James Farrell
Latest from James Farrell
YouTube imposes stricter rules for verified channels
A lot of YouTube channels could find themselves without the much-sought-after verification badge after the company announced Thursday that it will introduce stricter regulations on what meets the requirement for verification. “We’ve updated the eligibility criteria for verification badges on YouTube,” YouTube said. “This change is to help viewers distinguish the official channel of a ...
US social media giants meet with Congress on spread of extremist content
Facebook Inc., Google LLC and Twitter Inc. were called to Capitol Hill on Wednesday for another grilling, this time to discuss how extremist content and hate speech can be combated on their platforms. Representing the tech firms were Facebook Head of Global Policy Management Monika Bickert, Twitter Public Policy Director Nick Pickles and Google Global ...
Facebook cracks down on extremism and terrorist organizations
Facebook Inc. has made a number of changes to combat extremists and terrorism on its platform, the company announced Tuesday. In a blog post today, Facebook said it has initiated a number of updates throughout the year that haven’t been widely discussed, and this week other updates have been implemented. These changes fall under the “Dangerous Individuals ...
Facebook lets advertisers change news headlines
As Facebook Inc. clamps down on the spread of disinformation on its platform, it still allow advertisers to change news headlines, according to a report by CBC Monday. That could be confusing for the consumer, who may believe the headline was the creation of the publisher and not the advertiser. An example given was a ...
Google has changed its algorithm to boost original reporting
Articles that contain “original reporting” will be elevated in Google LLC’s search rankings from now on, the company announced Thursday. The change should be good news for journalists, with Google saying its team of human reviewers will also scan the deluge of stories in an attempt to find good journalism among more dubious articles. “An ...
FTC to investigate Amazon’s marketplace on antitrust issues
Investigators from the Federal Trade Commission have started an investigation in Amazon.com’s marketplace, according to a report published by Bloomberg Wednesday. According to other recent reports, this current investigation is part of a wider probe into big tech and how some companies might be stifling competition. Speaking at a conference Tuesday, Bilal Sayyed, the FTC’s director ...
Following slew of lawsuits, Lyft adds new safety requirements for drivers
Lyft Inc. is making changes to its safety policies after recent lawsuits accused its drivers of committing sexual assaults. In a blog post Tuesday, the company said it doesn’t take such allegations lightly, so it has introduced regulations that it hopes will combat assault. Drivers will now not only be continually monitored by state departments ...
Women’s period tracking apps are sharing intimate data with Facebook
Menstruation tracking apps have been sharing highly sensitive data with Facebook Inc., the U.K.-based advocacy group Privacy International said Monday. According to that group’s research, apps such as Maya by Plackal Tech and MIA by Mobapp Development Limited shared information with Facebook about menstruation cycles, menstruation symptoms, mood and general health, but also the use ...
Facebook introduces ‘Dating’ feature to US market
Facsebook Inc. is vying to overtake dating apps in the U.S. after releasing its own service here Thursday. The company said that after testing the feature in a number of countries since 2018, the service will roll out to American lonely hearts. In a blog post, Facebook said the feature will already know interests, groups, events ...
Big tech meets with US national security officials to discuss 2020 election
Representatives from Google LLL, Facebook Inc., Twitter Inc. and Microsoft Corp. met with U.S. security officials Wednesday in Silicon Valley to discuss the upcoming 2020 presidential election. The talk, held at Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, was not announced beforehand to the media. People close to the matter said the representatives from the aforementioned ...