platform trials

The first US trial over allegations that TikTok contributed to a teen mental health crisis is set to begin, testing claims that the platform's design harms young users. The case is being closely watched as a test of social media companies' legal responsibility for youth wellbeing and could shape future litigation against major platforms.

Platform trials, which test multiple treatments simultaneously against a shared control group, are increasingly used in medicine and are changing how clinical evidence is generated. Critics and commentators argue that drug regulators have not adapted their evaluation frameworks to this faster, more flexible trial design, raising questions about how such evidence should be assessed and approved.

Google has begun testing a feature that lets users in India buy products from Flipkart, the Indian e-commerce platform owned by Walmart, directly through its Gemini assistant and AI Mode in Search. The trial points to a broader push to turn AI chat and search experiences into shopping channels, as tech companies race to blend conversational AI with online commerce.