Blog Posts
DOJ Proposes Google Breakup To Restore Competition
The Department of Justice (DOJ) submitted a proposal recommending actions for the court to enforce in order to dismantle Google’s monopoly on internet search. The DOJ’s proposals follow a lawsuit in which a judge ruled earlier this year that Google’s behavior breached US competition laws and constituted a monopoly. In October, the DOJ hinted at requesting Google’s...
Australia Proposes Bill To Ban Social Media For Kids
Australia has proposed a bill that will ban those under 16 from using social media, and it is proposing fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32 million) if social media platforms don’t adhere. The ban aims to protect youth against the physical and mental harms of excessive use of social media platforms. Lawmakers still need to iron out many details of the bill,...
EU Fines Meta €797 Million in Antitrust Ruling
The European Commission has fined Meta €797.72 million ($834 million) due to its practices of integrating Facebook Marketplace with its social network, Facebook, saying this breached antitrust rules in Europe. The European Commission opened a formal investigation into Meta’s practices in June 2021, saying, “Facebook collects vast troves of data on the activities of users of...
Web Summit 2024: Lisbon Hosts 70,000+ Tech Visionaries
Web Summit hosted its annual event in Lisbon from November 11–14, bringing together more than 70,000 people from the tech industry. Web Summit brings together “policymakers, heads of state, and the founders and CEOs of technology companies and fast-growing startups to ask a simple question: Where to next?” This year’s event heavily focused on Artificial Intelligence,...
The Guardian Has Quit X
The Guardian, a British news publisher, has announced it will cease using official editorial accounts on the X platform, citing that the platform’s drawbacks now outweigh its benefits. The Guardian, with over 10 million followers on X, stated that users can still share its articles on the platform and that it may occasionally link to X content in its articles. However, it...
Apple To Gain a 20% Stake in Globalstar
Globalstar advised in a regulatory filing that Apple will invest $1.5 billion in its operations. Apple will invest $1.1 billion in progressive cash payouts to help Globalstar pay down debt and invest in its mobile satellite services (MSS). In the SEC filing, Globalstar states it will use the investment to expand services “including a new satellite constellation, expanded...
Seven French Families Sue TikTok for Content Shown to Teens
Seven families in France have come together to file a lawsuit against TikTok, alleging that the content shown to their adolescent children on the platform was harmful and led to the deaths of two of the children. The lawsuit claims that TikTok’s algorithm displayed content related to suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders, causing “direct damage.” The families’ lawyer,...
Kamatera Opens New Data Centers in Asia
Kamatera has announced the opening of three new cloud data centers in Sydney, Tokyo, and Singapore to expand its service in the Asia-Pacific region. The Singapore location will improve connectivity and cloud performance in Southeast Asia. It will be a key hub to promote business expansion in line with government policies within a secure ecosystem. The location in Tokyo,...
EU To Invest $1.5 Billion in Deep Tech in 2025
The European Innovation Council (EIC) has announced it will invest €1.4 billion to scale up strategic technologies in Europe. The EIC framed out its 2025 Work Programme, which the European Commission adopted in October. It includes a €200 million increase in investment compared to 2024 and focuses on four main areas. EIC Pathfinder will offer up to €4 million in grants...
Fiverr Publishes Its Fall Business Trends Index
Fiverr has published its Fall 2024 Business Trend Index report, its tenth edition, highlighting that businesses are reassessing their physical and virtual workspaces and continuing to focus on AI to drive email marketing. The top business services that have increased the most in the past six months are architecture office renovation, email marketing revitalization, and new...
Judge Rules Meta Must Face Youth Addiction Lawsuit
A judge has rejected Meta’s request to dismiss a lawsuit that was brought by the Massachusetts Attorney General that claimed Meta violated laws related to consumer protection. The Commonwealth raised the lawsuit in November 2023, claiming Meta breached the law by “designing and using addictive design features on Instagram to exploit children’s psychological vulnerabilities...
Elon Musk’s $1 Million Giveaway May Be Illegal
Elon Musk has offered to give away $1 million per day to registered voters who sign a petition that supports the First and Second Amendments – the Justice Department warns that this may breach election law. Elon Musk supports Donald Trump for President and has set up sweepstakes to help in swing states. Registered voters who sign the petition in Arizona, Michigan, Georgia,...
New EU Tech Lead Aims To Boost AI in Europe
The new head of Tech Security in the European Union will focus on building AI capabilities in Europe, including energy-efficient technologies, while protecting users, particularly minors, from the addictive nature of social media platforms. In July, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented her design of the European Commission 2024-2029, defining the...
Liquid Web Announces Hosting Solution To Power AI
Liquid Web, a leading provider of hosting and cloud solutions for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), has announced a new hosting solution that boasts 15% better GPU performance at similar or lower costs. The new hosting solution will provide businesses access to affordable AI, machine learning, and compute-intensive capabilities. It leverages powerful Nvidia Graphic...
Upwork Unveils Fall 2024 Edition of Updates
Upwork has announced its fall edition of Upwork Updates, its semi-annual product showcase, where it unveils its new products, features, and partnerships. In this edition, Upwork Updates includes enhancements to Uma, Upworks Mindful AI announced in its Spring 2024 Upwork Updates. When Uma launched, it offered several capabilities. These included AI-powered tools to match...