James Farrell
Latest from James Farrell
Trump vents at Apple for not unlocking a criminal’s phone
President Donald Trump had some stern words for Apple Inc. Wednesday, when the leader let loose on Twitter about how the company doesn’t play ball. “We are helping Apple all of the time on TRADE and so many other issues, and yet they refuse to unlock phones used by killers, drug dealers and other violent ...
Study reveals Tinder, Grindr, other dating apps share user data with brokers
A new study has shown how popular dating apps such as Tinder, OK Cupid and Grindr are selling user data to third parties for advertising purposes. It’s not just dating apps, either. The same study also revealed how period tracking apps are also selling intimate information. The personal data bought by these brokers might reveal ...
US tells UK that using Huawei to build a 5G network would be ‘madness’
Security officials from the U.S. met with U.K. ministers on Monday and in no uncertain terms told them that Chinese tech behemoth Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. is not the right company to use to build its 5G infrastructure. The delegation that arrived in London had been put together by President Donald Trump and was led ...
Facebook won’t remove fictitious political ads but will let you see fewer of them
Despite ongoing criticism, Facebook Inc. said today that it will continue with its policy not to fact-check political ads on the run-up to the 2020 U.S presidential election. Late last year, the company was roundly criticized for this policy, something that was condemned inside the company as well as from outside. Nonetheless, Facebook said it would ...
Facebook’s ban on deepfakes doesn’t impress critics
Despite Facebook Inc.’s vow Monday that there’s no room for deepfake videos on the platform, critics think its ban doesn’t go far enough. The company acknowledged in a blog post that manipulated media is a rising concern, especially as the 2020 U.S. presidential election approaches. Last year, Facebook came under pressure after a manipulated video of House Speaker ...
In a memo, Facebook executive discusses how the company really helped elect Trump
In a memo that was first obtained by The New York Times today and then later made publicly available, top Facebook executive Andrew “Boz” Bosworth candidly discussed some simmering issues at the company, including the possible re-election of President Donald Trump. Bosworth, who heads Facebook’s augmented and virtual reality division, ran through number of issues ...
YouTube introduces strict new policies on content for kids
Google LLC-owned YouTube warned creators Monday that its recent change in policy regarding children’s content will have a “significant impact.” In September, YouTube settled with the Federal Trade Commission and the New York Attorney General to the tune of $170 million after the company was accused of unlawfully collecting data on kids under age 13. ...
TikTok may move out of China to appease US officials
The Chinese-owned video app TikTok could be looking for a new home to get on the right side of U.S. officials, according to a report today in the Wall Street Journal. People familiar with the matter said the cities of London, Dublin and Singapore are on the table, although it doesn’t look like any cities in ...
Facebook will ban any misleading posts and ads about 2020 US census
Facebook Inc. announced Thursday that it will implement a “census interference policy” to ensure misleading information about the 2020 U.S. census isn’t shared on the platform. In a post, the company said it will take down any misleading information as to when and how to take part in the census, while also removing any posts ...
Facebook cracks down on influencer posts featuring weapons, vaping and tobacco
Facebook Inc. is getting tough on influencers getting paid to promote products relating to weapons, vaping, tobacco and diet supplements on its Instagram app. The company said today in a post that although there have always been rules in place to stop the promotion of such products, it will now start enforcing those rules in the upcoming ...