San Francisco, United States | AFP | Facebook announced Monday it has hired a digital forensics firm to investigate the handling of data on millions of Americans leaked to a consulting firm working on Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. The move by Facebook came amid an onslaught of criticism after …
Read More »France warns Apple and Google of fines over ‘abusive’ practices
Paris, France | AFP | The French government said Wednesday that it would take legal action against Google and Apple over “abusive business practices”, threatening fines that could further strain transatlantic ties as a trade war looms. “I believe in an economy based on justice and I will take Google …
Read More »Apple buys digital magazine subscription service
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Apple announced Monday it is buying digital magazine subscription service Texture, adding to the side of its business aimed at making money from online content or services. The iPhone maker did not disclose financial terms of the deal to buy Texture from its owners …
Read More »Mobile phones help transform disaster relief
Barcelona, Spain | AFP | Mobile phones are helping transform how relief agencies respond to humanitarian crises by enabling them to pin point where aid is needed most after hurricanes, earthquakes and other disasters. At the same time, mobile apps that need just a few taps of the finger to …
Read More »Facebook launches effort to help boost newspaper subscriptions
Washington, United States | AFP | Facebook on Tuesday announced a $3 million pilot project aimed at helping US newspapers boost paid digital subscriptions. The move was the latest by the huge social network to respond to concerns that it and other online platforms have hurt news organizations by dominating …
Read More »Twitter sets crackdown on automated and fake account
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Twitter announced Wednesday a crackdown on accounts powered by software “bots” which can artificially amplify a person or cause and which have been accused of manipulating the social network during the 2016 US election. The San Francisco messaging platform said the move was …
Read More »Cyberattacks are costly, and things could get worse: US report
Washington, United States | AFP | Cyberattacks cost the United States between $57 billion and $109 billion in 2016, a White House report said Friday, warning of a “spillover” effect for the broader economy if the situation worsens. A report by the White House Council of Economic Advisers sought to …
Read More »Google begins blocking annoying ads on its browser
Washington, United States | AFP | Google has begun a new effort to block annoying ads on its Chrome browser, as part of an initiative aimed at improving the online advertising ecosystem that provides the bulk of its revenues. The new ad filtering system rolled out this week aims to …
Read More »Twitter hits milestone with first-ever profit
Washington, United States | AFP | Twitter on Thursday reported its first-ever quarterly profit, a key milestone that sent shares soaring at the social network which has lagged for years behind fast-growing rivals. The San Francisco-based one-to-many microblogging service said it earned $91 million in the fourth quarter, the first …
Read More »At trial, former Uber CEO seeks to fend off conspiracy talk
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Former Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick appeared tense and tentative as he took the witness stand Tuesday seeking to counter allegations that his company stole autonomous driving secrets from former Google car unit Waymo. A key witness in the blockbuster trade secrets case, Kalanick …
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