Technology

TikTok ban deadline looms in US amid last-minute takeover bids
Posted on Friday April 04, 2025

Deadline for company to divest from Chinese ownership nears as Trump mulls over potential bids from US firmsOnce again, the future of TikTok in the US is at stake. After a years-long tussle over whether or not to ban the app in the country, the deadline for the company to divest or sell its assets to a non-Chinese owner is up again on 5 April.A handful of potential buyers have said they’re interested in the tremendously popular social media app and various news reports have floated other types of deals, including an investment from the Donald Trump-friendly venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz or a bid from Amazon. Trump signed an executive order in January to postpone a ban-or-divest deadline until April; earlier this week he said he would “like to see TikTok remain alive”. But the path forward for TikTok, and its 170 million US users, remains murky. Continue reading...

Blanket ban on teen smartphone use ‘potentially detrimental’, says academic
Posted on Thursday April 03, 2025

Dr Amy Orben says there are no ‘one-size-fits-all answers’ given importance of access to online informationA leading academic tasked by the UK government with reviewing the effects of smartphones on teenagers has suggested blanket bans are “unrealistic and potentially detrimental”.Amy Orben, from the University of Cambridge, will lead the work on children and smartphone use that has been commissioned by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) along with a team of other academics from a number of UK universities. Continue reading...

Don’t weaken online safety laws for UK-US trade deal, campaigners urge
Posted on Thursday April 03, 2025

Child protection charities say watering down Online Safety Act would be an ‘appalling sellout’ by governmentChild safety campaigners have warned the government against watering down landmark online laws as part of a UK-US trade deal, describing the prospect of a compromise as an “appalling sellout” that would be rejected by voters.A draft transatlantic trade agreement contains commitments to review enforcement of the Online Safety Act, according to a report on Thursday, amid White House concerns the legislation poses a threat to free speech. Continue reading...

Meta faces £1.8bn lawsuit over claims it inflamed violence in Ethiopia
Posted on Thursday April 03, 2025

Son of murdered academic calls on Facebook owner to ‘radically change how it moderates dangerous content’Meta faces a $2.4bn (£1.8bn) lawsuit accusing the Facebook owner of inflaming violence in Ethiopia after the Kenyan high court said a legal case against the US tech group could go ahead.The case brought by two Ethiopian nationals calls on Facebook to alter its algorithm to stop promoting hateful material and incitement to violence, as well as hiring more content moderators in Africa. It is also seeking a $2.4bn “restitution fund” for victims of hate and violence incited on Facebook. Continue reading...

Floppy disks and vaccine cards: exhibition tells tale of privacy rights in UK
Posted on Thursday April 03, 2025

Forty items on display in Manchester, collated by information commissioner, chart evolution of personal data usage over 40 yearsForty years ago, it would take a four-drawer filing cabinet to store 10,000 documents. You would need 736 floppy disks to hold those same files; now it takes up no physical space at all to store 10,000 documents on the cloud.As data storage has evolved, so too has the whole information landscape, and with it the challenges of storing, transferring and appropriately using people’s personal data. Continue reading...

Italian police increase security at Tesla dealerships after 17 cars destroyed in Rome fire
Posted on Wednesday April 02, 2025

State police anti-terrorism unit investigating whether blaze in Torre Angela was started by anarchistsItaly’s interior ministry has written to police forces across the country to increase security at Tesla dealerships after 17 of the electric cars made by Elon Musk’s company were destroyed in a fire in Rome.Italy’s state police anti-terrorism unit, Digos, is investigating whether the fire at the Tesla dealership in Torre Angela, a suburb in the east of the capital, was started by anarchists. Continue reading...

Clickbait titles and cliffhangers: the mini TV serials capturing phone audiences
Posted on Friday April 04, 2025

‘Vertical dramas’ consisting of minute-long episodes are booming, with market predicted to be worth $14bn by 2027Found a Homeless Billionaire Husband for Christmas. The Quarterback Next Door. Revenge of the XXL Wife. My Secret Agent Husband.These may sound like cringey fantasies, but they’re actually titles of “vertical dramas”, a new form of episodic television that is gripping millions around the world. Continue reading...

Sedentary lifestyles are bad for us, but which under-desk treadmills and walking pads are worth the cost? Our expert stepped up to find out• The best treadmills for your homeVarious guidelines suggest we all try to walk at least 10,000 steps a day to improve our overall health and wellbeing. Public Health England encourages a slightly more manageable target of just 10 minutes of brisk walking daily to introduce more moderate-intensity physical activity and reduce your risk of early death by up to 15%.But even squeezing in “brisk walks” can be a chore, with busy schedules and increasingly desk-bound jobs forcing more of us to remain sedentary for long periods. That is where walking pads come in, being lighter, smaller and often easier to store than bulky and tricky-to-manoeuvre running treadmills.Best overall walking pad:JTX MoveLight£499 at JTX FitnessBest budget walking pad: Rattantree shock-absorbing treadmill£142.49 at DebenhamsBest foldable walking pad: BodyMax WP60£549 at AmazonBest walking pad for incline: Mobvoi Home Treadmill Plus£224.99 at Mobvoi Continue reading...