To create a sustainable relationship with nature, Indigenous and ancient peoples considered the Earth a living being, acknowledged its dangers and created regulations. For example, before entering the underground, miners fasted, meditated and prayed. Sometimes, to purify and protect themselves, they abstained from sex before mining.
Our modern society aims for tech development and profit regardless their impacts to the Earth, workers or public health. We have largely done away with regulations.
Now, after decades of telecom and "renewable" energy developers lobbying to move their projects forward without limits, many people notice the consequences of these efforts: runaway fires at battery storage systems, slave-made solar PV systems that do not biodegrade, water and electricity-guzzling data centers, flammable e-vehicles and EV charging stations-- and the mining, refining, unjust working conditions and international supply chains that they require during manufacturing.
When regulations support corporate projects, regardless their impacts to wildlife, waterways or workers, what options do communities and households have?
Let me salute the people who work to impose limits within our system:
REGULATING META's INFLUENCE OF CHILDREN
In a landmark settlement regarding regulation of young peoples' social media use, Meta must pay 47 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories up to $17.1 billion; and it agreed to make major changes to its platforms that endanger children. Users under 18 will now get just two hours a day on apps, and no time at all between midnight and 6 a.m. No notifications will be sent during school hours. After 15 consecutive minutes on Instagram or Facebook, a prompt will appear on the screen. There'll be another prompt at 60 minutes of use, and again at 90 minutes. Teens will be able to turn off "autoplay" for videos and algorithmic, personalized feeds. Young users will no longer be able to alter their appearance with digital makeup or cosmetic surgery. Meta will improve tools parents can use to monitor what their children are doing on the platforms. Meta is on the hook for $17 billion only if TikTok, YouTube and Snap also agree to make these changes. (These companies are not legally required to do that.)
Meanwhile, some people say that the Meta ruling opens the way to surveil children more and collect more of our data. So, this ruling is not perfect.
IN FRANCE, on July 21, the Parliament adopted a law aiming to address young peoples' anxiety, depression and sleep disorders from social media use. It banned use of social media by people under 15. On August 14, France's Constitutional Council struck down this legislation, finding that the law infringed on children's freedom of expression and communication, impinged on their rights to access information and engage in democracy, and prevented their education for future engagement with democracy. Further, the bill marginalized parents as impotent in the face of digital giants' seductive power.
And so, we've opened Pandora's box.
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