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Spotify’s problems are bigger than Joe Rogan
Spotify's lack of transparency is why the company’s current issues are much bigger than one massively popular creator.
UK government announces official crackdown on 'misleading' crypto ads
The UK government has revealed that it plans to update its laws in order "to bring the promotion of cryptoassets within the scope of financial promotions legislation."
The FCC's new anti-robocall rules prevent surprise charges for consumers
Back in March, the FCC ordered all carriers and phone companies to adopt the STIR/SHAKEN protocol by June 30th, 2021 as an effort to combat robocalls. Now, the commission has announced new rules to clarify carriers’ obligations regarding the technology’s implementation. One of those new rules, for instance, protects consumers from surprise charges.
FCC proposal would help fight one-ring call scams
The FCC may allow voice service providers to block one-ring robocall scams.
Twitter bans deepfakes that are 'likely to cause harm'
Twitter just released its new rules for handling synthetic and manipulated media. The company says you can no longer "deceptively share" deepfakes that are "likely to cause harm," and it may label Tweets containing deepfakes to help people understand what's real and what's been altered.
Amazon employees say they were threatened for climate change criticism
Two Amazon employees who spoke out against the company's environmental policies say they were threatened with termination if they continue to violate the company's external communications policy, The Washington Post reports.
The FAA wants to track all drones flying in the US
The Federal Aviation Administration wants to implement new rules that would enable the remote identification and tracking of unmanned aerial vehicles or drones. Under its proposal -- available for viewing on Federal Register's website -- UAVs will be required to broadcast their location and identification info directly from the unmanned aircraft and to transmit the same information to the FAA's location tracking system via internet connection.
France fines Google $167 million over unpredictable advertising rules
After a four-year investigation, France's competition watchdog is fining Google €150 million ($167 million) for opaque and unpredictable advertising rules, Reuters reports. The investigation began after French company Gibmedia accused Google of suspending its Google Ads account without notice. According to Reuters, the French regulator alleges that, by changing its terms of use and rules at will, Google abused its market power. Google plans to appeal the decision.
Facebook’s 2020 election 'protections' still allow for lying politicians
Today, Facebook outlined new measures to stop abuse and interference in the 2020 election. They include safeguards meant to make Facebook more secure and transparent, but they make one glaring omission. The new policies don't change Facebook's rules that allow political candidates to lie in their political ads.
G20 leaders will discuss raising taxes for big tech firms next week
For years, European countries have been grappling with how to get big tech firms to pay more taxes. They've proposed interim taxes on revenues, suggested global minimum taxes and slapped companies with hefty fines. We may be getting closer to a solution. Next week, G20 finance ministers are expected to discuss a proposed tax overhaul that would target big multinational firms, including Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook.
The US and France reportedly reach a deal over 'digital services' tax
The Trump Administration and the French government have supposedly reached a deal that ends a feud over France's tax on tech giants, Bloomberg reports. Earlier this year, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed a three percent tax on revenues earned on digital services in France. President Trump threatened a tariff on French wine if the tax went through, sparking a standoff. Trump and Macron reportedly worked through some of their differences at a G7 summit, and today, Macron told reporters, "We have a deal to overcome the difficulties between us."
Mercedes-Benz likely to agree to California's tougher emissions rules
Mercedes-Benz may be the next company to agree to California's voluntary emissions rules, The New York Times reports. Ford, BMW, Volkswagen and Honda have already pledged to meet California's standards and make their engines more efficient every year until 2026. The pact goes against the Trump administration's attempts to roll back Obama-era emissions reduction goals.
Reddit experiments with livesteaming
Over the weekend, rumors and speculation began circulating on Reddit. Users were wondering what cryptic messages on r/pan, a new Reddit community, could mean. Today, Reddit pulled back the curtain. It announced Reddit Public Access Network (r/pan), a weeklong experiment, in which users can post livestream videos. The lessons Reddit learns from this experiment will likely help it develop a permanent livestreaming option in the near future.
FCC bans spoofed text messages and international robocalls
This week the FCC voted to approve rules that ban spoofing text messages and international robocalls. The new rules close long-standing loopholes in the Truth in Caller ID Act, which banned spoofing domestic calls but made it hard for the FCC to combat malicious text messages and calls coming from overseas. The FCC now has the legal authority to punish the "bad actors" behind these scams.
FCC Chairman wants to ban caller ID spoofing for text messages
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is advancing the war against robocalls. Today, he proposed adopting rules that would ban caller ID spoofing of text messages and robocalls originating outside of the US. More than 40 state attorney generals have urged the FCC to adopt the new rules, and the Commission is scheduled to vote on them at its August 1st meeting.
Kickstarter warns creators against calling projects 'the world's best'
Kickstarter is asking its users to tone down the hyperbolic language and to layoff the misleading imagery. In an attempt to promote transparency, the now 10-year-old platform issued new rules and guidelines aimed at "honest and clear presentation."
Social media ads for vaping must include nicotine warnings, FTC says
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned a handful of "e-liquid," or vape, companies that they -- and their social media influencers -- must follow the same advertising rules as everyone else. Specifically, ads for vaping products that contain nicotine must include warning labels, as nicotine is an addictive chemical. The FTC and FDA issued letters to four companies stating that posts made by social media influencers must include those same warnings.
Twitter simplifies its rules on safety, privacy and more
In an effort to make it easier to understand the rules of its platform, Twitter announced today that it is simplifying the language around its policies. The company said that it has gone from 2,500 to just 600 words and now describes each rule in 280 characters or less -- the same character limit that is applied to tweets.
China's new gaming rules prohibit blood and gambling
The good news for gaming companies is that China has started approving titles again. The bad news is that it has unveiled new rules that will see certain categories banned and the number of games capped. Three types of popular games will no longer be allowed: Mahjong and poker, titles based on China's imperial past, and games that feature blood or corpses. The reason? The nation's newly anointed gaming authority, the State Administration of Press and Publication, is concerned about violence and gambling addiction among young people.
EU passes divisive Article 13 copyright law
In what should be its final vote on the matter, the European Parliament approved its new, highly controversial copyright rules. While the Copyright Directive is meant to empower creatives and news publishers, the rules are seen by many as over the top and a threat to freedom of expression. The directive has been debated since the EU first voted on it in 2016, and while the rules are now final, it's likely the debate will continue as the directive is handed down to member states.
