Tech

Tech


White House lays out early framework for regulating AI development, growth

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden enacted sweeping new ground rules and guardrails Monday for the growth and development of artificial intelligence, leaving room for what Canadian experts hope will be a careful but complementary approach from Ottawa. The executive order, billed as the single most comprehensive government action on AI in the technology’s history, […]

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Feds ban WeChat, Kaspersky apps from government issued devices over security concerns

OTTAWA — The federal government is banning WeChat and Kaspersky applications from its phones over security concerns. WeChat is a social network, messaging and payments app from Chinese company Tencent, while Kaspersky was founded by Russian entrepreneur Eugene Kaspersky and offers cybersecurity and antivirus software. The government said both apps would be removed from its […]

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States sue Meta claiming its social platforms are addictive and harm children’s mental health

Dozens of U.S. states, including California and New York, are suing Meta Platforms Inc. for harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms.  A lawsuit filed by 33 states in federal court in California, claims that […]

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Judge hears arguments from TikTok and content creators who are challenging Montana’s ban on app

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — TikTok and Montana faced off in federal court on Thursday in a case filed by the video sharing app and five Montana content creators who want the court to temporarily block the state’s ban on the platform before it takes effect Jan. 1. Attorneys for TikTok and the content creators argued […]

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‘Addictive’ social media feeds that keep children online targeted by New York lawmakers

New York would restrict the way online platforms like Instagram and YouTube can collect and share children’s personal information and let parents keep their kids from being bombarded by “addictive” feeds from accounts they don’t follow, under legislation proposed Wednesday. The bills offered by state leaders are aimed at protecting young people from features designed […]

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‘Addictive’ social media feeds that keep children online targeted by New York lawmakers

New York would restrict the way online platforms like Instagram and YouTube can collect and share children’s personal information and let parents keep their kids from being bombarded by “addictive” feeds from accounts they don’t follow, under legislation proposed Wednesday. The bills offered by state leaders are aimed at protecting young people from features designed to keep […]

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Data breach at MGM Resorts expected to cost casino giant $100 million

NEW YORK (AP) — The data breach last month that MGM Resorts is calling a cyberattack is expected to cost the casino giant more than $100 million, the Las Vegas-based company said. The incident, which was detected on Sept. 10, led to MGM shutting down some casino and hotel computer systems at properties across the U.S. in efforts […]

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Facebook and Instagram users in Europe could get ad free subscription option, WSJ reports

LONDON (AP) — Meta plans to give Facebook and Instagram users in Europe the option of paying for ad-free versions of the social media platforms as a way to comply with the continent’s strict data privacy rules, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. The company wants to charge users about 10 euros ($10.50) a month […]

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Federal Court of Appeal rules against Google in privacy law case

OTTAWA — The Federal Court of Appeal has rejected an attempt by Google to overturn a decision that found the company’s search engine is covered by Canada’s privacy law, marking another victory for people seeking a digital “right to be forgotten.” The court ruled Friday in a 2-1 decision to uphold a 2021 decision by […]

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Ottawa rolls out voluntary code of conduct for AI as ‘fear’ persists over its use

MONTREAL — Some big players in Canada’s technology sector have signed on to a voluntary code of conduct for generative AI announced by the federal government Wednesday as anxiety persists over its proliferation and pace of development. The self-imposed safeguards will “build safety and trust as the technology spreads,” Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne told a […]

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To TikTok or not to TikTok? One GOP candidate joins the app even as he calls it ‘digital fentanyl’

Republican presidential hopefuls have largely shunned TikTok, the hugely popular video-sharing app that some in both parties allege is a potential spy mechanism for China. But entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy recently became the first 2024 candidate to join the platform, which says it has over 150 million U.S. users. That’s even as he’s accused Beijing of […]

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DuckDuckGo founder says Google’s phone and manufacturing partnerships thwart competition

WASHINGTON (AP) — Appearing in the biggest antitrust trial in a quarter century, DuckDuckGo founder Gabriel Weinberg testified Thursday that it was hard for his small search engine company to compete with Google because the powerhouse has deals with phone companies and equipment manufacturers to make its product the default search option on so many […]

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