India antitrust probe finds Google abused Android dominance

NEW DELHI, Sept 18 (Reuters) – Google abused the dominant position of its Android operating system in India, using its “huge financial muscle” to illegally hurt competitors, the country’s antitrust authority found in a report on its two-year probe seen by Reuters. Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google reduced “the ability and incentive of device manufacturers to Read more about India antitrust probe finds Google abused Android dominance[…]

MoD apologises after Afghan interpreters’ personal data exposed (yes the ones still in Afghanistan)

The UK’s Ministry of Defence has launched an internal investigation after committing the classic CC-instead-of-BCC email error – but with the names and contact details of Afghan interpreters trapped in the Taliban-controlled nation. The horrendous data breach took place yesterday, with Defence Secretary Ben Wallace promising an immediate investigation, according to the BBC. Included in Read more about MoD apologises after Afghan interpreters’ personal data exposed (yes the ones still in Afghanistan)[…]

Facebook Documents Show It Fumbled the Fight Over Vaccines

he Wall Street Journal has had something of a banner week tearing down Facebook. Its series on a trove of internal company documents obtained by the paper has unveiled Facebook’s secret system for treating certain users as above the rules, company research showing how harmful Instagram is for young girls, how the site’s algorithmic solutions Read more about Facebook Documents Show It Fumbled the Fight Over Vaccines[…]

FTC releases findings on how Big Tech eats little tech in deals that fly under the radar

Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan signaled changes are on the way in how the agency scrutinizes acquisitions after revealing the results of a study of a decade’s worth of Big Tech company deals that weren’t reported to the agency. Why it matters: Tech’s business ecosystem is built on giant companies buying up small startups, Read more about FTC releases findings on how Big Tech eats little tech in deals that fly under the radar[…]

Facebook’s 2018 Algorithm Change ‘Rewarded Outrage’. Zuck Resisted Fixes

Internal memos show how a big 2018 change rewarded outrage and that CEO Mark Zuckerberg resisted proposed fixes In the fall of 2018, Jonah Peretti, chief executive of online publisher BuzzFeed, emailed a top official at Facebook Inc. The most divisive content that publishers produced was going viral on the platform, he said, creating an Read more about Facebook’s 2018 Algorithm Change ‘Rewarded Outrage’. Zuck Resisted Fixes[…]

Ig Nobel Prizes blocked by YouTube takedown over 1914 song snippet – can’t find human to fix the error

YouTube, the Ig Nobel Prizes, and the Year 1914 YouTube’s notorious takedown algorithms are blocking the video of the 2021 Ig Nobel Prize ceremony. We have so far been unable to find a human at YouTube who can fix that. We recommend that you watch the identical recording on Vimeo. The Fatal Song This is Read more about Ig Nobel Prizes blocked by YouTube takedown over 1914 song snippet – can’t find human to fix the error[…]

A Stanford Proposal Over AI’s ‘Foundations’ Ignites Debate

Last month, Stanford researchers declared that a new era of artificial intelligence had arrived, one built atop colossal neural networks and oceans of data. They said a new research center at Stanford would build—and study—these “foundation models” of AI. Critics of the idea surfaced quickly—including at the workshop organized to mark the launch of the Read more about A Stanford Proposal Over AI’s ‘Foundations’ Ignites Debate[…]

Alaska discloses ‘sophisticated’ nation-state cyberattack on health service

Alaska discloses ‘sophisticated’ nation-state cyberattack on health service A nation-state cyber-espionage group has gained access to the IT network of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Service (DHSS), the agency said last week. The attack, which is still being investigated, was discovered on May 2, earlier this year, by a security firm, which notified Read more about Alaska discloses ‘sophisticated’ nation-state cyberattack on health service[…]