Senate Democrats want to know: was YouTube’s Trump settlement a bribe?
Senate Democrats want to know: was YouTube's Trump settlement a bribe? Sundar Pichai at Trump’s inauguration, alongside other Big Tech CEOs. A group of Democratic lawmakers are asking questions about YouTube’s $24.5 million settlement with President Donald Trump. In a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, five Senators — Elizabeth Warren […]
Facebook removes ICE-tracking page after US government ‘outreach’
Facebook removes ICE-tracking page after US government 'outreach' Meta has removed a Facebook page dedicated to tracking Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) action in Chicago after the Justice Department got involved. Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X Tuesday that Facebook had taken down an unnamed “large group page that was being used to dox […]
California cracks down on ‘predatory’ early cancellation fees
California cracks down on 'predatory' early cancellation fees California has enacted new legislation that aims to limit companies from charging consumers “exorbitant” fees to cancel fixed-term contracts. Assembly Bill 483 was signed into law by California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday, placing transparency requirements and fee limits on early terminations for installment contracts — plans […]
Instagram is making all teen accounts ‘PG-13’
Instagram is making all teen accounts 'PG-13' Instagram’s PG-13-inspired rating will avoid recommending more types of content to teens. | Image: Meta Instagram is making a major update to teen accounts that will only allow them to view content similar to what you would see in a PG-13 movie. Under the new system, Instagram will continue […]
UK fines 4Chan over online safety compliance
UK fines 4Chan over online safety compliance The penalties are fairly paltry. The United Kingdom has slapped 4Chan with a £20,000 (around $26,000) fine in a bid to clamp down on platforms that are hindering Online Safety Act (OSA) investigations. UK telecoms regulator Ofcom says the fine was issued after the controversial social media site […]
Welcome to the ‘papers, please’ internet
Welcome to the 'papers, please' internet This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on the downward spiral of the internet, follow Adi Robertson. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started Back in […]
Brendan Carr wants to let internet providers charge hidden fees again
Brendan Carr wants to let internet providers charge hidden fees again Broadband customers may find themselves blighted by unexpected charges again, thanks to Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr. The FCC has submitted a proposal to revise “unnecessary” requirements for internet service providers to itemize every fee on monthly bills, citing that it “may confuse […]
Big Tech is ‘donating’ to Trump’s ‘nonprofits’
Big Tech is 'donating' to Trump's 'nonprofits' Hello and welcome to Regulator. I was recently riding a Lime scooter around downtown DC (don’t hate the player) and zipped across the intersection of 16th Street and I Street NW when I zoomed by the Motion Picture Association’s office building. Except now it had the logo of […]
Former Apple bosses slam decision to take down ICEBlock
Former Apple bosses slam decision to take down ICEBlock Apple is facing pressure from a former executive and senior manager over its decision to remove the ICE-spotting app, ICEBlock, from the App Store. In a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, Wiley Hodges says he’s “deeply disturbed” by the move, as spotted earlier by Daring […]
Police busts gang suspected of stealing 40,000 phones
Police busts gang suspected of stealing 40,000 phones The Metropolitan Police said its the “largest ever operation to tackle phone theft in London.” | Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images An international gang suspected of smuggling up to 40,000 stolen phones from the UK to China over the past 12 months has been dismantled by police […]