James Farrell
Latest from James Farrell
The U.S. Supreme Court is considering imposing stricter limits on police to track American citizens’ movements as a landmark case raises concerns over potentially oppressive surveillance. The high court heard arguments today on the case in question, Carpenter v. The United States, …
Facebook and Twitter to share info about possible Russian meddling in UK politics
Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. will provide information to the U.K. government to determine if Russian-backed organizations used the Internet to spread misinformation relating to the vote on Brexit. The companies agreed to provide the information following a request by the U.K.’s …
YouTube hikes efforts to stamp out creepy videos aimed at children
Following numerous reports on how decidedly creepy content aimed at children is getting past YouTube’s filters, the video platform has once again vowed to take action. The videos in question depict real children’s cartoon characters, such as Peppa Pig, involved in vulgar …
The FCC’s net neutrality proposal is here, and it’s just what the critics feared
If you haven’t seen a meme over the last 24 hours relating to outrage over the scrapping of net neutrality rules, your cyberspace must be a very small world. In spite of the tide of the general public’s enmity towards the changes, it …
Google tracks your location even if you opted out – until next week, anyway
Your Android phone could be tracking your location even when you when you haven’t turned on location services or even have a SIM card installed, a report by Quartz revealed Tuesday. An investigation found that by triangulating information from cell towers, Google LLC …
Justice Department files lawsuit against AT&T to block Time Warner merger
The Justice Department Monday filed a civil antitrust lawsuit in an attempt to thwart AT&T Inc.’s acquisition of Time Warner Inc. The merger would be the largest media and telecommunications deal of its kind, set to cost AT&T $84.5 billion. In a press release, …
Germany bans smartwatches for children and says the devices must be destroyed
A German regulator has banned smartwatches for kids and said they should be destroyed by parents since the watches could easily be turned into a spying device. Telecommmunications regulator Bundesnetzagentur, or Federal Network Agency, called smartwatches “prohibitive listening devices” and said it has …
Twitter announces new verification guidelines and begins a purge
Twitter Inc. announced on Wednesday that blue-checkmarked verified accounts could lose their status, following criticism last week about the verified status of white nationalist Jason Kessler’s account. The company accepted responsibility for the confusion around what a verified account actually meant, and that …
Bill Gates is building his own smart city in Arizona
Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates is investing $80 million dollars to build a smart city replete with high-tech infrastructure, data centers and autonomous vehicles. According to reports, the city will be a hub for small businesses hoping to set up in an …
Missouri attorney general begins investigation into Google’s business practices
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley today announced the issuing of an investigative subpoena into Google LLC’s business practices regarding a possible violation of the state’s antitrust laws. The investigation will attempt to ascertain if Google violated the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, the …