Technology

TikTok tests age-rated content restrictions

TikTok is working on ways to rate and restrict content by age in order to prevent adult content from reaching teenage users of its short video app, the company said…

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Meta warns Europe it might shut down Facebook, Instagram if no data agreement is reached

Meta Platforms Inc, the company behind social media giants Facebook and Instagram, warned it would consider shutting down the two platforms from the European continent, if it is unable to…

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Major U.S. airline CEOs warn 5G could ground some planes, wreak havoc

The chief executives of major U.S. passenger and cargo carriers on Monday warned of an impending "catastrophic" aviation crisis on Wednesday when AT&T and Verizon are set to deploy new 5G service.…

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BlackBerry pulls life support for once-indispensable business smartphone

BlackBerry Ltd is pulling the plug on service for its once ubiquitous business smartphones, which were toted by executives, politicians and legions of fans in the early 2000s. The move…

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China to order cybersecurity reviews for some firms seeking overseas listings

China said on Tuesday it will put in force new rules to increase its oversight of plans by Chinese platform firms to list on overseas stock markets in the latest…

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Apple becomes first company to hit $3 trillion market value

Apple Inc on Monday became the first company in the world to hit $3 trillion in market capitalization, thanks to investor confidence that the iPhone maker will keep launching best-selling products…

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Live now, pay later is fintech’s latest extension

Buy now, pay later is taking its millennial attitude up a notch. To keep consumers hooked on this newfangled instalment financing, companies from Sweden’s $46 billion Klarna to Australia’s Afterpay,…

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EP committee agrees on new tech rules in landmark decision

A key European Parliament committee agreed on Tuesday to a ban on "dark patterns" that trick web users and advertising targeting minors as part of new rules aimed at U.S.…

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Instagram, ahead of U.S. Senate hearing, tightens teen protection measures

Instagram said on Tuesday it will be stricter about the types of content it recommends to teens in the photo-sharing app and will nudge them toward different areas if they dwell…

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Facebook says hackers in Pakistan targeted Afghan users amid government collapse

Hackers from Pakistan used Facebook to target people in Afghanistan with connections to the previous government during the Taliban's takeover of the country, the company's threat investigators said in an…

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Beefed up EU tech rules could be global standard, says Facebook whistleblower

Europe's draft rules requiring tech firms to do more to tackle illegal online content could become a global gold standard for a safer online world if they are beefed up, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen…

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Microsoft rolls out new tech to connect its cloud to rivals

Microsoft Corp on Tuesday announced a new round of technologies aimed at making its cloud computing services work in data centers it does not own - including the cloud data…

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Lithuania rolls out next-generation 5G plans

The Lithuanian Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT) has launched an auction for three 700 MHz radio frequency blocks to be used to deploy next-generation 5G mobile networks and provide 5G e-communication…

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Conviction of Mexican drug lord ‘El Chapo’ should be thrown out, lawyer argues

A lawyer for Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman urged a U.S. appeals court on Monday to overturn the Mexican drug kingpin's conviction, citing juror misconduct and the jail conditions that Guzman experienced.…

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Russia says Facebook outage shows why it needs internet sovereignty

Russian social networks reported a spike in activity during Monday's global Facebook outage which Moscow officials said showed that Russia was right to develop its own sovereign internet platforms and social networks. Russia has sought…

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Facebook outage leaves players twiddling their thumbs

Tottenham Hotspur's Lucas Moura joked that Monday's near six-hour social media outage meant he finally had a chance to connect with his wife, while Everton's Richarlison saw a fresh opening…

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European politicians call for Facebook investigation after whistleblower revelation

Two members of the European parliament have called for an investigation into allegations by a whistleblower that Facebook prioritised profits above the public good. The whistleblower, Frances Haugen, who had worked as a product…

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Facebook blames “faulty configuration change” for nearly six-hour outage

Facebook Inc blamed a "faulty configuration change" for a nearly six-hour outage on Monday that prevented the company's 3.5 billion users from accessing its social media and messaging services such as…

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Closed Facebook groups offer respite for stressed-out women. But running them involves yet more unseen labour

By Catherine Archer - Senior Lecturer in Strategic Communication; social media researcher, Murdoch UniversityAmy Johnson - Lecturer, CQ University AustraliaLeah Williams Veazey - Postdoctoral Research Officer, University of Sydney Would…

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The need for protecting human rights from evolving AI

Karine GenteletProfessor, University of Québec Sarit K. MizrahiPh.D. in Law Candidate, University of Ottawa Events over the past few years have revealed several human rights violations associated with increasing advances…

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Electric supercars need to lose weight, power up and cool down

By Nick Carey and Giulio Piovaccari Speed has always been paramount for supercar makers, and now they're in the race of their lives to go electric before climate policy cuts…

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Google, in fight against record EU fine, slams regulators for ignoring Apple

Alphabet unit Google on Monday criticised EU antitrust regulators for ignoring rival Apple as it launched a bid to get Europe's second-highest court to annul a record 4.34-billion euro ($5.1…

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Sir Clive Sinclair, the father of the ZX Spectrum, died

Sir Clive Sinclair, the inventor of the world's first slimline pocket calculator and founder of the groundbreaking consumer electronics company Sinclair Research, has died. A report in The Guardian says…

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Apple’s plan to scan your phone raises the stakes on a key question: Can you trust Big Tech?

Apple’s plan to scan customers’ phones and other devices for images depicting child sexual abuse generated a backlash over privacy concerns, which led the company to announce a delay. Apple,…

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Facebook fights British watchdog to retain GIF-maker Giphy

Facebook has made a case for not selling Giphy in a strongly worded response to Britain's competition regulator, a document showed, and questioned if the watchdog could order the U.S.…

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Taliban’s Afghanistan takeover presents fresh challenge for social media companies

The Taliban's rapid takeover of Afghanistan poses a new challenge for big U.S. tech companies on handling content created by a group considered to be terrorists by some world governments. Social media giant…

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Facebook removes Russian network that targeted influencers to peddle anti-vax messages

Facebook said on Tuesday it had removed a network of accounts from Russia that it linked to a marketing firm which aimed to enlist influencers to push anti-vaccine content about the COVID-19…

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EU invests €122 million in innovative projects to decarbonise the economy

For the first time since the creation of the Innovation Fund, the European Union is investing €118 million into 32 small innovative projects located in 14 EU Member States, Iceland…

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Twitter sees jump in govt demands to remove content of journalists, news outlets

Twitter Inc saw a surge in demands over the course of last year from governments around the world to take down content posted by journalists and news outlets, data to be…

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France fines Google 500 mln euros over copyright row

France's antitrust watchdog slapped a 500 million euro ($593 million) fine on Alphabet's Google on Tuesday for failing to comply fully with temporary orders the regulator had given in a row with…

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Facebook says services restored after outage

July 3 (Reuters) - Facebook Inc (FB.O) said it has resolved a technical issue that caused some users trouble accessing Facebook, Messenger, Workplace and Instagram on Saturday. "We resolved the issue as…

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Dizzy heights: Facebook is now worth $1 trillion

A U.S. judge on Monday dismissed federal and state antitrust complaints against Facebook Inc that sought to force the social media company to sell Instagram and WhatsApp, saying the federal complaint was…

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Telecoms execs call for overhaul of European regulation

Top telecoms executives called for a total overhaul of Europe's regulatory framework on Monday, using the platform of the Mobile World Congress to amplify their demands for unified oversight across the 27-nation bloc. "The European regulatory framework…

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France embraces Google, Microsoft in quest to safeguard sensitive data

Some of France's most sensitive state and corporate data can be safely stored using the cloud computing technology developed by Alphabet's Google and Microsoft, if it is licensed to French…

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UK to help vulnerable countries against Russia, China cyber threat

Britain said on Wednesday it would invest 22 million pounds ($31 million) to help vulnerable countries in Africa and the Indo-Pacific build up their cyber defences to prevent China, Russia…

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Pressure on Facebook to cancel plans for Instagram for younger kids

A group of 40 state attorneys general on Monday urged Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg to abandon plans to launch a version of Instagram for children under the age of 13. "Use…

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Google Earth’s timelapse feature puts a spotlight on climate change

April 16 (Reuters) - Google Earth on Thursday added a timelapse feature to the popular platform, providing a glimpse into how climate change, urbanization and deforestation have altered the planet…

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AI crucial for economic development, but humans should retain control, MEPs insist

Artificial Intelligence is a major part of the digital transformation that should underpin Europe’s post-pandemic recovery, MEPs across the political spectrum have highlighted. Yet, innovation, should be counterbalanced with the…

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Twitter down for thousands of users – Downdetector

Thousands of Twitter Inc users were unable to access the social media platform on Monday, according to outage monitoring website Downdetector.com. As many as 18,000 users reported issues with the…

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Manchester City join European giants in launching digital fan token

Manchester City have launched their own digital fan token that will allow supporters around the world access to VIP rewards, club promotions, games as well as augmented reality-enabled features, the…

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Facebook Inc confirms outage on Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram Messenger break down – UPDATE

Instagram, WhatsApp and FacebookMessenger have gone down for users across the world, according to reports on international media. Facebook Inc said on Friday its services were being affected by a number of issues, after…

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Nokia to cut up to 10,000 jobs over next two years

Nokia on Tuesday announced plans to cut up to 10,000 jobs within two years to trim costs and invest more in research capabilities, as the Finnish telecoms group seeks to step…

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WhatsApp adds voice and video calling feature to desktop version

Facebook Inc's WhatsApp has introduced a voice and video calling feature on its desktop version, the company said on Thursday. The company said users will be able to use desktop…

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Zoom Video Meeting application down for more than a thousand users – Downdetector

March 3 (Reuters) - Zoom Video Communications Inc's video-conferencing platform was down for more than a thousand users on Wednesday, according to outage tracking website Downtector.com. Downdetector showed there were…

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EU to set up new European Partnerships and invest nearly €10 billion for the green and digital transition

The Commission proposed today to set up 10 new European Partnerships between the European Union, Member States and/or the industry. The goal is to speed up the transition towards a green, climate…

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Facebook to restore Australian news pages after tweaks to media laws

Facebook will restore Australian news pages after Canberra offered amendments to a proposed law designed to force tech giants to pay for media content displayed on their platforms, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said on…

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Google fires second AI ethics leader as dispute over research, diversity grows

Feb 19 (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google fired staff scientist Margaret Mitchell on Friday, they both said, a move that fanned company divisions on academic freedom and diversity that were…

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Time to get tough with ‘bully’ Facebook, UK lawmaker and publishers say

LONDON (Reuters) – Facebook’s move to block all news content in Australia is an attempt to undermine democracy and reinforce the decision of lawmakers around the world to crack down…

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TikTok hit with consumer law breaches complaints across Europe

Chinese-owned short video-sharing app TikTok was hit with multiple complaints from EU consumer groups on Tuesday for allegedly violating the bloc's consumer laws and for failing to protect children from hidden advertising…

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Twitter to add more labels identifying world leader and government accounts

Twitter Inc said it will next week add labels to identify more state-affiliated accounts, including world leaders’ personal accounts, to give users more context for geopolitical conversations on the platform.…

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Apple positioned to offer cryptocurrencies: RBC report

Apple Inc has a "clear opportunity" to offer a buying and selling mechanism for cryptocurrencies, a move that would allow the company to immediately gain market share, according to a research report…

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Facebook to remove more false coronavirus claims from platform

Feb 8 (Reuters) - Facebook Inc said Monday it will help users find out where and when they can receive the coronavirus vaccine and will expand a list of false…

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Infringement procedures against Malta for not transposing new EU telecom rules

The Commission opened infringement procedures against Malta and another 23 Member States for failing to enact new EU telecom rules. The European Electronic Communications Code modernises the European regulatory framework for electronic…

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TikTok to block users in Italy who say they are under 13, after girl dies

MILAN, Feb 3 (Reuters) - The video-sharing app TikTok said on Wednesday it had agreed with Italian authorities to block all users who gave their age as under 13, among…

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MITA’s vision for 2023 launched – towards Malta as a pioneer in digital innovation

“With a leadership mentality in the digital economy, we are aiming to further strengthening our position as a Malta that enjoys a reputation of a digital island, built on innovation,…

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Facebook to prompt users about personalised ads ahead of Apple privacy changes

Feb 1 (Reuters) - Facebook Inc said in a blog post Monday it will begin rolling out a notification for iPhone users globally about how data is used for personalized…

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U.N. chief worried by power of social media companies

NEW YORK, Jan 28 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday he is "particularly worried" about the power of social media companies and that a regulatory framework should…

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