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The European Union on Friday accused TikTok of breaching the bloc’s digital rules with “addictive design” features that lead to compulsive use by children, in preliminary charges that strike at the heart of the popular video sharing app’s operating model.EU regulators said their two-year investigation found that TikTok hasn’t done enough to assess how features such as autoplay and infinite scroll could harm the physical and mental health of users, including minors and “vulnerable adults.”The European Commission said it believes TikTok should change the “basic design” of its service. The commission is the EU’s executive arm and enforcer of the 27-nation bloc’s Digital Services Act, a sweeping rulebook that requires social media companies to clean up their platforms and protect users, under threat of hefty fines.TikTok denied the accusations.“The Commission’s preliminary findings present a categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform, and we will take whatever steps are necessary to challenge these findings through every means available to us,” the company said in a statement.TikTok’s features including infinite scrolling, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalized recommender systems “lead to the compulsive use of the app, especially for our kids, and this poses major risks to their mental health and wellbeing,” Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said at a press briefing in Brussels.“The measures that TikTok has in place are simply not enough,” he said.The company now has a chance to defend itself and reply to the commission’s findings. Regnier said “if they don’t do this properly,” Brussels could issue a so-called non-compliance decision and possible fine worth up to 6% of the company’s total annual revenue. There was no deadline specified for the commission to make a final decision.The preliminary findings are the latest example of pressure that TikTok and other social media platforms are facing over youth addiction.Australia has banned social media for under-16s while governments in Spain, France, Britain,Denmark,Malaysia and Egypt want to introduce similar measures. In the U.S., TikTok last month settled a landmark social media addiction lawsuit while two other companies named in the suit Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube still face claims that their platforms deliberately addict and harm children.TikTok has 170 million users in the European Union and “most of these are children,” Regnier said. He added that 7% of children aged 12 to 15 spend four to five hours daily on TikTok, and it’s “by far” the platform most used after midnight by children aged 13 to 18, citing unspecified data.“These statistics are extremely alarming,” he said.The commission said that TikTok fuels the urge to keep scrolling because it constantly rewards users with new content, leading to reduced self control.It said TikTok ignores signs that someone is compulsively using the app, such as the amount of time that minors spend on it at night, and how often the app is opened.The company has failed to put in place “reasonable, proportionate and effective” measures to offset the risks, it said.The commission said TikTok’s existing time management controls are easy to dismiss and “introduce limited friction,” while parental tools need “additional time and skills” from parents.Changes that the commission wants TikTok to make include disabling features like infinite scroll; putting in more effective breaks for screen time, including at night; and changing its “highly personalized” recommender system, which feeds users an endless stream of video shorts based on their preferences.TikTok says it has numerous tools, such as custom screen time limits and sleep reminders, that let users make “intentional decisions” about how they spend their time on the app. The company also noted it has teen accounts that let parents impose time limits on use, and prompt teen users to switch off in the evenings. Associated Press journalist Sam McNeil contributed to this report. Kelvin Chan, AP Business Writer
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E-Commerce
Just because youre an ultra-talented global celebrity doesnt mean youre a shoo-in for an amazing gig. In fact, even stars have to apply to jobs, just like the rest of us. Just ask Charlie Puth, wholl be singing The Star-Spangled Banner at Super Bowl LX Sunday night. It shows how humility fuels success for even someone at the top of their gamein this case, a dream opportunity for one of pops biggest stars on entertainments biggest stage. In a recent Rolling Stone interview, the We Dont Talk Anymore singer spoke frankly last month about how he applied and auditioned to sing the national anthem, and how hes elated for the gig. He shared that performing the national anthem at the Super Bowl was a dream goal and seemed like he didnt expect any preferential treatment: I applied. I auditioned for it, but I made up my own audition because Ive always wanted to do it. He adds, because I love it musically, he told the magazine: Its the best song. Musically, its so special.” “I actually have always wanted to do this, and I recorded a little demo, just me singing with the Rhodes and sent it to Roc Nation. Ive been told Jay-Z loved it, and it got Goodell and they all said that I could do it,” the 34-year-old said. The New Jersey native is a prime example of how even high-achievers and applicants at the height of their industry audition or apply for jobs. Its that blend of humility and experience that can lead people to great things: Humility can be a very impressive personality trait, and the kind of authenticity that shows in Puths Rolling Stone answers is the kind that tells a hiring manager youre grateful for the opportunity, and communicates real passion. Theres even research to back up that humility is a trait that can make you a more desirable candidate for a job. Puth kept that humility when talking about iconic Super Bowl performances from the past: “Im going to be inspired by what Whitney did, but I cant ever touch what she did, he told Rolling Stone. I just wanna show people that I can do it. I feel like people dont really think of me as, like, a stand-alone vocalist at times. To channel your inner Charlie Puth humility, try these strategies: Balance it with confidence: Thats especially the case for leaders. Have trust in your talents, but also be adaptable, empathetic, and open to learning from other people in your field. Model it for others: Sometimes deciding to be a model of supportive collaboration, trustful integrity, and taking responsibility can bring out your inner humility, which others can in turn learn from and be inspired by. Talk less about yourself: An easy way to unlock inner humility, this also helps you not compare yourself too much to others. Another element of a professional business persona is not to respond negatively to those who arent happy with your achievements. Puth responded with grace on X back in December after a snide social media post from a doubter. Striking a diplomatic tone, he wrote: Ill never claim to be as good of a singer as Whitney Houston ever was. But I assure you were putting a really special arrangement togetherin D major. Itll be one of my best vocal performances.
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E-Commerce
Design culture loves the fantasy of blue sky thinking. No constraints. No limits. Pure imagination. It sounds liberating, but it often produces design that only works in ideal conditions for an ideal user who does not exist. Blue sky leads to paper designgreat ideas that never come to market. The truth is simple: Constraints fuel creativity. The most valuable constraint is the human one. When designers embrace real limits like limited dexterity, low lighting, fatigue, mobility restrictions, sensory sensitivities, small living spaces, and tight budgets, they stop designing for abstraction. They start designing for reality. That is where innovation becomes inevitable. That is where design becomes a successful game changer in business strategy. WHY CONSTRAINTS CREATE BETTER PRODUCTS Constraints do powerful things. First, they force clarity. When you cannot assume perfect vision, perfect grip, perfect posture, or perfect attention, you have to prioritize what truly matters. Second, they reveal opportunity gaps. The friction points that average user personas miss become visible. Those friction points are where unmet demand lives. Third, they raise the bar for usefulness. A product that performs under constraint often performs exceptionally well under normal conditions. That is why so many accessible innovations become mainstream. THE EDGE IS WHERE THE BREAKTHROUGH BEGINS Many of the features we now take for granted started as solutions for constrained conditions. Curb cuts were designed for wheelchairs, then they became indispensable for strollers, luggage, delivery carts, bikes, and scooters. Captions support deaf and hard of hearing communities, and they also help everyone in loud environments, quiet environments, and multilingual contexts. This pattern is not accidental. Designing for the edge forces teams to solve for higher friction. Once solved, the benefit cascades outward. A PRACTICAL CONSTRAINT FRAMEWORK If you want constraints to generate innovation instead of frustration, treat them as design inputs early, not late-stage fixes. Start with four questions: 1. What are the most common constraints in the users environment? Noise, glare, cold, clutter, time pressure. 2. What are the most common constraints in the users body? Dexterity, strength, mobility, stamina. 3. What are the most common constraints in the users mind? Cognitive load, stress, distraction, ambiguity. 4. What emotional constraints does the user bring with them? Fear of making mistakes, embarrassment, loss of confidence, and the desire for dignity, capability, and control. When those four constraints are treated as defaults, products stop proving they work and start proving they care. That shift is what separates good design from beloved products. Design as if those constraints are the default, not the exception. For every body, they are, or become, the default at different times and phases of life. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WORKS AND WORKS WELL A product can technically work yet still fail. It can be compliant, yet frustrating. It can be usable, yet unloved. It can function, but make people feel like there is something wrong with them. Constraints help solve that gap because they push the product beyond minimum viability and toward genuine excellence. When you design under constraint, you make fewer assumptions. You write clearer cues into the form. You reduce steps. You decrease error. You create comfort. You remove shame. You build trust. CONSTRAINTS ARE NOT A LIMITATIONTHEY ARE THE BRIEF The brands that lead next will not be those chasing novelty for noveltys sake. They will be the ones willing to design inside real human boundaries and treat those boundaries as creative partners. Inclusion is not a constraint layered on top of design. It is the constraint that makes design better. When you stop trying to escape limits, you start making products that people can actually live with, love, and keep. Ben Wintner is CEO of Michael Graves Design.
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E-Commerce
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