dpa-infocom

Ukraine Bans 'Masha and the Bear' Series

The Ukrainian government has banned the Russian animated series "Masha and the Bear" and imposed sanctions on its producers for ten years, citing national security risks. Kyiv's Culture Minister Tetjana Bereschna said the Ukrainian-language YouTube channel alone had more than 800 million views in 2025, and authorities claim ad revenues from the channel indirectly benefit the Russian military via taxes. The move enables legal blocking of the content inside Ukraine; Moscow and Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskow publicly criticized the decision. The article notes that Netflix acquired rights to additional seasons of the series in June. The ban is framed by Ukraine as part of broader measures against Russian culture during the ongoing conflict.

Alnatura Tops German Private-Label Trust Survey

A Porsche Consulting survey of 1,500 German consumers ranked supermarket private labels by trust: Alnatura topped the list with 23%, followed by Lidl’s Milbona (16%) and Edeka’s Gut & Günstig and Rewe’s Beste Wahl (each 15%). Despite high trust, only 3% say they shop at Alnatura frequently, compared with 30% for Lidl, 27% for Rewe and 26% for Edeka. The study reports private-label share rising from 42% in 2019 to 46% in 2025 and identifies price–performance, perceived quality and skepticism toward brand marketing as key purchase drivers. It also notes a parallel shift to digitally enabled, small-format local stores, citing Bremen startup Tante Enso as an example.

Trial Against Meta Over Child Protection Begins

A broad, multi‑state federal trial against Meta opened Aug. 18, 2026, in Oakland before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. Nearly 30 state attorneys general — prompted by disclosures in the 2021 Facebook Files by whistleblower Frances Haugen — allege Facebook and Instagram features (endless scroll, push notifications, visible like counts, autoplay and algorithmic recommendations) were designed to maximize engagement among children and adolescents, conceal risks and failed to block under‑13 users. In opening remarks, California Deputy Attorney General Megan O’Neill accused Meta of exploiting children’s brain development and misleading the public. Plaintiffs seek product restrictions and roughly $200 billion in penalties. Meta denies wrongdoing, says it has expanded youth protections and warns potential fines could exceed $1 trillion (some filings cite up to $1.4 trillion). Expected witnesses include Mark Zuckerberg, Adam Mosseri and former employee Arturo Bejar; hearings are expected in late September with a verdict anticipated in early October.