A federal judge has temporarily blocked provisions of a Texas law that required users to verify their age and banned social media advertising targeted at teens. The judge had already blocked portions of the law limiting the content that teens could view.  All provisions were deemed likely violations of free speech.

Meanwhile, Jamie from our Department of the Obvious, shares a pair of studies about GenAI. The first, from SEO agency HigherVisibility, finds that people use GenAI search for complex questions and conventional search for simple ones.  The second, from academics funded by Microsoft, finds that people with more trust in AI put less effort into checking its results and worries extensive AI use may result in the loss of skills needed to work without it.

Preliminary findings by the European Commission state that Apple and Google are in violation of the EU’s Digital Markets Act. Among the findings, Google Search is accused of prioritizing Google’s own products and services in results; Apple is instructed to improve interoperability between iOS and third-party devices. The companies now have an opportunity to respond.