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Visa, Mastercard reach $30 bn settlement over card fees


March 28, 2024

Visa and Mastercard reached an estimated $30 billion settlement to limit credit and debit card fees for merchants, with some savings likely to be passed on to consumers through lower prices. The antitrust settlement announced on Tuesday is one of the largest in U.S. history, and if it receives court approval would resolve most claims in nationwide litigation that began …

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Chips in the brain


March 27, 2024

NOLAND Arbaugh, 29, was a student and athlete at the Texas A&M University when he was paralysed during a diving accident eight years ago. Arbaugh had at the time been working at a children’s summer camp. Since being paralysed he has not been able to do many of the things he used to do. He has no sensation of anything …

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Meta urged to lift ban on word shaheed


March 27, 2024

ISLAMABAD: Meta — the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — has been asked to lift a ban on the use of the Arabic word shaheed (meaning martyr) on its platforms, though the restrictions on describing “terrorists” as such will continue. Meta’s Oversight Board, which is funded by Meta but operates independently, said in its advisory opinion that the policy to …

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Musk’s X Corp loses case against watchdog


March 26, 2024

San Francisco: A US judge on Monday dismissed X Corp’s lawsuit against a nonprofit group that has criticised a rise in hate speech on the social media platform once known as Twitter since Elon Musk took it over. US District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco granted the dismissal request by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate, saying it appeared …

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EU probes Apple, Google, Meta under new digital law


March 26, 2024

BRUSSELS: The European Union on Monday hit Apple, Google parent Alphabet and Meta with the first-ever probes under a mammoth digital law, which could lead to big fines against the US giants. Among six firms named as market “gatekeepers” under the EU’s landmark Digital Markets Act — along with Amazon, TikTok owner ByteDance and Microsoft — the companies have been …

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China denounces ‘malicious slander’ as US, UK, NZ accuse Beijing of cyber attacks on ‘democratic institutions’


March 26, 2024

The United States, Britain and New Zealand have accused Beijing-backed cyber groups of being behind a series of attacks against lawmakers and key democratic institutions — allegations that were denied by China. In rare and detailed public accusations against China — Washington, London and Wellington described a series of cyber breaches over the last decade or more, in what appeared …

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How the US lobbied New Delhi to reverse laptop rules


March 24, 2024

India reversed a laptop licensing policy after behind-the-scenes lobbying by U.S. officials, who however remain concerned about New Delhi’s compliance with WTO obligations and new rules it may issue, according to US trade officials and government emails seen by Reuters. In August, India imposed rules requiring firms like Apple, Dell and HP to obtain licences for all shipments of imported …

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WhatsApp will soon allow users to turn voice messages into text


March 23, 2024

The Meta-owned application – WhatsApp – has reportedly started working on another feature for its users which will allow the users to transcribe voice messages. The WABetaInfo has spotted the feature in the latest beta version of WhatsApp for iOS as well as Android. The feature which is expected to be launched soon will allow users to convert voice messages …

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US sues Apple for running iPhone monopoly in wide-ranging lawsuit


March 23, 2024

The US Department of Justice sued Apple on Thursday for illegally maintaining a monopoly for its iPhone by stifling competition and imposing exorbitant costs on consumers. The lawsuit, brought also by 17 US states, attacked the iPhone for raking in hundreds of billions of dollars by making it difficult for consumers to switch away from Apple to cheaper smartphones and …

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UN calls for guidelines to address AI’s risks, rewards


March 22, 2024

UNITED NATIONS: The UN General Assembly on Thursday called for the development of a set of international guidelines to address the risks and benefits of artificial intelligence. The resolution, co-sponsored by dozens of countries and adopted by consensus, emphasises the necessity of guidelines “to promote safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems,” while excluding military AI from its purview. On …

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