Meta has threatened to remove news content from its California platforms if the state passes a bill that would oblige tech companies to pay publishers for content they post on their social media platforms, Reuters reports. The bill, known as the California Journalism Preservation Act, would require companies like Meta and Google to pay a fee to publishers based on advertising revenues from news content, to support newsrooms throughout the state. However, Facebook argues that the fees will instead go to out-of-state news organizations’ pockets at the expense of smaller, local publishers. Provided the bill is approved by the California State Assembly, it would be passed to the Senate.

Not Meta’s first threat: In December 2022, Meta announced it would remove all news content from its platforms if the Congress passes a bill that resembles California’s act, and is currently doing the same in Canada. Google has also joined the battle, threatening to remove links to news articles from Canadian search results. Back in 2021, Meta also threatened to remove news content from its platforms in Australia if the government passed a similar bill, dubbed as the News Media Bargaining Code. Australia did end up passing that bill, forcing Facebook to reach an agreement with Australian publishers to pay for their content.

Amazon’s Ring doorbell camera unit gets a USD 5.8 mn slap on the wrist over privacy issues: The US Federal Trade Commission issued an order for Amazon to pay USD 5.8 mn and “implement a privacy and security program” over privacy violations in its Ring doorbell camera unit, according to a court filing yesterday. “Ring deceived its customers by failing to restrict employees’ and contractors’ access to its customers’ videos, using customer videos to train algorithms, among other purposes, without consent, and failing to implement security safeguards,” the filing said, with the FTC saying these violations resulted in “egregious violations of users’ privacy.” The violations were related to a former employee who spied on female customers for months in 2017 with cameras placed in bedrooms and bathrooms, Reuters reports.

Getting sick is a banal fact of life, but what are the limits of what a healthy immune system can stand? It’s a health red flag if your body requires more than 3-4 antibiotics courses per year — that is, enduring illnesses that are more than your average flu, sore throat, and other run-of-the-mill sicknesses, the Washington Post says in its Ask a Doctor column.

What can you do to help your immunity? A balanced lifestyle is key to boost white cell production and health. That includes all the obvious health tips we’ve all known for years: Good sleeping habits, reducing stress as much as possible, proper nutrition, regular physical activity, and avoiding smoking and alcohol are all important factors to boosting and supporting your body’s natural immunity. Opting for regular vaccines can also help ward off seasonal viruses, the WaPo’s doctor says.

Beyond the healthy lifestyle: But what if you’re still feeling unwell and falling sick often? In order to rule out any immunodeficiencies, you should consult your physician who will likely recommend running a number of tests. A general look at your antibody levels is typically the first step in addition to a white blood cell count. If more tests are necessary, an expert can examine your cells on a molecular level to identify any mutations that may be behind your complaints. Testing for chronic issues like kidney disease and infections from widespread viruses like covid-19 may also be useful. People with conditions or circumstances that are known to suppress immunity like pregnancy, chemotherapy, or old age should be more careful by avoiding crowded areas or wearing face masks if needed.

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