Technology

West Virginia’s disabled residents and overseas military personnel will be able to vote by smartphone in the US presidential election this year, the latest development in a push to make balloting more accessible despite persistent security fears. Rising interest in electronic voting has heightened concerns among security experts who fear these systems are vulnerable to hacking and manipulation that could …

ISLAMABAD: As criticism of the government over new social media regulations continues, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) urged the government to reconsider its decision. The HRCP has expressed concern over the rules under which the curbs on social media will enable the designated authorities to control freedom of expression and …

  SAN FRANCISCO: Google is in discussions on deals to pay media organizations for content, a move aimed at blunting criticism that it unfairly profits from copyrighted news, according to people familiar with the talks. Negotiations between the internet giant and news outlets were said to be in the early stages, with most of the publishers located in France and …

BERLIN: US electric car giant Tesla began clearing forest for its first European “Gigafactory” near Berlin, and is now racing against the clock to rehouse ants, birds and hibernating bats. Workers have started clearing a 92-hectare (227-acre) area of forest at the site in Gruenheide in Brandenburg state after Tesla received the green light from authorities last month. But after …

WASHINGTON: The United States on Thursday granted Huawei another 45 days to sell to American companies while they search for alternatives to the Chinese telecommunications giant that Washington views as a security threat. The extension will “allow existing telecommunication providers — particularly those in rural US communities — the ability to continue to temporarily and securely operate existing networks,” the …

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan on Thursday defended the government’s new social media policy, saying that the new rules had been created for the protection of citizens. “There was no mechanism that protected our citizens’ interests [… or] our national integrity,” she said, adding that after the enactment of the new policy, social …

KARACHI: The Asia Internet Coalition (AIC) has regretted that the Pakistan government released its rules on regulating social media without consulting stakeholders and urged the authorities to reconsider its move. The AIC is an industry association that comprises leading internet and technology companies, namely Facebook, Twitter, Google, Amazon, AirBnb, Apple, Booking.com, Expedia Group, Grab, LinkedIn, LINE, Rakuten, and Yahoo (Oath). In a …

SAN FRANCISCO: The Facebook-owned messaging service WhatsApp said Wednesday it now has more than two billion users around the world as it reaffirmed its commitment to strong encryption to protect privacy. WhatsApp, acquired by Facebook in 2014, has grown into one of the most widely used services in the Facebook “family” of apps, offering free messaging along with voice and …

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has approved a set of rules to regulate social media in the country, under which social media companies will be obliged to disclose any information or data to a designated investigation agency, when sought, and failure to abide by any of the provision will entail a fine of up to Rs500 million. The information to be …

All’s fair in electronic love and dating — or is it? The battle for hearts and minds of couples seeking their perfect match online has taken a new turn. If you’re a flirty mobile warrior Tindering on the brink or Bumbling from one swipe to the next be aware there’s another game in town as Facebook muscles in to place …