Technology

Nearly 40 states back surgeon general’s social media warning labels

Published

1 year ago

September 10, 2024

Nearly 40 states back surgeon general’s social media warning labels

A coalition of 42 state and territory attorneys general is calling on Congress to pass regulation requiring warning labels on social media platforms. In a letter on Monday, the attorneys general wrote that the warning labels will bring attention to the “inherent risks” social platforms pose to children.

US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy first proposed the warning labels in June as part of a plan to avert the “mental health crisis” affecting young people. Attorneys general from a significant majority of states, including New York, California, Florida, Oregon, Michigan, and others, are writing in support of the measure, saying the move would help “protect future generations of Americans.” All told, the letter is signed by 39 state AGs as well as the attorneys general of American Samoa, the District of Columbia, and the US Virgin Islands.

The letter cites research linking social media use to anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation in young people, along with studies that suggest social platforms disrupt children’s sleep with “irresistible algorithmic recommendations, infinite scrolling, and a constant stream of notifications” to keep them “relentlessly engaged on the platform.” The labels proposed by the surgeon general would be similar to the ones already used for alcohol and tobacco products.

But some of the underlying research on the effects of social media has been disputed, and these labels would mark one of the rare times that platforms for speech and communication have been required to post warnings to their users — with the exception of state-level rules demanding adult sites add unproven health notices about pornography.

“A surgeon general’s warning on social media platforms, though not sufficient to address the full scope of the problem, would be one consequential step toward mitigating the risk of harm to youth,” the attorneys general said. “We urge Congress to consider such measures and continue the search for innovative solutions to protect our children in the face of emerging technologies.”

Technology

TikTok ban: all the news on the app’s shutdown and return in the US

Published

3 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

TikTok ban: all the news on the app’s shutdown and return in the US

After briefly going dark in the US to comply with the divest-or-ban law targeting ByteDance that went into effect on January 19th, TikTok quickly came back online. It eventually reappeared in the App Store and Google Play as negotiations between the US and China continued, and Donald Trump continued to sign extensions directing officials not to apply the law’s penalties.

Finally, in mid-December, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew told employees that the agreements to create TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, which includes Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX as part owners, have been signed, and the deal is expected to close on January 22nd, 2026. His letter said that for users in the US, the new joint venture will oversee data protection, the security of a newly-retrained algorithm, content moderation, and the deployment of the US app and platform.

Read on for all the latest news on the TikTok ban law in the US.

Technology

Secret phrases to get you past AI bot customer service

Published

3 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Secret phrases to get you past AI bot customer service

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

You’re gonna love me for this.

Say you’re calling customer service because you need help. Maybe your bill is wrong, your service is down or you want a refund. Instead of a person, a cheerful AI voice answers and drops you into an endless loop of menus and misunderstood prompts. Now what?

That’s not an accident. Many companies use what insiders call “frustration AI.” The system is specifically designed to exhaust you until you hang up and walk away.

Not today. (Get more tips like this at GetKim.com)

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Here are a few ways to bypass “frustration” AI bots. (Sebastian Kahnert/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Use the magic words

You want a human. For starters, don’t explain your issue. That’s the trap. You need words the AI has been programmed to treat differently.

Nuclear phrases: When the AI bot asks why you’re calling, say, “I need to cancel my service” or “I am returning a call.” The word cancel sets off alarms and often sends you straight to the customer retention team. Saying you’re returning a call signals an existing issue the bot cannot track. I used that last weekend when my internet went down, and, bam, I had a human.

Power words: When the system starts listing options, clearly say one word: “Supervisor.” If that doesn’t work, say, “I need to file a formal complaint.” Most systems are not programmed to deal with complaints or supervisors. They escalate fast.

Technical bypass: Asked to enter your account number? Press the pound key (#) instead of numbers. Many older systems treat unexpected input as an error and default to a human.

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“Supervisor” is one magic word that can get you a human on the other end of the line. (Neil Godwin/Future via Getty Images)

Go above the bots

If direct commands fail with AI, be a confused human.

The Frustration Act: When the AI bot asks a question, pause. Wait 10 seconds before answering. These systems are built for fast, clean responses. Long pauses often break the flow and send your call to a human.

The Unintelligible Bypass: Stuck in a loop? Act like your phone connection is terrible. Say garbled words or nonsense. After the system says, “I’m having trouble understanding you” three times, many bots automatically transfer you to a live agent.

The Language Barrier Trick: If the company offers multiple languages, choose one that’s not your primary language or does not match your accent. The AI often gives up quickly and routes you to a human trained to handle language issues.

Use these tricks when you need help. You are calling for service, not an AI bot.

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Long pauses and garbled language can also get you referred to a human. (iStock)

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Technology

The latest iPad Air is $400 for the first time and arrives by Christmas

Published

15 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

The latest iPad Air is 0 for the first time and arrives by Christmas

If you have $400 and want an iPad, your options are usually kind of limited to either just the base iPad, or better yet, the latest iPad Mini — if it happens to be on sale when you’re shopping (it is now, but that’s not always the case). But right now, you should consider getting the 128GB version of Apple’s 11-inch iPad Air with the capable M3 processor. At Target, multiple colors of this model are $399.99, beating the previous low of $449.99 we’ve seen during large-scale deal events. Currently, no other retailer is matching this price. This sale ends Saturday night.

$400 is a sweet price for this model, as it debuted in early 2025 for $600. In terms of how it stacks up to other iPad models, Verge editor-at-large David Pierce said in his impressions that the M3 Air is “exactly what you think it is. Which is fine.” I know, that sounds like a back-handed compliment, but it’s been a while since iPads peaked in terms of utility, design, and fast performance. This one carries the torch in Apple’s tablet dominance, and its M3 processor means it’ll be a fantastic tablet for longer than any other iPad at the $400 price point. Read our in-depth impressions.