Google removed 210 YouTube channels earlier this week as part of its effort to combat misinformation. The channels were “coordinated influence operations” related to the ongoing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, the company said Thursday in a blog post. The decision follows Twitter suspending 936 accounts from China on Monday that attempted to undermine the …
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Facebook’s Oculus has seen a lot of changes lately, with departures by key executives from the mobile VR team, Nate Mitchell and Max Cohen. But Facebook’s standalone VR headset released this spring, Oculus Quest, remains the best VR hardware achievement this year… and may indicate where Facebook could be heading next in AR. Facebook is now talking openly about how …
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It’s the social media hoax that won’t die. Since the beginning of the week, celebrities, politicians and everyday folks have fallen for a ruse about supposed changes coming to Instagram’s privacy policies. The practical joke declares IG is implementing a “rule where they can use your photos.” Though the head of the Facebook-owned service has debunked the hoax post, people …
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Facebook on Tuesday released an interim report about potential political bias at the company. One conclusion: Trust is an “elusive goal.” The report — part of an ongoing review process — comes after Republican lawmakers have repeatedly accused the social media company of bias against conservatives. The review has been led by former Sen. Jon Kyl, a Republican from Arizona, and …
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Facebook said Tuesday it’s rolling out a long-awaited privacy feature that will let users clear information from apps and websites they browse outside of the social network. The world’s largest social media giant collects a trove of information about the 2.4 billion people who log into its site every month, allowing businesses to better target ads at potential customers. The …
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Another antitrust investigation will be kicked off against US tech giants, according to a report, this time coming from a group of state attorneys general. Citing sources, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday the probe could be launched in September and could look into whether companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon use their power to stifle competition in the market. …
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Facebook’s plan to merge WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram could hamper any attempt to break up the social media giant, the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission believes. Joseph Simmons told the Financial Times that all options are on the table as it conducts an antitrust investigation of the company, but combing the three major brands could complicate things. “If they’re …
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Google denied accusations made on Monday by President Donald Trump that the search giant “manipulated” millions of voters against him in the 2016 election. Google said Trump seemed to be referring to an old report claiming to prove that it generated at least 2.6 million votes for Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton, but said the report has been “debunked since it was made.” …
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Facebook doesn’t plan to launch its new Libra cryptocurrency and a complementary digital wallet until 2020. But that hasn’t stopped some startups from throwing their hats in the ring early. On Sunday, Israeli developer ZenGo said a cryptocurrency wallet it rolled out earlier this year will begin supporting Libra. Since Facebook and its 27 partners haven’t launched the cryptocurrency, ZenGo is letting users …
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I have mixed feelings about today’s deal, but it’s one of those things that’s in the “you decide” category. Because while I’m not convinced phone germs are a real problem, I strongly believe in “better safe than sorry.” So let me start with the deal, then explain my thinking. For a limited time, and while supplies last, Amazon has the …
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