Internet news

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Growing list of countries move to ban social media for children

The European Union's plan to regulate children's access to social media follows the implementation or proposal of similar measures around the world.

Internet

Amid criticism, Meta reins in new AI tool that automatically accessed public Instagram images

Meta has pulled the plug on a feature of a recently launched AI tool following criticism that it made Instagram accounts fodder for use in creating AI-generated images.

Internet

Mobile VPN security is not as strong as advertised, research suggests

Many digital users rely on Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to combat security threats, allowing the application to view, intercept and handle all user traffic in return for hiding identifying information from third parties. ...

Internet

Study links cognitive difficulties to compulsive gaming rather than gaming time itself

The amount of time young people spend playing video games is not enough to judge whether gaming is linked to cognitive difficulties. A new study of several thousand adolescents shows that gaming time and symptoms of Internet ...

Internet

Digital barriers make visitors of Dutch websites stumble

Despite European legislation, many commercial websites still fall short when it comes to meeting the WCAG accessibility standard, Dante Göbbels has found. Göbbels investigated the barriers website visitors encounter, including ...

Internet

Galileo signal updated for Internet-of-Things use

In April, Galileo marked a step forward with the deployment of a new signal component, known as E5a Quasi Pilot, on 12 satellites of Europe's satellite navigation constellation. This upgrade makes Galileo signals easier to ...

Internet

EU lawmakers propose social media ban for under-16s

European lawmakers on Thursday called for stricter rules to protect minors online, including a bloc-wide minimum age of 16 to access social media and AI companions without parental consent.

Internet

Google wants right to bundle Gemini AI app with Maps, YouTube

Alphabet Inc.'s Google wants to retain the right to bundle its popular mapping and video apps with its Gemini AI service, a lawyer for the company told a federal judge Wednesday, pushing back on a Justice Department proposal ...

Internet

Child protection vs privacy: decision time for EU

Does protecting children justify snooping on private messages? That is the sensitive question facing EU countries Wednesday as they wrangle over a push to combat child sexual abuse material online.

Internet

Google argues a forced sale of Ad Exchange is too risky

Alphabet Inc.'s Google has spent the past week in Virginia federal court seeking to persuade a judge that selling off its advertising exchange is too risky, technologically difficult and would disrupt the market.

Internet

California enacts AI safety law targeting tech giants

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law groundbreaking legislation requiring the world's largest artificial intelligence companies to publicly disclose their safety protocols and report critical incidents, state ...

Internet

Computer scientists are boosting US cybersecurity

As cyber threats grow more sophisticated by the day, UC Riverside researchers are making computing safer thanks to research that targets some of the internet's most pressing security challenges.

Internet

China penalizes popular app Xiaohongshu over content

China's internet regulator said on Thursday it had ordered "warnings and strict punishment" to bosses at popular social media app Xiaohongshu over its online content, slamming "trivial" and "negative" posts.

Internet

French lawmakers urge social media ban for under-15s

French lawmakers urged a social media ban for under-15s and "digital curfew" for older minors Thursday, with massively popular short video platform TikTok the focus of renewed harsh government scrutiny.