Internet news

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In U-turn, Google sticks with tracking 'cookies'

Google on Monday said it was ditching its long mooted plan to block tracking "cookies" on its Chrome browser after years of resistance from online publishers and questions from regulators.

Internet

Massive IT outage spotlights major vulnerabilities in the global information ecosystem

The global information technology outage on July 19, 2024, that paralyzed organizations ranging from airlines to hospitals and even the delivery of uniforms for the Olympic Games represents a growing concern for cybersecurity ...

Internet

Trusted TV doctors 'deepfaked' to promote health scams on social media

Some of the UK's most recognizable TV doctors are increasingly being "deepfaked" in videos to sell scam products across social media, finds The BMJ today.

Internet

Meta lifts restrictions on Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts

Meta said Friday it was lifting restrictions on US presidential candidate Donald Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts, ending measures put in place after his supporters violently stormed the US Capitol in 2021.

Internet

Musk's X misleads users with blue checks, EU charges

Tech billionaire Elon Musk's X platform is deceiving users with its blue checkmarks for certified accounts, and is also violating EU content rules, Brussels said Friday, in a finding that could lead to hefty fines.

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US says it broke up Russian AI bot farm on X

The United States has disrupted a Russian disinformation campaign involving AI-powered bots used to create fake profiles on the social media platform X, the Justice Department said Tuesday.

Internet

Bot-like accounts spreading 'hate' during UK election: NGO

Bot-like social media accounts have spread "disinformation and hate" in tens of thousands of posts viewed an estimated 150 million times during the UK general election campaign, a watchdog investigation revealed Tuesday.

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Eyes on Apple to join quest for the metaverse

Apple fans are watching to see whether the iPhone-maker puts a culture-changing spin on virtual reality, even as rivals slow their march toward the metaverse.

Internet

What's happening with Twitter blue check marks?

Elon Musk had promised to take away all of Twitter's blue check marks doled out to Hollywood stars, professional athletes, business leaders, authors and journalists unless they start buying a monthly subscription to the social ...

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Italy temporarily blocks ChatGPT over privacy concerns

Italy is temporarily blocking the artificial intelligence software ChatGPT in the wake of a data breach as it investigates a possible violation of stringent European Union data protection rules, the government's privacy watchdog ...

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AI generator Midjourney pauses service over deepfake 'abuse'

Research laboratory Midjourney has paused free trials of its image-generation software after users cranked out realistic deepfakes including of former US president Donald Trump getting arrested and Pope Francis in a puffer ...

Internet

Tweeters, and celebs, await 'blue tick' ultimatum

All eyes are on whether Elon Musk will go through with stripping blue checkmarks from celebrities and other high-profile Twitter users starting April 1 unless they pay for the privilege.

Internet

Twitter celebs balk at paying Elon Musk for blue check mark

William Shatner, Monica Lewinsky and other prolific Twitter commentators—some household names, others little-known journalists—could soon be losing the blue check marks that helped verify their identity on the social ...

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Twitter hunts Github user who posted source code online

Some parts of Twitter's source code—the fundamental computer code on which the social network runs—were leaked online, the social media company said in a legal filing that was first reported by The New York Times.

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Utah social media law is ambitious, but is it enforceable?

Utah's sweeping social media legislation passed this week is an ambitious attempt to shield children and teens from the ill effects of social media and empower parents to decide whether their kids should be using apps like ...

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Utah social media law means kids need approval from parents

Children and teens in Utah would lose access to social media apps such as TikTok if they don't have parental consent and face other restrictions under a first-in-the-nation law designed to shield young people from the addictive ...

Internet

People smugglers use TikTok to promote their services

A photo posted to TikTok shows a group of people dressed in camouflage, hoping to blend into the shadowy vegetation dotting the nighttime landscape of the Mexican desert. The picture was not uploaded by social media influencers ...

Internet

Google launches ChatGPT rival in US and UK

Google on Tuesday invited people in the United States and Britain to test its AI chatbot, known as Bard, as it continues on its gradual path to catch up with Microsoft-backed ChatGPT.