James Farrell
Latest from James Farrell
The Polish, Spanish and Italian language pages of Wikipedia were temporarily shut down Wednesday in protest against European Union legislation that would overhaul internet copyright laws. In late June, critics of the new legislation had called it a “dark day” for the Internet when …
After lynchings, Indian government tells WhatsApp it must help stop spread of deadly fake news
India’s information technology ministry warned Facebook Inc.-owned WhatsApp on Tuesday that the spread of fake news on its platform in the country has been an accomplice to a slew of beatings and lynchings. Indian Today reported that in the last few months alone, more than …
Facebook’s data leak comes under more scrutiny from federal agencies
A new set of federal investigations is underway into Facebook Inc.’s data leak and the company’s relationship with data mining firm Cambridge Analytica. The probes follow months of controversy and explanations by Facebook, but this is a broader investigation. This time multiple agencies …
Facebook and Twitter get serious about ad transparency
Following a tsunami of criticism over Russian propagandists using social media to foment division in America, both Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. this week launched ad transparency features. On Thursday, Facebook announced its View Ads program, which will allow people to see …
Twitter doubles down on getting rid of trolls and spam
Twitter Inc. signaled on Tuesday that it’s taking more steps to combat abuse and the number of automated accounts on its platform, following waves of criticism that it has been used as a tool to spread propaganda and harass people. A company …
AT&T and NSA have been collaborating on spying program, according to report
The National Security Agency and telecommunications giant AT&T Inc. have been involved in a spying program that has spanned several years, according to a new investigation outlined Monday by The Intercept. The investigation revealed that eight AT&T facilities in the cities of Atlanta, …
Online shopping could cost more as Supreme Court rules states can demand sales taxes
People who often do their shopping online might see prices rising soon following a U.S. Supreme Court decision Thursday to allow states to implement sales taxes on goods sold through e-commerce. The 5-4 decision overturns older precedents regarding states not being allowed to demand …
‘Dark day’: EU filtering proposal could change how we use the internet
It’s being called a “dark day” for the internet following a European parliament committee’s vote to overhaul the continent’s internet copyright laws. The legislation is still being drafted, but on Wednesday the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs voted in favor of …
US carriers pledge not to sell customer location data after shady practices revealed
Verizon Communications Inc., AT&T Inc. and Sprint Corp. will no longer sell customer data to third-party data brokers after an investigation revealed such data had been leaked. The investigation found that California-based brokers LocationSmart and Zumigo had sold the location data of …
Pressure intensifies on Amazon to stop selling surveillance tech to the government
Amazon.com Inc. found itself in the eye of a storm in May when it was revealed that it was selling its facial recognition technology, “Rekognition,” to law enforcement. Now the pressure on the company has intensified. While China seems to be making hay …