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☆ Faraday Future alleges "coordinated effort" to undermine valuation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The interior of Faraday Future's luxury electric car FF91 is seen at the company's headquarters in Gardena, California, U.S. November 21, 2019. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc FollowSept 7 (Reuters) - Faraday Future Intelligent Electric (FFIE.O) on Thursday said it has recently observed a series of "suspicious activities" which the electric-vehicle startup believes suggested a "coordinated effort" to undermine its valuation. Faraday did not immediately respond to a Reuters' query seeking details on the claim. It also faced delivery delays with its FF 91 2.0 Futurist Alliance vehicle, the first of which it delivered in August. Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann ThoppilOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Faraday, Lucy Nicholson, Mrinmay Dey, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, EV, FF, Futurist Alliance, Thomson Locations: Gardena , California, U.S, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

☆ Elon Musk borrowed $1 bln from SpaceX in same month of Twitter deal - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SpaceX approved the $1 billion loan, which was backed by some of Musk's SpaceX stock, in October and Musk drew all of it down the same month, according to the report, citing documents. SpaceX had $4.7 billion in cash and securities on hand at the end of last year, the paper said, citing documents. Both SpaceX and X did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Elon Musk sold a massive chunk of his Tesla shares in 2022, both before and after the Twitter deal, bringing his total sales to about $40 billion which frustrated investors in the EV maker. In addition to Tesla and X, Musk is a co-founder of brain-chip startup Neuralink.

Persons: Porte, Gonzalo Fuentes, Elon Musk, Musk, Tesla, Nilutpal Timsina, Mrinmay Dey, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Eileen Soreng Organizations: SpaceX, Tesla, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Twitter, Wall Street, Federal Communications Commission, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Bengaluru

☆ Elon Musk borrowed $1 billion from SpaceX in same month of Twitter deal, Wall Street Journal reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sept 5 (Reuters) - Elon Musk withdrew a loan of $1 billion from SpaceX - the two-decade-old rocket company run by the billionaire - around the same time he was acquiring Twitter, now known as X, for $44 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. SpaceX approved the $1 billion loan, which was backed by some of Musk's SpaceX stock, in October and Musk drew all of it down the same month, according to the report, citing documents. SpaceX had $4.7 billion in cash and securities on hand at the end of last year, the paper said, citing documents. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes Acquire Licensing RightsBoth SpaceX and X did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. In addition to Tesla and X, Musk is a co-founder of brain-chip startup Neuralink.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, Tesla, Porte, Gonzalo Fuentes, Nilutpal Timsina, Mrinmay Dey, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Eileen Soreng Organizations: SpaceX, Twitter, Wall Street, Federal Communications Commission, Tesla, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Bengaluru

☆ Oil companies sue U.S. over Gulf auction changes meant to protect whale
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Unused oil rigs sit in the Gulf of Mexico near Port Fourchon, Louisiana August 11, 2010. The suit is the latest dispute between the oil and gas industry and the administration of President Joe Biden over leasing federal lands and waters for energy development. The final sale notice included new restrictions on development meant to protect the endangered Rice's whale. Lease Sale 261 will be held on Sept. 27 and will offer approximately 12,395 blocks on approximately 67 million acres (27 million hectares) on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf in the Western, Central, and Eastern Planning Areas in the Gulf of Mexico.

Persons: Lee Celano, Joe Biden, Biden, Ryan Meyers, Mrinmay Dey, Nichola, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Chevron, Biden, Western, Western District of, Interior Department's, of Ocean Energy Management, American Petroleum Institute, Interior Department, U.S . Outer Continental, Thomson Locations: Gulf of Mexico, Port Fourchon , Louisiana, Louisiana, Gulf, Mexico, Western District, Western District of Louisiana, Central

☆ Elon Musk says X will strip ability to block accounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

'X' logo is seen reflected on an apartment window across the street from the headquarters of the messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in downtown San Francisco, California, U.S., July 30, 2023. The block function on X allows a user to restrict specific accounts from contacting them, seeing their posts or following them. "Block is going to be deleted as a 'feature', except for DMs," Musk said in a post on the platform, referring to direct messages. Removing or limiting the block feature might bring X into conflict with guidelines incorporated by Apple's (AAPL.O) App Store and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google Play. X, Google and Apple did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Persons: Carlos Barria, Elon Musk, Musk, Monica Lewinsky, X, Linda Yaccarino, Musk's, Yaccarino, Mrinmay Dey, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Social, Twitter, DMs, Apple's, Google, Apple, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Putin meets top generals in charge of Russia's war efforts in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses participants of the international military-technical forum Army-2023 via a video link in Moscow, Russia, in this picture released August 14, 2023. "Vladimir Putin held a meeting at the headquarters of the special military operation group in Rostov-on-Don," the Kremlin said in a statement. Russia, which launched its invasion in Ukraine in February 2022, calls its actions a special military operation. The Kremlin added that Putin, Russia's supreme commander-in-chief, listened to reports from Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff of the Army in charge of Moscow's operations in Ukraine, and other top military commanders and officers. Gerasimov, who has been seen rarely in public in recent months, had been the target of savage criticism from Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and some Russian military bloggers over Russia's failings in the war.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Klimentyev, Putin, Russia's, Valery Gerasimov, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Maria Tsvetkova, Mrinmay Dey, Lidia Kelly, William Mallard, Kim Coghill Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, Kremlin, Staff, Army, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Ukraine, Rostov, Ukraine's, Russian, Urozhaine, Donetsk, Azov, Crimea

☆ Ukrainian drone damages building in Moscow disrupting air traffic, Russia says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Russian air defences destroy Ukrainian droneDrone smashes into building in central MoscowNo casualties reportedFour Russian airports briefly suspend flightsMOSCOW, Aug 18 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian drone smashed into a building in central Moscow on Friday after Russian air defences shot it down, disrupting air traffic at all the civilian airports of the Russian capital, Russian officials said. Reuters images showed workers and emergency workers inspecting a damaged roof of a non-residential building which the drone hit. "At about 4 am Moscow time, the Kyiv regime launched another terrorist attack using an unmanned aerial vehicle on objects located in Moscow and the Moscow region," the Russian defence ministry said. [1/5]Investigators work near a damaged roof following a reported Ukrainian drone shot down in Moscow, Russia, August 18, 2023. Drone air strikes deep inside Russia have increased since a drone was destroyed over the Kremlin in early May.

Persons: Sergei Sobyanin, Shamil Zhumatov, Maria Tsvetkova, Lidia Kelly, Mrinmay Dey, Jacqueline Wong, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Reuters, Moscow, REUTERS, Rights, Kremlin, Civilian, New York Times, United, Cuban Missile Crisis, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russian, MOSCOW, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Russia, Sheremetyevo, Zhukovsky, Ukraine, United States, Kremlin

☆ Tesla launches new and cheaper Model S and X cars in US
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of car manufacturer Tesla is seen at a branch office in Bern, Switzerland October 28, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File PhotoCompanies Tesla Inc FollowAug 14 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) introduced new standard range Model S and Model X cars in the United States, priced cheaper than the other versions of the S and X models, the automaker's website showed on Monday. The new S and X models were priced at $78,490 and $88,490, respectively, the website showed. The company delivered 19,225 Model X and S vehicles in the second quarter compared to 16,162 vehicles it delivered last year. Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Arnd, Tesla, Mrinmay Dey, Rashmi Aich Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Bern, Switzerland, United States, China, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Nikola recalls all battery-electric trucks, halts sales after fire probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Mrinmay Dey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Logo of U.S. truckmaker Nikola is pictured at the IAA Transportation fair in Hanover, Germany, September 19, 2022. The company had said it suspected foul play when it started an investigation in June after trucks at its Phoenix, Arizona, headquarters caught fire. Struggling with supply chain bottlenecks and weaker demand, Nikola decided to make battery electric trucks only to order and focus on hydrogen fuel cell trucks. Nikola on Aug. 4 appointed Chairman Stephen Girsky, a former General Motors executive, as its chief executive, its fourth in four years. On Friday, Nikola asked customers and dealers of its Tre battery electric trucks to take certain immediate safety measures, including considering parking them outside.

Persons: Nikola, Fabian Bimmer, NKLA.O, Stephen Girsky, Shubhendu Deshmukh, Mrinmay Dey, Abhirup Roy, Sandra Maler, William Mallard, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: IAA Transportation, REUTERS, Reuters, General Motors, Thomson Locations: Hanover, Germany, Phoenix , Arizona, Bengaluru, San Francisco

☆ Walgreens sells $1.85 bln of AmerisourceBergen shares, further cutting stake
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Pigeons are seen resting on signage for Walgreens, owned by the Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 26, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File PhotoAug 3 (Reuters) - Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA.O) has sold some AmerisourceBergen Corp's (ABC.N) shares for proceeds of about $1.85 billion, the U.S. drugstore chain said on Thursday, further cutting its ownership in the drug distributor to about 16%. The latest share sale includes $250 million that drug distributor AmerisourceBergen will buy back from Walgreens under its share repurchase program, Walgreens added. Walgreens sold some AmerisourceBergen shares for $694 million in May. After the latest share sell, Walgreens will remain AmerisourceBergen's largest shareholder.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Mrinmay Dey, Jamie Freed Organizations: Walgreens, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, AmerisourceBergen, Bengaluru

☆ US CDC panel recommends Sanofi-AstraZeneca's preventive RSV therapy for babies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Sanofi logo at the company's headquarters during the annual results news conference in Paris, France, February 4, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File PhotoCompanies AstraZeneca PLC FollowSanofi SA FollowAug 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said its advisory panel on Thursday recommended use of Sanofi (SASY.PA) and partner AstraZeneca's (AZN.L) antibody therapy to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants and toddlers. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices unanimously recommended nirsevimab for preventing lower respiratory tract disease in newborns and infants below eight months of age born during or entering their first RSV season. It also recommended its use in children aged 8-19 months who remain vulnerable to severe RSV disease through their second such season. The therapy, branded as Beyfortus, will be available in the U.S. ahead of the upcoming 2023-24 RSV season, Sanofi said.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, AstraZeneca's, Sanofi, Mrinmay Dey, Mariam Sunny Organizations: Sanofi, REUTERS, Companies AstraZeneca, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ U.S. Trucking firm Yellow prepares for bankruptcy - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 26 (Reuters) - U.S. trucking firm Yellow (YELL.O) is preparing to file for bankruptcy, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, as customers abandon the company amid a cash crunch and union negotiations. The company could seek bankruptcy court protection as soon as this week, though no decision has been made, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. On Sunday, the third-biggest U.S. trucking company averted a threatened strike by 22,000 Teamsters-represented workers after compensating more than $50 million it owed in worker benefits and pension accruals. In 2020, the Donald Trump led government rescued the company with a $700 million pandemic relief loan in exchange for a 30% stake. Reporting by Urvi Dugar and Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Donald Trump, Urvi Dugar, Mrinmay Dey, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Wall Street, Reuters, U.S, Teamsters, Walmart, Uber, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

July 23 (Reuters) - Lawyers for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried rejected prosecutors' claims that his discussions with a New York Times reporter amounted to witness tampering but agreed to accept a gag order, they said in a letter to the judge in the criminal fraud case. The letter, released on Sunday, came after prosecutors sought to bar Bankman-Fried and allies from making public statements that could interfere with the case. Cryptocurrency exchange FTX, once valued at $32 billion, filed for bankruptcy protection in November as it was unable to repay depositors. Ellison led Bankman-Fried's Alameda Research hedge fund and has pleaded guilty to defrauding investors and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. In December, Bankman-Fried said he and Ellison had been in a relationship but gave no further details.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Caroline Ellison, Mark Cohen, Ellison, Mrinmay Dey, Christopher Cushing Organizations: New York Times, U.S ., Star, Alameda Research, Thomson Locations: Bankman, Alameda

☆ UK's Virgin Media O2 to lay off up to 2,000 employees by year end
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 24 (Reuters) - British mobile operator Virgin Media O2 said on Monday it was planning to lay off up to 2,000 employees by the end of this year. The company is a joint venture between the US-listed Liberty Global (LBTYA.O) and Spain's Telefonica (TEF.MC). Its rival BT Group (BT.L), Britain's biggest broadband and mobile provider, had cut 55,000 roles or more than 40% of its workforce in May. Earlier this month, the country's communications regulator Ofcom opened a probe, following complaints from users that the mobile operator was making it tough to cancel services. ($1 = 0.9041 euros)Reporting by Urvi Dugar and Mrinmay Dey in BengaluruOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Urvi Dugar, Mrinmay Dey Organizations: Virgin Media O2, Telegraph, Liberty Global, Spain's Telefonica, BT Group, Britain's, . Liberty Global, Vodafone, Ofcom, Thomson Locations: British, Bengaluru

And Twitter's cash flow has been negative as a result of that and its heavy debt load. Mike Proulx, research director at Forrester, said on Sunday that the move would further alienate Twitter's original, and once fiercely loyal, user base. The billionaire Musk said in a Sunday post he wanted to change Twitter's logo and polled his millions of followers whether they would favor changing the site's color scheme from blue to black. Twitter logo and a photo of Elon Musk are displayed through magnifier in this illustration taken October 27, 2022. In April, Twitter's legacy blue bird logo was temporarily replaced by Dogecoin's Shiba Inu dog, helping drive a surge in the cryptocurrency's market value.

Persons: Elon Musk, Mike Proulx, Forrester, Musk, Dado Ruvic, adieu, Linda Yaccarino, Twitter, Dogecoin's Shiba, Mrinmay Dey, Rishabh, William Mallard, Jan Harvey, Cynthia Osterman, Diane Craft Organizations: Twitter Inc, REUTERS, Twitter, X Corp, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Chevron appoints Eimear Bonner as new finance chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Chevron Corp FollowJuly 23 (Reuters) - U.S. oil major Chevron Corp (CVX.N) on Sunday said the company's Chief Financial Officer Pierre Breber will retire next year, and named long-time company veteran Eimear Bonner, chief technology officer of Chevron Technical Center, as his successor. Separately, the company also said it waived the mandatory retirement age requirement for its Chief Executive Officer Mike Wirth. Bonner will report to Chevron's chief executive in her new role. The upcoming chief financial officer will take the position starting March 1, 2024, the company said in a statement. (This story has been corrected to say chief financial officer, not chief executive, in paragraph 4)Reporting by Mrinmay Dey and Shubhendu Deshmukh in Bengaluru; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pierre Breber, Eimear Bonner, Mike Wirth, Bonner, Chevron, Mrinmay Dey, Shubhendu, Cynthia Osterman, Diane Craft Organizations: Chevron Corp, Sunday, Chevron Technical Center, Chevron, Shubhendu Deshmukh, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

"Interim X logo goes live later today," Musk said on Twitter adding that "X.com" would now redirect to Twitter's website. Musk's X Corp owns Twitter. The billionaire said in a Sunday post he wanted to change Twitter's logo and polled his millions of followers whether they would favor changing the site's color scheme from blue to black. Twitter logo and a photo of Elon Musk are displayed through magnifier in this illustration taken October 27, 2022. In April, Twitter's legacy blue bird logo was temporarily replaced by Dogecoin's Shiba Inu dog, helping drive a surge in the cryptocurrency's market value.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, Dado Ruvic, adieu, Musk's, Dogecoin's Shiba, Mrinmay Dey, Rishabh, William Mallard, Jan Harvey, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Twitter Inc, Twitter, X Corp, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Strike at trucking firm Yellow averted after deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 23 (Reuters) - U.S. trucking firm Yellow (YELL.O) averted a threatened strike by 22,000 Teamsters-represented workers on Sunday, saying the company will pay the more than $50 million it owed in worker benefits and pension accruals. Yellow is the third-biggest U.S. trucking company specializing in the less-than-truckload segment that combines shipments from different customers in the same trailer. Competitors, who are grappling with a sharp drop in freight volume, are expected to cherry-pick the company's customers, trucking experts and analysts said. It has successfully won such concessions in the past, but this time was rebuffed by new Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien. A federal judge in Kansas on Friday rejected Yellow's request to block the Teamsters from striking over the delinquent benefit payments.

Persons: Donald Trump, Sean O'Brien, O'Brien, O’Brien, Yellow's, Lisa Baertlein, Ananta Agarwal, Mrinmay Dey, Diane Craft, Chris Reese Organizations: Teamsters, Central, U.S, Walmart, Uber, Apollo Global Management, . Company, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, United Parcel Service, Thomson Locations: U.S, Central States, Nashville , Tennessee, Kansas, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

☆ FTC to pause Microsoft-Activision merger trial, Bloomberg reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

July 20 (Reuters) - The US Federal Trade Commission is poised to pause its in-house trial against Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O) opening the door to potential settlement talks, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday. Microsoft and FTC did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mrinmay Dey, Shailesh Organizations: US Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Bloomberg, FTC, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Coinbase CEO to meet US House Democrats on Wednesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 17 (Reuters) - Coinbase (COIN.O) Chief Executive Brian Armstrong will meet privately with a group of U.S. House of Representatives Democrats on Wednesday morning and plans to make remarks on the future of digital asset legislation. At the meeting, Armstrong will also touch upon related issues, such as tax, national security, privacy, and climate, a New Democrat Coalition spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Coinbase did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside business hours. Both Coinbase and Binance deny the SEC's allegations and have pledged to vigorously defend themselves in court. Armstrong is an outspoken SEC critic who has called SEC Chair Gary Gensler an "outlier" among Washington policymakers.

Persons: Brian Armstrong, Armstrong, Coinbase, Binance, Gary Gensler, Mrinmay Dey, Shubhendu, Jacqueline Wong, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: . House, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, New Democrat Coalition, SEC, Shubhendu Deshmukh, Thomson Locations: Washington, Bengaluru

☆ Striking writers and actors accuse NBCUniversal of blocking picket area
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] SAG-AFTRA actors strike against the Hollywood studios as they join the Writers Guild of America (WGA) on the picket like outside of Netflix offices in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 14, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File PhotoLOS ANGELES, July 18 (Reuters) - Hollywood's striking Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA actors' union filed a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Comcast's (CMCSA.O) NBCUniversal on Tuesday, accusing the company of blocking a picket area. The unions said NBCUniversal infringed its freedom to picket and endangered its members by obstructing a public sidewalk next to the company's studio lot in California with an ongoing construction project. Hollywood actors joined film and television writers on picket lines for the first time in 63 years last week as they demanded higher streaming-era pay and curbs on the use of artificial intelligence. "We strongly believe that the company has fulfilled our legal obligations under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and we will cooperate with respect to any inquiries by the National Labor Relations Board on this issue," an NBCUniversal spokesperson said.

Persons: Mike Blake, NBCUniversal, picketers, AFTRA, Mrinmay Dey, Baranjot Kaur, Juby Babu, Lisa Richwine, Shubhendu Deshmukh, Leslie Adler, Jamie Freed Organizations: Hollywood, Writers Guild of America, Netflix, REUTERS, Guild of America, SAG, National Labor Relations Board, Comcast's, National Labor Relations, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, California, Bengaluru, Los Angeles

☆ US FTC opens investigation into OpenAI over misleading statements -document
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The FTC this week sent a 20-page demand for records about how OpenAI - the maker of generative artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT - addresses risks tied to its AI models. The agency is probing if OpenAI engaged in unfair practices that resulted in "reputational harm" to consumers. According to the FTC's demand for information sent to OpenAI, one of the questions has to do with steps OpenAI has taken to address its products' potential to "generate statements about real individuals that are false, misleading, or disparaging." The FTC declined comment, while OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. OpenAI in March also ran into trouble in Italy, where the regulator had ChatGPT taken offline over accusations OpenAI violated the European Union's GDPR - a wide-ranging privacy regime enacted in 2018.

Persons: OpenAI, Lina Khan, Dado Ruvic, Chuck Schumer, ChatGPT, Diane Bartz, Mrinmay Dey, Samrhitha Arunasalam, Aditya Soni, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Mark Porter, Maju Samuel Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, FTC, Activision Blizzard, Washington Post, REUTERS, Reuters, U.S ., Thomson Locations: United States, Italy, U.S, Washington, Bengaluru

☆ US FTC opens investigation into OpenAI - Washington Post
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has opened an investigation into OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, on claims it has run afoul of consumer protection laws by putting personal reputations and data at risk, the Washington Post reported on Thursday. The FTC this week sent a 20-page demand for records about how OpenAI addresses risks related to its AI models, the Post said, citing a document. The FTC and OpenAI did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. OpenAI had in March also run into trouble in Italy, where the regulator had ChatGPT taken offline over accusations that OpenAI violated the European Union's GDPR - a wide-ranging privacy regime enacted in 2018. Reporting by Mrinmay Dey and Samrhitha Arunasalam in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee and Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: OpenAI, Chuck Schumer, ChatGPT, Mrinmay Dey, Samrhitha, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Maju Samuel Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Washington Post, Microsoft, FTC, Post, Global, Reuters, U.S ., Thomson Locations: OpenAI, United States, Italy, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ FTC opens investigation into OpenAI over misleading statements
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The FTC this week sent a 20-page demand for records about how OpenAI addresses risks related to its AI models. The agency is investigating whether the company engaged in unfair or deceptive practices that resulted in "reputational harm" to consumers. One of the questions has to do with steps OpenAI has taken to address the potential for its products to "generate statements about real individuals that are false, misleading, or disparaging." Global regulators are aiming to apply existing rules covering everything from copyright and data privacy to two key issues: the data fed into models and the content they produce, Reuters reported in May. OpenAI in March also ran into trouble in Italy, where the regulator had ChatGPT taken offline over accusations OpenAI violated the European Union's GDPR - a wide-ranging privacy regime enacted in 2018.

Persons: OpenAI, Chuck Schumer, ChatGPT, Diane Bartz, Mrinmay Dey, Samrhitha, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Maju Samuel, Mark Porter Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, FTC, Washington Post, Reuters, U.S ., Thomson Locations: OpenAI, United States, Italy, U.S, Washington, Bengaluru

☆ Meta's Instagram to bring branded content tools to Threads - Axios
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 11 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms's (META.O) Instagram is planning to bring its branded content tools to Threads, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing a source familiar with the matter. Such tools will help marketers collaborate with influencers on paid partnerships on the social media platform while advertising is unavailable. Instagram allows users to port their accounts, credentials and followers to Threads, giving the text-based social media platform access to the photo-sharing platform's more-than-2 billion-strong user base. Several companies have already started making accounts on Threads to post content organically, despite a lack of advertising on the platform. However, the lack of hashtags and keyword search functions on Threads could limit the platform's appeal to advertisers.

Persons: Instagram, Axios, influencers, Elon, Mark Zuckerberg, Mrinmay Dey, Akash Sriram, Savio D'Souza Organizations: Meta, Facebook, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

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