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In the latest sign that the Trump administration isnt so concerned about asbestos, the Food and Drug Administration this week withdrew a proposed rule that would have required testing for the toxic asbestos in talc-based cosmetics. The rule, which was proposed by the Biden administration less than a year ago, would have required manufacturers to test cosmetics for asbestos and keep records demonstrating compliance. Exposure to asbestos has been linked to lung cancer, mesothelioma, ovarian cancer, and laryngeal cancer, which is why various health agencies have determined theres no safe level of exposure to this natural mineral. Johnson & Johnson has been the subject of numerous lawsuits related to reports that the company knew about the risk of asbestos in the talc found in its baby powder. Talc is found in many cosmetics because it can be used to absorb moisture, prevent caking, and create a silky feel for these products, according to information on the FDA website. But the current administration seems to have yielded partly to the highly scientific and technical issues addressed in the 49 comments received during the mandatory public comment period, according to a legal notice posted to the federal registry and signed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Good cause exists to withdraw the proposed rule at this time, the order stated. We are withdrawing the proposed rule to reconsider best means of addressing the issues covered by the proposed rule and broader principles to reduce exposure to asbestos, and to ensure that any standardized testing method requirements for detecting asbestos in talc-containing cosmetic products help protect users of talc-containing cosmetic products from harmful exposure to asbestos. The FDA didnt immediately respond to a request for comment from Fast Company. WITHDRAWING FROM BIDENS BANS Withdrawing from this proposed rule doesnt necessarily mean that manufacturers will suddenly start adding asbestos to cosmetics, but rather a guardrail for ensuring the deadly toxin isnt present in these products is now being reconsidered. The FDA plans to issue a proposed rule related to the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022. A spokesperson for the agency confirmed as much to The New York Times, saying that the FDA will submit a new proposed rule that offers a more comprehensive approach to reducing exposure to asbestos and reducing asbestos related illness, including identifying safer additives as alternatives, especially when they are less costly. But both Trump administrations have demonstrated some willingness to walk back protections from this deadly carcinogen, allowing asbestos to make a comeback. By contrast, the Biden administration finalized a ban on ongoing uses of chrysotile asbestos in 2024 and also proposed the aforementioned rule for detecting and identifying asbestos in cosmetics. The current Trump administration has now taken a swipe at both of these efforts to ban asbestos. In June, the Environmental Protection Agency in June planned to withdraw a proposed ban on chrysotile asbestos, before reversing course less than one month later. OUTRAGE AT ROLLBACK The U.S. continues to be out-of-step with much of the rest of the world, where asbestos is completely outlawed in more than 50 countries. Notably, asbestos is not outlawed in China, where many cosmetics are manufactured. This latest move by the FDA is both baffling and troubling to some consumer advocates. Nothing could make America less healthy than having a cancer causing product in cosmetics, Scott Faber, vice president of government affairs with the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit thats lobbied for stricter regulations around talc, told The Guardian. Its hard to understand why we would revoke a rule that simply requires companies to test for asbestos. And it marks another horrific rollback that should outrage consumers, Linda Reinstein, president and chief executive of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, told The New York Times. It puts the onus on Americans to have to try to identify consumer products that might be contaminated, and the average person cant do that because you cant know without testing, she said.
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No one can deny that the internet, especially social media, can pose significant dangers. Now, a new survey has found that about one in five parents and carers knowand have supporteda child who has experienced online blackmail. The survey, from the U.K.s National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), also showed that one in ten of these individuals own children have experienced blackmail online. According to the NSPCC, bad actors often start communicating with young people on public platforms before actively moving the conversation to end-to-end encrypted messaging servicesmaking it more challenging for them to be tracked. Only 43% of parents and carers found tech companies or platforms effective in preventing online blackmail, and just 37% thought the same of the government. These findings show the scale of online blackmail that is taking place across the country, yet tech companies continue to fall short in their duty to protect children, NSPCC policy manager Randi Govender said in response to the report. Some participants blamed online platforms for failing to care about childrens welfare. As one said, They have no interest whatsoever. As long as they get their money from marketing, thats good enough for them. Another individual pointed to AIs role: I personally dont feel like they do enough to remove the damaging content fast enough and rely too heavily on AI rather than humans. The NSPCC also pointed to the role of AI in online blackmail, with bad actors sometimes using generative AI to create compromising deepfakes of children using regular photos of them on social media. Online blackmailing of young people is a global problem While the survey was of 2,558 U.K. parents and carers, online blackmailing of children is also running rampant in the U.S. In 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported 29.2 million separate child sexual exploitation incidents sent to its CyberTipline. The FBI also reports an increase in financial sextortion cases, in which a blackmaileroften posting as a young personconvinces a child to send sexually explicit images and then demands the child send compensation or they will release the images. Oftentimes, they publish it whether theyve received a payment or not. Instances of online blackmail can lead to young people attempting suicide. The role of parents in preventing online blackmailing The NSPCC survey highlights a shortfall in discussions between parents and children about online blackmail. About two in five parents and carers said theyve rarely or never talked about the subject with their children. They want and need more resources about online blackmailing, but also point to schools as another place children should learn about its dangers.
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E-Commerce
As we near the final weeks of the year, platforms of all stripes will soon begin rolling out their annual recap features, which let users see the content they have interacted with most. While numerous tech giants release these recaps, music streamer Spotify is usually the most anticipated. Known as Spotify Wrapped, this look-back lets you see which songs you interacted with most over the past 12 months. So when will Spotify Wrapped 2025 be available? Heres what you need to know. What is Spotify Wrapped 2025? Spotify Wrapped is the music streamers annual year-in-review compilation that allows Spotify users to see which songs, albums, and artists they interacted with most throughout the year. The company also reveals the most-streamed songs, artists, and albums worldwide among all its users. While the feature is ostensibly a year-end gift to users, Wrapped doubles as a massive free marketing campaign for the company. Millions of Spotify users frequently share their Wrapped results publicly on social media and privately in group chats and DMs. This kind of online virality benefits Spotify since, by sharing their Wrapped results, users are essentially advertising the companys streaming service to their friends and followers. Spotify Wrapped: Release Date History Spotify has historically released its annual Wrapped compilation at the end of each year, but the exact date varies. Spotify Wrapped has existed since 2016 (or 2015 if you count its first Year in Music recap), and Fast Company has covered the annual launch nearly every year since. In years past, these are the dates Spotify Wrapped launched: 2024: December 4 2023: November 29 2022: November 30 2021: December 1 2020: December 1 2019: December 5 2018: December 6 2017: December 13 2016: December 14 2015: December 6 (called Spotifys 2015 Year in Music) Spotify Wrapped 2025 Release Date As you can see from the dates above, the annual Spotify Wrapped compilation has been released as early as late November and as late as mid-December. Fast Company has reached out to Spotify seeking more information about this year’s Wrapped launch date. The streamer has not publicly hinted at a date yet, but it does currently have a placeholder page on its website teasing Spotify Wrapped 2025. Based on historical dates, its unlikely that Spotify will announce Wrapped 2025 over the weekend. That means the most likely dates for the launch of Spotify Wrapped 2025 would be sometime next week. Either way, Spotify likely wants to achieve maximum press and social media attention for the feature. How do I access Spotify Wrapped 2025? When Wrapped 2025 is released, youll be able to access it as you have in years past: through the Spotify app on iOS and Android. On Spotifys Wrapped 2025 placeholder page, the company provides a QR code that users can scan to download the Spotify app. The page also includes a message telling users to Get the updated app to experience 2025 Wrapped at its best.
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E-Commerce
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