BATTERYFORPC BLOG
Grindr removes 'ethnicity filter' after complaints
Dating and hook-up app Grindr says it will remove the "ethnicity filter" from the next version of its app, following years of criticism from its users. The app currently lets people filter potential matches according to their age, height, weight and ethnicity. But critics say the ethnicity filter fuels discrimination and that the app does too little to tackle racism. Announcing the ch ... Read more
2020-06-01 21:13:26
George Floyd death: Jake Paul denies looting Arizona mall
YouTuber Jake Paul has denied looting during a protest against racial inequality in Arizona. The 23-year-old says he was only there to film content for his 20.1 million YouTube followers. Photos and videos seen on social media claim to show Jake, whose estimated wealth is over $11 million, involved in looting an Arizona shopping mall. "Neither I nor anyone in our group was involved in any ... Read more
2020-06-01 21:12:59
Amazon UK website defaced with racist abuse
Amazon has blamed a "bad actor" for racist abuse that appeared on multiple listings on its UK website. The abuse, now removed, appeared when users searched the online shop for Apple AirPods and similar products. It was unclear how long the racist language remained on the site, but it sparked outrage on Twitter and the sharing of screenshots and video grabs. "We investigated, remo ... Read more
2020-05-31 23:55:40
Microsoft 'to replace journalists with robots'
Microsoft is to replace dozens of contract journalists on its MSN website and use automated systems to select news stories, US and UK media report. The curating of stories from news organisations and selection of headlines and pictures for the MSN site is currently done by journalists. Artificial intelligence will perform these news production tasks, sources told the Seattle Times. Microsoft sa ... Read more
2020-05-31 23:55:19
Trump signs executive order targeting Twitter after fact-checking row
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at removing some of the legal protections given to social media platforms. It gives regulators the power to pursue legal actions against firms such as Facebook and Twitter for the way they police content on their platforms. President Trump accused social media platforms of having "unchecked power" while signing the order. T ... Read more
2020-05-28 20:29:57
Myka Stauffer: Backlash after YouTubers give up adopted son
A couple who documented on a popular YouTube channel their life with an autistic toddler adopted from China are facing a backlash after they revealed he had been placed with another family. Myka Stauffer and her husband James, based in Ohio, produced videos about Huxley's adoption and his challenges. Since 2017 the couple received sponsorship deals and video revenue. While some understood the d ... Read more
2020-05-28 20:29:36
Pulling apart a £339 anti-5G USB stick
A device costing more than £300 promises to protect your family from 5G, using ground-breaking quantum technology - but does it work? The rollout of the new 5G mobile networks began in the UK only last summer and has not yet reached outside urban areas. Yet across the country there is already a cottage industry offering protection against the supposed negative health effects, even though they ha ... Read more
2020-05-27 21:16:59
Video streaming: Lockdown sees fifth of UK homes sign deals
One in five households in Britain – six million – signed up to an online video subscription service during the Covid-19 lockdown, data suggests. The majority of those sign-ups, 52%, are going to Disney+, according to market research firm Kantar. The most-enjoyed piece of content, though, was Netflix’s exclusive documentary series Tiger King. AppleTV+ struggled to engage TV viewers, howeve ... Read more
2020-05-27 21:16:44
Twitter tags Trump tweet with fact-checking warning
A post by US President Donald Trump has been given a fact-check label by Twitter for the first time. President Trump tweeted: "There is NO WAY (ZERO!) that Mail-In Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent." Twitter put a warning label under the post and a subsequent tweet under its new policy on misleading information. Mr Trump responded by tweeting again, saying th ... Read more
2020-05-26 21:30:54
Facebook shareholders try to block encryption plan
Investors at Facebook's annual stockholder meeting will vote on a proposal to postpone the firm's plans for end-to-end encryption. The firm says it wants to make the measure the default option across its messaging platforms to protect privacy. But activist shareholders say this would make it nearly impossible to detect child exploitation on Facebook. The group wants the company to delay the mov ... Read more
2020-05-26 21:30:38