Tag: Internet

New whistleblower accuses Facebook of wrongdoing: report

  SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — A former Facebook worker reportedly told US authorities Friday the platform has put profits before stopping problematic content, weeks after another whistleblower helped stoke the firm’s latest crisis with similar claims. The unnamed new whistleblower filed a complaint with US financial regulator Securities and Exchange Commission that could add to the company’s woes, said a Washington Post report. Facebook has faced a storm of criticism over the past […]

Google cuts its commission on app subscriptions

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Google announced Thursday it will lower a fee in its app store as pressure mounts on tech giants to loosen their grip over their online marketplaces. The commission on subscriptions taken by Google Play will be lopped in half to 15 percent starting in January, vice president of product management Sameer Samat said in a blog post. Currently Google gets a 30 percent cut for the first year of […]

Trump announces plans to launch new social network ‘TRUTH Social’

by Sarah TITTERTON Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, D.C., United States (AFP) – Former US president Donald Trump announced plans Wednesday to launch his own social network, in the latest push to reclaim his internet dominance after he was banned from Twitter and Facebook in the wake of the violent Capitol insurrection. “TRUTH Social” will be owned by Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), and is expected to begin its beta launch for “invited guests” next month. […]

New name for Facebook? Critics cry smoke and mirrors

  SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook critics pounced Wednesday on a report the leading social network plans to rename itself, arguing it may be seeking to distract from recent scandals and controversy. The report from website The Verge, which Facebook refused to confirm, said the embattled company was aiming to show its ambition to be more than a social media site. But an activist group calling itself The Real Facebook Oversight Board, warned […]

Facebook blames major outage on router work

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook late Monday blamed a major outage across its platforms on configuration changes it made to routers that coordinate network traffic between its data centers “This disruption to network traffic had a cascading effect on the way our data centers communicate, bringing our services to a halt,” Facebook vice president of infrastructure Santosh Janardhan said in a post. © Agence France-Presse

YouTube cracks down on anti-vaccine misinformation

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — YouTube announced Wednesday it would remove videos and some high-profile users that falsely claim approved vaccines are dangerous, as social networks seek to crack down on health misinformation around Covid-19 and other diseases. Video-sharing giant YouTube has already banned posts that spread false myths around coronavirus treatments, including ones that share inaccurate claims about Covid-19 vaccines shown to be safe. But the Google-owned site said its concerns about the […]

Disabled people can now use Android phones with face gestures

by Glenn CHAPMAN SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Using a raised eyebrow or smile, people with speech or physical disabilities can now operate their Android-powered smartphones hands-free, Google said Thursday. Two new tools put machine learning and front-facing cameras on smartphones to work detecting face and eye movements. Users can scan their phone screen and select a task by smiling, raising eyebrows, opening their mouth, or looking to the left, right or up. “To […]

Digital doggies: pet influencers on the rise in Singapore

by Catherine Lai SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP)Two fluffy white terriers wearing neckerchiefs pant quietly as their owner waves a treat and snaps a photo for the dogs’ tens of thousands of Instagram followers. They are among a growing number of pet influencers on social media in Singapore, a trend fuelled by a rise in online shopping and pet ownership during the coronavirus pandemic. Sasha and Piper make regular appearances on their “Lomodoggies” Instagram account, often wearing […]

Russian rocket launches 34 new UK satellites

A Russian Soyuz rocket has blasted into space carrying 34 new satellites from British operator Oneweb, which aims to provide broadband internet everywhere in the world. The rocket operated by Europe’s Arianespace took off successfully at 2213 GMT Saturday from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the Roscosmos space agency said in a statement. It was the fifth launch of OneWeb satellites this year, with the last one on July 1. OneWeb is working to complete […]

Gates offers $1.5 billion in climate help if US takes legislative action

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Thursday said his climate fund would pour $1.5 billion into projects with the United States if the government enacts a program to cut carbon emissions currently working its way through Congress. A $1.2 trillion infrastructure package passed by the US Senate this week would funnel billions of dollars to the Department of Energy for projects battling climate change. If the infrastructure package becomes law, […]

US states accuse Google of app store monopoly

by Glenn CHAPMAN Agence France Presse SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Dozens of US states joined forces in a lawsuit filed Wednesday accusing Google of abusing its power when it comes to getting apps for Android-powered mobile devices. The litigation aimed at the Play Store online shop for apps and other digital content for Android smartphones comes as the power of Big Tech firms is facing increasing pressure from regulators and lawsuits. “We are […]

Cyberattack hits hundreds of US businesses

  SAN FRANCICO, United States (AFP) — A US IT company urged customers to shut down their servers Friday after cyberattackers smuggled ransomware onto its network platform. Kaseya said Friday evening that it had limited the attack to “a very small percentage of our customers” who use its signature VSA software, “currently estimated at fewer than 40 worldwide.” Cybersecurity firm Huntress Labs had earlier said in a Reddit forum that it was working with partners […]