban on TikTok launching any rewards features in the longer term.
When the EU launched an investigation into the rewards feature in April, the Commission raised concerns that the design of the mechanism could negatively impact the mental health of young users since it “stimulates addictive behaviour”.
TikTok temporarily suspended its rewards mechanism within the EU shortly after the Commission opened an investigation. The EU threatened to use temporary powers to disable the feature while it investigated concerns that it encouraged people to spend excessive amounts of time on the app.
Briefing journalists on the situation, a senior Commission official said the enforcement body was pleased with the final result because it had managed to quickly deliver the intended results, ensuring that EU residents, including minors, were protected.
The settlement means the EC has not formally found that TikTok has breached the DSA, so there isn’t a penalty. However, if TikTok fails to honour its commitments, the Commission has stressed that the corporate might be immediately penalised under the DSA, which allows for penalties of up to 6% of world annual turnover without the necessity for a brand new investigation. So TikTok has a reasonably large incentive to comply here.
The Commission said it might monitor TikTok’s compliance with its obligations using existing procedures and powers under the DSA, including through Member State authorities that oversee compliance with the overall principles of the Regulation.
Commenting in an announcement, Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for Internal Market, said: “The available brain time of young Europeans is not the currency of social media – and never will be. We have achieved the permanent withdrawal of the TikTok Lite Rewards programme, which could have had highly addictive consequences. The DSA is in full swing.”
TikTok spokesperson Elliott Burton sent TechCrunch an announcement concerning the settlement: “We always strive to work constructively with the European Commission and other regulators. TikTok is pleased to have reached an amicable resolution and to have withdrawn the TikTok Lite rewards program, which was launched in France and Spain in April and which we had already voluntarily suspended.”
While the TikTok DSA case has now been closed, one other, broader investigation that was announced in February remains to be ongoing.
The case involves TikTok’s core algorithm, amongst other things. The commission said it was concerned that the design of the tracking-based suggestion engine could lead on to “rabbit hole effects,” where users who watch one video on a subject might be advisable more extreme videos, potentially amplifying harmful content, resembling videos promoting eating disorders.
The EU can be concerned that TikTok does not apply sufficiently robust age-based measures to protect children from accessing inappropriate content. TikTok’s compliance with the DSA’s transparency requirements can be under scrutiny.
For more information on how the DSA and its related regulation, the Digital Markets Act (DMA), will impact Big Tech platforms, see our previous reports.
Technology
As Musk manages his growing family: WSJ

Elon Musk says his duty is to “make new people.” Now Investigation of WSJ He suggests that he could start greater than 14 known children, and the sources claim that the actual number will be much higher. The report also describes how Musk keeps these details within the package.
In the middle of all this, based on the report, there may be a longtime Fixer Jared Birchall, which runs the Muska’s family office, but additionally supports the logistics of the developing Muska family, including by developing Hush contracts and serving as a board for moms of some children.
For example, Musk reportedly asked the conservative influence of Ashley St. Clair for signing a restrictive agreement after she gave birth to their son last autumn. Agreement: $ 15 million plus an extra $ 100,000 per 30 days, so long as the kid is 21 in exchange for her silence. She refused; He says that the contract worsens with every treason perceived. (She told the journal that the Muska team sent her only $ 20,000 after they bowed to Musk to comment on his article).
As for Birchall, which can also be CEO Press-IMPLANTU-IMPLANTU VENTURE NEURALK IA partner In AI Venture XAI in Musk, Muska’s private life management can simply be the third full -time job. According to the journal, in a single two -hour conversation with St. Clair, Birchall told her that the transition “legal path” with musk “always, always leads to a worse result for this woman than otherwise.”
Technology
Lime scooter and Ebike batteries will be recycled by Redwood Materials

The joint company Micromobility Lime has reached an agreement on sending batteries utilized in scooters and electronic bikes to Sewoi materials that extract and recycle critical minerals, comparable to lithium, cobalt, nickel and copper.
The agreement announced on Monday makes Redwood Materials the only real battery recycling partner for common scooters and e-bike bikes situated in cities within the United States, Germany and the Netherlands. The contract doesn’t cover every region where lime worksAn inventory covering cities throughout Europe, Asia and Australia.
In Lime up to now he had other recycling partnerships, especially with Sprout through his suppliers. However, for the primary time, the joint company Micromobility had direct relations with battery recycling in North America, which might directly process the fabric for recovery and returns it to the availability chain.
Redwood Materials, The Carson City, Startup from Nevada founded by the previous CFO Tesla JB Straubel, will get better battery materials when they can’t be used. After recovering and recycling, the materials will be re -introduced within the battery production process. This production system of a closed loop-which can reduce the demand for extraction and refining of minerals-is on the Redwood Materials business center.
The effort can also be consistent with its own goals of limestone sustainable development. Lime is geared toward decarbonization of operations by 2030. The company has made progress in reducing the range 1, 2 and 3 of emissions by 59.5% in five years of basic years 2019. Wapno plans to report the outcomes of carbon dioxide emissions 2024 in May.
“This cooperation means significant progress in the establishment of a more round supply chain, helping our batteries not only to recycled responsibly after reaching the end of their lives, but that their materials are returned to the battery supply chain,” said Andrew Savage, vice chairman for balanced development in Lime.
Lime also has partnerships from Gomi in Great Britain and Voltr in France and other European countries to gather these live battery cells for “Second Life” applications, including, amongst others, in the sphere of consumer electronics, comparable to portable speakers and battery packages.
Redwood Materials has contracts with other micromobility corporations, including Lyft, RAD Power Bikes and bicycle batteries and scooters specialized in recycling. Redwood, which collected over $ 2 billion in private funds, announced at first of this month, opened the research and development center in San Francisco.
(Tagstranslat) ebikes
Technology
The Legal Defense Fund withdraws from the META civil law advisory group over Dei Rolback

On April 11, the Legal Defense Fund announced that he was leaving the external advisory council for civil rights regarding the fear that the changes in technology company introduced diversity, own capital, inclusion and availability in January.
According to those changes that some perceived as the capitulation of meta against the upcoming Trump administration, contributed to their decision To leave the advisory council of the technology company.
In January, LDF, along with several other organizations of civil rights, which were a part of the board, sent a letter to Marek Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, outlining their fears As for a way changes would negatively affect users.
“We are shocked and disappointed that the finish has not consulted with this group or its members, considering these significant changes in its content policy. Non -compliance with even its own advisory group of experts on external civil rights shows a cynical disregard for its diverse users base and undermines the commitment of the meta in the field of freedom of speech with which he claims to” return “.
They closed the letter, hoping that the finish would recommend the ideals of freedom of speech: “If the finish really wants to recommend freedom of speech, he must commit to freedom of speech for all his services. As an advisory group from external civil rights, we offer our advice and knowledge in creating a better path.”
These fears increased only in the next months, culminating in one other list, which from the LDF director, Todd A. Cox, who indicated that the organization withdraws its membership from the META civil law advisory council.
“I am deeply disturbed and disappointed with the announcement of Medical on January 7, 2025, with irresponsible changes in content moderation policies on platforms, which are a serious risk for the health and safety of black communities and risk that they destabilize our republic,” Cox wrote.
He continued: “For almost a decade, the NACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) has invested a lot of time and resources, working with META as part of the informal committee advising the company in matters of civil rights. However, the finish introduced these changes in the policy of the content modification without consulting this group, and many changes directly with the guidelines from the guidelines from LDF and partners. LD can no longer participate in the scope. ” Advisory Committee for Rights “
In a separate but related LDF list, it clearly resembled a finish about the actual obligations of the Citizens’ Rights Act of 1964 and other provisions regarding discrimination in the workplace, versus the false statements of the Trump administration, that diversity, justice and initiative to incorporate discriminates against white Americans.
“While the finish has modified its policy, its obligations arising from federal regulations regarding civil rights remain unchanged. The title of VII of the Act on civic rights of 1964 and other regulations on civil rights prohibit discrimination in the workplace, including disconnecting treatment, principles in the workplace which have unfair disproportionate effects, and the hostile work environment. Also when it comes to inclusion, and access programs.
In the LDF press release, announcing each letters, Cox He called attention Metal insert into growing violence and division in the country’s social climate.
“LDF worked hard and in good faith with meta leadership and its consulting group for civil rights to ensure that the company’s workforce reflects the values and racial warehouses of the United States and to increase the security priorities of many different communities that use meta platforms,” said Cox. “Now we cannot support a company in good conscience that consciously takes steps in order to introduce changes in politics that supply further division and violence in the United States. We call the meta to reverse the course with these dangerous changes.”
(Tagstranslate) TODD A. COX (T) Legal Defense Fund (T) META (T) Diversity (T) Equality (T) inclusion
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