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Snap has settled a social media addiction lawsuit just days before trial, while Meta, TikTok, and Alphabet remain defendants and are headed to court. "Terms of the deal were not announced as it was revealed by lawyers at a California Superior Court hearing, after which Snap told the BBC the parties were 'pleased to have been able to resolve this matter in an amicable manner.'" From the report: The plaintiff, a 19-year old woman identified by the initials K.G.M., alleged that the algorithmic design of the platforms left her addicted and affected her mental health. In the absence of a settlement with the other parties, the trial is scheduled to go forward against the remaining three defendants, with jury selection due to begin on January 27. Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify, and until Tuesday's settlement, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel was also set to take the stand. Snap is still a defendant in other social media addiction cases that have been consolidated in the court. The closely watched cases could challenge a legal theory that social media companies have used to shield themselves. They have long argued that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 protects them from liability for what third parties post on their platforms. But plaintiffs argue that the platforms are designed in a way that leaves users addicted through choices that affect their algorithms and notifications. The social media companies have said the plaintiffs' evidence falls short of proving that they are responsible for alleged harms such as depression and eating disorders.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. An updated version of deepin, a Debian-based Linux distribution with a custom-built Deepin Desktop Environment, has been released. The new version 25.0.10 brings various improvements to installation, file management and interface polish: "In order to further optimize the deepin 25 system update experience and enhance stability, the deepin....

The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. The MX Linux team has announced an update to the distribution's 25.x series. MX Linux 25.1 maintains the existing Debian 13.1 base and sees a return to offering a choice of init software at boot time. "Making a return as of 25.1 is a dual-init setup with both....

The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. ELEGANCE, a French desktop distribution based on Manjaro Linux and featuring the Cinnamon desktop and a huge collection of popular open-source software, has been updated to version 26.0.1. The new release, which is also known as version 4 and has a code name of "Leanora", comes shortly after....

The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. This week in DistroWatch Weekly:
Review: The new Chimera Linux installer
News: New package management tools for Arch Linux, Haiku improves EFI support, Redcore streamlines branches, Synex introduces ZFS support at install time
Questions and answers: Using DistroWatch's Torrent Corner
Released last week: Linux Mint 22.3, TROMjaro 2026.01.13, EndeavourOS 2026.01.12
Torrent corner:....

The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. Bryan Poerwo has announced the release of EndeavourOS 2026.01.12, a minor "Neo" update of the project's Arch-based, rolling-release Linux distribution featuring a customised KDE Plasma desktop: "We are kicking off 2026 with the release of 'Ganymede Neo'. As you are accustomed to with our Neo releases, this release....

The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. TROMjaro, a Manjaro-based Linux distribution with a customised Xfce desktop, has been updated to version 2026.01.13. The new release returns to Unity-style layout (a layout introduced by Ubuntu's now abandoned Unity desktop) for Xfce. This forum post by the project's lead developer explains the reason: "2026 brings something....

The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. The Linux Mint project has announced the release of Linux Mint 22.3. The Ubuntu-based distribution will receive support through to 2029 and introduces a new tool to help users troubleshoot problems. "The 'System Reports' tool received many new features and it was rebranded as 'System Information'. In addition....

The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. This week in DistroWatch Weekly:
Review: MenuetOS, SparkyLinux with CDE, iDeal OS 2025.12.07
News: Debian seeks new Data Protection Team and updates install media for "Trixie", Ubuntu 25.04 nears end of life, Google limits Android code releases, Fedora plans to replace SDDM with new login manager, Budgie migrates to....

The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. Marco M. Mariani has announced the release of an updated build of MODICIA O.S., a Debian-based Linux distribution with focus on multimedia and creative work. The new version comes with a real-time Linux kernel 6.12.63, as well as improved graphics and video performance: "The new ISO image of....

The DistroWatch news feed is brought to you by TUXEDO COMPUTERS. The Mageia team has announced an alpha development snapshot of the upcoming Mageia 10 release. The final release is expected in April 2026. "Alpha ISO images are the first public snapshots of the upcoming release. They are not ready for production use, but they are perfect for developers,....

New AI-powered learning tools are coming to Khan Academy, built with Google’s Gemini models.New AI-powered learning tools are coming to Khan Academy, built with Google’s Gemini models.

Last year, we made basic access to Google Vids, our AI-powered video creation app, available to all Google Workspace for Education users. We also launched the inaugural …

Oxford University students and faculty will get access to advanced AI tools, including Gemini for Education and NotebookLM, following a successful pilot.

Gemini now offers full-length, no-cost practice SATs, featuring content from The Princeton Review.Gemini now offers full-length, no-cost practice SATs, featuring content from The Princeton Review.

Save time and do your best work with new capabilities, like practice SATs in Gemini, and audio and video recordings in Google Classroom.

We’re making select Gemini in Workspace capabilities available to more educators and students at no additional cost, and sharing ways all Education users can use Google …We’re making select Gemini in Workspace capabilities available to more educators and students at no additional cost, and sharing ways all Education users can use Google Workspace Studio.

Modernize your classroom with AI-powered Chromebooks, Gemini in Chrome, and new ways to engage and collaborate with students with powerful Class tools features and a new…

Discover new online safety tools: ransomware detection, refined admin controls, AI-generated image verification.Discover new online safety tools: ransomware detection, refined admin controls, AI-generated image verification.