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YouTube may soon ban targeted ads on kids' content
YouTube is allegedly planning on getting rid of targeted ads on videos aimed at children. It's not clear whether the decision comes as a result of the FTC's recent multimillion dollar fine -- imposed after YouTube was found to be violating federal data privacy laws for kids -- but Bloomberg reports that plans are now apparently in motion.
Twitter bans advertising from state-controlled news outlets
Twitter announced today that it will no longer accept advertising from state-controlled news outlets. Those accounts will still be able to use the platform, but not its advertising. The change comes after China's state-backed media outlet Xinhua sponsored ads attacking Hong Kong protestors.
US gives Huawei another 90 days to serve existing customers
The US government has granted Huawei another 90 days to buy from American suppliers. The "temporary general license" extension will allow Huawei to continue servicing existing US customers before it is fully blacklisted, Reuters reports. The company now has through November 19th to maintain existing telecom networks and provide software updates to existing Huawei handsets.
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.
Huawei and Google scrapped their smart speaker due to US ban
Before the Trump administration declared a 'national emergency' effectively banning Huawei, Google and Huawei were reportedly months away from launching a Huawei-branded smart speaker. The companies allegedly planned to reveal the speaker at a trade show in Berlin this September and to sell it online in the US. But progress came to a halt when the Trump administration blacklisted Huawei, sources told The Information.
A new bill could ban facial recognition in federally-funded housing
Now that facial recognition is more common, so are the laws aiming to limit its scope. San Francisco, Oakland, Calif. and Somerville, Mass. have all passed laws prohibiting city use of facial recognition. Now, a group of Congresswomen hope to pass the first federal legislation to limit the technology. According to CNET, the No Biometric Barriers to Housing Act is expected to be introduced this week.
New York City bill could make selling phone location data illegal
New York City could become the first city in the country to ban the sale of geolocation data to third parties. A bill introduced today would make it illegal for cellphone and mobile app companies to sell location data collected in the city. It would impose hefty fines -- up to $10,000 per day, per user for multiple violations -- and it would give users the right to sue companies that share their data without explicit permission.
Huawei's supposed Android alternative isn't meant for smartphones
When Huawei trademarked its Hongmeng operating system last month, many assumed it was the long-rumored mobile OS that the company said it could use in place of Android or Windows. But that's not the case. Catherine Chen, a Huawei board member and senior vice president, told XinhuaNet that Hongmeng wasn't designed for smartphones. Instead, it's meant for industrial use, and Huawei plans to continue using Google's Android OS for its smartphones.
Oakland bans city use of facial recognition software
Oakland, Calif. is now the third US city to ban the use of facial recognition technology. The city passed an ordinance yesterday that prohibits the use of the technology on the grounds that it is often inaccurate, potentially invasive and lacks standards. "Face recognition technology runs the risk of making Oakland residents less safe as the misidentification of individuals could lead to the misuse of force, false incarceration, and minority-based persecution," Council President Rebecca Kaplan wrote in a letter recommending the ban.
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.
Google employees petition to ban the company from SF Pride
Google employees are asking the San Francisco Pride board of directors to revoke Google's sponsorship of Pride 2019 and to exclude Google from the Pride Parade on June 30th. In a letter written to San Francisco Pride, the employees say they have spent countless hours advocating for Google to improve its policies regarding the treatment of LGBTQ+ persons, and that they have been told repeatedly to wait. The letter also points to Google's recent warning that employees who protest the company at Pride must do so in their personal capacity (not near the Google float), or they will be in violation of Google's code of conduct.
San Francisco is officially the first US city to ban e-cigarette sales
San Francisco's expected ban on e-cigarettes is about to become a practical reality. The city has voted in favor of a measure banning sales and and deliveries of e-cigarette products, making it the first urban center to approve just such a measure. Mayor London Breed has 10 days to review the law, but that may be a formality when she has already expressed support for the legislation. It should take effect seven months after signing, and won't lift until the FDA has finished reviewing the health effects.
Huawei's US ban may cost $30 billion, but it vows to rebound
If you were wondering what the short-term cost of America's war with Huawei was, then your estimates can begin at the $30 billion mark. That's the figure Huawei chief Ren Zhengfei mentioned earlier today when discussing the hit his company will take in the next two years. Since Huawei is being hounded out of both the network and smartphone businesses, you can expect that figure to keep going up.
Huawei trademarks its own mobile OS following US ban
Huawei is making moves to sidestep the Trump administration's de facto ban by trademarking its own operating system. The OS, which has reportedly been in the works for years, was named in trademark applications filed in Peru under the name "Hongmeng," for use within nine countries and Europe (although it's been filed under the name "Ark OS" on the continent). The company has previously suggested the system could roll out as early as this fall, but it only seems likely to do so if it is permanently denied access to Android. However, while launching its own OS is one way Huawei could continue operations in the face of its US ban, there are concerns about such a system's security, as software is not the company's strongest area.
China warns tech firms against cooperating with US trade ban
China is determined to fight the US ban on Huawei through any means possible, and that might include scaring the companies required to honor that ban. New York Times sources report that Chinese officials have warned that they could face retaliation if they cooperate with Trump administration trade restrictions. They could face "permanent consequences" if they honored the policy, the NYT said, and "punishment" if they pull manufacturing beyond the usual security-related diversification. It also encouraged lobbying to convince American politicians to change their minds.
Google warns banning Huawei could increase security risks
According to a Financial Times report, Google execs are concerned that banning Huawei could lead to increased security risks. Sources warn that if Huawei is not allowed access to Android updates, it could develop its own, similar software, which would be more susceptible to being hacked. Google is reportedly asking the Trump Administration to delay the ban or exempt the company altogether.
YouTube flip-flops on Steven Crowder hate-speech decision
Following a considerable amount of public shaming, YouTube announced today that it will no longer allow controversial conservative commentator Steven Crowder to monetize videos on his channel. The decision comes after the company declined to pull a series of videos published by the YouTuber in which he used homophobic and bigoted language to address Vox writer Carlos Maza.
Huawei reportedly scales back phone production following US ban
Huawei may be expecting to live with a US ban for a long time. South China Morning Post sources claim Foxconn has stopped Huawei phone production on "several" lines in response to reduced orders. It wasn't certain if this was a short- or long-term cut, but it came just months after Huawei's growing demand reportedly prompted Foxconn to go on a hiring spree.
Major science publisher bars Huawei from reviewing papers
The US' effective ban on Huawei might have serious consequences for the scientific community. One of the largest science publishers, IEEE, has banned Huawei scientists from reviewing papers so long as the trade restrictions are in place. There are "severe legal implications" from allowing the Chinese company's staff to look at technical research, IEEE told editors of its roughly 200 journals. Huawei can still serve on IEEE editorial boards.
China plans list of 'unreliable entities' in retaliation for Huawei ban
China isn't taking kindly to the Trump administration's de facto Huawei ban. The country has revealed that it's creating an "unreliable entities list" of foreign companies, organizations and people that it believes interfere with Chinese businesses. This includes firms that break the "spirit" of contracts, violate "market rules," block supplies to companies for "noncommercial reasons" and otherwise harm the "legitimate rights and interests" of those outfits.
