James Farrell
Latest from James Farrell
Twitter updates violent speech policy with ‘zero tolerance’ for the worst cases
Twitter Inc. today announced that its policy to deal with violent speech on the platform has been updated, with the company saying it will now take a “zero tolerance” stance toward the most severe cases. “Twitter is a place where people can express themselves, learn about what’s happening, and debate global issues,” the company said ...
Microsoft considers adding guardrails to Bing Chat after bizarre behavior
After Microsoft Corp.’s artificial intelligence-powered Bing chat was unleashed on the public a little more than a week ago, the company has decided it’s time to reel it in somewhat. Millions of people have signed up to use Bing-powered by ChatGPT, and millions more are apparently still on a waiting list, but some of those ...
Tech CEOs to meet with House Judiciary Committee over content moderation practices
The House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan today issued subpoenas to the chief executives of the five largest tech companies to talk about content moderation methods and possible censorship on their platforms. A group of congressional Republicans led by Jordan (pictured) wants to grill Meta Platforms Inc., Google LLC, Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc. ...
Meta’s Oversight Board to become faster about the decisions it makes
Meta Platforms Inc.’s Oversight Board couldn’t exactly be called speedy in how it deals with controversial cases, but today the board said that’s all going to change. It has been two years since Meta, then Facebook Inc., announced that it would introduce a third-party board to oversee how it makes moderation decisions – some of ...
Study finds data brokers are selling Americans’ mental health data
A study released today explains that data brokers in the U.S. are selling long lists of people who suffer from various mental health conditions. The study, which was undertaken by Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, states that these shady brokers have been compiling lists of Americans who suffer from ailments such as anxiety, ...
Ukraine airs disappointment as SpaceX says Starlink technology is not for offensive purposes
Ukrainian officials today were far from pleased after being told that Starlink’s satellite internet service was not to be used for its military drones, a service that has so far been indispensable in the war with Russia. Elon Musk’s company had earlier said that its satellite communications were never supposed to be “weaponized.” Gwynne Shotwell, ...
UK government says Microsoft Activision Blizzard acquisition could harm millions of gamers
The United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority said today that Microsoft Corp.’s $69 billion acquisition of gaming behemoth Activision Blizzard Inc. could harm competition in the U.K. gaming market. The CMA said in its provisional findings that Microsoft’s largest-ever acquisition might result in steeper prices for gamers and fewer choices in the U.K. market while ...
Britain’s beleaguered Royal Mail held to ransom by hackers
The ransomware group LockBit has claimed responsibility for the January Royal Mail cyberattack and today is making threats to Britain’s centuries-old service. After the attack happened on Jan. 12, the Royal Mail said it had to close down international shipping because of “severe service disruption.” At the time, it was speculated that LockBit, which may have ...
TikTok updates safety policies as US scrutiny continues
As ByteDance Ltd.-owned TikTok stares down the barrel of a shotgun in the U.S., the company announced today that it’s introducing new moderation policies for creators and users. Julie de Bailliencourt, TikTok’s global head of policy, said in a blog post that the company will now have a strike system for people who violate community ...
Look out, Google: Microsoft is looking to integrate GPT-4 with Bing search engine
In an effort to compete with Google LLC’s search engine, Microsoft Corp. will integrate ChatGPT with its Bing search engine. That’s according to Semafor, which said it spoke to people familiar with the matter. They said Microsoft will use OpenAI LLC’s latest iteration of the bot, GPT-4. The one currently being used by much of ...