James Farrell
Latest from James Farrell
Twitter Inc. confirmed today that its new head of security will be the well-known hacker Peiter Zatko, aka “Mudge.” According to Reuters, which first reported the hire, Zatko has been asked to deal with the spread of misinformation on the platform as …
Top White House cybersecurity official expects to be forced to resign
As President Donald Trump purges those he deems disloyal to him, a top cybersecurity official has said that he’s next in line to go. Chris Krebs, the director of Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, has told colleagues that …
Facebook and Google extend political ad ban as Trump refuses to accept defeat
Facebook Inc. announced today that its ban on political ads will stand, a move the company said will prevent the spread of misinformation. Facebook said in a blog post that since U.S. election results are taking longer this time because of the Covid-19 pandemic …
Walmart partners with Cruise in a pilot for self-driving car delivery service
Walmart Inc. and General Motors Co. subsidiary Cruise LLC have agreed to partner on a self-driving delivery service in Scottsdale, Arizona, it was announced today. In April, Walmart launched its “Express Delivery” service, which is now available in more than 2,800 stores. The …
EU introduces stricter rules on selling surveillance technology
The European Union said today that it has introduced tighter rules regarding the sale of surveillance technology such as facial recognition and spyware. New regulations mean companies will have to secure licenses from governments to sell such technologies. Companies will also be expected to …
Facebook and Twitter scramble to combat election misinformation
Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. have had their hands full over the last 48 hours trying to combat the spread of misinformation about the U.S. election. Today, Facebook removed a group called “Stop the Steal” that supported President Trump’s claim of corruption in …
Voters in Portland, Maine say no to facial recognition technology for police
Voters in Portland, Maine, have voted for a ban on facial surveillance software being used by authorities, the Bangor Daily News reported Tuesday. “An Act to Ban Facial Surveillance by Public Officials in Portland will ban the city of Portland and its departments …
How social media companies will deal with the election night and beyond
With election night looming, social media platforms say they’ve stepped up efforts to ensure their platforms are not exploited by bad actors. Since there are so many mail-in votes this time around, it’s even more certain that the counting of votes will take …
Facebook mistakenly took down thousands of political ads
Facebook today said that “technical flaws” caused thousands of approved political ads to be blocked from the platform this week. The social media giant was roundly criticized by the Biden campaign, which said thousands of its own ads had been taken down …
Big tech’s meeting with Congress over Section 230 was largely political theater
A triumvirate of the world’s best-known tech bosses squared off with Congress today, although the showdown was entirely disappointing to most observers. Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg surprised some onlookers Tuesday when his written testimony seemed to suggest that he was …