Legal action against Grok's new explicit image generation tools and how youth movements are taking on social media addiction

Legal action against Grok's new explicit image generation tools and how youth movements are taking on social media addiction

Author: Amanda Stephens, Hanna Bilinski,Rti February 2, 2026 Duration: 0:00
This week, Hanna and Amanda finally address X users who've been using Grok AI to undress women and children and (THANK GOD) the legal action and scrutiny the app is now facing. Then, we’ll be taking a look at how youths (and governments) are striking back at social media companies with a lawsuit in the U.S. against socials for using addictive tactics, and how France is hopping on the Youth Social Media ban-bandwagon. Read along with us! Grok explicit images cases, and followup: 1. California launches investigation into xAI and Grok over sexualized AI images (Rebecca Cohen, NBC), 2.Musk's X investigated by EU over Grok sexualised images after public outcry ( Foo Yun Chee and Sam Tabahriti, Reuters), 3. EU investigates Elon Musk's X over Grok AI sexual deepfakes (Laura Cress, BBC), 4. Elon Musk's X makes major change to Grok after deepfake backlash, but will it make a difference? (Jade Biggs and Jennifer Savin, Cosmopolitan) Social Media Lawsuit: 1. Social media firms face landmark trial in US | BBC News (BBC Youtube), 2. Social media firms face landmark trial in US (Lily Jamali, BBC News), 3. Tech giants head to landmark US trial over social media addiction claims (The Guardian), 4. What legal experts say about a major 'bellwether trial' over child social media addiction (PBS) Social Media Bans for Teens: 1. French lawmakers vote to ban social media use by under-15s ( AFP, The Guardian), 2. ‘Already had a profound effect’: parents react to Australia’s social media ban (Josh Taylor, The Guardian)

Every week, writers Hanna Bilinski and Amanda Stephens find themselves stuck in the same cycle: falling down a rabbit hole of alarming headlines and relentless updates. The Doomscroll News Report is their attempt to climb back out and make sense of it all. Instead of just recapping the major international stories that flooded their feeds, they pause to place each event within a broader context, asking what it really means for the global conversation. This isn't a straight news broadcast; it's a dialogue between two curious observers who bring on knowledgeable guests to deepen the discussion. By weaving together expert insight with their own perspectives as individuals striving to stay informed, they create a space for understanding that goes beyond the reactive nature of the daily news cycle. Tuning into this podcast feels like joining a necessary conversation that seeks clarity and connection amidst the noise, offering a thoughtful alternative to the endless scroll.
Author: Language: en_us Episodes: 50

The Doomscroll News Report
Podcast Episodes
Mayors and maternity, and the USA turns 250 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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This week, lonely host Amanda Stephens is joined by returning guest Michelle Chiang to talk about the Japanese politicians stirring the pot by... just being pregnant and taking medical leave? And also how we feel about t…
Starbucks gets a history lesson, and the UK will get a new PM [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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This week, in Hanna's absence, Amanda discusses current events with fellow Rti-hosts who may have a stake in the global turmoil. First, Michelle Chiang joins to discuss why Starbucks South Korea got a state-mandated hist…
World-record heat, FIFA problems, and the Enhanced Games disappoints [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Hosts Hanna and Amanda tackle the heatwaves that struck near the end of May, why that may be one of MANY problems for the very-quickly-upcoming FIFA games, and what even happened with the so-called "Enhanced Games." Read…
Trump Xi Summit, Ebola Virus, and good news actually? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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This week, hosts Amanda and Hanna discuss the ripple effects of the Trump-Xi summit, the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, and media reforms in Hungary after Orban's depature and why they may actually give us... hope…
Boats (Hormuz), boats (hantavirus), and billionaires [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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This week, Amanda and Hanna talk about what it really means that the Strait is Blocked up (spoiler: very expensive groceries), how scary is hantavisrus really? And the MET Gala’s fun new billionaire funder. We're talking…