James Farrell
Latest from James Farrell
A California court ruled today that ride-sharing apps can continue treating their drivers as independent drivers, upholding the state’s controversial Proposition 22. Prop 22 was a ballot initiative put to voters in California in 2020 that would make it so drivers working …
WhatsApp tells the UK it would rather be blocked than adhere to the Online Safety Bill
Meta Platforms Inc.’s chat app WhatsApp says it will not compromise end-to-end encryption, and since that’s required in the U.K. under the new Online Safety Bill, it might mean the end of its existence in the country. Will Cathcart, Meta’s WhatsApp boss, …
TikTok introduces Project Clover to allay Europe’s spying concerns
The Chinese social media app TikTok announced today that it’s introducing a new data security plan to address Europe’s fears that the app might be spying for the Chinese Communist Party. The move comes just as the White House backed a new …
FTC is investigating Elon Musk over Twitter Files and Twitter Blue
The Federal Trade Commission has been asking Twitter Inc. to hand it internal communications regarding a number of issues that have happened after Elon Musk took the reins, the Wall Street Journal reported today. According to that report, the agency has been hounding Twitter …
TikTok ban looking more likely as senators push through bipartisan bill
Two U.S. senators said today that sometime this week, they will introduce a new bill that would make it easier to “ban or prohibit” foreign technology in the U.S., which, if endorsed by the administration, could spell the end for the popular …
Microsoft tones down Bing’s AI chatbot and gives it multiple personalities
After Microsoft Corp.’s Bing Chat went off the rails shortly after its introduction, the company has now reined in the bot and given users a selection of personalities they can choose from when chatting with it. Millions of people signed up to …
Twitter updates violent speech policy with ‘zero tolerance’ for the worst cases
Twitter Inc. today announced that its policy to deal with violent speech on the platform has been updated, with the company saying it will now take a “zero tolerance” stance toward the most severe cases. “Twitter is a place where people can …
Microsoft considers adding guardrails to Bing Chat after bizarre behavior
After Microsoft Corp.’s artificial intelligence-powered Bing chat was unleashed on the public a little more than a week ago, the company has decided it’s time to reel it in somewhat. Millions of people have signed up to use Bing-powered by ChatGPT, and …
Tech CEOs to meet with House Judiciary Committee over content moderation practices
The House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan today issued subpoenas to the chief executives of the five largest tech companies to talk about content moderation methods and possible censorship on their platforms. A group of congressional Republicans led by Jordan (pictured) wants to …
Meta’s Oversight Board to become faster about the decisions it makes
Meta Platforms Inc.’s Oversight Board couldn’t exactly be called speedy in how it deals with controversial cases, but today the board said that’s all going to change. It has been two years since Meta, then Facebook Inc., announced that it would introduce …