Ofcom to Investigate Tech Giants’ Dominance of Cloud Computing

Ofcom will investigate the world’s biggest tech companies to ensure their dominance in areas such as cloud computing, messaging and smart devices works for the people and businesses of Britain, the communications regulator has said. The cloud services investigation, which will take priority out of the three issues, will look at Amazon, Microsoft and Google. Between them, these “hyperscalers” control more than four-fifths of the UK’s cloud computing market, about half of which is made up by Amazon. Over the coming year, the regulator will begin investigating a wider range of digital services. WhatsApp, FaceTime and Zoom will come under the lens, with Ofcom looking at how their market power is affecting traditional calling and messaging, and whether the lack of interoperability “raises potential concerns”.

By:  The Guardian September 22, 2022   Ofcom will investigate the world’s biggest tech companies to ensure their dominance in areas such as cloud computing, messaging and smart devices works for the people and businesses of Britain, the communications regulator has said.   The cloud services investigation, which will take priority out of the three […]

YouTube’s Dislike Button Rarely Shifts Video Recommendations, Researchers Say.

YouTube’s dislike button rarely shifts video recommendations, researchers say.

By: NY Times Date: September,20 2022 For YouTube viewers dissatisfied with the videos the platform has recommended to them, pressing the “dislike” button may not make a big difference, according to a new research report.   YouTube has said users have numerous ways to indicate that they disapprove of content and do not want to watch similar […]

Pentagon Orders Audit of Clandestine Information Warfare: Report

Pentagon orders audit of clandestine information warfare: report

By: The Hill September 19, 2022   The Pentagon will review how it conducts secret information warfare after Meta and Twitter found and dismantled fake accounts likely tied to the U.S. military, The Washington Post reported Monday.   Undersecretary of Defense for policy Colin Kahl last week asked the military commands that participate in online psychological operations to give […]

How State Attorneys General are Leading the Fight Against Big Tech

How state attorneys general are leading the fight against Big Tech

By:  The Hill September 17, 2022 State attorneys general are leading efforts to crack down on the power of big technology firms, as highlighted by California’s suit filed this week against Amazon and a Texas-led coalition’s measured win in its fight against Google.   The cases are just two in a long line of state-led efforts to […]

Appeals Court Upholds Texas Law Regulating Social-Media Platforms

Appeals Court Upholds Texas Law Regulating Social-Media Platforms

By:  The Wallstreet Journal September 16, 2022 A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a Texas law that seeks to prohibit social-media platforms from blocking or removing posts based on the speaker’s viewpoint, a decision that could set the stage for the Supreme Court to resolve a case with broad ramifications for online discourse. Texas […]

Facebook Parent Meta Platforms Cuts Responsible Innovation Team

Facebook Parent Meta Platforms Cuts Responsible Innovation Team

By:  The Wallstreet Journal September 8, 2022 Meta Platforms Inc. has disbanded its Responsible Innovation team, which was once a prominent piece of its effort to address concerns about the potential downsides of its products. The team had included roughly two dozen engineers, ethicists and others who collaborated with internal product teams and outside privacy […]

Ethics, Digital Technologies, & AI: Southeast Asian Perspectives, With Elina Noor

By:  Carnegie Council September 6, 2022 In this Artificial Intelligence & Equality podcast, Senior Fellow Anja Kaspersen is joined by Asia Society Policy Institute‘s Elina Noor for a talk on how we frame discussions on AI ethics and governance matters. They also speak about the importance of the social justice aspect of technology and the digital landscape in […]

Data Company Sued Uy US Government Amid Fears Of Sensitive Location Tracking

Data company sued by US government amid fears of sensitive location tracking

By:  The Guardian August 29, 2022 The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Monday sued Idaho-based data broker Kochava for selling geolocation data from hundreds of millions of mobile devices that could be used to track consumers. The FTC said consumer data could be used to trace people’s movements to and from sensitive locations including […]