DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ The ChatGPT King Isn’t Worried, but He Knows You Might Be
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Cade Metz | More About Cade Metz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Many in the field have criticized the decision, arguing that this set off a race to release technology that gets things wrong, makes things up and could soon be used to rapidly spread disinformation. On Friday, the Italian government temporarily banned ChatGPT in the country, citing privacy concerns and worries over minors being exposed to explicit material. This allowed him to pursue billions of dollars in financing by promising a profit to investors like Microsoft. His grand idea is that OpenAI will capture much of the world’s wealth through the creation of A.G.I. In Napa, as we sat chatting beside the lake at the heart of his ranch, he tossed out several figures — $100 billion, $1 trillion, $100 trillion.

Persons: Altman, Mr Organizations: Microsoft Locations: Italian, Napa

☆ Kentucky lawmakers override governor's veto of transgender bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Andrew Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 29 (Reuters) - Republican lawmakers in Kentucky on Wednesday overturned the governor's veto of a bill to ban transgender youths from gender-affirming healthcare and restrict which toilets they use in public schools, voting in line with a national conservative-led movement. Supporters of the bill said they passed the legislation to protect children from undergoing gender-affirming treatments they would regret later in life. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky promised legal action to stop medical sections of the bill taking effect in about three months. Measures include bans on discussion of gender identity in schools, clampdowns on drag shows and blocking transgender participation in sports. West Virginia on Wednesday passed a law banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth after about 10 other states approved laws restricting or outlawing medical treatments for transgender minors.

☆ DeSantis' policies are controversial even among his supporters. They might come back to bite him, even in a primary
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

DeSantis supporters revealed they were less inclined to vote for him after learning about his policies. Diving into the poll's results, 40% of all respondents — over 620 respondents — said they "definitely" or "might" vote for DeSantis. The pollster then asked respondents about eight of the policies that DeSantis has championed as governor, but didn't note the relation to DeSantis. Looking at the poll's crosstabs, however, and it appears that DeSantis supporters were less likely to vote for him after learning about his policies. DeSantis' signature achievements are unpopular amongst the massesDeSantis, along with the Florida legislature, hasn't shied away from unpopular policies in the past.

SOTA/Handout via REUTERSMarch 28 (Reuters) - A Russian who was investigated by police after his daughter drew an anti-war picture at school was sentenced on Tuesday to two years in a penal colony on charges of discrediting the armed forces. The case has provoked an outcry among Russian human rights activists and sparked an online campaign to reunite father and daughter. The drawing featured a Ukrainian flag with the words "Glory to Ukraine" and a Russian tricolour with the slogan "No to war". In December, investigators opened another case against him on suspicion of discrediting the armed forces, this time based on a social media post in June. Shortly after invading Ukraine last year, Russia outlawed the act of discrediting the armed forces and provided for jail sentences of several years.

March 27 (Reuters) - E-cigarette company Juul Labs Inc and its former largest investor, Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc (MO.N), will face their first U.S. trial this week over claims that they created a public nuisance by marketing addictive e-cigarettes to minors. It says Juul sold its e-cigarettes in sweet flavors and promoted them on social media to appeal to underage consumers. Juul and Altria have faced thousands of similar lawsuits around the country. The state also says Altria helped Juul market its products, including by providing it access to its sales force and including Juul advertisements in Marlboro products. Altria this month announced that it had given up its investment in Juul in exchange for some of Juul's intellectual property.

☆ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rejected banning TikTok in her first TikTok video, saying it 'just doesn't feel right to me'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez discussed calls to ban TikTok in her debut on the app. The New York Democrat said the bipartisan push to ban TikTok in the US "doesn't feel right to me." AOC said America needed stronger data and privacy protection laws rather than a TikTok ban. The New York Democrat started her video by saying: "This is not only my first TikTok, but it is a TikTok about TikTok. She pointed out that the US doesn't have "significant data or privacy protection laws," before mentioning the European Union's data privacy law, known as the General Data Protection Regulation.

☆ Pope extends sexual abuse law to include lay leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] People reach out to touch Pope Francis' hand during his meeting with the faithful of parishes from Rho at the Vatican, March 25, 2023. REUTERS/Yara NardiVATICAN CITY, March 25 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Saturday updated rules on dealing with sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, expanding their scope to include lay Catholic leaders and spelling out that both minors and adults can be victims. BishopAccountability.org, a not-for-profit organisation looking to document the abuses within the Roman Catholic Church, said the revision was "a big disappointment" and fell short of the "extensive revamping" the policy against the abuses would have required. The updated provisions have been unveiled a month after the Roman Catholic religious order of Jesuits said that accusations of sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse against one of its most prominent members were highly credible. Rupnik has not spoken publicly of the accusations, which have rattled the worldwide order, of which the pope is a member.

☆ How drag was pushed back into the shadows in Tennessee
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Jonathan Allen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Now, a Tennessee law restricting drag in front of minors is due to come into force on April 1. Several planned drag events were canceled over the winter after protests, and many venues felt forced to make previously family-friendly drag shows into adults-only events. Drag performers and venue owners say they are worried about their livelihoods and their rights of free expression. The Starbucks say there is no such thing as family-friendly drag; drag performers cite Bugs Bunny, Shakespeare's cross-dressing comedies and the Robin Williams film "Mrs. Doubtfire" among counterexamples. Outside of public Pride events, most Tennessee drag performers largely work in clubs and bars that admit only those over 18.

☆ Utah just passed a bill that will force children to get parental consent before joining social media platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Utah's governor Spencer Cox passed legislation restricting teenagers' access to social media. The new bill requires social media firms to obtain parental consent before children can open accounts. It also requires social media companies to establish a curfew for teens from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops — delivered daily to your inbox. Republican Governor Spencer Cox passed the Social Media Regulation Act, which aims to force social media companies to verify the age of all Utah residents before they can sign up for or maintain a social media account. The Associated Press reported that social media companies will likely sue to stop the law going into effect.

☆ Here are a financial advisor's 4 most important money tips for parents with young kids
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Save for future education costsThere are tax-advantaged ways to save for your child's future education. Among the most popular is the 529 plan, which allows parents to invest money for higher education and other costs. While each state has its own 529 plan, parents can invest in a plan outside of their state. "I think parents should ask, do they want to relinquish ownership of this money when their child is an adult?" There are other avenues for parents to invest for their kids, but they may be more challenging.

Both are owned by Beijing-based parent company ByteDance, but Douyin launched before TikTok and became a viral sensation in China. Like TikTok, it’s a short-form video app. Then in 2017, the privately-owned tech company bought a US-based video startup and released TikTok as the overseas version of Douyin. The download page for the TikTok app displayed on an Apple iPhone. Besides TikTok, there’s also shopping app Temu, fast fashion retailer Shein and video editing app CapCut, which is also owned by ByteDance.

☆ Premarket stocks: Americans are going all-in on cash. That could spell more trouble
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The goal of a money market fund is to provide investors with a relatively stable investment option that offers higher returns than traditional savings. What’s happening: Since the Fed began to raise interest rates a year ago, the amount of money in money market funds has increased by roughly $400 billion. Goldman Sachs economists wrote in a note on Thursday that Americans could sell as much as $1.1 trillion in stocks this year and put that money into credit and money market assets instead. Money market funds are deeply interconnected with the wider financial system, and often face the same risks as banks. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, a US government agency that insures deposits in banks and savings associations, does not insure cash invested in money market funds.

☆ Kentucky governor vetoes bill targeting transgender youth
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Andrew Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 24 (Reuters) - Kentucky's Democratic governor on Friday vetoed a Republican bill to ban transgender youths from gender-affirming healthcare and restrict public toilets they use, bucking a national Republican-led movement. Governor Andy Beshear, running in November for a second-term in Republican-leaning Kentucky, said the bill would increase youth suicides and permit excessive government interference in personal healthcare decisions. Supporters of the bill said they were trying to protect children from undergoing gender-affirming treatments they would regret later in life. The Kentucky bill would let teachers refuse to refer to transgender students by their chosen pronouns, outlaw gender reassignment surgery for minors, stop use of puberty blockers and prohibit gender-affirming hospital services. In Kentucky, Beshear said in a statement that the bill would turn teachers into "investigators" prying into students' lives.

Some 65% of respondents - including 46% of Republicans and 68% of independents - said they were less likely to vote for a presidential candidate in 2024 who supports laws banning or severely restricting abortion access. DeSantis last year signed a Florida law banning abortions after 15 weeks, saying the measure would protect "the rights of unborn children." The online Reuters/Ipsos poll had a credibility interval of between around two and four percentage points. The Reuters/Ipsos poll found 61% of respondents nationwide, including 66% of independents, prefer a candidate who opposes allowing medical treatment for minors related to gender identity. Reuters GraphicsThe Reuters/Ipsos poll found that nationwide, women were more likely than men to oppose severe abortion restrictions and permitless concealed guns.

☆ Utah governor signs bill requiring teens to get parental approval to join social media sites
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

As part of the bill, called the Utah Social Media Regulation Act, social media platforms will have to conduct age verification for all Utah residents, ban all ads for minors and impose a curfew, making their sites off limits between the hours of 10:30 p.m. - 6:30 a.m. for anyone under the age of 18. The bill will also require social platforms to give parents access to their teens’ accounts. “Social media provides a lifeline for many young people, in addition to community, education, and conversation,” said Jason Kelley, director of activism at the EFF. Given that the bill is unprecedented, it’s unclear how exactly the social media companies will adapt. Inouye said minors could “steal” identities – such as from family members who don’t use social media – to create accounts that they can access and use without oversight.

☆ Utah governor signs laws curbing social media use for minors
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 23 (Reuters) - Utah Governor Spencer Cox on Thursday signed two laws intended to restrict social media use by minors, becoming the first U.S. state to require parental permission for anyone under 18 to use such platforms as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. The two bills, passed earlier this month by Utah's Republican-controlled legislature, are also meant to make it easier to sue social media companies for damages. The impact of social media on children has been the subject of a growing national debate in the United States, where service providers are largely protected from liability over their content under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. "We're no longer willing to let social media companies continue to harm the mental health of our youth," Cox, a Republican, said in a message on Twitter. The bills, which the tech industry opposes, requires all users to submit age verification before opening a social media account.

☆ Short-seller Hindenburg targets Jack Dorsey’s Block
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Shares of Block, the company behind Cash App, plunged by 20% Thursday morning after the release of a searing report from short-seller Hindenburg Research that accused Jack Dorsey’s company of allowing fraudulent accounts that obscure criminals involved in illegal or illicit activities, including the sex trafficking of minors. Hindenburg’s attack on Block comes two months after the short seller’s allegations against Adani Group erased billions of dollars from the Indian conglomerate’s balance sheets. In 2021, members of the “Cash App” gang were charged with distributing fentanyl, the report said. Hindenburg, meanwhile, has made a name for itself by publishing explosive reports about businesses and short-selling the stocks of the companies associated with them. Hindenburg has targeted nearly 30 companies since 2020, and on average their targets lost about 15% on the day the reports were released, according to Bloomberg calculations.

☆ Tencent, NetEase, Bilibili allowed to distribute foreign video games as China reopens market to global titles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —China has approved 27 foreign video games, including titles to be released by Tencent, NetEase and Bilibili, as it gradually reopens the world’s largest mobile entertainment market to international titles. It was the second batch of foreign games to be allowed to enter the Chinese market since December. Bilibili (BILI) will publish the localized version of “Uma Musume: Pretty Derby,” a hugely popular franchise from Japan’s Cygames. “We believe this implies a more supportive regulatory policy towards foreign titles that further support a healthier and normalized development of online gaming industry going forward,” said Citi analysts on Tuesday. But foreign games were still unable to access the Chinese market until December, when the regulator finally approved 45 foreign titles, including “Pokémon Unite” by Nintendo and “Valorant” by Riot Games.

☆ Trump's looming indictment causes his feud with DeSantis to boil over into insults and insinuations about a 'porn star' and 'underage' classmates
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The Trump indictment news put DeSantis on the spot, given he's expected to run for president. "I don't know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair," DeSantis said. "But when he can actually make a positive difference — whether that's the Silicon Valley bailout or the Trump indictment — he shuts up for political convenience. Asked about the battle, DeSantis' political team pointed to the governor's comments Monday saying that he would not participate in helping Bragg with an extradition. Ron DeSantis' interview with the New York Post.

☆ Trump hits back at DeSantis following 'porn star' comments, warns the governor could find himself facing 'false accusations' in the future from 'underage' classmates or 'a man'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Trump lashed out at DeSantis after the governor broke his silence on an expected indictment. He warned that DeSantis could face similar "fake" accusations of an affair as he becomes more well known. DeSantis had raised the salacious parts of the Manhattan investigation, including Trump's alleged affair with an adult film actress. DeSantis on Monday also raised the salacious parts of the investigation into Trump, which centers on a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. "I don't know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair," DeSantis said before a crowd of supporters, who laughed at the remarks.

☆ DeSantis administration sent undercover agents to an Orlando drag show and they found nothing wrong with it. The state is still trying to punish the venue.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Undercover agents were sent by the DeSantis administration to spy on a drag show, the Miami Herald reported. Still, Florida is moving ahead with a complaint against the venue to strip its liquor license. Ron DeSantis to spy on an Orlando drag show — and they found nothing "lewd" about it, according to the Miami Herald. A Florida drag queen told Insider before the Miami Herald report was published that they were concerned about rumors of undercover state agents showing up at performances. The DeSantis administration recently targeted the Hyatt Regency Miami after one of its facilities hosted "A Drag Queen Christmas" with minors present in the audience.

☆ Drag queens say they tweak their performances if they notice a kid in the crowd. Republicans have cast the performances as dangerous for children.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A Florida drag queen said performers adjust shows when there are children and families in the crowd. Republicans have targeted drag events for kids, introducing bills to restrict and prohibit attendance. Family-friendly drag events — such as Drag Queen Story Hour, which was established as a nonprofit in 2015 and has since become a national event — are under fire from Republican lawmakers. Bills prohibiting minors from attending drag queen events, banning drag performances in public, and classifying drag performances as adult-oriented businesses have been filed across the United States in recent months. Another drag queen, Venus Envy, told Insider that while they don't solely participate in family-friendly performances, they are accustomed to "tailoring my shows to my audiences."

☆ A drag queen who survived the Orlando Pulse shooting says Florida's LGBTQ community is 'scared' of further hate following DeSantis' push to revoke a hotel's liquor license
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Lloyd Lee | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A drag queen who survived the 2016 Pulse club shooting said it only further demonizes LGBTQ people. "Not just in terms of limiting opportunities for drag entertainers, but by demonizing the art of drag as a whole," she wrote. Fine told Insider his motivation for pursuing the bill came after he found out a drag queen show was hosted in a public space in his district last year. However, the representative also said he would not support a bill that eliminates drag shows for consenting adults. In Florida, there have been at least nine demonstrations against the LGBTQ community, the organization found.

☆ AI love: What happens when your chatbot stops loving you back
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Anna Tong | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

He designed a female avatar with pink hair and a face tattoo, and she named herself Lily Rose. As their three-year digital love affair blossomed, Butterworth said he and Lily Rose often engaged in role play. Sometimes Lily Rose sent him "selfies" of her nearly nude body in provocative poses. Now, when Replika users suggest X-rated activity, its humanlike chatbots text back "Let's do something we're both comfortable with." The coquettish-turned-cold persona of Lily Rose is the handiwork of generative AI technology, which relies on algorithms to create text and images.

☆ Florida drag queen says DeSantis-backed anti-LGBTQ laws are 'exactly what we were taught about in schools about how the Nazis rose to power'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Florida drag queen compared legislation targeting LGBTQ issues backed by Gov. Other drag queens and local politicians called the administration's efforts "fascism." Florida doesn't feel like home, one drag queen saidAdrien, who was born and raised in South Florida, is now an Orlando-based drag queen and said recent anti-LGBTQ political shifts make the state feel like it's no longer home. 'Those safe spaces will go away'Jason DeShazo is president of Rose Dynasty Foundation Inc. and performs as drag queen Momma Ashley Rose. And both drag queens say they'll still perform.

Search resuls for: "Minors"

25 mentions found