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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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