Florida Monday became the first state in the U.S. to broadly regulate social media platforms' moderation of user speech online.
Driving the news: Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law fining social media services that permanently ban candidates running for office in Florida.
Netflix is planning to get into gaming, possibly with the launch of a suite of downloadable games, as first reported by The Information on Friday and reiterated by Axios sources.
Why it matters: Netflix has more than 200 million subscribers it can reach with games, but plenty of other entertainment juggernauts that have wanted a piece of the gaming market have struggled to grab more than scraps.
The 20-year-old Tribeca Film Festival, traditionally held in downtown New York City, will include eight games as official selections this year.
Why it matters: The video game industry often exudes an inferiority complex as it compares itself to cinema, but this is a case of a film institution veering toward games as an art form.
Twitch, the top platform for gaming streamers, is launching a new category dedicated to pools, hot tubs and beaches after an uproar over women broadcasting in swimwear.
The big picture: Twitch is primarily thought of as a place for streaming video games, but it’s branched into more general content in the last few years. When we talk about streamers in hot tubs, we’re actually talking about an ongoing discussion over what women are allowed to wear on the Amazon-owned platform.
Startup OVR Technology is incorporating smell into virtual reality and using it in a new program designed to allow people to experience the effects of climate change.
Why it matters: VR can already simulate sight, sound and a sense of movement, but adding smell can help stimulate memories and emotional experiences, making virtual reality all the more real.
After over a year in which parents let kids sit in front of screens pretty much all the time, reining in their digital fixation will be a challenge.
Why it matters: Some studies have suggested that certain types of digital content such as social media can have addictive qualities, and that consuming too much can be harmful to children, particularly adolescents.
