BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Larry Page: Google co-founder granted New Zealand residency
Larry Page, Google's co-founder and one of the world's richest men, has been granted New Zealand residency under a category for wealthy investors. Applicants are required to invest at least NZ$10m ($7m, £5m) in New Zealand over three years. Mr Page entered New Zealand in January, when its borders were still closed because of Covid-19. But the government said he was allowed in because of a medic ... Read more
2021-08-08 21:30:48
Apple criticised for system that detects child abuse
Apple is facing criticism over a new system that finds child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on US users' devices. The technology will search for matches of known CSAM before the image is stored onto iCloud Photos. But there are concerns that the technology could be expanded and used by authoritarian governments to spy on its own citizens. WhatsApp head Will Cathcart called Apple's move "very ... Read more
2021-08-06 19:47:08
China cracks down on celebrity online culture Published9 hours ago
Sina Weibo - China's Twitter equivalent - is to remove an online celebrity list following criticism by state media of celebrity culture on social media. State-owned newspaper People's Daily criticised platforms that make stars out of "unworthy individuals". It did not specify any companies but the article comes during a wider crackdown on online firms in China. Weibo said its decision ... Read more
2021-08-06 19:46:43
Apple to scan iPhones for child sex abuse images
Apple has announced details of a system to find child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on customers' devices. Before an image is stored onto iCloud Photos, the technology will search for matches of already known CSAM. Apple said that if a match is found a human reviewer will then assess and report the user to law enforcement. However there are privacy concerns that the technology could be expanded ... Read more
2021-08-05 19:44:14
TikTok tests Snapchat style vanishing video stories feature
Video-sharing platform TikTok is trialling a new vanishing clips feature similar to functions on Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram. TikTok Stories will allow users to see content posted by accounts they follow for 24 hours before they are deleted. It comes as WhatsApp rolls out a feature for users to post photos or videos that vanish after they are seen. This week rival social media platform Twi ... Read more
2021-08-05 19:42:59
Facebook and academics row over data access
A row has blown up between Facebook and academics over the use of its data for reporting trends on the social network. Members of the Cybersecurity for Democracy team, based at New York University, tweeted they had had their accounts shut down. Facebook said the tools they had used to gain access to its data violated user privacy. The researchers said Facebook was now curtailing their work meas ... Read more
2021-08-04 20:17:58
WhatsApp 'view once' brings disappearing photos and videos
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that allows users to have photos or videos vanish after they are seen. After the recipient opens the image for the first time, "view once" deletes it, without saving it to a phone. WhatsApp said the feature was aimed at "giving users even more control over their privacy". However, child protection advocates have expressed concern that auto-v ... Read more
2021-08-04 20:17:36
Official recommends rerun in Amazon union fight
An official examining a landmark Amazon union election in Bessemer, Alabama, has called for a rerun. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has been looking into the legitimacy of April's vote. Amazon appeared to have stopped a union from forming, winning a vote on the issue by a margin of two to one. However the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) alleged that Amazon had il ... Read more
2021-08-02 19:39:41
Twitter works with news sites to tackle disinformation
Twitter will collaborate with two of the largest international news providers, Reuters and the Associated Press, to debunk disinformation on its messaging site. The news agencies will help Twitter give more context and background information on events which create a high volume of tweets. Twitter hopes this will counteract the spread of misleading information. There has been renewed pressure to ... Read more
2021-08-02 19:36:28
Zoom settles US class action privacy lawsuit for $86m
Video-conferencing firm Zoom has agreed to pay $86m (£61.9m) to settle a class action privacy lawsuit in the US. The lawsuit alleged that Zoom had invaded the privacy of millions of users by sharing personal data with Facebook, Google and LinkedIn. It also accused Zoom of misstating that it offers end-to-end encryption and for failing to prevent hackers from "zoombombing" sessions. Th ... Read more
2021-08-01 21:01:22