Why Elon Musk Wants to ‘Open Source’ Twitter’s Algorithms
Social media platforms have become some of our most important sources of news. What information gets seen by whom is shaped by tightly guarded algorithms that tech companies have spent billions of dollars to develop. People on all sides of the political spectrum have voiced concerns over the impact those algorithms have in terms of promoting divisions, misinformation and hate speech, among other things. Elon Musk, who has proposed a $44 billion takeover of Twitter Inc., has vowed to make its alg
washingtonpost.comShares of Facebook parent Meta soar despite growth slowdown
Facebook parent Meta's first quarter profit and its count of daily users jumped past Wall Street's expectations despite the company's slowest revenue growth since going public a decade ago. Meta cut a sharp contrast with Google parent Alphabet, which on Monday reported what analysts called disappointing earnings, with profit below Wall Street’s expectations. Google also reported a revenue growth slowdown, but for Meta this appeared to have been mitigated by an increase in daily active users that “was enough to send the shorts covering and the stock surging,” said Jesse Cohen, senior analyst at Investing.com.
news.yahoo.comMusk's 'free speech' push for Twitter: Repeating history?
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, is spending $44 billion to acquire Twitter with the stated aim of turning it into a haven for “free speech.” There's just one problem: The social platform has been down this road before, and it didn't end well. A decade ago, a Twitter executive dubbed the company “the free speech wing of the free speech party” to underscore its commitment to untrammeled freedom of expression.
news.yahoo.comEurope to slap new regulations on Big Tech, beating U.S. to the punch
In the absence of comprehensive tech regulation in Washington, the European Union has filled the void. The law would force tech companies to do more to police illegal content on their sites and open up their algorithms to regulators -- or face steep fines.
washingtonpost.comBig Tech faces 'major' EU law on hate speech, disinformation
European Union officials are nearing agreement on a sweeping new law aimed at protecting internet users by forcing big tech companies like Google and Facebook to step up their efforts to curb the spread of hate speech, disinformation and other harmful content.
Project Veritas says US seized staffer info as part of probe
Conservative group Project Veritas says the Justice Department had secretly obtained from Apple and Google personal information as part of an ongoing investigation into how the organization received a diary purported to belong to President Joe Biden’s daughter.
US, EU sign data transfer deal to ease privacy concerns
The European Union and United States made a breakthrough in their yearslong battle over the privacy of data that flows across the Atlantic with a preliminary agreement that paves the way for Europeans’ personal information to be stored in the U.S. President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the deal Friday during Biden’s stop in Brussels while on a European tour amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Lawsuit says Google discriminates against Black workers
A former Google employee sued the tech giant saying it engages in a “pattern and practice” of racial discrimination against its Black workers, steering them into lower-level and lower-paid jobs and subjecting them to a hostile work environment if they speak out.
Kamala Harris art, 'Daily Show' lead Anthem Awards finalists
An art installation inspired by Vice President Kamala Harris, The New York Times’ “The 1619 Project” and “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” as well as charitable programs from Airbnb, Google, PayPal and the National Football League, are among the finalists for the inaugural Anthem Awards announced Tuesday.
New step to curb tech giants' power advanced by Senate panel
Congress has taken a new step toward reining in the market dominance of Big Tech. Bipartisan legislation advanced by a Senate panel would bar the dominant online platforms from favoring their own goods and services over those of rivals on the platforms.
Apple, Google raise new concerns by yanking Russian app
Apple’s and Google’s cooperation with the Russian government’s efforts to suppress an app opposed to the ruling regime is escalating concerns about whether Big Tech’s pursuit of ever-higher profits has trampled their commitment to protecting civil rights.