👩🏽‍⚖️ Parents are Big Tech’s new problem

PLUS: USPS wants in on the fast-delivery wars. March 24, 2022 [The Hustle] Zoom’s new Avatars feature lets you show up to meetings as a rabbit, fox, dog, and more. All we have to say is that we foresee many more viral Zoom moments in the near future. 📣 P.S. To celebrate the launch of HubSpot Creators, we’re giving away an iPhone, Airpod Pros, and a bunch more goodies. [Find out more here](. In today’s email: - Parents vs. tech: A new bill would let parents sue social media companies. - Chart: Americans’ warped perception of millionaires. - USPS: Can the agency compete in fast delivery? - Around the web: An audio-driven magazine, secret secrets, Telegram tips, and more cool internet finds. 🎧 On the go? [Listen to today’s 10-minute podcast]( to hear about Maine’s insane potato industry, Petco’s inflation prediction, parents vs. Big Tech, Russian oligarch shenanigans, and more. The Big Idea [Facebook logo on a screen]( A California bill would let parents sue predatory social media companies Some people might think it's a parent’s job to limit screen time, but what if companies are doing everything they can to keep kids scrolling? The [Social Media Platform Duty to Children Act]( is a California bill that would allow parents and guardians to sue social media companies that fail to prevent addiction in children. The bill would only apply to companies that earn $100m+ in annual revenue and excludes things like search engines, streaming services, email providers, and comment sections. But it mentions Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok by name. Penalties for violators include: - A civil penalty of up to $25k per child user - Damages of $1k+ per child in a class-action suit Companies can avoid liability by regularly auditing features and removing those determined to cause harm. How social media hooks kids The more time we spend on social media, the more those companies profit — thus, incentivizing them to keep us engaged. Some tactics, however, are [known]( to be addictive: - Endless scroll - Social rewards, like “Likes” - Collecting data so that algorithms can feed users targeted content This can lead to significant harm in some users. Documents [leaked]( by the Facebook whistleblower included studies that found Instagram worsened eating disorders and self-esteem issues in teen girls. The Wall Street Journal investigated TikTok algorithms’ negative [impact]( on eating disorders. Would this bill work? The bill suggests the best way to get companies to stop causing harm is to make “harmful things risky or unprofitable.” But one expert [told]( Time the law is “too vague to be… actionable,” and thinks it’d be best to prevent data collection in the 1st place. To that end, there are other bills in the pipeline: - A Minnesota [bill]( would prohibit social media from using algorithms to target content to anyone under 18. - California’s [Age-Appropriate Design Code Act]( lists several protections for children, including restricting data collection. - At the federal level, the [Kids Online Safety Act]( would limit data collection, addictive features, and allow users to opt out of algorithm-based recommendations. BTW: The Addiction Center has [some tips]( for identifying social media addiction, as well as preventing or curbing it. [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=A+California+bill+would+let+parents+sue+predatory+social+media+companies%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F03242022-Duty-to-Children-Act%3Futm_campaign%3DDuty%2Bto%2BChildren%2BAct%26utm_content%3D03242022-Duty-to-Children-Act%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( SNIPPETS Podcast showdown: Apple [doubled down]( on podcasts, adding audience analytics tools and promotional tools that will go live in April. The new features will allow the company to better compete with Spotify. AR acquisition: Snap [bought]( NextMind, a French startup that makes AR headbands. Analysts believe the technology will eventually be built into Snap’s Spectacles glasses. Jumpman increasing its vertical: Nike [announced]( plans to open Jordan brand stores in 2023 as part of its D2C shift. In the past 4 years, the company has cut its wholesale accounts by 50%+. Great Scott! MacKenzie Scott [wrote]( a blog post announcing that her team had donated $3.8B+ to 465 nonprofits since last June, including a $436m donation to Habitat for Humanity. $1.5 billi-Haun: Katie Haun, previously a general partner at a16z, [launched]( Haun Ventures, raising $1.5B to invest in Web3. Searches for #Neurosciencehacks [increased 8x on TikTok]( over the last 90 days. [Get Trends access]( to read our industry report and hundreds more. --------------------------------------------------------------- Hey — enjoy getting quick updates on what you care about? Take [20 seconds]( to personalize your Snippets. Pick your preferences👇 and we’ll send you more of what you love. Boom. [Personalize my Email →]( Guess what [guesstimating $1m+ income households]( Singdhi Sokpo It appears Americans suck at guesstimating Recent YouGov [polls]( that ask folks to guess the percentage of US adults that fall into small subgroups show sizable discrepancies when compared to true proportions. On average, for example, respondents said they perceive 20% of the US adult population to have a household income of $1m+. In reality, it’s less than 1%. Other interesting findings include: - Have a college degree: 47% perceived, 33% actual - Have flown on a plane: 59% perceived, 88% actual - Have a $25k+ household income: 62% perceived, 82% actual - Are left-handed: 34% perceived, 11% actual - Are Jewish: 30% perceived, 2% actual For fun, let’s do our own poll right now: If you had to guess, how many Bitcoin millionaires are there? If you said [86,048](, you’d be correct. [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=It+appears+Americans+suck+at+guesstimating%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F03242022-millionaires%3Futm_campaign%3DDuty%2Bto%2BChildren%2BAct%26utm_content%3D03242022-millionaires%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( Free Resource 4 templates for flawless memos Nobody is gonna tell you when you deliver a bad memo – but they know. Oh, they know. But we’ve got a sensible fix. You’ve got many words to consider, so stop stressing about format. Take all [4 templates for general, organizational, financial, and problem-solving memo updates](, thanks to the HubSpot experts who write them. Excessively. Play Mad Libs with these memo templates - Templates for 4 types of team communication - Clear, concise, and actionable instructions - Complete with some spiffy little checklists You know how we do. Saving you slices of time in many small ways. [Upgrade my memo game →]( Delivery Disruptor [USPS driver delivering mail]( USPS wants in on the fast-delivery wars. Can it compete? USPS has been called many things, but “disruptor” is not one of them. A new offering called USPS Connect pits the agency against other fast-delivery players, and could be a game changer for ecommerce upstarts. So what is it? [USPS Connect]( gives businesses of all sizes fast delivery options using the Postal Service network, previously only available to high-volume shippers, per Modern Shipper. Specifically, Connect includes 4 services: - Local, offers same-day delivery in [select locations](, and next-day delivery in all locations - Regional, offers next-day regional delivery across [most locations]( - National, offers a range of options from 1st-class to ground shipping - Returns, allows businesses to offer customers free returns via en route pickup The offering also gives all customers access to the USPS Click-N-Ship platform, where they can buy postage and print labels online. USPS ran a trial of Connect in Texas in 2021 and has already started [rolling it out]( nationwide. Will it be successful? On one hand, USPS already has a sophisticated delivery network, with drivers visiting customers’ homes on a daily basis. On the other, fast delivery isn’t exactly an untapped market — key players include FedEx, UPS, and, oh yeah, a little startup called Amazon. It’s been said that “slow and steady wins the race,” and in the context of fast delivery, USPS is likely hoping that’s the case. [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=USPS+wants+in+on+the+fast-delivery+wars.+Can+it+compete%3F%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F03242022-USPS-Connect%3Futm_campaign%3DDuty%2Bto%2BChildren%2BAct%26utm_content%3D03242022-USPS-Connect%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( AROUND THE WEB 🛢️ On this day: In 1989, oil tanker Exxon Valdez [crashed]( in Prince William Sound, Alaska, gushing 11m gallons of oil — one of the worst environmental disasters of all time. 🤫 That’s interesting: Why do people let secrets about others slip? This [study]( suggests people do it to punish each other when they believe the secret is immoral. 🗒️ How to: Popular Science shares [some tips]( for getting the most out of messaging app Telegram. 🎧 That’s cool: [Hii Magazine]( is a collection of articles about sound that you can read or, naturally, listen to. 🐕 Aww: A [dog]( that’s clearly loving snow more than its owner. Meme of the day [Mark Zuckerberg meme] When a nation of parents line up to sue. (Source: [Distractify]() SHARE THE HUSTLE Hey. Stop keeping us a secret. Refer just 3 people and we’ll start to send some goodies as a thank you. [My First Million ebook]( Spread the news. Help us grow 🌱 [Share The Hustle 🤠→]( Or copy this custom referral link: [ Your referral count: 0 How did you like today’s email? Today's email was brought to you by [Jacob Cohen](, [Juliet Bennett Rylah](, [Rob Litterst](. Editing by: Mark “Can I sue Big Tech, too?” Dent. 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