Internet

Credit: CC0 Public Domain Thursday is Earth Day, and Google is commemorating the event encouraging people to be more environmentally conscious with an update to its logo. If you go to the primary page for Google search, you'll watch an adorable video that starts with a young girl planting a...

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Facebook said it would take emergency steps to limit hate speech and calls for violence that "could lead to civil unrest or violence" when the verdict came down in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. The social media giant has used these...

Users will be able to create their own list of blocked words for Instagram's messaging service Instagram started offering users on Wednesday the option to filter incoming direct message requests for hurtful language, a step aimed at showing the Facebook-owned social network is serious about reducing online harassment. "Because DMs...

Credit: CC0 Public Domain The EU unveils a plan Wednesday to regulate the sprawling field of artificial intelligence, aimed at making Europe a leader in the new tech revolution while reassuring the public against "Big Brother"-like abuses. "Whether it's precision farming in agriculture, more accurate medical diagnosis or safe autonomous...

Social media channels are accused of enabling hate speech and misinformation that contributes to violence, including the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol. Credit: Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University The day is coming when your posts to social media may travel through checkpoints before the messages go public. All of your...

Facebook is moving to broaden its audio offerings on the heels of the rise of audio-only social network Clubhouse Facebook on Monday said it is adding podcasts and "live audio rooms" in a push to get people talking and take on the fast-growing audio-based app Clubhouse. "We think a lot...

Russia is investigating YouTube as it ramps up pressure on foreign tech platforms Russia has launched a probe against YouTube for "abusing" its dominant position in the market by making "biased" decisions about comment moderation, a government regulator said on Monday. The move comes as Russia ramps up pressure on...

UW researchers surveyed people about online disagreements and then developed potential design interventions that could make these discussions more productive and centered around relationship-building. Credit: Conscious Design/Unsplash The internet seems like the place to go to get into fights. Whether they're with a family member or a complete stranger, these...

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain "Troppo contenta del mio nuovo X-Corp Xd817!" ("Too satisfied of my new X-Corp Xd817!"). Happy outlier or general opinion of X-Corp's Italian customer base? Opinion mining and brand management companies now routinely run sentiment analysis on social media to understand what aspects of a brand are...

Location data can be highly valuable to advertisers trying to pitch products and services to consumers Google violated Australian law by misleading users of Android mobile devices about the use of their location data, a court ruled Friday in a landmark decision against the global digital giant. The US company...

Instagram, which is owned by social media giant Facebook, is exploring the launch of a version for children under 13 Advocates for children from around the world urged Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday to ditch plans for a version of Instagram geared toward pre-teens. Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood...

The Thomson Reuters building in New York's Times Square, pictured in 2008 Reuters News announced Thursday that it is to start charging for access to its website as part of a new digital subscription strategy designed to attract business professionals. The agency, one of the largest news organizations in the...

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Google on Thursday went international with tools designed to help people find COVID-19 vaccination locations, as the US internet titan ramps up efforts to fight the pandemic. The internet titan also plans to launch a cloud-based "virtual agent" that people can use to schedule vaccination appointments...

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The Google Earth app is adding a new video feature that draws upon nearly four decades of satellite imagery to vividly illustrate how climate change has affected glaciers, beaches, forests and other places around the world. The tool unveiled Thursday is rolling out in what is...

Twitch star Ludwig Ahgren set a new livestream record on the Twitch platform A Twitch star held a new record for subscribers on Wednesday after winning fans with a monthlong live stream at the Amazon-owned platform popular with video game players. Ludwig Ahgren had more than 283,000 subscriptions in what...

Twitter says it will seek to implement greater algorithmic fairness and transparency as part of its "responsible machine learning" initiative Twitter said Wednesday it was launching an initiative on "responsible machine learning" that will include reviews of algorithmic fairness on the social media platform. The California messaging service said the...

Instagram is testing a system that hides "likes," after some experts raised concerns about the mental health impact of seeking approval from social media peers Instagram on Wednesday said it is dabbling with letting users hide "like" counts in an effort to ease the pressure of seeking approval from others....

Move over, "Ninja"! There's a new Twitch king. Twitch streamer Ludwig Ahgren set a new world record Tuesday for having over 270,000 subscribers after a 30-day streaming binge. Ahgren surpassed Tyler "Ninja" Blevins, the popular gamer and Fortnite star, who has 269,155 subscribers.Ahgren, 25, who is on Twitch under "ludwig,"...

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Google is rolling out a new feature for Android users to prevent them from getting too distracted by their smartphones. On a support page, the tech giant said it is providing the "Heads Up" feature through a beta program on its Digital Wellbeing app, which Android...

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Google is celebrating the 151st anniversary of the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a doodle showcasing the institution's most important pieces of work. Each letter in the Google logo has been replaced with a different piece of art, as images in each space change to show...