Internet news

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OpenAI to challenge Google with new search functionality

OpenAI on Thursday said it was putting its artificial intelligence engine to work in a challenge to Google's market-dominating search engine.

Internet

Google's brand ads are a 'sham,' but companies have to buy them anyway, report finds

If you use Google—and chances are you do—then you're used to seeing ads when searching online. But how do those ads get on Google search and, more importantly, who is paying for them? It's easy to assume Nike pays for ...

Internet

Meta takes down thousands of Facebook, Instagram accounts running sextortion scams from Nigeria

Meta said Wednesday that it has taken down about 63,000 Instagram accounts in Nigeria running sexual extortion scams and has removed thousands of Facebook groups and pages that were trying to organize, recruit and train new ...

Internet

US Senate to vote on kids online safety bills

The US Senate will vote on a pair of bills this week designed to protect children online which would be the first major legislation targeting the tech industry in a generation.

Internet

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

Conspiracy theories take off after global IT crash

From fearmongering about a looming "World War III" to false narratives linking a cabal of global elite to a cyberattack, a torrent of online conspiracy theories took off Friday after a major IT crash.

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.

Internet

Musk's 'free speech' push for Twitter: Repeating history?

Elon Musk, the world's richest man, is spending $44 billion to acquire Twitter with the stated aim of turning it into a haven for "free speech." There's just one problem: The social platform has been down this road before, ...

Internet

EU agrees deal to tame internet 'Wild West'

The European Union on Saturday finalised new legislation to require Big Tech to remove harmful content, the bloc's latest move to rein in the world's online giants.

Internet

Why an edit button for Twitter is not as simple as it seems

Most people who use Twitter have had the experience: you fire off a quick tweet, realize it contains a typo, then get annoyed you can't click "edit" to fix it. Twitter users have been clamoring for an edit button for years.

Internet

Lessons from France on the regulation of internet pornography

A new study by City's honorary senior research fellow, Professor Neil Thurman, shows displacement effects, circumvention, and legislative scope may limit the efficacy of French attempts to prevent those under 18 accessing ...

Internet

Elon Musk wants to buy Twitter, make it 'maximally trusted'

In 10 days, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has gone from popular Twitter contributor and critic to the company's largest individual shareholder to a would-be owner of the social platform—a whirlwind of activity that could change the ...

Internet

Web surfing that feels instantaneous, even though it's not

If the coronavirus pandemic drove your life online, you've probably been there: Maybe you're using video chat to get work done or connect with far-flung friends. No matter how much bandwidth you have, the lag between one ...