TikTok fined for breaching EU data law on children’s privacy. The EUR 345 mn ticket was issued by Irish regulators under the GDPR privacy law, according to the BBC. An investigation conducted found that TikTok was not transparent enough with children about its privacy settings — making accounts public by default for those aged 13 to 17. TikTok disagrees with the decision and believes the criticisms are focused on features that were changed before the investigation began.

This fine was one of the largest. In April 2020, TikTok was fined by the UK data watchdog GBP 12.7 mn for allowing children under the age of 13 to have an account. Since then, TikTok has become more compliant in making accounts for 13 to 15-year-olds private by default in January 2021. This month, all 16 and 17-year-olds signing up will have their accounts automatically private. These actions aim to address concerns over data protection and underage usage.

Rapidly intensifying storms are now more common within 386 km of coastlines than they were four decades ago, reports a recent study published in Nature. Satellites recently released images of Hurricane Lee, where meteorologists have identified it as “a monster storm”, where wind speeds increased from an Category 1 storm to a Category 5 storm in 24 hours, as one weather presenter from WKRG-TV said. Scientists predict that global warming will lead to more hurricanes like Lee, which have the potential to double in strength before hitting coastal communities.

Contributions to rapid intensification are from environmental nuances, like the influence of freshwater and increased rainfall. A study, conducted by Ruby Leung, an atmospheric scientist, showed that freshwater from river systems can increase the chances of rapid intensification in certain areas. Climate change is also causing hurricanes to produce more rainfall. Forecasting models could enhance their accuracy by gathering more data from the inner core of hurricanes. Through devices such as Hurricane Hunter reconnaissance flights, as well as detailed measurements from satellite data, buoys, and drones, according to The National Geographic.

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