Meta’s $17bn settlement: The end of social media as we know it?
Aug 27, 2026 · 24m
Summary
The Times Tech podcast announces a new twice-weekly format, with hosts Danny Fortson and Katie Prescott discussing major tech developments. They analyze Meta’s $17 billion settlement with US states over child safety, which mandates strict usage limits and parental controls for teens. The episode also covers the World Humanoid Robot Games in China, highlighting rapid advancements and the growing competition between Chinese manufacturers and Western firms like Tesla. Finally, they preview Nvidia’s upcoming earnings and OpenAI’s new custom chip, Jalapeno.
Topics discussed
Intro, sponsors, and breaking news alert
Meta settles $17bn lawsuit over child safety
New podcast format: Friday stories, Sunday interviews
Settlement details: fines and behavioral changes
Industry-wide impact and comparison to tobacco
Mental health funds and shifting parental attitudes
Specific app restrictions: filters, likes, and feeds
Independent auditing and global regulatory trends
Sponsors: KPMG and IBM at Wimbledon
World Humanoid Robot Games: highlights and bloopers
China's lead in humanoid robot manufacturing
Robot utility, Figure AI, and data collection
NVIDIA earnings and OpenAI's custom chip
Outro, next week's guest, and final sponsors
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