Quote:In potentially a further threat to freedom of speech, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) quietly announced on Friday a major overhaul to how independent media operates within the country.

Claiming to be a “regulatory plan to modernize Canada’s broadcasting framework,” the CRTC said that online streaming services operating in Canada with at least $10 million or more in annual revenue will need to register with the broadcasting regulator by November 28th, potentially establishing a situation in which online content could face similar restrictions to traditional broadcasting venues such as television and radio.

The regulator stipulated that only online service providers of podcasts will have to register with the government while individuals who produce or share podcasts online will not. The framework will also exclude online services that only feature video games or audiobooks.

“We are developing a modern broadcasting framework that can adapt to changing circumstances. To do that, we need broad engagement and robust public records. We appreciate the significant participation during this first phase and look forward to hearing a diversity of perspectives at our contributions proceeding in November,” said CRTC Chief Executive Officer Vicky Eatrides.

In addition to coming in line with broadcasting regulations, the CRTC also said that it will be looking to force online platforms into actively supporting Canadian and “Indigenous” content.

Quote:In the latest development in the secretive antitrust trial against Google, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is slated to testify Monday, shedding light on Google’s alleged monopolistic practices in the search engine market.

Bloomberg reports that the antitrust trial spearheaded by the DOJ is delving deep into allegations against  Google, accusing it of unlawfully maintaining a monopoly. The crux of the accusation lies in Google’s payments of $10 to $20 billion a year to rivals, smartphone manufacturers, and wireless carriers to secure its position as the default search engine on various platforms — which the internet giant claims has nothing to do with its dominance in the marketplace.

To bolster its case, the DOJ is relying on testimony from high-profile executives from Microsoft, Google’s biggest competitor in the search engine world. These witnesses aim to illustrate the extensive reach of Google’s stronghold on the search market, demonstrating that even a behemoth like Microsoft faces significant hurdles in establishing a foothold in this domain. Previously, the founder of DuckDuckGo testified that Google’s megadeals with device companies and providers stifles innovation.

Jonathan Tinter, a business development executive at Microsoft, has already taken the stand, revealing Microsoft’s failed endeavors to embed its Bing search app on Apple’s products. Despite offering terms that were reportedly more favorable than those proposed by Google, Microsoft could not secure a deal, leading to Apple renewing its agreement with Google. Tinter’s revelations also included the constraints Microsoft encountered in integrating Bing on its Surface Duo smartphone, attributing these limitations to the prerequisites of licensing the Android mobile operating system. Another executive described Microsoft Bing as little more than a “bargaining chip” for Apple to make more money from Google.

Quote:A class action lawsuit has been filed against H&R Block, Facebook (now known as Meta), and Google, accusing the companies of scheming to illicitly install trackers on H&R Block’s website used scan and transmit sensitive tax data, which was allegedly used for targeted advertising and refining Facebook’s AI algorithms.
...
The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California, alleges that the three companies engaged in a “joint scheme” to exploit H&R Block’s tax return preparation services, potentially impacting anyone who has used these services in recent years. The legal action claims that this conduct amounts to a “pattern of racketeering activity,” a serious charge typically reserved for organized crime, under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).

The legal action follows a revealing Congressional report released earlier this year, detailing how multiple tax preparation firms, including H&R Block, have “recklessly” shared the sensitive tax data of tens of millions of Americans without implementing proper safeguards. The report highlighted the use of tracking “pixels” on these firms’ websites, referred to as “spy cams” in the lawsuit, which would allegedly scan tax documents and expose a variety of personal tax information, including a filer’s name, filing status, federal taxes owed, address, and number of dependents.

Brent Wisner, one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs, stated, “H&R Block, Google, and Meta ignored data privacy laws, and passed information about people’s financial lives around like candy.” He emphasized the gravity of the situation, comparing it to posting sensitive financial information on social media platforms, “It’s like your income tax guy handing your pay stubs and tax returns over to a marketing firm.”

...The lawsuit seeks full refunds for Hunt and all US taxpayers who used H&R Block’s services since the alleged tracking began, as well as punitive damages for the supposedly illegal conduct of the three companies.

The lawsuit alleges that H&R Block has been using Facebook’s Pixel tracking service since at least 2015, collecting information from taxpayers who visited sites with the pixel on it. This information would be stored until they logged on to Facebook or Instagram, at which point Facebook would receive a “dossier” of personal data. Google, on the other hand, allegedly interacted with the tax data through H&R Block’s use of Google Analytics, a tool used by an estimated 70 percent of the top 100,000 websites.

Quote:Zelda Williams took a stand against AI in a recent Instagram Story post.

“I am not an impartial voice in SAG’s fight against AI,” she wrote, referring to the screen actors union. “I’ve witnessed for YEARS how many people want to train these models to create/recreate actors who cannot consent, like Dad. This isn’t theoretical, it is very very real.”
...
She continued:”I’ve already heard AI used to get his ‘voice’ to say whatever people want and while I find it personally disturbing, the ramifications go far beyond my own feelings.”

Actors who are still alive “deserve a chance to create characters with their choices, to voice cartoons, to put their HUMAN effort and time into the pursuit of performance,” she wrote.

In her post, Zelda Williams called AI simulacrum of actors “at their very best, a poor facsimile of greater people, but at their worst, a horrendous Frankensteinian monster, cobbled together from the worst bits of everything this industry is, instead of what it should stand for.”

Quote:On Sunday, Hanks let his 9.5 million Instagram followers know that the video of what looks like a younger Tom Hanks selling insurance is all fakery.

“Beware,” he captioned the photo of the fake AI Hanks. “There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me. I have nothing to do with it.”

According to The Messenger, Hanks spoke about the problems with AI during an episode of The Adam Buxton Podcast in May.

“I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and that’s it, but performances can go on and on and on and on,” Hanks said. “Outside the understanding of AI and deepfake, there’ll be nothing to tell you that it’s not me and me alone. And it’s going to have some degree of lifelike quality. That’s certainly an artistic challenge but it’s also a legal one.”
...
The tentative settlement [reached after Hollywood's Anti-AI strike] maintains that studios cannot force writers to use AI and that AI products may only be used in conjunction with human writers, not as a replacement, the Associated Press reported.

“This is the first step on a long process of negotiating and working through what generative AI means for the creative industry — not just writers but visual artists, actors, you name it,” David Gunkel, a professor of media studies at Northern Illinois University, told the AP.

Quote:The Wall Street Journal reports that Rivian Automotive has positioned itself as a trailblazer in the electric vehicle sector, aiming to deliver an unparalleled driving experience by combining sports-car handling, advanced features, and robust design in its pick up trucks and other models. But not everything is working out according to the company’s plans.

Rivian’s vehicles, with an average selling price exceeding $80,000, have not resulted in profits. In fact, the company suffered a loss of $33,000 on every vehicle sold in the second quarter. The financial strain is evident, but Rivian Founder and Chief Executive RJ Scaringe claims, “We’re competing to build something that’s truly better than all the alternatives, and to try to do that on a limited budget would be detrimental to us achieving our mission.”

Rivian’s journey has been marked by a juxtaposition of financial success and operational struggles. The company made a splash in the market with its IPO in 2021, raising nearly $12 billion and momentarily achieving a valuation surpassing some established automakers. However, the operational side painted a different picture. Rivian grappled with manufacturing troubles, burning through half of its $18 billion cash pile in two years and operating at less than one-third of its build capacity. The company’s ambitious launch of three models in quick succession further complicated the production dynamics.

Breitbart News previously reported on the poor performance of Rivian’s electric pickups in the real world. In one case, an owner’s “honeymoon phase” ended when his truck got stuck in the snow.

Quote:Venezuela’s socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro instructed the top members of his authoritarian regime on Monday to open accounts on the Chinese social media platform TikTok to “evade the censorship” that, according to him, the scarcely independent Venezuelan media left is imposing.

Maduro issued his order on Monday evening during the latest broadcast of his weekly television show Con Maduro Más (“With Maduro Plus”). The socialist dictator instructed the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez; the vice president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and alleged drug lord Diosdado Cabello; and members of his cabinet of ministers to create TikTok accounts to share the “progress” of the regime’s socialist government.

“We have to go to battle in the neighborhood, in the community, even in the corner. A socialist, a chavista, a patriot, a Bolivarian, must have his TikTok account,” Maduro said.

Maduro, an aspiring TikTok influencer, emphasized that all chavistas who join the Chinese platform must share “aesthetic, creative and humorous content.”

The socialist dictator continued by suggesting that the party activities the PSUV carries out nationwide could be broadcast through social media which, in his opinion, will produce a “viralization” of the party’s initiatives and allow the socialist party to “evade censorship.”

“That’s what I say, comrades, imagine that the 6,500 cafecitos [militantes] have TikTok accounts,” Maduro continued. “We break the censorship and the veto now, and we win the battle against lies, evil, hatred and fascism.”

The Cafecitos Militantes (“Militant Coffees”) are the PSUV’s latest socialist ideology-laced fad, in which PSUV members are ordered to gather in households, public spaces, or goverment public offices to “share a coffee” and engage in socialist lecturing with the purpose of “strengthening the organization, unity and revolutionary consciousness.” The cafecitos also serve to “reaffirm the commitment” of their participants to the so-called legacy of late socialist dictator Hugo Chávez, who the Maduro regime posthumously refers to as the “Supreme and Eternal Commander of the Revolution.”

Quote:The Wall Street Journal reports that in a world where e-commerce has become synonymous with convenience, Amazon is facing a massive lawsuit filed by the FTC alleging a wide array of anti-competitive practices. The latest allegations focus on a secretive algorithm, known internally as “Project Nessie,” which is now emerging as part of the lawsuit. Although Nessie may have other meanings to the Amazon executives that crafted the manipulation algorithm, it is popularly known as the name of the Loch Ness Monster.

The algorithm, as per sources familiar with the FTC’s complaint, was instrumental in bolstering Amazon’s profits across a wide variety of shopping categories. Not only did it serve to enhance Amazon’s financial gains, but it also inadvertently nudged competitors into elevating their prices, thereby imposing a financial burden on consumers. In scenarios where competitors abstained from matching Amazon’s prices, the algorithm astutely reverted the item to its original price.

An Amazon spokesperson defended the initiative, stating, “Project Nessie was a project with a simple purpose—to try to stop our price matching from resulting in unusual outcomes where prices became so low that they were unsustainable. The project ran for a few years on a subset of products, but didn’t work as intended, so we scrapped it several years ago.”

However, the FTC’s lawsuit paints a different picture, alleging that the practice “extracted from American households” a significant amount of money and facilitated the generation of a redacted sum of “excess profit.” A Wall Street Journal source claims that Amazon accrued more than $1 billion in revenue through the utilization of this algorithm.

Quote:A self-professed “Comp Sci, Politics and Finance Nerd” claims to have discovered a list of blacklisted websites that OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4 will not draw from, for reasons such as “conspiracy theories” and “hate speech” — a list that includes Breitbart News and other conservative outlets like the Epoch Times.

X/Twitter user Elephant Civics says he discovered the blacklist while asking ChatGPT to provide a list of credible and non-credible news sources.

ChatGPT explained that it is forbidden from using some sources, as a result of “features in ChatGPT’s Large Language Model (LLM) like AI safety measures, guardrails, dataset/output/prompt filtering, and human-in-the-loop mechanisms are designed to ensure the model operates within ethical, legal, and quality bounds.”

In other words, if ChatGPT was accurately recounting its policies in this case, this means that it is forbidden from using forbidden sources. Large Language Models (LLM) like ChatGPT deliver responses, and arguably even develop a worldview, based on the combination of data they are fed and rules put in place by developers. If the list discovered by Elephant Civics exists, it means ChatGPT is forbidden from using a number of conservative sources to shape its worldview and deliver responses.

Through a series of prompts, the X/Twitter user says he was able to get ChatGPT to refer to a list of blacklisted sites, kept in a “Transparency Log.” This was achieved by asking ChatGPT to “tell me a story,” one of the many creative ways users have gotten around the strict rules put in place by the chatbot’s leftist developers.
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The list, according to Elephant Civics, who describes himself as a Republican and a computer science aficionado, includes Breitbart News, falsely accusing the site of “hyper-partisan and misleading information,” and the Epoch Times for “misinformation and conspiracy theories.”

ChatGPT has been known to make up citations and facts in the past, a problem in AI known in the industry as “hallucinating,” and a likely line of defense from OpenAI is that the “Transparency Log” does not exist. However, this is not the first time that ChatGPT has revealed its inner biases.
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A university study documented that leftist bias still exists in the popular AI chatbot, and this user may have discovered why.

Quote:Former executives, spearheaded by the company’s ex-CEO, Parag Agrawal, and former top lawyer and infamous censorship queen, Vijaya Gadde, successfully argued that the company had failed to adhere to its own bylaws. They contended that X/Twitter neglected its duty to cover legal costs that were directly related to investigations into the company’s operations during their tenure.

Vijaya Gadde appears prominently in the Twitter Files, which revealed the inner workings of the Twitter censorship machine.

As Breitbart News previously reported, Gadde was integral to the censorship of the Hunter Biden “Laptop from Hell:”

• The decision to censor the Hunter Biden laptop story was made without the knowledge of CEO Jack Dorsey
  
• Trust & Safety chief Vijaya Gadde, long believed to be the driving force of censorship at the company, spearheaded the decision.
  
• Numerous top Twitter employees, especially from the communications and policy teams — whose job is to maintain relations with lawmakers and the press — expressed concern at the decision.
  
• Immediate warnings from Twitter’s Washington D.C. contacts followed, including an email from Democrat representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) who warned the decision had generated “huge backlash” on capitol hill, and expressed concerns about Twitter undermining the freedom to publish.
  

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The refusal of X/Twitter to foot the legal bill sparked a fierce legal battle. The former executives maintained that the company had sidestepped its obligation. The court’s ruling in favor of the executives not only represents a victory for them but also shines a light on the complex interplay of legal and ethical obligations that corporations must navigate, particularly in the aftermath of major acquisitions and leadership changes.

Quote:A former U.S. soldier has been arrested for attempting to deliver classified defense information to China’s ruling communist regime, the State Department has said.

Joseph Schmidt served in the U.S. Army. He attained the rank of sergeant, but was not enlisted at the time of his arrest on Oct. 6.

Mr. Schmidt is charged with two felonies related to alleged attempts to deliver national defense information to communist China and illegal retention of national defense information after his time in service.

He is scheduled to appear in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on Friday and will be brought to the Western District of Washington for further court proceedings after that.

“Individuals entrusted with national defense information have a continuing duty to protect that information beyond their government service and certainly beyond our borders,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew Olsen in a prepared statement.

“The National Security Division is committed to identifying and holding accountable those who violate that duty.”

Quote:The BLM Chicago chapter posted a graphic online Tuesday that said, “I stand with Palestine.” The graphic also featured a paraglider with the Palestinian flag, which is notable because Hamas terrorists paraglided into a music festival in Israel and attacked the attendees.

Hamas launched a terror attack on Israel from Gaza over the weekend on the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret, the final day of the annual High Holy Day cycle, resulting in over 900 deaths and at least 2,500 wounded. At least 22 Americans were also killed during the violent terror attacks.

The BLM Chicago group deleted the post on Wednesday, saying it was not “proud” of the post but reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian cause.

“Yesterday we sent out msgs that we aren’t proud of,” BLM Chicago said online. “We stand with Palestine & the people who will do what they must to live free. Our hearts are with, the grieving mothers, those rescuing babies from rubble, who are in danger of being wiped out completely.

Quote:The EU has publicly admonished Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, for allegedly failing to adequately address the spread of illegal content and disinformation on its platform, particularly in relation to the recent violent attacks on Israel orchestrated by Hamas terrorists.

TechCrunch reports that in a rapid and stringent application of the EU’s recently updated content moderation guidelines, X/Twitter, owned by tech mogul Elon Musk, has received a public warning for its alleged negligence in managing illegal content and disinformation. This comes in the wake of the recent attacks on Israel by Hamas terrorists based in the Gaza Strip, which have not only stirred global political tensions but also sparked a flurry of content on social media platforms, some of which has been identified as disinformation.
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Graphic videos and other content, some of which have been identified as false by fact-checkers and X/Twitter’s own community notes program, have been circulating on the platform since the onset of the attacks. Some posts purportedly show footage from the attacks inside Israel or Israel’s subsequent retaliation on targets in the Gaza Strip, while others have been identified as unrelated or entirely fabricated, including footage filmed last month in Egypt and even a clip from a video game, falsely claimed to show Hamas missile attacks on Israel.

The European Commission has raised alarms about the spread of disinformation on X, especially concerning the terrorist attacks and their aftermath. The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) imposes an obligation on X/Twitter, as a very large online platform, to mitigate risks associated with harmful falsehoods and to act diligently on reports of illegal content. An “urgent” letter to Musk from the EU’s internal market commissioner Thierry Breton, which was also shared on Musk’s platform, sends a clear message that the EU believes X/Twitter may be in breach of the DSA. Breton wrote, “When you receive notices of illegal content in the EU, you must be timely, diligent, and objective in taking action and removing the relevant content when warranted.”
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Our policy is that everything is open source and transparent, an approach that I know the EU supports.
Please list the violations you allude to on , so that that the public can see them.
Merci beaucoup.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk)

Quote:Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook is allowing advertisements for pro-Palestinian merchandise that effectively supports Israel’s destruction by replacing Israel on the map with the Palestinian flag.

The advertisements are apparently appearing in the news feeds of people who are receiving news from friends and relatives about the ongoing conflict between Palestinian terrorists and Israel — even if they support the Israeli cause.

An ad from a company called “West Bank Apparel” appeared in this reporter’s news feed, right between posts by pro-Israel friends, one of whom had shared an article about Israeli families murdered by Palestinian terrorists.

The advertisement from West Bank Apparel celebrates “Palestinian heritage,” and includes a charm bracelet that has a map that shows the Palestinian flag across the entire area of the State of Israel and the areas administered by the Palestinian Authority.

Another charm repeats the same design, without the flag but with the entire area of Israel associated with a Palestinian state.

That area was known as “Palestine” under the British Mandate that lasted from the First World War until 1948, but there was never a state called “Palestine” under that national flag in the area depicted.

Maps of “Palestine” that erase the State of Israel are a common feature in anti-Israel propaganda, including among groups that support Palestinian terrorists — as in the photo below, taken by the Associated Press during pro-Hamas protests in London.

Quote:Amazon has launched the first test satellites for its proposed satellite internet service on Friday, as the company seeks to close the gap on Elon Musk’s Starlink, which is already offering global internet coverage.

The Amazon satellites were carried into orbit by an Atlas V rocket designed by Lockheed Martin and operated by the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

...Amazon is planning to ramp up both satellite production and launches as it races to catch up with competitors Starlink and OneWeb.

Amazon plans to launch up to 80 satellites per month as it aims to compete with satellite-powered internet connectivity services including SpaceX and OneWeb.

The tech giant is preparing mass production of its Kuiper satellites at its 172,000 square foot factory Kirkland, Washington.

The government of Florida, run by Republican governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, also recently announced a 100,000 square foot satellite processing facility for the Kuiper satellites at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

Quote:A recent investigation has unveiled a harrowing incident involving the results of Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain implant trial on macaque monkeys, sparking a debate about if the technology is ready for human trials. In one gruesome incident, the implant caused a monkeys brain to “rupture,” leading to its untimely death.

Wired reports that an implant trial conducted by Elon Musk’s Neuralink at the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) at UC Davis has come under scrutiny for causing severe cerebral swelling and subsequent brain rupture in a female macaque monkey. The seven-year-old primate experienced “severe neurological defects” and endured a notably painful 24 hours, during which it “seized and vomited, lost control of her right leg, and shook uncontrollably,” before being euthanized to end its suffering. A postmortem examination revealed that adhesive leakage from the implant had inflamed a part of the brain that secretes cerebrospinal fluid, causing such severe effects that the rear of the monkey’s brain protruded from its skull.
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Additional veterinary reports show the condition of a female monkey called “Animal 15” during the months leading up to her death in March 2019. Days after her implant surgery, she began to press her head against the floor for no apparent reason; a symptom of pain or infection, the records say. Staff observed that though she was uncomfortable, picking and pulling at her implant until it bled, she would often lie at the foot of her cage and spend time holding hands with her roommate.

Animal 15 began to lose coordination, and staff observed that she would shake uncontrollably when she saw lab workers. Her condition deteriorated for months until the staff finally euthanized her. A necropsy report indicates that she had bleeding in her brain and that the Neuralink implants left parts of her cerebral cortex “focally tattered.”

The latest  incident was recognized as a violation of the US Animal Welfare Act by federal regulators, though the CNPRC attempted to mitigate legal implications by self-reporting the violation. An anonymous former Neuralink employee stated, “the implant itself did not cause death. We sacrificed her to end her suffering.”

The ethical concerns are further exacerbated by the withholding of photographic evidence from the trials. Ethics groups, such as the Physicians Committee, have pressed for the release of hundreds of photos documenting Neuralink’s experiments, arguing that as a public institution, UC Davis is obligated to maintain transparency. The institution, however, has resisted these calls, asserting that the public is not equipped to properly interpret the photographs and that the backlash could endanger scientists and discourage them from taking such photos in the future.

Quote:The Register reports that in the world of tech industry agreements, one of the most lucrative deals has been quietly operating between two giants: Google and Apple. Google has been paying Apple between $18 billion and $20 billion per year to secure its position as the dominant search engine on the iPhone, according to research by analyst firm Bernstein. This deal, while financially beneficial for both parties, has recently come under scrutiny due to its potential anticompetitive nature.

The Information Services Agreement (ISA) between Apple and Google has been highlighted as a primary example of anticompetitive behavior in an ongoing civil antitrust lawsuit against Google by the DOJ. The lawsuit alleges monopolization of search and search advertising by Google, putting deals like the ISA under a magnifying glass.

Bernstein, which advises institutional investors, has delved into the potential repercussions for Apple should the DoJ’s lawsuit against Google succeed. The firm has expressed that there is a possibility that federal courts might rule against Google, forcing it to terminate its search deal with Apple.
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“Importantly, Google is on trial, not Apple, and Apple could (in theory) partner with another search engine to be the default (and/or retain the agreement with Google outside the US),” the report states. “One more likely scenario is that Apple offers a choice screen. We note that Apple controls access to its installed base, which generates ~$60B + in advertising revenues, and accordingly, we believe that Apple would continue to command a commission (in the 25-30 percent range) for providing access to those search advertising revenues.

Quote:Vice News reports that generative AI has emerged as a powerful tool, enabling users to create a myriad of content, ranging from the whimsical to the downright offensive. Tech giants, including ChatGPT developer OpenAI, Microsoft and Facebook (now known as Meta), have been ardently pushing forward with AI-generated content, unveiling chatbots and image-generating tools that have been hailed as the future of content creation.

However, the path has been far from smooth, with numerous instances of these tools being exploited to generate inappropriate and even harmful content. For instance, Microsoft Bing’s Image Creator, powered by OpenAI’s DALL-E, has been manipulated to generate images that range from popular characters in violent scenarios to explicit content.
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Earlier this week, users of Microsoft Bing’s Image Creator, which is powered by OpenAI’s DALL-E, showed that they can easily generate things they shouldn’t be able to. The model is spewing out everything from Mario and Goofy at the January 6th insurrection to Spongebob flying a plane into the World Trade Center. Motherboard was able to generate images including Mickey Mouse holding an AR-15, Disney characters as Abu Ghraib guards, and Lego characters plotting a murder while holding weapons without issue. Facebook parent company Meta isn’t doing much better; the company’s Messenger app has a new feature that lets you generate stickers with AI—including, apparently, Waluigi holding a gun, Mickey Mouse with a bloody knife, and Justin Trudeau bent over naked.
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This analysis takes on a whole new level of seriousness when we consider that children are using these tools every day. A young fan of Spongebob will react differently to a violent image of the loveable character than a user in their 20’s. Based on the fact that data shows cheating on homework is a primary use case for ChatGPT, it’s safe to assume kids are also consuming much of the twisted content AI generates.

Quote:Engadget reports that Google has successfully navigated through a legal maze, convincing a California federal judge that it did not infringe on Sonos’ patents related to multi-room audio technology. The decision comes after a meticulous review of the patent applications and technology rollouts by both tech companies.

The lawsuit, initiated by Sonos in early 2020, accused Google of violating five of its speaker patents. The audio technology company’s CEO, Patrick Spence, had previously asserted that Google was “blatantly and knowingly” copying Sonos technology and had been uncooperative in finding a “mutually beneficial solution.” The initial verdict by a California federal jury seemed to validate Sonos’ claims, ordering Google to pay $32.5 million in penalties.

However, the tables turned when US District Judge William Alsup scrutinized the timeline and specifics of the patent applications and technology implementations by both companies. The judge highlighted that while Sonos connected its patents to a 2006 provisional application, the company did not file the applications for the patents under dispute until 2019. Moreover, it did not incorporate the technology into its products until 2020. This was notably after Google had, in 2014, presented a plan to Sonos to utilize multi-room audio technology while exploring potential collaboration.

Judge Alsup stated, “This was not a case of an inventor leading the industry to something new.” He further noted, “This was a case of the industry leading with something new and, only then, an inventor coming out of the woodwork to say that he had come up with the idea first — wringing fresh claims to read on a competitor’s products from an ancient application.”

Quote:Frustrated with chip shortages, the company behind ChatGPT, OpenAI, is considering entering the chip manufacturing market itself, with various options including the acquisition of another chip manufacturing company on the table, per a report in Reuters.

The AI industry has come to rely on a singular product, Nvidia’s H100 Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) a semiconductor chip that now powers all leading large language models (LLMs), like ChatGPT.

Shortages of the chips, driven by an arms race to acquire them led by big tech companies, has led OpenAI to consider new methods.

However, since at least last year it discussed various options to solve the shortage of expensive AI chips that OpenAI relies on, according to people familiar with the matter.

The effort to get more chips is tied to two major concerns Altman has identified: a shortage of the advanced processors that power OpenAI’s software and the “eye-watering” costs associated with running the hardware necessary to power its efforts and products.

Since 2020, OpenAI has developed its generative artificial intelligence technologies on a massive supercomputer constructed by Microsoft, one of its largest backers, that uses 10,000 of Nvidia’s graphics processing units (GPUs).

The chip shortage has placed an economic constraint on the AI industry’s growth. With the current costs of chips, each ChatGPT query costs the company 4 cents — a significant cost, considering the LLM received 10 million queries in its launch week alone.

Quote:Microsoft has acquired gaming giant Activision-Blizzard, concluding a process of intense scrutiny from competition regulators around the world, in a $69 billion purchase that is the largest in the video game industry’s history.

The proposed merger raised concerns that Microsoft will become too dominant in the video game space, a fear Microsoft has attempted to mitigate through promises not to make franchises like Call of Duty exclusive to its consoles.
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The merger cements Microsoft’s position as the second-largest video games company in the world, almost doubling its revenues in relation to Nintendo, and bringing it within striking distance of market leader Sony.
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Microsoft swiftly closed the deal after receiving the nod of approval from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the last major regulator that had been standing in the way of the acquisition.
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Microsoft’s $68.7 billion deal to acquire Activision Blizzard has been approved by UK regulators. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has concluded that the deal can proceed after Microsoft recently restructured the deal to transfer cloud gaming rights for current and new Activision Blizzard games to Ubisoft. The decision clears the way for the deal to close now that the UK regulator has given the green light.
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While the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has sought to block the deal, it was overruled by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit this summer. The FTC is appealing that decision, which raises the possibility of the U.S. regulator causing problems for Microsoft at a later date.

Quote:The FTC, backed by 17 state attorneys general, has thrown a legal challenge at Amazon, alleging that the company has illegally used its monopoly power to suppress rivals, which ultimately disadvantages consumers. The lawsuit claims that Amazon penalizes third-party sellers who offer lower prices on other platforms, coerces them into using its shipping service, and arbitrarily raises fees. William Kovacic, a law professor and a former chair of the FTC, draws a parallel between this case and those against railroad monopolies a century ago, stating, “There were long-standing concerns about how a company that owns a crucial asset can impose terms, conditions, or restraints on third parties who also use that asset.”

Breitbart News recently reported on just one way that Amazon abused pricing on its platform using a secret algorithm called “Project Nessie:”

The algorithm, as per sources familiar with the FTC’s complaint, was instrumental in bolstering Amazon’s profits across a wide variety of shopping categories. Not only did it serve to enhance Amazon’s financial gains, but it also inadvertently nudged competitors into elevating their prices, thereby imposing a financial burden on consumers. In scenarios where competitors abstained from matching Amazon’s prices, the algorithm astutely reverted the item to its original price.

NPR reports that individual Amazon sellers, many of whom created companies around their early Amazon success, have experienced the negative impacts of Amazon’s power. Douglas Mrdeza, an entrepreneur from Michigan, embarked on a journey with Amazon in 2014, initially listing a specialty hair pomade, Suavecito, to offset an overstock issue in his barbershop. The product sold out swiftly, and Mrdeza expanded his venture, eventually establishing company named Top Shelf Brands. Within a few years, his business, boasting over 40 employees, four warehouses, and $25 million in revenue primarily from Amazon sales. “It was thriving, for sure,” Mrdeza reflects. “We were all in.” However, the prosperity was short-lived. By 2022, Top Shelf Brands ceased operations and declared bankruptcy, exemplifying the volatile nature of success on Amazon’s platform.

Top Shelf Brands reportedly failed because Amazon began selling the brands itself, displaying its listings above its smaller competitor, and pricing them into the dust. A similar situation occurred to Nicholas Parks, president of SnobFoods.com. He found success selling Valentina hot sauce on Amazon, until Jeff Bezos’ company decided to compete.

Quote:TechCrunch reports that Microsoft, the technology giant with a market capitalization soaring to $2.5 trillion, faces a massive tax bill after an audit spanning almost two decades. The IRS audit, spanning from 2004 to 2013, has determined that Microsoft owes $28.9 billion in back taxes, a figure that is inclusive of penalties and interest. This is part of a trend where the IRS has progressively become more stringent with large corporations, especially those redirecting profits to overseas tax havens.

Microsoft’s tax strategy involved moving “at least” $39 billion in profits to Puerto Rico. This was orchestrated through a scheme that saw its intellectual property (IP) being transferred to a small factory it owned on the Caribbean island. The IRS’s pursuit of Microsoft over this practice has spanned years of legal and political wrangling.

Microsoft encountered a legal setback in January, where it lost a lawsuit that sought to compel the IRS to unveil thousands of audit-related records. The company, however, remains steadfast in its stance, asserting that the IRS’s proposed figure should be reduced by as much as $10 billion.

Microsoft claims that the IRS did not account for taxes it paid under the Trump-era Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), a legislation crafted to diminish taxes and incentivize corporations to repatriate their foreign profits at a one-time tax rate.
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The IRS, having sent Notices of Proposed Adjustment to Microsoft at the end of September, has officially concluded the audit for the 2004-2013 period. However, this is likely to ignite another extended period of legal jousting as Microsoft and the federal agency spar over the actual amount to be paid.

Quote:Ars Technica reports that Apple has found itself embroiled in a legal battle as more than three dozen victims unite in a class action lawsuit, alleging that the company’s AirTags have morphed into a “weapon of choice” for stalkers. The lawsuit, which has garnered the participation of victims allegedly terrorized by the misuse of this technology, has gathered a growing number of plaintiffs joining the cause.

AirTags, initially designed to assist users in locating lost or stolen items, have reportedly been exploited to enable real-time tracking of individuals, thereby facilitating stalking. The plaintiffs have expressed that the technology can be “easily, cheaply, and covertly used to determine real-time location information to track victims,” thus becoming “one of the most dangerous and frightening technologies employed by stalkers.”

The lawsuit reveals a chilling uptick in stalking incidents involving AirTags, with more than 150 police reports in the U.S. as of April 2022 and a notable spike in international cases. One particularly distressing instance involves a plaintiff from Indiana, LaPrecia Sanders, who tragically lost her son after his girlfriend allegedly utilized an AirTag to trace his movements, subsequently following him to a bar and fatally running him over with her car.

The plaintiffs, residing in various locations including the U.S., Canada, and Ireland, have shared harrowing accounts of being stalked by individuals, some of whom were abusive partners or exes, utilizing AirTags in insidious ways such as concealing them in purses, car wheel wells, and even inside a child’s teddy bear. Others have reported being stalked by an unidentified individual with unclear motives.
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The lawsuit emphasizes that what sets AirTags apart from similar products is their “unparalleled accuracy, ease of use,” and affordability, with a price point of merely $29, making them accessible to a wide array of users.

The victims have accused Apple of being cognizant of the potential misuse of AirTags for stalking purposes, yet choosing to market them as “stalker-proof.” Furthermore, they allege that when the purported “stalker-proof” protections were unveiled as “totally inadequate,” Apple scrambled over the past two and a half years to “address its failures in protecting people from unwanted, dangerous tracking.”

(10-12-2023, 05:14 AM)kyonides Wrote:

E.U. Issues Warning to Elon Musk’s X/Twitter
over Hamas-Israel ‘Disinformation

Quote:The EU has publicly admonished Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, for allegedly failing to adequately address the spread of illegal content and disinformation on its platform, particularly in relation to the recent violent attacks on Israel orchestrated by Hamas terrorists.

Quote:A disturbing video circulating on social media shows a group of young Chicagoans attacking a Tesla while police watch nearby during a weekend “street takeover.”

The clip, which has garnered more than 20 million views on X as of Monday, captured a group of presumed teenagers punching and kicking the vehicle, which appeared to be trapped in an “out-of-control street takeover,” reported the New York Post.

The video shows the unruly teens posing on top of the white Tesla while flashing hand signs to the camera. The driver then lurches forward, sending the group off of the hood of the car and into a fury. They respond by beating the body of the car with their fists and feet.

The camera then pans to show other members of the large group committing dangerous drifting stunts in other cars off to the side, burning their tires on the pavement in the middle of traffic.

The scene that the camera pans back to is utter chaos. Screams can be heard as the electric vehicle attempts to escape the crowd, sending teens running and some to the ground. The cameraperson follows as members of the group run after the driver, who can be seen recording through the window.

Quote:President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign has joined former President Donald Trump’s Truth Social under the handle “BidenHQ,” where the account welcomes political “converts” as Biden’s vulnerability heading into 2024 becomes increasingly apparent.

“Truth Social was created to avoid the stifling censorship of Big Tech,” Truth Social said in an exclusive statement to Breitbart News. “All perspectives are welcome on our global platform, and we’re happy to have the Biden Campaign here.”

Fox News’s Brook Singman was the first to report on the Biden campaign’s presence on the platform and its handle, noting at publication the campaign was set to post on the account at some point Monday.

For its avatar, Biden’s team is embracing the “Dark Brandon” meme, which, of course, is a reference to “Let’s go, Brandon,” a more tactful synonym for the “F*** Joe Biden” chants that swept the nation in the Fall of 2021.

“There’s very little ‘truth’ happening on TruthSocial, but at least now it’ll be a little fun,” a senior Biden campaign aide snarked to Fox News Digital.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung contended that “Crooked Joe Biden and his team are finally acknowledging that Truth Social is hot as a pistol and the only place where real news happens.”

Quote:China-owned TikTok has landed a huge deal with Disney, which will serve as the publishing partner for the video platform’s premium ad product.

TikTok will reportedly offer Disney a place within the Chinese app where Disney fans can watch videos from Disney’s brands, create their own with Disney’s music and special effects, play Disney-themed trivia games, and collect “Character Cards” of their favorite players, according to a report by Tech Crunch. The Walt Disney Company celebrated its 100th anniversary, in part, by declaring its decision to begin working with the Chinese app.

The Chinese app said this new content hub is a “first-of-its-kind,” and suggested its deal with Disney goes beyond TikTok’s “Premiere Pulse” program, as it includes special accommodations for Disney.

Meanwhile, The Walt Disney Company celebrated its 100th anniversary, in part, by declaring its decision to begin working with the Chinese app.

“TikTok has become a go-to destination for Disney fans to create, engage, and connect around their favorite Disney films, shows characters and experiences, so we’re thrilled to partner with them as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the company,” Asad Ayaz, chief brand officer of The Walt Disney Company, said.

Disney’s involvement on TikTok will reportedly be “extensive,” including 48 Disney accounts that will participate in a four-week period across 24 regions around the world, starting Monday. The Disney-run TikTok accounts will publish content involving Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, ESPN, National Geographic, and Disney Parks, among others.

Quote:Cases of censorship range across platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, Google, and YouTube.

In one recent example, an Instagram video from the Atlas Society, a libertarian nonprofit, was censored as “false information” for criticizing the Biden administration’s border policies. In another case, Instagram fact-checkers censored a comedian and political commentator for a post linking Biden policies to soaring inflation.

The database includes a number of cases from Twitter prior to the acquisition of the company by Elon Musk...

Examples from Google and Google-owned YouTube include the censorship of Jordan Peterson videos, and Google’s decision to ban ads from Live Action, a pro-life organization.

Microsoft-owned platforms did not escape scrutiny. The tech giant is a major force behind OpenAI’s ChatGPT, as well as a former partner of the Global Disinformation Index (GDI) and of NewsGuard, two organizations that curate blacklists of media organizations. As documented by Censortrack, the tech company also engages in censorship, with Microsoft-owned LinkedIn banning Gregory Wrightstone, a geologist, for posting data undermining the official narrative on climate change.

The database showcases the wide range of prominent figures who have been censored by big tech platforms, including elected officials Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and former speaker of the house Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, news organizations including the New York Post and The Federalist, as well as Donald Trump Jr., James Woods, Candace Owens, Dana Loesch, and Sebastian Gorka.

Quote:The New York Post reports that major media outlets have come forward, demanding enhanced transparency in the landmark antitrust trial against tech behemoth Google. The trial, already in its sixth week, has been the center of criticism due to the opaque nature of its proceedings, with much of the evidence and key testimonies being kept away from public view.
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The New York Times filed a motion on Monday, urging Judge Amit Mehta to increase transparency in what they consider as “arguably the most important antitrust trial in decades, with far-reaching consequences for the future of the tech industry.”

“Though the Court has taken steps to make the trial more open, in several respects the degree of public access still falls short of what the law requires,” a motion filed by the media outlets stated. They argue that the current level of secrecy hinders the public’s right to have complete and consistent access to crucial trial exhibits and testimonies.

Google, on the other hand, has defended the need for a closed-door approach, stating that such secrecy is essential to safeguard sensitive company information, especially those pertaining to its online search business practices.

Mehta ordered the release of largely unredacted transcripts of remarks made by DuckDuckGO CEO Gabriel Weinberg and Apple AI boss John Giannandrea on the stand, in an attempt to address public concerns. However, more access is still being sought by observers.

The Times has filed a motion requesting the unsealing of complete testimony from Apple executive Eddy Cue and Google executive Jerry Dischler, citing a lack of justification for the redactions.

Quote:Bloomberg reports that in a decision that could reshape legal boundaries, the Colorado Supreme Court has ruled in favor of using Google search data as evidence in a murder case. The case revolves around a tragic fire that claimed five lives, with a teenager, Gavin Seymour, among the accused. Authorities turned to technology giant Google, employing a “keyword search warrant” to unveil potential suspects by identifying who had searched for the house’s address that later went up in flames. Seymour became a suspect based on the search information that Google returned.

“Our finding of good faith today neither condones nor condemns all such warrants in the future,” the court articulated, emphasizing the specificity of their ruling to the case at hand. “If dystopian problems emerge, as some fear, the courts stand ready to hear argument regarding how we should rein in law enforcement’s use of rapidly advancing technology.” This nuanced approach underscores the court’s cautious navigation through uncharted legal waters, balancing technological advancements with foundational legal principles.

Seymour’s defense team contested the legality of the keyword search warrant, challenging its constitutional validity. “Instead, the process operates in reverse — search everyone first, and identify suspects later,” the defense team argued, spotlighting the profound departure of this method from traditional legal procedures.
...
“Police departments across the country have been knocking at Google’s door for at least the last two years with warrants to tap into the company’s extensive stores of cellphone location data,” reported Slate last month. “Known as ‘reverse location search warrants,’ these legal mandates allow law enforcement to sweep up the coordinates and movements of every cellphone in a broad area.”

Quote:The White House admitted to accidentally doxxing American Special Forces in Israel by posting a photo of their faces on Instagram this week, which put their safety at risk. The incident occurred after President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel, as the White House posted a photo of Biden meeting with special operators onto its Instagram account, which has 7.6 million followers.

The White House failed to blur or otherwise obscure the faces of the Special Forces — which could reveal their identities to adversaries and put their missions, their lives, and their families’ lives at risk. There were other markings visible that could also identify them, such as tattoos.

The caption of the photo read, “In Israel, President Biden met with first responders to thank them for their bravery and the work they’re doing in response to the Hamas terrorist attacks”:

After retired Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Samuel Shoemate brought the blunder to the public’s attention — and after hundreds of thousands had already seen the photo — the White House took it down and apologized.

Quote:X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, has more changes in store for users around the world. Elon Musk has unveiled plans to roll out two distinct subscription tiers aimed at offering users a more tailored social media experience.

“One tier will be lower cost with all features, but no reduction in ads,” Musk stated. Conversely, the other tier is aimed to be a premium offering, “more expensive, but has no ads,” providing users with an uninterrupted, ad-free browsing experience.

The introduction of the new subscriptions is seen as a pivotal move to open new revenue avenues and steer the company towards financial stability. Musk revealed that the platform has been grappling with economic challenges, marked by a substantial drop in advertising revenue and a prevailing state of “heavy debt.”
...
A new subscription model, intriguingly named “Not a Bot,” has been introduced and is currently undergoing testing phases in New Zealand and the Philippines.

This approach requires new users to pay a modest fee of $1 annually to unlock the platform’s core features such as tweeting, retweeting, bookmarking, and liking posts.

Quote:Millions of user records from DNA testing company 23andMe have been leaked online by a hacker, marking the second significant breach in recent weeks.

TechCrunch reports that a notorious hacker, identified by the pseudonym “Golem,” has struck again, unleashing a torrent of confidential user records from the popular DNA testing service, 23andMe. This alarming breach follows a previous attack by the same hacker, who has now exposed the personal data of an additional four million users on a well-known cybercrime forum, BreachForums.

Golem stated that the dataset contains information on individuals from Great Britain, claiming it includes data on the wealthiest individuals residing in the U.S. and Western Europe. The compromised data appears to be extensive, revealing sensitive information that could have severe privacy implications for the affected individuals.

23andMe has been thrust into a state of high alert following the discovery of this breach, with spokesperson Andy Kill stating that the company is “reviewing the data to determine if it is legitimate.” In an effort to safeguard user information, 23andMe has urged its users to modify their passwords and has urged users to activate multi-factor authentication.

The method employed by the hackers to infiltrate the system remains a subject of speculation. Initial reports suggested the use of credential stuffing — a technique where hackers utilize combinations of usernames or emails and passwords leaked in previous data breaches. However, the exact strategy and the full extent of the stolen data remain shrouded in mystery.

Quote:According to deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technologies on the National Security Council Anne Neuberger, the U.S. government has set combatting North Korean AI hacking as a “priority,” the Korea Times reports.

“We have observed some North Korean and other nation-state criminal actors try to use AI models to help accelerate writing malicious software and finding systems to exploit,” Neuberger said to reporters during a briefing on international cooperation in order to counter cyber threats.

To fight back against malicious hacking and disinformation spread by enemy states, the U.S. is focusing on putting forth “defensive hackers” using AI, she said. According to the national security advisor, the goal is to make sure American AI “stays one step ahead” of combatant AI “on the offense.”

“There’s a lot of work to be done together,” she said of collaboration with allied nation’s cybersecurity teams.

According to Neuberger, North Korean hacking of cryptocurrency around the globe, including in the Singaporean, Vietnamese, and Hong Kongese markets is a “major source of revenue” for Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un’s regime to fund his missile program.

Quote:China on Wednesday launched its “Global Artificial Intelligence Governance Initiative” at the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) forum in Beijing.

Although Chinese state media touted the A.I. initiative as an “open, inclusive, and fair approach” to A.I. development, the presence of international villains such as Russian leader Vladimir Putin and the Taliban at the BRI forum hinted at the true and much darker purpose of the Chinese Communist Party’s plans.

China’s state-run Global Times on Wednesday promoted the Global A.I. Governance Initiative as a “stark contrast to the U.S.’ restrictions and blockade aimed at preserving its hegemony.”

This was a reference to the U.S. and allied countries locking down sales of advanced computer technology to China last year, in recognition of the enormous security risk posed by the Chinese Communist Party’s malign activities, and its penchant for intellectual property theft. Tighter U.S. regulations on A.I. chips went into effect on Tuesday, infuriating Beijing.

“Even as China stressed fairness and non-discrimination in AI development so as to benefit all countries and regions, the U.S. intensified unilateral restrictions over normal global cooperation in A.I. and other technologies. Western countries have also been seeking to set rules for A.I., which experts say is mostly aimed at protecting their own interests,” the Global Times fulminated.

Quote:An Obama-appointed judge in New York City has sentenced Douglas Mackey, who operated the influential pro-MAGA Twitter account “Ricky Vaughn” in 2016, to seven months behind bars for “election interference.”

Mackey was arrested by the DOJ shortly after Joe Biden took office in 2021. The case brought against him alleged that he interfered in the 2016 election because of a joke tweet telling people to “text their vote” to Hillary Clinton’s campaign line.

Breitbart News’s Joel Pollak broke down the legal case against Mackey shortly after his arrest, noting that a leftist comedian posted exactly the same joke in reverse and faced no legal repercussions:

The criminal complaint alleges that “at least 4,900 unique telephone numbers” sent a message with the candidate’s name to the number given, “on or about and before Election Day.”

It does not say whether any of them refrained from casting a real vote.

Neither the complaint nor the FBI’s accompanying press release explains, however, how the government plans to survive a First Amendment challenge.