White House promises US-controlled TikTok algorithm
The White House on Monday said a US version of TikTok would feature a homegrown model of the app’s prized algorithm, potentially clearing one of the main obstacles to keeping the Chinese-owned platform online in the United States. Often described as TikTok’s “secret sauce,” the fate of the video-sharing app’s algorithm was one of the […]
YouTube to reinstate creators banned over misinformation
YouTube is set to reinstate creators previously banned for promoting Covid-19 misinformation and false election-related content, according to a letter sent Tuesday by parent company Alphabet to a Republican lawmaker. The policy reversal marks a victory for the conservative allies of US President Donald Trump, who have long accused tech platforms and professional fact-checkers of […]
Trump allies to control TikTok under new US deal
Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order laying out a proposed deal for a US version of TikTok that would see Chinese ownership reduced to 20 percent and put control in the hands of the president’s allies. At a signing ceremony at the White House, Trump said the US version of the app would […]
US federal workers apply for loans as shutdown hits military morale
Now into its second week, the US government shutdown has started impacting federal workers, prompting some to take out new loans to help make ends meet. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have been furloughed since the shutdown began on October 1, while others deemed essential — including some military personnel — have been required […]
Canada launches AI Task Force with 30-day sprint for national strategy
Canada is putting itself on a deadline. At the ALL IN conference in Montreal this week, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Minister Evan Solomon announced a new AI Task Force that has just 30 days to deliver recommendations for the federal government’s national strategy. The group will focus on how the country can strengthen research, boost […]
Amazon faces US trial over alleged Prime subscription tricks
Amazon goes to trial on Monday in a US government lawsuit that accuses the e-commerce giant of using tricks to enroll millions of customers in its Prime subscription service and then making it nearly impossible to cancel. The Federal Trade Commission’s complaint, filed in June 2023, alleges that Amazon knowingly used designs known as “dark […]
Australia says social media ban will not age test all users
Australia will not require social media giants to verify the ages of all users under its ban on under-16s using the platforms, Canberra said Tuesday. But platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube are expected to take “reasonable steps” to stop children from accessing the apps, it said. Australia has been a leader in global […]
Protesting Peru residents block trains to Machu Picchu
Train services to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, Peru’s main tourist attraction, were suspended Monday as protesting residents placed logs and rocks on the tracks, police and PeruRail said. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, the ancient fortified complex receives some 4,500 visitors on average each day, many of them foreigners, according to the […]
Asian shares rise as Japan politics weigh on yen
Asian markets rose on Monday, with Tokyo up nearly two percent after Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s decision to resign pushed down the value of the yen. Investors were also digesting weak US jobs data, while crude prices climbed after eight key members of the OPEC+ alliance said they had agreed to again boost oil […]
Trump health misinformation swirls despite denial
From manipulated images to out-of-context photos, false claims that Donald Trump is seriously ill — or even dead — have swirled online, with the misinformation persisting even after the US president publicly rejected it on Tuesday. At a White House press conference, Trump dismissed social media rumors about his health as “fake news,” following the […]
