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Signs of Chinese yuan and U.S. dollar are seen at a currency exchange store in Shanghai, China August 8, 2019. "I hope over time, we will be more than just a Middle East investor in China. I want us to be perceived also as a local Chinese investor," Ben-Gacem told Reuters, adding that the final fundraising size will depend on investor appetite and market conditions. Some private equity and venture funds are stepping up efforts to raise yuan funds. ($1 = 7.2884 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Roxanne Liu and Kane Wu; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and Gerry DoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, Investcorp, Investcorp's, Hazem Ben, Gacem, Ben, Mubadala, LSEG, China Everbright, Fung, Roxanne Liu, Kane Wu, Sumeet Chatterjee, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Electronics, Middle, Rongsheng Petrochemical, CYVN Holdings, NIO Inc, Gulf Cooperation Council, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights BEIJING, Bahrain, East, Abu Dhabi, Investcorp, Shandong, Tengzhou, Middle East, Gulf, U.S, Hong Kong, Chinese, Guangdong, Macau

☆ American Airlines Dangles $250,000 Bonuses to Poach FedEx and UPS Pilots
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Alison Sider | Esther Fung | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Cargo pilots typically have fixed schedules and fewer legs to fly in a day compared with their counterparts at passenger airlines. Photo: Jon Cherry/Getty ImagesThe next recruiting hotspot for U.S. airlines in need of experienced pilots is FedEx and United Parcel Service . PSA Airlines, a regional carrier owned by American , is offering bonuses totaling $250,000 for UPS and FedEx pilots who can come work as captains and help fill a gap that has forced PSA to keep planes grounded and curtail service to some cities.

Persons: Jon Cherry Organizations: Cargo, FedEx, United Parcel Service, PSA Airlines, UPS, PSA

☆ Mark Zuckerberg ignored teen and user safety warnings from Meta executives
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The disclosures highlight Zuckerberg’s sway over decisions at Meta that can affect billions of users. And they also shed light on tensions that have occasionally arisen between Zuckerberg and other Meta officials who have pushed to enhance user well-being. In response to the newly unsealed communications, Meta spokesman Andy Stone said such image filters are commonly used in the industry. “These unreacted documents prove that Mark Zuckerberg is not interested in protecting anyone’s privacy or safety. “Clegg’s comments follow a pattern and practice at Meta where employees repeatedly flagged under-investment in well-being tools, despite having the research,” Qureshi said.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, —, Zuckerberg, Adam Mosseri, Global Affairs Nick Clegg, Karina Newton, Fidji Simo, Margaret Gould Stewart, Simo, Mosseri, Stewart, Newton, Andrew Bosworth, Andy Stone, ” Stone, “, Stone, Meta, Clegg, Frances, Instagram, Haugen, ” Zuckerberg, Susan Li, Li, David Ginsberg, Ginsburg, Li “, Arturo Bejar, Bejar, Instagram’s, ” Bejar, I’ve, ”, Sacha Haworth, Zamaan Qureshi, ” Qureshi Organizations: CNN —, Facebook, Global Affairs, Massachusetts, Meta, CNN, ” Tech, Technology, Tech Locations: Massachusetts, United States, Mosseri

☆ Facebook and Instagram will require political advertisers to disclose AI deepfakes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —Meta, parent company of Instagram and Facebook, will require political advertisers around the world to disclose any use of artificial intelligence in their ads, starting next year, the company said Wednesday, as part of a broader move to limit so-called “deepfakes” and other digitally altered misleading content. The rule is set to take effect next year, the company added, ahead of the 2024 US election and other future elections worldwide. The announcement comes a day after Meta said it would restrict political advertisers from using the company’s own AI advertising tools that can generate backgrounds, suggest marketing text or supply music to accompany videos. The platform has long received blowback for allowing politicians to lie in their campaign ads, and for exempting politicians’ speech from third-party fact-checking. But the decisions to force Meta’s political advertisers to disclose their use of AI, and to restrict Meta’s own AI tools from being used in political ads, suggests there may be limits to how far Zuckerberg is willing to let politicians roam with new technology.

Persons: Meta, ”, Brad Smith, Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, ” Meta, “ Organizations: Washington CNN, Facebook, Microsoft, Meta

☆ Meta ignored warnings on Instagram’s harm to teens, whistleblower says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Washington CNN —Meta’s top executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, ignored warnings for years about harms to teens on its platforms such as Instagram, a company whistleblower told a Senate subcommittee on Tuesday. Meanwhile, both parties have united behind blaming Meta for contributing to a nationwide mental health crisis. Bejar’s research “is basically a smoking gun,” Haugen told CNN in an interview Tuesday. “Every day countless people inside and outside of Meta are working on how to help keep young people safe online,” said Meta spokesman Andy Stone in a statement. He said everyday Americans understand “the harm being done” and compared it to harms from smoking.

Persons: Washington CNN —, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Arturo Bejar, Bejar, Zuckerberg, Bejar’s, ” Bejar, Frances Haugen, Instagram, ” Haugen, “, Sheryl Sandberg, ”, Andy Stone, Stone, Connecticut Democratic Sen, Richard Blumenthal ., Josh Hawley, Tennessee Republican Sen, Marsha Blackburn, Adam Mosseri, Sandberg, Chris Cox, Mosseri, ” Blackburn, Louisiana Republican Sen, John Kennedy, we’re, ” Meta, Blumenthal, Cox, Haugen, Hawley, ” Blumenthal, ” CNN’s Samantha Kelly Organizations: Washington CNN, Washington CNN — Meta’s, Facebook, Wall, Meta, CNN, Connecticut Democratic, Big Tech, Tennessee Republican, Louisiana Republican, Wall Street, “ Big Tech, Tobacco Locations: Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal . Missouri, Instagram

☆ Meta prohibits generative AI tools for political ads
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

A company spokesperson told CNN that Meta has updated its policies surrounding the advertising tools to restrict their use by ad campaigns that may be related to elections, politics and social issues. The generative AI features in question include a tool that can automatically propose changes to content that is uploaded by advertisers and that offers to improve an ad’s effectiveness. Other tools affected by the restrictions include one that creates product backgrounds and another that edits marketing text. In September, a bipartisan group of US senators introduced legislation to ban the use of so-called AI “deepfakes” from political ads. And in August, the Federal Election Commission kickstarted a process that could eventually regulate or prohibit the use of AI in political ads.

Organizations: CNN, Meta, Housing, Employment, Health, Pharmaceuticals, Financial Services, Reuters

☆ Epic Games goes to court to challenge Google’s app store practices
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The legal battle follows a years-long debate about whether app store operators such as Google and Apple foster an open, competitive app ecosystem. The court fight traces back to 2020, when Epic launched Project Liberty, a plan to circumvent Apple and Google’s app store terms. Epic updated the Fortnite app to encourage players to pay for in-app content directly through Epic’s own website — rather than through Apple and Google’s in-app payment systems. That gambit triggered a violation of the app stores’ developer terms. The move also prompted both app stores to remove the Fortnite app from their platforms.

Persons: ”, Sundar Pichai, Tim Sweeney, Fortnite, Sweeney, Wilson White, they’ve Organizations: CNN, Google, Court, Apple, Epic, Liberty, Supreme Locations: California’s

☆ Epic Games goes to court to challenge Google’s App store practices
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Persons: ”, Sundar Pichai, Tim Sweeney, Fortnite, Sweeney, Wilson White, they’ve Organizations: CNN, Google, Court, Apple, Epic, Liberty, Supreme Locations: California’s

☆ Amazon algorithm juiced prices, cost US consumers $1 billion new FTC lawsuit documents allege
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

It has earned Amazon more than $1 billion from US households, newly unredacted portions of the suit allege. Public revelationsThe complaint’s newly unsealed portions, filed Thursday in Seattle federal court, uncover a wide range of previously non-public allegations. More than 70% of Amazon shoppers do not click past the first page of search results, according to the unsealed complaint. In another situation, Amazon allegedly took steps to promote its own, proprietary products — such as the Amazon Kindle tablet — as having been recommended by expert reviewers when the Amazon products had not earned such a recommendation. If the Amazon price went up, the competing retailers would increase their prices as well, according to the complaint.

Persons: Amazon’s, Jeff Bezos, Biden, ”, Tim Doyle, ” Doyle, “, Nessie, David Zapolsky Organizations: Washington CNN, Federal Trade Commission, Amazon, FTC, Amazon Prime Locations: Seattle, Bezos

☆ Goldman Sachs just promoted 608 employees to the coveted role of managing directors. See the full list here.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Emmalyse Brownstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Goldman Sachs announced its 2023 class of managing directors Thursday afternoon, giving 608 employees the coveted title. It's a smaller cohort than the bank's 2021 MD class, down 5% amid a dealmaking slowdown. Still, Goldman appears to have taken pains to promote employees in revenue-generating divisions like investment banking and trading. Goldman says the percentage of women it promoted as part of the 2023 MD class sets a record, up 1% from 2021. Two years ago, Goldman promoted the largest managing director class in its history, naming 643 employees to the designation in 2021.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Goldman, David Solomon, John Waldron, we've, Solomon, Waldron, Goldman Sachs Fereshteh Abbasi Thomas Abe Devina Abreo Francesca Adamski Emmanuel Adenitire Gopal Agarwal Prasoon Agarwal Udit Agrawal Khamran Ali Omar Alzaim Dorothee Amar Akbar Amin Joe Amsler Wilfred Amuri Jack Anstey Paul Antonios Hidemi Aoki, Carolina Aragon Gonzalez Nelson Armbrust Georgina Aspden Laurene, Gisha, Sharon Babick Navin Babu Alexey Bachurin Alberto Bacis Patrick Badaro Rahul Bajaj Elise Bal Tanya Ballaram Brian Baltz Guillaume Banderet Nirav Bansal Nitin Bansal Swati, Chalapathi, Andrei Banu Camella Barnes James Barry Elisa Anna Bassu Aman Batra Eleanor Beasley Nicole Beavan Michael Becker Yukiko Beer Omar Benchekroune Richard Bennett Nigel Beslee Ashima Bhalla Nikhil Bhandari Nimita Bhargava Bodha Bhattacharya Rebecca Bibb Roseline, Rahul Bindu Mark Bird Leo Biselman Christian Blanc Patrick Bogues Michael Boratin Katherine Bordlemay Gabriela Borges Kate Boucher Erik Bouland Joanne Braidi Chris Brett Joseph Briggs Charles Brockett Emmeline Brothers Aaron Brown Adrienne Brown Kevin Bryck Archana Budida Oliver Bunn Rebecca Burgoyne Andrew Burpitt Todd Byers Patrick Byrne Michael Cahill Ashley Caldwell Jake Caldwell Serdar Caliskan Jon Calluzzo Stewart Campbell Samantha Cantor Yuri Cantor Dan Carabas Gemma Carlaw Laura Carroll Tim Carson Matt Carter Quentin Cezard Alex Cham Simon Chamama Heidi Chan Patrick Chan Suraj Chandran Kim Cheah Jon Cheh CP Chen Nelly Cheng Sarrah Cherhabil Jackson Cheung Michael Cheung Rama, Stan Chiu Anish, Kunal Choraria Ankit Chowdhari Dario Claus Cosimo Codacci, Michael Coleman David Collerd Shannon Collins Francesca Condini Lee Coppersmith John Couch Tim Creamer Maziar, Satish Damodaran Gareth Davies Serkan, Nick De Kock Ann de la, Nick De Kock Ann de la Montaigne Jan Debeuckelaer Molly Decker Gabrielle Decrion Laurent Dedieu Antoine Demongeot Yannick Derippe Deepalakshmi Desai Tim Desiano Joshua Dezube Randeep Dhillon Javier Diaz, Merry Matheus, Jared Dickow Alex Doell Mao Dong Praneil Doolabh Daniel Dooling Michelle Dorea Szymon Doroz Jacqueline Du Benjamin Duell Kelsey Dumont Julie Duval Todd Ebe Dayo, Jeremy Eisenstein Chris Elmore Ryan Erickson Joaquin Escribano Larry Estrada Pavel Fadeev Will Fairbourn Jeremy Falgiani Fabio Federici Wenlong Fei David Felman Sophia Ferguson Zach Fernandez David Fernandez Miguez Scott, William Fio Rito Duffy Fischer Lisa Florentine Akshay Fomra Janice Foo Nicholas Forbat Elie Franko Georgina Fraser Jason Freeman Nicole Freeman Oliver Friedberg Gavriel Friedland Ross Fuller Angela Fung Greg Furness Nikhil Gadodia Stefano Gamba Amit Singh Gambhir Javier Gandara Giorgio Gandola Amit Gangrade Sudha Garimella Mima Garland Mingmin Ge Graziano Gemma Shefali Gera Constance Germain Brad Gifford Benjamin Giles Abbas Ginwala Marlene Giorgio Thomas Giovachini Zachary Glasser Guillaume Gnech Harley Golding Yuriy Goldman Jesse Goldstein Roy Golender Sharon Gonnella Alejandro Gonzalez Steven Gooden Jessie Gould Varun, George Graf von Waldersee Florian Granier Jamie Greenberg Brian Grzelakowski Alessandro Guicciardi Michael Guiliano Samuel Guinness Bivash Gunpath Deepa Gupta Parikshit Gupta Lauren Gutierrez Johannes Hahn Chris Hallam Alex Halpern Christina Halpin Michael Hamilton Brooke Hammel Saki Hanioka John Hanson Mathew Harris Ally Hart Amy Harwood Tom, Emily Hashimoto Rob Haslam Michael Heino Brandon Herde Sarah Higgins Camilla Hill Spencer Hill Sho, Cecilia Ho Jonathan Ho Bryan Hoffman Kevin Hoffmeyer Eliza Hollyday Simon Holmes Mehdi, Lily, Derek Hu Jennifer Hui Tim Huiszoon Camille Humbert Kurt Humes Kelley Hutchison Masayuki Ichioka Andrew Imber Calvin Isaac Jackson Isaacs Sharif Ismail Yu, Doug Michael Jaffa Nitin Jagga Rahul Jain, Jataprolu Fiona Jervis Yinpeng Jin Sandeep Jindal Jennifer Jochinger Steven Johnson David Johnstone Megan Jordan Nicolas Joseph Bob Kadel Jean Kam Harneet Kaur Vinay Kaura Peter Kelman Stephanie Kenary Maggie Keohan Humayun Khalid Sunil Khandelwal Scott Kilpatrick Jenny Kim Ashley King Joel Klaus Rene Klos Rossitsa, Michael Kondoleon Gregory Kontopoulos Larry Kornreich Shrivathsa Kota Konrad Krallmann Ken Kraska Alexander Kretzberg Bryant Krongard Simon Kubbies Adam Kulik Peter Kulka Ajeya Kumar Aditya Kurella Sara Lachapelle Raagini, Langalia Chaim Langer Alexander Langley Raven LaRue Dolapo Lawal Claire Leblanc, Langalia Chaim Langer Alexander Langley Raven LaRue Dolapo Lawal Claire Leblanc Mary LeDonne, Allison Lee Michael Lee Soohyun Lee Victoria Lewis Alice Li Qing Li George Lin Ali Lippert David Lipworth Bozhena Lisko, Murphy Mark Littlewood Zhenyi Liu Yelli Lobel Avinash Lobo Burke Loeffler Gabriela Lopez Cristian Lopez, Balboa Carlos Lopez Torrero Stephanie Louie Edward Lowe Reynolds Lowry Fei Luo Ranjan Luthra Sangeetha M Martin Ma Matthew Maciaszek Michael Magee Steffen Mahringer Poonam Majithia Terres Maloney Gopal Manchikanti Jade Mandel, Manfay Varun, Pierre Marboeuf Matt Margolin Thiago Marinheiro Kevin Martens Masato Maruyama Lucinda Mataka Rishi Mathur Pierre Maugest Scott Maxfield Andrei Maxim Michael McClurg Selina McCole Jeff McCown Andrea McGee Sinead McGuigan John McGuinness Benjamin McRoberts Amit Mehrotra Gaurav Mehta Kelly Mellecker Josef Menasche Raf Mercado Alexander Mielke Rachel Miles Christopher Miller Megan Miller Robert Miller Max Minton Edward Mitchell Oliver Money Tyler Moni Anna Montvai Taylor Moore Anthony Moschella Brandon Moy Faraz Munaim Sasha Munn Ashok Musuvathy Negar, Julian Naden Robinson Hiroki Nagamine Srijith Nair Cornelius Namiluko Sanjiv Nanwani Jay Narain Robert Andranik Nazarian Jovan Negovan Ryan Newman Michael Ng, Tasuku Nishihara John Nixon Kristy Nomi Alexandre Nunes Patrick O'Callaghan Yusuke Ochi KC O'Connor David Olivares Erica Olsen Victoria Ortengren Anas, Peter Pace Robert Packwood Nitin, Ellen Pak Ruth Pan Pedro Panizo Jayshri, Rahul Parikh Dan Parisi Freddie Parker Phil Parsons Peter Paruch Paul Pate Bella Patel Preya Patel Rakesh Patel Amit Patni Ed Paulinski Adam Pennacchio Kyle Penton Abhishek Periwal Michael Perrier Yoric Perrin Rasmus Persson Tommy Pinhas, Marco Poletti Megan Prasad Avijit Praveer James Puccinelli Sameer Punde Rob Pyne Na Qiao Valentina Quadri Marco Quirico Anya Radford Abhishek Rai Rahul Raj Ram Rajamony Ryan Ramsay Rami Rankoussi Nach Rao Pawan Rao Anurag Rathi Philip Renton Noel Reyes Ruth Reynolds Timothy Richards Peter Richter Brigid Riley Hutchinson Nick Rill Kristina Ristagno Vicky Ritter Martin Roberson James Roberts James Robinson Giorgio, Erin Roos Erin Ross Sumit Roy Conrad Ryan Soo, Ryu David Sage Jai Sahani Namita, Sarah Sakkej Karim Saleh Ayesha Salman Divya Samani Henrik Samuelsson Ryan Sansalone Vikram Sarker Shalini Satish Babu Charlotte Saury, Hania Schmidt Helene Schmitt Emily Schorr Wendy Schrunk Thomas Schwegler Michael Sciancalepore Brandon Seaman Benjamin Seigel Gamal Selvarajah Nicholas Semeniuk Devjoy Sengupta Michael Shafik Arpan Shah Shashwat Shah Shahnawaz Shahbaz Manoj Sharma Sachin Sharma Wazila, Gunduz Shirin Alex Silver Asmita Singh Kamalpreet Singh Andrew Sinnott Sapna, Dan Skinner Andrew Snow Stephanie Snyder Farouk Soussa Christopher Spahr Erik Sparks Matt Speltz Naveen Srinivasan Bhargav, Warren, Damian Steele Tobias Stein Catherine Stemp Dave Stringer Shekar Subramanian Jordan Sudy Philipp Suess Fatima Sultana Lu Sun Kumar Sundaram Fiona Syer Matthew Sykes Tofi, Filippo Taddei Sandhya Tadishetty Omer Tanvir Rita Taylor Zachary Tcheyan Brian Teague Wesley, Caitlin Terry Thomas Tesauro Hemal, Justin Therry Christine Thornburg Gregory Thysheril Angelo Tierno Alexander Tingle Ryan Townsend Cynthia Trillo Dimitris, Jessica Tung Jonathan Tung Ezgi, Zachary Upcheshaw Kiyomi, Nadine Urseanu Jim Vais Pim Valantagul Perrin Van Allen Annerieke van Dijk Jeroen van Dorp Dennis van Laer Todd van Stolk, Riley Jacqueline Vargas Alexander Vavalidis Edwin Velez Prasanna Venugopal Tim Verheyden Amanda Verstegen Ankit Vijay Vargiya Salvador Villanueva Arthur Villard Sichel Denzel Voesenek Bradley Wainwright Adam Walker Barbara Walters Omar Waly Daniel Wang Kenneth Wang Kristen Ward Gavin Warren Michael Washington Harry Webster Fredrik Weege Brian Weiss Thomas Weitz Nat Wells Joe Wenzel Tim Whitehead Henry Willans Matthew Williams Taylor Williams Katie Wilson Richard Wilson Stephanie Wisner Ilana Wolfe Jake Woodson Jeff Wu Qi Wu Jackson Yang Esma, Yoon Harm, John Zhai Jenny Zhang Lynn Zhang Raye Zhu Jane Zhuang Hans Zijlmans Carolyn Zimmer Samia Zitouni Mira Zorkot Organizations: Goldman, Wall, Carolina, Nick De Kock Ann de la Montaigne, Langalia Chaim Langer Alexander Langley Raven LaRue Dolapo Lawal Claire Leblanc Mary Locations: Europe, Asia, India

☆ EU clamps down on Meta’s use of personal data for targeted ads
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Meta will soon be forced to seek European users’ consent before using their personal information to deliver those users targeted advertisements on Facebook and Instagram. A European Union-wide ban announced Wednesday dealing with Meta’s handling of user data proposes blanket restrictions which could be finalized as soon as late next week. The restrictions were announced by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), a group of EU data regulators representing numerous countries in the bloc. Under EU rules known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Meta must cite one of several specific legal justifications in order to collect and use people’s personal data for advertising. It directs the Irish Data Protection Commission, Meta’s primary privacy regulator in Europe, to issue a final rule on the matter by Nov. 10.

Persons: Meta, It’s, “ Meta, “, ”, Anu Organizations: CNN, Facebook, European Data Protection, EU, General Data Protection, Meta, Irish Data Protection Locations: Europe

☆ Tinder owner Match Group settles antitrust claims against Google’s app store
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington, DC CNN —Online dating giant Match Group has dropped a closely watched antitrust lawsuit against Google’s app store, the two companies said Tuesday, days before a trial set to begin in San Francisco federal court. The settlement between the search giant and the owner of sites such as Match, Tinder and Hinge resolves allegations that Google harmed competition through its app store terms. It permits Match Group to provide users alternative ways to pay for in-app content without requiring them to use Google’s proprietary payment channels. Developer complaints about high app store fees — charged by app store owners such as Google — have reached a fever pitch in recent years, along with related allegations about other restrictive app store terms. The outcome of the app store cases could shape the livelihoods of app developers and determine the flow of billions of dollars in economic activity.

Persons: Tim Sweeney, ” Sweeney, ” Organizations: DC CNN —, Google, Epic Games, Apple, Supreme, Match Locations: Washington, San Francisco federal

☆ Crumbling Train Bridges Are Everywhere. Here’s How One City Got a Railroad to Fix Them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Esther Fung | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Mayor Jared Kraham feared that railroad bridges in his city presented safety hazards for residents. An independent inspection commissioned earlier this year escalated his concerns. Most rail bridges over public streets in Binghamton, N.Y., were found to be in poor or severe condition, according to the 914-page report. “I thought maybe most were just eyesores,” said 32-year-old Kraham, who began his term leading the city last year. “I didn’t expect it to be so bad.”

Persons: Jared Kraham, ”, “ Locations: Binghamton, N.Y

☆ Google CEO Sundar Pichai testifies in Google antitrust trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Pichai, whom Google called as a star witness, opened his testimony by recounting his journey from Chennai, India to Google and his path to becoming the tech company’s CEO in 2015. “The correlation was pretty clear to see,” Pichai said, before Google attorney John Schmidtlein presented an internal email from 2010 showing research that users who switched from Microsoft’s Internet Explorer performed 48% more Google searches. Users of Mozilla’s Firefox browser that switched to Chrome performed 27% more searches on Google, the email said. Google has paid Apple more than an estimated $10 billion a year to be the default on Apple devices and software. In 2021, Google paid $26.3 billion to secure default agreements with its partners worldwide, according to a slide introduced in the trial last week.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, Pichai, ” Pichai, John Schmidtlein, Chrome, Satya Nadella, Apple “, Eddy, Bing, ” Google Organizations: Washington CNN, Court, District of Columbia, Microsoft, Google, Apple, Justice Department Locations: Chennai, India

☆ Federal judge hints that Big Tech companies may have to face consumer allegations of mental health harm9
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

This week, dozens of states filed a virtually identical federal lawsuit against Meta alleging the company knew that the design of its social media platforms had been harmful to kids. She also expressed skepticism in response to claims by industry lawyers that tech companies have no legal obligation to ensure their platforms are safe for children. Still, she said, the burden falls on the tech platforms to prove why she should throw out the cases at an early stage in litigation. “It doesn’t seem to me that you can escape that,” Gonzalez Rogers said. But one thing is certain, Gonzalez Rogers said: “Your billing fees today exceed my annual salary.”

Persons: —, Meta, it’s, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, Gonzalez Rogers, ” Gonzalez Rogers, “, ” Organizations: DC CNN, Google, Meta, Court, Northern Locations: Washington, California, Northern District

☆ Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover, the platform and its cultural impact have fundamentally changed
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Brian Fung | Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

Here’s a (non-exhaustive) account of how Musk has fundamentally changed Twitter since he made one of the most consequential acquisitions of the social media age. Many of Musk’s content and product decisions have also led to what civil society groups have reported as a troubling spread of hateful speech on the platform. He recommended that X users monitor the Israel-Hamas conflict by following an account known for spreading disinformation, before later deleting his post. And, in an attempt to prove that former Twitter executives deliberately discriminated against conservatives on the platform, Musk provided a handpicked group of journalists with selective access to company records. It is perhaps Musk’s all-consuming presence that has most undermined what users used to love about Twitter.

Persons: New York CNN — It’s, Elon Musk, Linda Yaccarino —, Yaccarino, ” Yaccarino, —, it’s, Here’s, Musk, he’s, Donald Trump, LeBron James, James, ”, X, General Mills, ” Weeks, “ Elon, what’s, “, Paul Pelosi, Dilbert, Scott Adams, George Soros, Joe Biden’s, Ron DeSantis ’, Robert F, Kennedy, Jr, Tucker Carlson, Vivek Ramaswamy, Benjamin Netanyahu, Hunter Biden Organizations: New, New York CNN, Elon, Twitter, US Federal Trade Commission, Securities, Exchange Commission, EU, Premium, Nintendo, NPR, PBS, Volkswagen, —, Center, Defamation League, Wall Street, Florida Republican Gov, Fox, New York, Trump Locations: New York, Israel, United States, breakeven, New

☆ Messaging app Telegram blocks access to Hamas-run channels
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Clare Duffy | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —The messaging app Telegram has restricted access to several channels closely associated with or operated by Hamas, as the militant group’s war with Israel rages on. The restrictions mark a significant clampdown on a major source of pro-Hamas propaganda since the Israel-Hamas war began, one that Telegram’s error messages suggest may be driven by the app store operators’ policies. Other popular Telegram channels that have expressed support for Hamas have also been restricted, according to CNN’s analysis. That account is among those no longer accessible via Telegram apps downloaded from the Google Play or Apple App stores, CNN confirmed. An Apple spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to CNN’s questions about the Telegram channels now blocked for iOS users.

Persons: Israel, —, ”, United States —, ” Google’s, didn’t, Brian Fishman, –, O’Sullivan, Paul Murphy Organizations: New, New York CNN, Hamas, Google, CNN, ” CNN, CNBC, Meta, Brigades, Apple, Capitol, Facebook, Twitter Locations: New York, Israel, Russian, United States, Dubai, Europe

☆ US lawmakers question tax prep companies on sharing of taxpayer data with Big Tech platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“Americans should be able to file their taxes without fear that their sensitive data will be shared with Big Tech companies,” said the letters, copies of which were obtained by CNN. The letters — led by Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren — focus on the use of tracking technology developed by tech platforms and embedded within the tax prep companies’ websites that quietly transferred users’ personal information to Meta and Google, allegedly without their consent. Of the five tax prep companies, Intuit was not a major focus of the initial congressional probe because it did not use tracking pixels to the same extent as the others, the investigation found. They also asked the same question of each of the four other tax prep companies, as well as requesting a commitment to abide by the FTC’s warning not to use customer data in ways consumers did not expressly approve. The lawmakers requested that the tax prep firms respond by Nov. 8.

Persons: ”, Massachusetts Democratic Sen, Elizabeth Warren —, Warren, Meta, — Sens, Ron Wyden, Richard Blumenthal, Tammy Duckworth, Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders, Sheldon Whitehouse, Katie Porter Organizations: CNN, Federal Trade Commission, Big Tech, Massachusetts Democratic, Meta, Google, FTC, Intuit, Ramsey Solutions, Oregon Democrat, Connecticut Democrat, Vermont Independent, Rhode, Rhode Island Democrat, House Democratic Locations: Oregon, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, California

☆ Meta has managed to get 33 US states to agree on something
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

See here: More than three dozen states are suing the parent company of Instagram and Facebook over fears that its platforms’ “addictive” features are harming teens’ mental health. In a federal lawsuit filed in California, 33 attorneys general allege that Meta’s products have harmed minors and contributed to a mental health crisis in the United States. Eight additional attorneys general sued Meta in state courts, making similar claims. And the state of Florida sued the company in its own federal lawsuit alleging it misled users about potential health risks. The federal complaint filed in California calls for court orders prohibiting Meta from violating the law and, in the case of many states, unspecified financial penalties.

Persons: CNN Business ’, New York CNN —, Brian Fung, Frances Haugen, Meta, Jonathan Skrmetti, ”, “ We’re, Haugen, didn’t, can’t, Phil Weiser, Meta’s, you’ll Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN, Meta, Facebook, Big Tech, Wall Street, ” Colorado, Google Locations: New York, California, United States, Florida, Tennessee

☆ States sue Instagram-parent Meta over 'addictive' features and youth mental health harms
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Dozens of states sued Instagram-parent Meta on Tuesday, accusing the social media giant of harming young users’ mental health through allegedly addictive features such as infinite news feeds and frequent notifications that demand users’ constant attention. In a federal lawsuit filed in California by 33 attorneys general, the states allege that Meta’s products have harmed minors and contributed to a mental health crisis in the United States. “Social media companies, including Meta, have contributed to a national youth mental health crisis and they must be held accountable. Battle lines renewedTuesday’s multipronged legal assault marks the newest attempt by states to rein in large tech platforms over fears that social media companies are fueling a spike in youth depression and suicidal ideation. In some cases, the tech industry has challenged those laws in court — for example, by claiming that Arkansas’ social media law violates residents’ First Amendment rights to access information.

Persons: Instagram, Meta, ”, Letitia James, Brian Schwalb, ” Meta, “ We’re, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers Organizations: CNN, “ Social, Meta, District of Columbia, Google Locations: California, United States, New York, Arkansas, Louisiana, District, Colorado , Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii , Idaho , Illinois , Indiana , Kansas , Kentucky, Maine , Maryland , Michigan, Minnesota , Missouri , Nebraska , New Jersey , New York, North Carolina , North Dakota , Ohio , Oregon , Pennsylvania, Rhode Island , South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, District of Columbia , Massachusetts , Mississippi , New Hampshire , Oklahoma , Tennessee , Utah, Vermont

But its following has surged on popular messaging app Telegram since its October 7 terror attack on Israel. Hamas is a designated foreign terror organization in the United States, and new internet laws in the European Union mean large social media platforms can face penalties for hosting terroristic content. Hamas’ growing audienceThe Telegram channel for Hamas’ military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, had about 200,000 followers at the time of the attack. Fishman said while the huge growth in the number of people following Hamas’ Telegram accounts is concerning, it doesn’t mean all the followers are supporters – pointing out that many journalists, researchers and others are likely following the accounts. And that could make it more difficult for plaintiffs to use legal action to force Telegram to remove Hamas content.

Persons: –, Brian Fishman, Fishman, Hamas ’, Pavel Durov, Durov, ” Durov, John Bergmayer, Thierry Breton, didn’t Organizations: CNN, Brigades, Google, Hamas, European Union, Hamas ’, Atlantic, Forensic Research, Meta, Capitol, Facebook, Twitter, ISIS, Communications, Republicans, European, Digital Services, European Commission Locations: Israel, United States, European, Russian, Dubai, Russia, Ashkelon, US

That shift in legal doctrine was profound, shaping how courts have applied antitrust law ever since. Khan’s ideas have challenged the closest thing to a sacred cow in antitrust law. The most ambitious of those never became law, but Khan’s role in the probe, which Cicilline described as “critical,” helped further raise her profile. Amazon and Meta have both pushed for Khan to recuse herself from matters involving the companies, questioning her objectivity. The US Federal Trade Commission sued Amazon.com Inc. in a long-anticipated antitrust case, accusing the e-commerce giant of monopolizing online marketplace services by degrading quality for shoppers and overcharging sellers.

Persons: Lina Khan, Khan, Stephanie Keith, ” Khan, “, Joe Biden, ”, William Kovacic, George W, Bush, Barry Lynn, Lynn, New America Foundation —, Obama, —, ” Lina Khan, Rong Xu, ” Lynn, it’s, ’ ”, Reagan, Robert Hockett, Khan’s, David Cicilline, Lina, ” Cicilline, Cicilline, Justin Tallis, Biden, Trump, Douglas Farrar, Gary Gensler, Tom Williams, Jonathan Kanter, Roe, Wade, Kevin Kiley, Meta, she’s, “ We’ve, they’re, Federal Trade Commission Lina Khan, Al Drago, Kathleen Bradish, Bradish, Christine Wilson, Wilson, Noah Phillips, Gabby Jones, NetChoice, Carl Szabo, “ It’s, ” Szabo, There’s, ” Kovacic Organizations: CNN, Federal Trade Commission, Amazon, FTC, Big, Microsoft, Meta, Bloomberg, Getty, Republican, White House, Williams College, New America Foundation, Washington Monthly, Yale Law, Washington Post, Cornell Law School, Big Tech, Rhode, Rhode Island Democratic, Apple, Facebook, Cambridge, Activision, SEC, Financial Services, General Government, Securities and Exchange Commission, Capitol, Justice Department, Epic Games, California Republican, Washington , D.C, American Antitrust Institute, GOP, US Federal Trade Commission, Amazon.com Inc Locations: Big Tech, Robbinsville , New Jersey, Washington, Larchmont , New York, Rhode Island, Washington ,, New York

“Getting information from social media is likely to lead to you being severely disinformed,” said Ahmed. Everyone from US foreign adversaries to domestic extremists to internet trolls and “engagement farmers” has been exploiting the war on social media for their own personal or political gain, he added. “Bad actors surrounding us have been manipulating, confusing and trying to create deception on social media platforms,” Dan Brahmy, CEO of the Israeli social media threat intelligence firm Cyabra, said Thursday in a video posted to LinkedIn. The dynamic simultaneously highlights the business models of social media and the role the companies play in carefully calibrating their users’ experiences. ‘Be very cautious about sharing’Despite giving the impression of reality and truthfulness, Brookie said, individual stories and combat footage conveyed through social media often lack the broader perspective and context that journalists, research organizations and even social media moderation teams apply to a situation to help achieve a fuller understanding of it.

Persons: ”, Gazans, Pepe, Imran Ahmed, Ahmed, “, Dan Brahmy, ‘, ’ Graham Brookie, Islamophobic, Elon Musk, it’s, ” Imran Ahmed, ” Brian Fishman, ” Linda Yaccarino, “ We’ve, Andy Stone, Snapchat, TikTok, ” Ahmed, ” Brookie, Brookie Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, —, Twitter, European Union, Facebook, YouTube, Center, LinkedIn, Digital Forensic Research, Atlantic Council, European Commission, European, Digital Services Locations: New York, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, London, Egypt, Islamophobic, Washington ,, United Kingdom, United States

☆ EU officials warn Google and YouTube about Hamas-Israel disinformation and graphic content
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —The European Commission sent a warning letter Friday to Google and its subsidiary YouTube over disinformation and graphic content linked to the Hamas-Israel conflict, in the European Union’s latest effort to scrutinize Big Tech’s handling of the war. The letter from European Commissioner Thierry Breton, addressed to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and also sent to YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, reminded the company about its content moderation obligations under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). Breton shared the letter on X.Breton highlighted legal requirements for Google to keep graphic content such as hostage videos away from underage users; to act swiftly when authorities flag content that violates European laws; and to mitigate disinformation. It also warned of possible penalties if a future investigation were to find Google (GOOGL) is not complying with the DSA. Unlike some of those previous letters, however, Breton’s letter to Google does not directly suggest the company has spread misleading or illegal content.

Persons: Thierry Breton, Sundar Pichai, Neal Mohan, Breton, ” Breton, Ivy Choi, ” Choi, “, CNN’s Organizations: Washington CNN, European Commission, Google, YouTube, EU’s Digital Services, DSA, CNN Locations: Israel, Brussels, Gaza

☆ Investors flock to defensive stocks and safe havens on worries about Israel-Hamas war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The Israel-Hamas war is sending investors in search of defensive assets. Israel declared war on Hamas Sunday after the Palestinian militant group launched a brutal attack that killed at least 1,300 people. But investors have since bought up shares of virtually risk-free government bonds, indicating that Wall Street remains worried. Utilities, energy and real estate stocks have also outperformed the broader S&P 500 index’s roughly 1% gain this week. In August, a recently passed EU law known as the Digital Services Act went into effect for large online platforms, including the companies Breton addressed this week.

Persons: ”, George Smith, Bryan Hinmon, Hinmon, hasn’t, TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, Thierry Breton, Brian Fung, Breton, ” Breton, TikTok didn’t, Anna Cooban, ” Russia’s, Andrei Belousov, Read Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, CNN, Stock, Treasury, LPL, Twitter, Meta, Digital Services Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Ukraine, Chew, Moscow

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