International
New York plans a law to limit the addictive network algorithm for minors
New York is preparing to approve a pioneering bill to restrict the absorbing algorithm of social networks for minors, considering that the content they provide is as addictive and harmful as tobacco or gambling.
State legislators have already given it the green light and now only the signature of Governor Kathy Hochul is missing.
“It’s crazy that the internet is not regulated for children. The last time we did something was literally the last century,” the 38-year-old Democratic state senator who has promoted this project, Andrew Gounardes, tells EFE.
The measure does not seek to eradicate the networks themselves in New York, but its recommendation algorithm system that shows the user tirelessly the content that the platform thinks it wants to see – according to its information and history. Therefore, the legislators propose that it be replaced by a system of publications in chronological order, such as the one that existed when the networks were launched.
The final objective of Gounardes – which had the support of the two parties – is to make minors spend less time glued to the phone, but without intervening in what they can see, since content cannot be prohibited without interfering in the first amendment of the Constitution, which protects the rights to freedom of expression.
The idea of Gounardes, who has two young children, is that the under 18-year-old can only see the following content: “The one that his friends, his family, Taylor Swift’s fan page publish…, but not a constant loop of information designed to absorb it in an increasingly deep burrow.”
Andrew Gounardes met with teachers, teenagers and parents to create this bill and heard desolate stories, such as that of a family whose 16-year-old son, who was struggling with depression, committed suicide. His TikTok home page showed how the network had led him to increasingly depressive content, to the point of showing him “recipes for self-injury or suicide.”
For the state senator it is not about having a greater willpower: “They are the same arguments that people made about cigarettes: ‘If you had more self-control, you could stop smoking’. That’s not true, we know that cigarettes are not (only) nicotine, it is a chemical dependence that is formed in you and that makes you addicted.”
Idea that the general surgeon and highest health authority of the country, Vivek Murthy, agrees, who advocated this week to introduce mental health warnings on social networks, similar to those on tobacco packs or alcohol bottles.
New York senators also met with the technology giants – Google, Meta, TikTok Snapchat, among others – to make sure that they can fulfill their requests on social networks.
Despite the fact that the Titans collaborated with politicians, Gounardes assures that they have “11 billion reasons not to want to change the status quo,” referring to the money earned in 2022 by the six largest social media companies for the sale of advertising to children.
Now the bill awaits the signature of Kathy Hochul, who celebrated in the approval of the legislators in X and, according to Gounardes, could sign the document this week.
Then the process would take a year to implement, since the state attorney general, Letitia James, who has also been in favor of the measure, will have to draft the regulations on the bill and New York would give companies a time margin of one year to comply with the law.
When it is in operation, the network that breaches the law would have 30 days to correct the problem or face fines of up to $5,000 per minor user.
“California and Virginia have copied (the project) and we hope that this can soon become the national model,” Gounardes concludes.
International
Venezuela Earthquakes Spark Diplomatic Thaw With Former Critics
The devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela have triggered an unprecedented diplomatic thaw between Caracas and several governments that had maintained strained relations with the country, raising hopes that the humanitarian response could pave the way for broader international engagement under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The United States, Chile, Argentina, El Salvador and Israel were among the first countries to announce humanitarian assistance, deploy search-and-rescue teams or establish direct contact with acting President Delcy Rodríguez to coordinate relief efforts in the hardest-hit areas.
Canada also joined the international response by announcing humanitarian aid while opening a domestic debate over the importance of maintaining diplomatic representation in countries such as Venezuela to better respond to emergencies and assist its citizens abroad.
The wave of international cooperation marks a sharp contrast to the diplomatic tensions that followed Venezuela’s disputed presidential election on July 28, 2024, in which Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner.
In the aftermath of that vote, the governments of Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay publicly questioned the official election results, triggering one of the region’s most significant diplomatic crises in recent years.
The Venezuelan government responded by withdrawing its diplomatic personnel from several of those countries and demanding the departure of their representatives, further deepening the country’s international isolation.
The humanitarian emergency created by the twin earthquakes has now prompted renewed communication between Caracas and governments that had previously suspended or significantly reduced diplomatic engagement, underscoring how major natural disasters can temporarily reshape international relations despite longstanding political disagreements.
International
Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Surpasses 1,700 as Search for Survivors Continues
Venezuelan authorities have raised the death toll from last week’s twin earthquakes to more than 1,700, as rescue teams continue searching for survivors in the country’s hardest-hit coastal region.
According to the latest official report released on Sunday, the powerful earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, have claimed at least 1,719 lives. National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez also reported that 5,034 people were injured, while 15,866 have been displaced and another 22,619 are receiving medical care.
The United Nations has expressed growing concern over the scale of the disaster, estimating that as many as 68,000 people could still be missing.
La Guaira bears the brunt of the disaster
The coastal state of La Guaira has suffered the greatest loss of life and the most extensive damage. The Venezuelan government has declared the area a disaster zone and placed it under military control as emergency operations continue.
Five days after the earthquakes struck, search-and-rescue teams remain on the ground, supported by additional heavy equipment and international rescue crews. However, hopes of finding more survivors beneath the rubble continue to diminish with each passing day.
One of the most dramatic rescue operations unfolded Monday in Catia La Mar, where emergency teams from El Salvador, Mexico, and Venezuela worked together to reach a 21-year-old man who has remained trapped inside a collapsed building since the earthquakes struck.
The twin earthquakes hit Venezuela on June 24, with the epicenter located between San Felipe and Yumare in the country’s northern region. The first quake, measuring magnitude 7.2, struck at 6:04 p.m. local time. Just 39 seconds later, a second and stronger magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurred farther to the southeast. Combined, the seismic activity lasted nearly three minutes, causing widespread devastation across several regions of the country.
International
Looting Spreads in Venezuela’s Hardest-Hit Areas After Deadly Earthquakes
Not even the wires were left behind at a small grocery store. Before the ground had even stopped shaking, looting and theft began in the areas hardest hit by the double earthquake that struck Venezuela.
Reports of robberies have multiplied in the coastal state of La Guaira, located near Caracas and now transformed into a landscape of collapsed buildings and debris.
Videos circulating on social media show groups of people removing boxes of household appliances from a damaged store. Other images show similar boxes being carried on top of vehicles and motorcycles.
Social media platforms have also been filled with accusations against police officers and military personnel who allegedly stole from homes and even from victims who died during the disaster.
A branch of a major pharmacy chain was looted, along with supermarkets and other businesses. Some residents have described the situation as “disaster tourism,” while others say the looting reflects hunger and desperation among people who lost everything in a country already facing a prolonged economic crisis.
“Is it fair that our own people turn against our own people?” said María Esther Bernal, 71, who rented commercial spaces to Chinese merchants, all of which were looted. “They left nothing behind, not even the wallpaper. They even took the cables,” she said.
“Next door, a man died. He was Chinese. People walked over his body while they looted the place. It was a supermarket,” she added.
An AFP journalist witnessed looting in La Guaira since Thursday, following the earthquakes.
Jenifer Mayora, 34, defended some of the actions, saying that “the things people took were because the owners of the stores allowed us to take them.”
However, she criticized the limited response from authorities. “I have been waiting for a mattress so my children can sleep,” she said.
Residents have expressed anger over what they describe as a slow and insufficient response from authorities after the double earthquake, which has left around 1,450 people dead and tens of thousands missing.
Communities are demanding not only faster rescue operations in La Guaira, but also stronger security measures and urgent assistance with food, water, and medicine.
Venezuela Earthquakes Spark Diplomatic Thaw With Former Critics
Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Surpasses 1,700 as Search for Survivors Continues
Looting Spreads in Venezuela’s Hardest-Hit Areas After Deadly Earthquakes
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