Government access to personal data through tech giants has dramatically increased, with Meta, Google, and Apple sharing details of 3.16 million accounts over the past decade. The US government made nearly 500,000 data requests to Google and Meta in the last measured 12 months, exceeding all other 14 Eyes Alliance members combined. These companies' business models prevent them from implementing strong privacy protections, as they rely heavily on user tracking for revenue.
A comprehensive explanation of sideloading on iOS, focusing on recent EU regulations and Apple's implementation of alternative app stores through the Digital Markets Act, while highlighting the continued restrictions and limitations compared to true sideloading capabilities.
Cloudflare introduces Guardrails in AI Gateway to help developers deploy AI applications safely by monitoring and controlling content through Llama Guard integration. The feature addresses challenges of inconsistent safety measures across AI models and provides comprehensive visibility into user interactions while helping meet regulatory requirements. Guardrails offers granular control over content moderation, allowing developers to flag or block inappropriate content based on predefined hazard categories.
Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Moraes ordered video platform Rumble to be banned in Brazil for non-compliance with court orders, including refusing to take down a controversial journalist's channel. Rumble, which powers Trump's Truth Social platform, has filed a lawsuit against Moraes, claiming unprecedented censorship and violation of US constitutional rights.
Amazon US has updated their Kindle ebook purchase disclaimer to explicitly state users are buying a license rather than content, likely due to new California legislation requiring transparent disclosure of digital media licensing. Other major ebook retailers like Kobo, Apple, and Google have varying approaches to license disclosure, highlighting the ongoing discussion about digital content ownership.
Meta defends against copyright allegations by claiming they didn't seed torrented book datasets used for AI training, while arguing that torrenting itself isn't illegal. Authors, including Sarah Silverman and Ta-Nehisi Coates, allege Meta's actions constitute massive data piracy and copyright infringement.
Amazon will discontinue the feature allowing users to download and backup Kindle books to computers via USB starting February 26th, 2025, limiting users to Wi-Fi transfers only. The change impacts users' ability to maintain offline backups of their purchases and convert books to other formats for non-Kindle devices. This decision raises concerns about digital content ownership and accessibility, particularly given Amazon's history of remotely removing or editing books.
The iconic 3DBenchy 3D printer test model enters public domain after 10 years, following NTI's acquisition of Creative Tools. The transition ensures unrestricted access and modification rights for the widely-used calibration tool, with original creators maintaining website control.
A user shares their negative experience with LinkedIn, detailing multiple account restrictions, shadow-banning incidents, and verification challenges within their first three months of usage. The platform's algorithmic bias and poor treatment of new users, regardless of premium status, highlights significant user experience issues.
TikTok has been restored to Apple's App Store and Google Play Store following its previous ban in the US. The restoration comes after US Attorney General Pam Bondi assured Apple about immunity from fines, while Vice President JD Vance oversees potential sale negotiations.