Researchers are now using artificial intelligence to help tailor cancer treatments and uncover overlooked uses for existing medicines. Othe...

How AI could transform cancer treatment and medicine

Researchers are now using artificial intelligence to help tailor cancer treatments and uncover overlooked uses for existing medicines. Other systems can search microscopic images or identify subtle biological signals that people could easily miss.

Some of these technologies have already helped patients. Others remain in clinical trials or research labs, so we need to be careful about separating promising science from treatments you can actually receive today.

Still, what researchers are accomplishing would have been difficult to imagine a few years ago. Here's where AI is already changing medicine and what you should know before trusting it with your health.

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CANCER VACCINE PREVENTS DEADLY MELANOMA FROM RETURNING OR SPREADING IN LANDMARK TRIAL

One of the biggest recent developments comes from Moderna and Merck. On Aug. 19, the companies announced positive topline results from a Phase 3 melanoma trial. The study tested intismeran autogene, also known as V940 or mRNA-4157, alongside Keytruda. The trial enrolled 1,137 people with high-risk melanoma that surgeons had completely removed. The combination met its primary endpoint for recurrence-free survival. It also met a key secondary endpoint measuring distant metastasis-free survival.

Merck and Moderna said this was the first positive Phase 3 readout for an individualized neoantigen therapy. It was also the first positive Phase 3 result for an mRNA-based cancer therapy. That sounds complicated, but the basic idea is fascinating. Researchers start with a sample of a patient's tumor. They analyze its unique mutations and use an algorithm to select targets that may help the immune system recognize the cancer. The resulting individualized therapy can encode up to 34 neoantigens. Moderna has also said the V940 program uses integrated AI algorithms during the development process.

The company then creates an mRNA treatment based on the selected targets. You may have seen this approach called a personalized cancer vaccine. Moderna and Merck currently describe intismeran as an individualized neoantigen therapy. The goal is to train the immune system to recognize characteristics unique to that patient's cancer.

There is plenty of reason for excitement, but there is also an important limitation. Merck and Moderna have announced only topline results from the Phase 3 trial so far. The companies plan to present the full findings at an international medical meeting and share them with regulators. The study also continues to track overall survival.

Earlier results offer additional context. In a smaller Phase 2b study with longer follow-up, intismeran plus Keytruda reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 49% compared with Keytruda alone. It also reduced the risk of distant metastasis or death by 59%. Those earlier results came from a much smaller patient group. That makes the larger Phase 3 trial an important step forward. Still, intismeran remains investigational. The FDA has not approved intismeran as a melanoma treatment.

Developing a new medicine can take years. Another group of researchers is asking a different question: What if a useful treatment already exists? Dr. David Fajgenbaum co-founded the nonprofit Every Cure to pursue that possibility. According to Every Cure's 2025 annual report, about 18,000 recognized diseases exist worldwide. The organization says roughly 4,000 have FDA-approved medications. That leaves an enormous number of diseases with limited treatment options.

Every Cure uses AI to scan biomedical knowledge and look for connections between existing medicines and other diseases they might potentially treat. The organization says its system can generate tens of millions of predictions in less than a day. Researchers then examine the most promising possibilities.

The federal Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H, is backing this approach through a project called MATRIX. MATRIX uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to predict which FDA-approved drugs could potentially treat other diseases. Researchers then validate promising candidates through laboratory or clinical work. AI does not prove that a drug will work for another illness. Instead, it can help researchers decide where to look next. That could dramatically narrow an otherwise enormous search.

Fajgenbaum has seen firsthand what finding a new use for an existing drug can mean. Kaila Mabus developed multicentric Castleman disease at 13 and became severely ill despite chemotherapy. In 2020, her doctors tried ruxolitinib, a drug already used for certain blood disorders but not FDA-approved for Castleman disease. She began improving within months and was declared in remission in January 2021. AI did not identify her treatment, but her case shows why Every Cure wants to use AI to uncover promising drug-disease connections much faster and on a far larger scale.

At Columbia University Fertility Center, artificial intelligence has taken on a very different challenge. Researchers developed the Sperm Tracking and Recovery system, known as STAR. It combines high-speed imaging with an AI detection model and microfluidics.

STAR was designed for patients with azoospermia or cryptozoospermia, conditions where sperm may appear absent or exist in extremely small numbers. The system examines a semen sample far more thoroughly than a person could reasonably do by hand. STAR can capture and process about 1.1 million images every hour. Its AI model examines frames for possible sperm cells.

When the system confirms one, a microfluidic mechanism isolates the cell. Doctors may then use the recovered sperm for fertility treatment or freeze it for later use. In one validation sample, embryologists searched for two days without finding sperm. STAR found 44 sperm in about an hour. That is exactly the type of repetitive search where AI can shine. A human eye can get tired. A computer can keep examining frame after frame.

NEW BLOOD TEST DETECTS 90% OF AGGRESSIVE PROSTATE CANCER CASES, BEATING CURRENT SCREENINGS

This technology has moved beyond a research demonstration. Columbia says STAR achieved its first reported pregnancy in March 2025. The couple involved had spent nearly two decades trying to conceive. STAR found and recovered sperm that conventional examination of the same sample had missed. The pregnancy later resulted in a healthy delivery.

That does not mean STAR will work for everyone. Columbia currently reports that sperm are found in about 28% of patients who previously received an azoospermia diagnosis. The center says about 20% of mature eggs fertilize with STAR-recovered sperm. Around 18% of those fertilized eggs develop into good-quality embryos for transfer or freezing.

Those rates are lower than typical IVF or ICSI. The patients using STAR often face especially difficult fertility problems, which helps explain the difference. Even so, the technology shows how finding one tiny biological clue can completely change the options available to a patient.

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong are exploring another possibility. Their AI-based tool, called CardiOmicScore, analyzes molecular information found in blood. The researchers used large-scale data from the UK Biobank. Their system examined 2,920 circulating proteins and 168 metabolites. It also incorporated genomic information.

CardiOmicScore uses deep learning to estimate the future risk of six cardiovascular diseases. Those include coronary artery disease, stroke and heart failure. The system also evaluates atrial fibrillation, peripheral artery disease and venous thromboembolism. Researchers found that the approach improved risk prediction when combined with standard clinical information. In some cases, CardiOmicScore could flag elevated risk as much as 15 years before symptoms appeared.

Think about what that could eventually mean. Instead of discovering cardiovascular disease after symptoms develop, doctors might get a warning while there is still more time to intervene. However, CardiOmicScore remains a research development. You cannot walk into your doctor's office today and request it as a routine screening test.

At UCLA, scientists are taking another approach to personalized cancer treatment. They create tiny laboratory-grown replicas of patient tumors called organoids. Researchers can expose those organoids to different drugs and monitor what happens. Their platform combines 3D bioprinting with advanced imaging and artificial intelligence. AI helps researchers process the large amount of imaging data generated as the organoids respond to treatment. The system can track thousands of individual organoids.

That allows researchers to examine how different parts of a tumor respond to various drugs. This could be valuable because cancer can behave differently from one patient to another. Even cells within the same person's tumor can respond differently to treatment. Eventually, researchers hope this type of technology could help identify therapies that better fit an individual patient's cancer. For now, UCLA continues to develop and validate the platform.

The possibilities for AI in medicine extend beyond blood samples and microscopes. Researchers are also studying what computers can learn from the way we speak. A Perspective published Sept. 4 in npj Digital Medicine examined voice biomarkers for ALS and Parkinson's disease.

Neurodegenerative diseases can cause measurable changes in speech. Researchers believe AI could potentially analyze those changes and help monitor disease progression. For ALS, the authors see particular potential in tracking changes that affect speech and swallowing. However, this field remains early.

At the time of publication, no speech or voice-derived endpoint for ALS or Parkinson's disease had received qualification from the FDA or European Medicines Agency. One ALS speech analytics platform has received FDA Breakthrough Device designation. That status can help speed regulatory review, but it does not amount to FDA marketing authorization. Researchers see real potential here. The clinical proof still has more catching up to do.

PATIENTS REMAIN CANCER-FREE NEARLY 3 YEARS AFTER RECEIVING EXPERIMENTAL IMMUNOTHERAPY

You may encounter AI in your healthcare without ever opening an AI chatbot.

A laboratory could use it while analyzing a tumor. A fertility clinic might use it to search for something the human eye missed. Researchers can also use AI behind the scenes to find treatments worth investigating. The key question for you is how much evidence supports the specific technology being used.

A university research project sits at a very different stage from a medical device that has gone through clinical testing and regulatory review. You should also understand how much human oversight remains involved. AI can help doctors process information and identify patterns.

Your healthcare decisions still deserve qualified medical judgment based on your individual circumstances.

That is why asking a few questions can help when AI becomes part of your care.

Medical AI can be useful. You still deserve to know how it affects you.

Find out what role the technology plays in your care. Does it analyze information for a doctor? Does it flag something for additional review? The phrase "AI-powered" can cover a wide range of technology, so ask for a simple explanation.

Ask whether a doctor, specialist or laboratory professional checks the AI's findings before anyone makes a decision. Human review becomes especially important when a result could affect treatment or diagnosis.

Ask whether the FDA has cleared or approved the technology when regulatory authorization applies. Also find out what type of research supports it. Early research can show promise while still leaving important questions unanswered.

Medical AI may rely on sensitive health information. Ask how your provider stores that data and who can access it. You can also ask whether your information may be used to improve or train an AI system. For more on transparency around artificial intelligence in healthcare, see our CyberGuy guide on what patients should know about AI disclosure. This article provides general information and does not replace advice from your healthcare professional.

What I find so interesting here is how AI can help doctors and researchers see things that would be incredibly difficult to find on their own. A system can search more than a million microscope images in an hour looking for a single sperm cell. Another can sift through huge amounts of medical research to find a possible new use for an existing drug. Researchers are even developing cancer treatments around the unique mutations inside one patient's tumor. That is pretty remarkable. But I also think we have to be careful not to let the excitement around AI move faster than the science. The melanoma Phase 3 results are encouraging, but we still need to see the complete data. Several of the other technologies in this article remain experimental or available only in limited settings. For me, that is where this gets really interesting. AI may help doctors find answers faster and uncover possibilities they might otherwise miss. What I want to see next is how often those discoveries translate into treatments that actually make people healthier and improve their lives.

If AI uncovered a treatment your doctor had never considered, how much evidence would you need before you felt comfortable trying it? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

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President Donald Trump on Sunday signaled that he would not intervene in the case of Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy, who is charged wi...

Trump says Lindsay Clancy case is a ‘state situation' following attorney's pardon plea

President Donald Trump on Sunday signaled that he would not intervene in the case of Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy, who is charged with killing her three young children amid allegations that she suffered from postpartum psychosis. 

When asked whether he would pardon Clancy, Trump called the situation "very sad" but said the case is ultimately a "state situation," not a federal one.

"There’s no winner there. There’s no win no matter what you do. Three children are dead," he said. 

LINDSAY CLANCY'S LAWYER REVEALS POST-MISTRIAL STRATEGY AS RETRIAL LOOMS

The response came after Kevin Reddington, who represents Clancy, publicly asked Trump to grant his client a pardon last week. Reddington had acknowledged that Trump had no authority to issue a pardon in a state matter, but hoped he could still influence the outcome, according to his interview with WBZ-TV. 

Trump indicated that the defense and prosecution need to resolve the legal matter at the local level while praising Reddington's work. 

"He’s a good attorney. I’ve heard from other people he’s a very good attorney," Trump said. "I hope they can work it out. That’s something they have to work out … There is no win there."

LINDSAY CLANCY JUROR ADMITTED 'REASONABLE DOUBT' BUT STILL REFUSED INSANITY VERDICT, FOREPERSON SAYS

Previously, Trump said Clancy would still have to "pay the price" for the deaths of her three children. 

"I assume there's going to be another trial. It's a terrible situation. Look, she did a horrible, horrible thing. Can't be worse. But you'll find out what the price to pay is. There'll be a price. It's going to be [a] mental institution or jail or something," he said. 

Clancy, a 36-year-old former nurse, faces three counts of first-degree murder in the 2023 deaths of her children: 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan. 

After their deaths, Clancy attempted to kill herself and was left paralyzed from the injuries. 

Her defense attorneys have argued that Clancy suffered from postpartum psychosis, a severe but rare psychiatric condition that causes a sudden loss of reality after childbirth. 

According to ABC, Reddington said Clancy had sought treatment from a psychiatrist he described as inexperienced. The psychiatrist reportedly prescribed her medications for postpartum depression in the months leading up to her reported psychotic break. 

Clancy now faces a potential retrial after jurors deadlocked following a full week of deliberations, prompting Judge William Sullivan to declare a mistrial earlier this month. 

The jury was split 11 to 1, with 11 jurors reportedly favoring an acquittal on the grounds that Clancy was not criminally responsible for the killings. The jury consisted of nine women and three men.  

Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz and Elaine Mallon contributed to this report.



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A California state agency is changing its construction plans following an outcry from residents who said a new fence was blocking the town’s...

Coastal town revolts after $9.5M upgrade walls off beloved ocean views: 'You can't see the sea'

A California state agency is changing its construction plans following an outcry from residents who said a new fence was blocking the town’s ocean views.

The California Department of Transportation’s (Caltrans) approximately $9.5 million improvement project was undertaken to address pedestrian safety and disability access along Highway 1 through Fort Bragg in Northern California’s Mendocino County.

But as soon as residents saw a tall new fence start to go up, they took action.

ONCE-HIDDEN COASTAL TOWN FACING DISRUPTION AS SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS TRANSFORM LOCAL LIFE

"The entrance to our town now has a fence that is substantially higher than the original fence and blocks the view of the ocean — a view that has long been part of what makes Fort Bragg special," Mary Rose Kaczorowski, a candidate for Fort Bragg City Council, wrote in a letter to the editor of the Ukiah Daily Journal.

"This is not simply a matter of replacing an existing fence; it changes the character and view of one of our town’s important gateways," she wrote.

The new fence along Main Street replaced an older, shorter wooden fence that allowed passersby to see the Noyo Headlands and ocean beyond it, according to SFGATE.

"We’re marketing towards being a sea town, but you can’t see the sea. It’s a bit of a buzzkill," Aiden McFadden, a front-desk associate at the Seabird Lodge, told SFGATE.

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"We understand why they’re putting in the fencing, but we didn’t expect there to be an actual wall, a barrier, between us and the ocean view," she said. "The original fence did its work."

Kaczorowski wrote that residents and "everyone who comes to Fort Bragg" deserved "a clear explanation of why this substantially higher fence was installed and how the decision was made."

"Did anyone stop to ask how this substantially higher fence would affect the people who live here — or how it would change the view at the entrance to our town?" she wrote. 

"That is precisely why coastal local residents are shocked and angry at the fence that blocks our coastal view."

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Caltrans held an open house for public comment on the project in April.

In August, Fort Bragg City Manager Isaac Whippy said in a news release that the city had heard the community’s concerns regarding the new wooden fencing’s height, appearance and impact on views.

"The fencing is part of Caltrans’ Fort Bragg sidewalk and Americans with Disabilities Act improvement project," Whippy said. 

"It replaced an existing fence that was removed to accommodate sidewalk widening and accessibility improvements. The fence and its associated construction costs are components of Caltrans’ broader project contract and are not a separate City construction project."

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After residents raised concerns, "City staff reviewed the permit and related project documents, which indicate that the replacement fencing was intended to match the previous conditions," the release further stated.

Whippy said he spoke directly with the project manager, who was "receptive to the concerns raised by the community and has expressed a strong commitment to working with the City and Caltrans’ contractor to identify and implement appropriate modifications."

"We have a timeline for the construction crew to come back to town in the next couple of weeks for fence modifications," Whippy told SFGATE.



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The usual suspects say that Sophie Cunningham , a role player, is more popular than some of the WNBA’s best players because of "white p...

Sophie Cunningham addresses perception that she is the 'sex symbol' of the WNBA

The usual suspects say that Sophie Cunningham, a role player, is more popular than some of the WNBA’s best players because of "white privilege." But that is not true.

Since Caitlin Clark’s rookie season, several WNBA players have used the increased spotlight to exhibit bratty behavior, entitlement, and racial hysteria. By contrast, Cunningham has embraced the moment. She’s entertaining, humorous, resilient, and gorgeous.

Colin Cowherd interviewed Cunningham this week on his Volume podcast network, of which she is a part, and noticed a difference between her and the many other athletes he has interviewed.

MINA KIMES THINKS PERCEPTION OF DIANNA RUSSINI-MIKE VRABEL SCANDAL IS UNFAIR TO WOMEN

"Just did a pod w @sophaller Never had a pod with an athlete that was this honest and authentic. Totally refreshing. I’ll release it tonight," Cowherd posted on X.

Cunningham is real. She’s likable.

She also doesn’t cave to the pressure from the vultures of American culture who have determined that attractive white women should be ashamed of their looks. She’s like Sydney Sweeney in that way.

"You are kind of viewed as the leagues…ummm," Cowherd hesitated.

"Just say it," Cunningham interrupted.

"Sex symbol," he responded.

"That is way better, I thought you were gonna go somewhere completely different," she joked.

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Contrast Cunningham’s response with Angel Reese’s. Last month, Reese called herself "beautiful" multiple times and bragged that she looks good in a bikini. She then accused internet users of "sexualizing" her in the comments beneath those photos.

Many WNBA players want to be seen as sex symbols but then complain about the perception of such. Cunningham, meanwhile, has no issue with the narrative.

Nor should she.

"For me, the reason why I really lean into that is, first of all, I've always been super girly. Since a little girl, I've always loved to dress up. I love dresses. I love high heels. I love all of that," Cunningham explained.

"For some reason, our society, if you play basketball, you can't dress that way, or you can't be girly. No one's ever said it, but it's like, they kind of feel that you can't be both. Screw all that. Yes, you can. You can be girly, and you can go out and kick someone's ass."

She’s right.

WNBA SILENCE ON DIJONAI CARRINGTON'S 'WHITE PRIVILEGE' POST EXPOSES SANDY BRONDELLO DOUBLE STANDARD

The DiJonai Carringtons and Jemele Hill types want to reduce Cunningham’s popularity down to her skin color. Of course they do. It’s their only card.

In reality, Cunningham is the type of woman Americans would embrace regardless of her skin color. She’s a smoking-hot badass who protects her teammates and trolls the media elite.

The WNBA would be much better off if its other players learned from Cunningham, instead of trying to clothesline her.



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For decades, aspiring young Americans have followed a predictable formula: high school, college, debt. But at the Turning Point USA prep ye...

How to make more Charlie Kirks: Inside TPUSA's gap-year alternative to the 'college scam'

For decades, aspiring young Americans have followed a predictable formula: high school, college, debt. But at the Turning Point USA prep year program, 18-year-old students are encouraged to pause, learn how to think, and discover their true purpose before committing to that considerable investment.

Dr. David Arnott, dean of the program, reflects on why the biggest problem in America isn't merely economics: it's character and wisdom. The mission is bold: use a year of classical, liberal arts education to mold the next generation of America's conservative leaders.

CHARLIE KIRK'S 10 MOST POWERFUL MOMENTS FROM COLLEGE CAMPUSES TO THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION

Dr. Arnott sat down with Fox News at FreedomFest in Las Vegas to discuss how TPUSA's prep year is fulfilling Charlie Kirk's educational vision for America's youth:

"It is an ‘education about economics’ problem. I started my lecture here yesterday at FreedomFest asking the question, ‘why do we keep falling for socialism?’ And I tried to answer that question. And that's what I've been studying over the last 12 years as a Christian economist. 

"How do we distribute goods in a fallen world? And so, I was asked by the people at Turning Point USA to be their dean of the prep year program in Fort Worth. Charlie Kirk's first book in 2022 was called ‘The College Scam.’ In 2026, he implemented his idea for education. 

"On Sept. 2, the first class met in Fort Worth. He was assassinated eight days later on Sept. 10. What we're trying to do at prep year is to implement Charlie Kirk's idea for education."

Yet, Dr. Arnott emphasizes that the purpose of prep year is not to dissuade young people from pursuing a college education, but to ensure that they are prepared to do so if they make that choice.

"We're having this interview at FreedomFest. So I think people should have the freedom… they should have the freedom to go to college. They should have the freedom to go into the trades. The problem is the government puts their thumb on the scale by supporting the price of college and, of course, forgiving the debt, which they shouldn't do anyway. If the government would just leave it alone, we'd be happy."

TPUSA's prep year program recently graduated its first class.

"We just dismissed our first class of 34, our inaugural class of prep year. It started Sept. 2, 2025, and ended May 22, 2026. Thirty-four students, about a third will be in college this fall. About a third will go into the trades. I just filled out an application the other day for one of the students to get a Mike Rowe scholarship. And about a third will go on to other things that we don't know yet. 

"We are trying to implement what Charlie Kirk wanted. Which is the economic freedom to do with your life as you wish."

The launch of the program was immediately prior to Kirk's tragic assassination on the campus of Utah State University.

"He started [the program] on Sept. 2, just eight days before he was assassinated, and so Charlie Kirk's ideas are really old ideas… they're not new, and so they encompass these things: Christian, liberal arts, classical and a Socratic teaching method. So that's what we do. We'll take in 35 to 50, maybe as many as 80 students in Elgin, Illinois, and Fort Worth this fall. They'll be with us for nine months and we'll teach them those four ways of teaching.

"We'll teach them the disciplines of the Great Book, which is the Bible, of course, great books by people like Dante and Virgil and Homer. We'll teach also how to get along in life, meaning how do you prepare yourself for life. And by the way… that's why we call it prep year. We're actually in the gap year industry. We take in 18-year-olds who have just graduated from high school. But we call it prep year because we are preparing them for life, more than just that education. 

CHARLIE KIRK SAYS 'UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHOULD A MAN EVER LET A WOMAN PAY FOR A DATE'

"And the real secret sauce that I can't explain to you because it's so hard to explain is the effect of being with 35 to 50 other committed Christian conservative 18-year-olds who are highly intelligent. The way in which they learn from each other and gain from each other is just spectacular."

As AI radically transforms education, learning, and the very face of knowledge itself, Arnott emphasizes that the program seeks to instill wisdom, not merely mastery of academic subjects:

"AI can't teach character, and that's what we teach at prep year and that is what Charlie Kirk wanted us to teach. He realized that there would be something coming along like AI that would answer all the technical questions of life, but it won't answer the important questions of life. 

"Wisdom is what we want these students to have. It's hard to teach wisdom, but that's what we're attempting to do. But as you said, David, that's why the traditional colleges have failed. They can teach people facts. They can't teach them wisdom. 

"If I had one sentence, a mission statement for prep year, it is to make more Charlie Kirks. And so my invitation to 18-year-olds just graduating from high school, you want to be more like Charlie Kirk? Come join us."



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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sued Netflix on Wednesday, accusing the streaming giant of misleading subscribers by promising an a...

Florida sues Netflix, alleges streamer tracked children after promising families privacy

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sued Netflix on Wednesday, accusing the streaming giant of misleading subscribers by promising an ad-free, privacy-focused service while secretly collecting years of behavioral data — including from children's profiles — to build the advertising business it long insisted it would never create.

The 66-page lawsuit alleges Netflix built its brand by assuring consumers that paying a monthly subscription meant they could avoid the surveillance-driven advertising model used by other major technology companies. Instead, Florida alleges Netflix quietly collected extensive user data before launching its ad-supported platform in November 2022.

"Netflix told Florida families they could pay a monthly fee to escape Big Tech surveillance. That was false," Uthmeier said in a news release announcing the lawsuit. "Netflix collected detailed data on children and families, designed its product to keep kids watching, and then commercialized that information to launch the advertising business it promised never to build. Parents, not corporate executives, direct the upbringing of their children. Netflix should expect to be held accountable."

The complaint points to repeated public statements from Netflix executives who touted the company as different from advertising-supported competitors. Among them, the lawsuit cites former CEO Reed Hastings, who said during a 2020 earnings call that Netflix was "not integrating everybody's data," adding, "We don't collect anything," and describing the streaming service as "the safe respite" from companies that exploit users through advertising.

WASHINGTON POST FACES CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT ALLEGING 'SURVEILLANCE PRICING' OF SUBSCRIBERS

Florida alleges those assurances were misleading because Netflix built what the lawsuit describes as a massive behavioral-data operation that records how subscribers use the platform. According to the complaint, Netflix tracks billions of user interactions, including what subscribers watch, search for, pause, rewind, skip and abandon, along with information about their devices and locations. The state alleges Netflix uses that information to improve its recommendation systems and support its advertising business.

The lawsuit places particular emphasis on Netflix's Kids Profiles, which the company markets as dedicated spaces designed for children. Florida alleges Netflix encouraged parents to create children's profiles by describing them as "Great for kids" and a child's "own space" while continuing to collect and analyze children's viewing behavior through the same telemetry systems used for adult accounts.

PARENTS PUSH CONGRESS TO ACT ON KIDS' ONLINE SAFETY AFTER JURIES FIND META AND YOUTUBE LIABLE FOR HARM

Florida also accuses Netflix of using so-called "dark patterns" to keep viewers engaged. The complaint alleges autoplay, which is enabled by default on Kids Profiles, is intentionally designed to extend viewing sessions, increase binge watching and generate additional behavioral data, particularly from children.

The state further alleges Netflix expanded into the advertising business it once rejected by allowing advertisers and advertising technology companies to use subscriber data for audience targeting and campaign measurement after launching its ad-supported tier in November 2022.

The lawsuit accuses Netflix of violating the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and the Florida Digital Bill of Rights. Among other claims, Florida alleges Netflix unlawfully shared sensitive personal data collected from children without obtaining the consent required under state law.

MARYLAND MOVES TO BAN SURVEILLANCE PRICING IN GROCERY STORES

Uthmeier is asking the court to permanently block the alleged practices, order Netflix to delete data the state says was deceptively collected from Floridians, stop using historical subscriber data to support its advertising business, purge behavioral data collected through Kids Profiles, prohibit the use of alleged dark-pattern designs and impose civil penalties authorized under Florida law.

Netflix did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.



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A Frankfort, Illinois , mother accused of killing her 2-year-old son had been discussing the high-profile Lindsay Clancy murder trial with f...

Mom ‘very invested’ in Lindsay Clancy case hires Casey Anthony attorney after allegedly killing son: docs

A Frankfort, Illinois, mother accused of killing her 2-year-old son had been discussing the high-profile Lindsay Clancy murder trial with friends just hours before the boy was found dead, court documents allege, and has hired one of Casey Anthony's former attorneys to defend her.

Corie A. Walsh, 38, later told officers she killed her son because she believed he was the "devil" and the "anti-Christ," a petition seeking to deny her pretrial release obtained by Fox 32 in Chicago states.

Walsh has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the death of her son, Barrett Walsh. The filing mentions her interest in the Clancy case but does not allege that it was connected to Barrett’s death.

ILLINOIS MOTHER CHARGED WITH MURDER IN DEATH OF 2-YEAR-OLD SON IN CASE DRAWING COMPARISONS TO LINDSAY CLANCY

Walsh’s attorney, Andrea Lyon, said she was "psychotic" and rejected any connection between her client’s interest in the Clancy case and the alleged killing.

"They are not correlated at all. It’s just accidental," Lyon said, calling speculation that Walsh’s actions were a copycat crime "baseless and cruel."

Court documents show Frankfort police officers were called to a home in the 22700 block of Brook Stone Court just after 4 p.m. Sept. 1 for a report of an injured child.

Upon arrival, officers found a neighbor performing CPR on Barrett after she reportedly discovered the toddler hanging from a basement rafter with his feet off the ground.

SUBURBAN ILLINOIS BOY DIES IN SUSPECTED DOMESTIC HOMICIDE AS NEIGHBORS FEAR ANOTHER LINDSAY CLANCY CASE

The neighbor brought Barrett down, laid him on the floor and attempted CPR while calling 911, later telling police the boy was cold and had no pulse. Barrett was pronounced dead at the scene, and a preliminary autopsy determined he died of asphyxia caused by strangulation, according to the filing.

Walsh’s three other children were unharmed, including an infant who was in the house at the time and two school-aged children who returned home around the time Barrett was found. Her husband was traveling out of state when the incident occurred and flew home that evening.

While officers were at the house, they were directed to an upstairs master bathroom where Walsh was reportedly trying to harm herself.

LINDSAY CLANCY MISTRIAL DECLARED AFTER JURY DEADLOCKS IN KILLINGS OF HER THREE CHILDREN

The petition states Walsh was lying fully dressed in a bathtub surrounded by bloody water while a neighbor held a towel against her left inner thigh. The neighbor told investigators she had disarmed Walsh of a knife and thrown it into a sink.

Police recovered the knife into evidence while documenting cuts on Walsh’s wrists and thighs, court documents state.

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The neighbor told investigators that Walsh asked why she had taken the knife from her because she was trying to kill herself. Walsh then said "Bear" was in the basement – referencing a known nickname for Barrett, the petition notes.

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While hospitalized, Walsh made additional statements to investigators describing how she killed the toddler, which prosecutors noted were consistent with the physical evidence.

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Witnesses told investigators Walsh had recently become "very invested" in the Clancy murder trial, which involved a Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three children.

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Walsh allegedly discussed the Clancy case in a group text message with friends as recently as 12:30 p.m. Sept. 1 – roughly three and a half hours before Barrett was found. Her cellphone was recovered from the bathroom, and forensic analysis of the device was ongoing as of Sept. 3.

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Prosecutors are asking a judge to deny Walsh pretrial release, arguing that she poses a real and present threat to her husband and her three surviving children.

Walsh faces three counts of first-degree murder, with prosecutors outlining different legal theories regarding her intent. Because Barrett was 2 years old, a conviction carries a mandatory sentence of 60 to 100 years in prison without the possibility of early release.

Walsh remains hospitalized at Silver Cross Hospital and is expected to be transferred to the Will County Adult Detention Facility once medically released.

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Walsh’s defense team includes attorney Lyon, who previously represented Anthony. In 2011, Anthony was acquitted in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, whose death remains unsolved. 

A jury found Anthony guilty of lying to law enforcement but not guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter or aggravated child abuse.

The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

At a detention hearing Tuesday, a judge denied Walsh’s request for pretrial release to a locked hospital setting. Lyon said the defense was disappointed but would continue investigating the case while Walsh recovers from her wounds.

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Lyon said the defense will argue that Walsh was psychotic and that the charges do not amount to first-degree murder.

"She was psychotic. And this is not a first-degree murder," she told reporters.

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The defense may seek pretrial release again, Lyon said.

The case remains pending in Will County Circuit Court.



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