BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Tripwire boss steps down over support for Texas abortion law
The president of game-studio Tripwire Interactive has stepped down after tweeting support for a controversial new abortion law in Texas. The Texas law bans abortions from as early as six weeks into pregnancy. John Gibson tweeted he was "proud" of the legal outcome and was a "a pro-life game developer". Some of the studio's partners rapidly distanced themselves from Mr Gibson ... Read more
2021-09-07 20:09:18
TikTok overtakes YouTube for average watch time in US and UK
App users in the UK and US are spending more time on TikTok than on YouTube, a new report suggests. Data from app monitoring firm App Annie indicates that average time per user spent on the apps is higher for TikTok, indicating high levels of engagement. App Annie characterised TikTok as having "upended the streaming and social landscape". However, YouTube retains the top spot for ove ... Read more
2021-09-06 20:03:43
Facebook apology as AI labels black men 'primates'
Facebook users who watched a newspaper video featuring black men were asked if they wanted to "keep seeing videos about primates" by an artificial-intelligence recommendation system. Facebook told BBC News it "was clearly an unacceptable error", disabled the system and launched an investigation. "We apologise to anyone who may have seen these offensive recommendations.&q ... Read more
2021-09-06 20:03:03
Apple employees make US labour watchdog complaints
Two employee complaints against Apple are being considered by the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). One alleges retaliation for raising safety concerns, while the other focuses on alleged suppression of questions about pay equity. Apple has declined to comment on individual cases, but says it investigates when a concern is raised. The complaints come as an online campaign says it's rece ... Read more
2021-09-05 19:46:23
Apple delays plan to scan iPhones for child abuse
Apple has delayed plans to roll out detection technology which would have scanned US users' iPhones in search of child sexual abuse material. It follows widespread criticism from privacy groups and others, worried that the on-device tracking set a dangerous precedent. Apple said that it had listened to the negative feedback and was reconsidering. There were concerns the system could be abused b ... Read more
2021-09-05 19:45:53
Sir Salman Rushdie to serialise book via email newsletter
Author Sir Salman Rushdie will serialise his next book on publishing platform Substack. The platform proposed the idea which will see the book, and other writing, delivered to subscribers' emails. In a post, Sir Salman said he hoped to have "a closer relationship with readers, to speak freely, without any intermediaries or gatekeepers". Substack began as a platform for journalism, but ... Read more
2021-09-02 19:44:08
WhatsApp issued second-largest GDPR fine of €225m
WhatsApp has been fined €225m (£193m) by Ireland's data watchdog for breaching privacy regulations. It is the largest fine ever from the Irish Data Protection Commission, and the second-highest under EU GDPR rules. Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, has its EU headquarters is in Ireland, and the Irish regulator is the lead authority for the tech giant in Europe. WhatsApp said it disagrees with the ... Read more
2021-09-02 19:43:28
Investigation into hacked "map" of UK gun owners
Authorities are investigating after a map claiming to show the addresses of thousands of firearms owners in the UK was published online. Gun-selling site Guntrader announced a data breach affecting more than 100,000 customers in July. This week, reports emerged that an animal rights activist blog had published the information. The group had formatted the data so it could be easily imported into ... Read more
2021-09-01 19:40:50
Twitter tests safety mode feature to silence abuse
Twitter is launching a feature that it hopes will help crack down on abuse and trolling, both of which have become huge issues for the platform. Safety Mode will flag accounts using hateful remarks, or those bombarding people with uninvited comments, and block them for seven days. The feature will work automatically once enabled, taking the burden off users to deal with unwelcome tweets. It wil ... Read more
2021-09-01 19:40:32
YouTube signs Twitch video-game streamer Dr Lupo
YouTube has poached one of Twitch's top video-game streamers. Ben "Dr" Lupo, who reportedly signed a multi-million dollar exclusivity deal with Twitch in 2019, will now stream exclusively on YouTube. The American, 34, known for playing Fortnite, Destiny, Escape from Tarkov and Among Us, has the 26th most followers on Twitch, at 4.5 million. Twitch said it wished him "nothing but ... Read more
2021-08-31 20:15:45