BATTERYFORPC BLOG
WhatsApp issued second-largest GDPR fine of €225m
WhatsApp has been fined €225m (£193m) by Ireland's data watchdog for breaching privacy regulations. It is the largest fine ever from the Irish Data Protection Commission, and the second-highest under EU GDPR rules. Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, has its EU headquarters is in Ireland, and the Irish regulator is the lead authority for the tech giant in Europe. WhatsApp said it disagrees with the ... Read more
2021-09-02 19:43:28
Investigation into hacked "map" of UK gun owners
Authorities are investigating after a map claiming to show the addresses of thousands of firearms owners in the UK was published online. Gun-selling site Guntrader announced a data breach affecting more than 100,000 customers in July. This week, reports emerged that an animal rights activist blog had published the information. The group had formatted the data so it could be easily imported into ... Read more
2021-09-01 19:40:50
Twitter tests safety mode feature to silence abuse
Twitter is launching a feature that it hopes will help crack down on abuse and trolling, both of which have become huge issues for the platform. Safety Mode will flag accounts using hateful remarks, or those bombarding people with uninvited comments, and block them for seven days. The feature will work automatically once enabled, taking the burden off users to deal with unwelcome tweets. It wil ... Read more
2021-09-01 19:40:32
YouTube signs Twitch video-game streamer Dr Lupo
YouTube has poached one of Twitch's top video-game streamers. Ben "Dr" Lupo, who reportedly signed a multi-million dollar exclusivity deal with Twitch in 2019, will now stream exclusively on YouTube. The American, 34, known for playing Fortnite, Destiny, Escape from Tarkov and Among Us, has the 26th most followers on Twitch, at 4.5 million. Twitch said it wished him "nothing but ... Read more
2021-08-31 20:15:45
Fake Banksy NFT sold through artist's website for £244k
A hacker has returned $336,000 to a British collector after he tricked him into buying a fake NFT advertised through the artist's official website. A link to an online auction for the NFT was posted on a now-deleted page of banksy.co.uk. The auction ended early after the man offered 90% more than rival bidders. Banksy's team told the BBC "any Banksy NFT auctions are not affiliated with the ... Read more
2021-08-31 20:15:13
Covid in Scotland: Cases doubling weekly after restrictions eased
Covid cases in Scotland have roughly doubled every week since restrictions eased, leading to an increase in hospital admissions. More than 500 people with Covid-19 are in hospital and case numbers hit a record high at the weekend. According to the latest WHO figures, Lanarkshire and Glasgow's health board areas had Europe's highest case rates. National clinical director Prof Jason Leitch said t ... Read more
2021-08-30 19:41:45
China cuts children's online gaming to one hour
Online gamers under the age of 18 will only be allowed to play for an hour on Fridays, weekends and holidays, China's video game regulator has said. The National Press and Publication Administration told state-run news agency Xinhua that game-playing would be only allowed between 8pm to 9pm. It also instructed gaming companies to prevent children playing outside these times. Earlier this month ... Read more
2021-08-30 19:40:54
Afghanistan: Final flights arriving as UK's campaign ends
The final flights bringing British troops home from Afghanistan are arriving, as the UK's 20-year military campaign ends. The last British flight has left Kabul, and the ambassador to Afghanistan, Sir Laurie Bristow, arrived at RAF Brize Norton on Sunday morning. Further flights are expected to arrive at the RAF base in Oxfordshire later. More than 15,000 people, including about 2,200 children, ... Read more
2021-08-29 20:22:33
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is self-isolating
Scotland's first minister is self-isolating after being identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for Covid-19. Nicola Sturgeon revealed on Twitter on Sunday evening that she had been notified by NHS Test and Protect. The SNP leader said that in line with the current guidelines, she would self isolate pending a PCR test result. Ms Sturgeon also thanked the NHS Test and Pr ... Read more
2021-08-29 20:21:57
Apple tweaks app pay rules in $100m settlement
Apple app developers will soon be able to email customers and tell them how to avoid Apple's payment systems. The current rules ban app makers from mentioning that there are ways to pay that avoid Apple's 30% cut, even through e-mail outside the store. But as part of a $100m (£73m) legal settlement with developers, the tech giant is changing its policy. Apple said the change was a "clarifi ... Read more
2021-08-27 20:05:21