What happened
Mark Zuckerberg appeared before a jury yesterday as part of a closely watched case that is examining whether major social media platforms failed to safeguard the wellbeing of their young users. Lawyers representing families grilled the Meta chief about internal concerns that the company was not doing enough to detect children aged under 13 on its services.

Who said what
Zuckerberg told the court that Meta had strengthened its systems for spotting underage users, but added: “I always wish that we could have gotten there sooner.” Plaintiffs’ counsel challenged the company’s reliance on sign-up disclosures, asking: “You expect a nine-year-old to read all of the fine print? That’s your basis for swearing under oath that children under 13 are not allowed?”

“Tech companies have long relied on a US federal law that shields them from liability for content posted by users,” said Sanya Mansoor in The Guardian. However, the “plaintiffs’ novel argument” – which is focused on harmful design and harmful content – has “so far sidestepped this defence”.

What next?
The proceedings could greatly influence hundreds of similar lawsuits and potentially force changes to social media platform design. A separate legal action in New Mexico also accuses Meta of withholding information about the risks to children – claims that the company denies.

What happened
Ukrainian officials will not attend the Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics next month in protest at the decision to clear 10 Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags. The Russian flag and national anthem have been banned from the Olympic or Paralympic Games since Sochi in 2012 because of the state-sponsored doping scandal and the country’s invasion of Ukraine. But the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) lifted the ban in September, and yesterday confirmed the decision over the flags.

Who said what
Russian and Belarusian flags “have no place at international sporting events that stand for fairness, integrity and respect”, said Ukraine’s Sports Minister Matviy Bidnyi. These are “regimes that have turned sport into a tool of war, lies and contempt”.

The calibre of the athletes involved raises “the strong possibility that Russia’s anthem will be heard next month”, said The Guardian.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the IPC should “reconsider (the move) urgently”. While “the brutal invasion of Ukraine continues”, it “sends a terrible message”, she posted on X.

What next?
Ukraine’s athletes will still take part in the games, which will run from 6 to 15 March, but none of its officials will attend the opening ceremony or any event.

Scrolling through TikTok, you may have noticed what appears to be an episode of a TV show with no notable actors, filmed entirely vertically and clocking in at just one minute. That’s because entertainment has been moving from the big screen to the small screen in the form of microdramas. These shows are consumed in multiple parts and meant to be viewed on a mobile phone. And their growing popularity is creating new opportunities in the entertainment industry.

Microdramas originated in China, where they are known as “duanju.” There, they have become a massive success, surpassing $6.9 billion (£5.11 billion) in revenue in 2024. This prompted the US to open its doors to the mini movies, which earned $1.4 billion (£1.04 billion) in revenue there last year. Microdramas are “perfectly suited for the shorter attention spans of today’s online users”, said Hello! magazine. Microdramas are similar to soap operas, focusing on common tropes and over-the-top theatrics. Their total duration can be the length of a feature film, but split into 80 parts.

While these shorts appear on TikTok and Instagram, platforms like ReelShort and DramaBox are growing in popularity as apps that are dedicated to microdramas. They can be quite profitable as, while the “first few episodes are typically free to watch”, it’s a case of “once you want to see more, you’ll have to pay up”, said NPR. This could “cost viewers ... up to $80 (£59) a month”.

Microdramas are “sort of the ‘Triple Crown’ of the modern entertainment industry”, Tomm Polos, the director of creator arts at the University of Southern California, told NBC News. “They’re social-friendly, they’re cost-effective and they’re data-driven. That is what everyone wants.”