Prediction markets in the news are a dangerous gamble
Prediction markets in the news are a dangerous gamble Today on Decoder, let’s talk about prediction markets, which continue to insert themselves into the news cycle and the news itself in increasingly weird, unsettling, and potentially illegal ways. My guest today is Liz Lopatto, senior reporter at The Verge, who owns what we cheerfully call […]
Trump claims he’ll make data centers pay for their own power supply
Trump claims he'll make data centers pay for their own power supply President Donald Trump tried to quell Americans’ concerns about rising electricity costs during his State of the Union speech by claiming that he’s negotiated a “rate payer protection pledge” with major tech companies, which would see them build out or pay for new […]
Inside Anthropic’s existential negotiations with the Pentagon
Inside Anthropic's existential negotiations with the Pentagon Anthropic’s weekslong battle with the Department of Defense has played out over social media posts, admonishing public statements, and direct quotes from unnamed Pentagon officials to the news media. But the future of the $380 billion AI startup comes down to just three words: “any lawful use.” The […]
EU investigates Shein’s ‘addictive design’ and illegal sex dolls
EU investigates Shein's 'addictive design' and illegal sex dolls The European Union has opened a formal investigation into Shein after French regulators found listings for “child-like sex dolls” on the retail platform last year. The investigation will assess whether the systems Shein is using to curb illegal product sales are compliant with the EU’s Digital […]
After spooking Hollywood, ByteDance will tweak safeguards on new AI model
After spooking Hollywood, ByteDance will tweak safeguards on new AI model Hollywood groups have spoken out against Seedance 2.0 since generated videos like fight scenes between Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt went viral. | Image by Dave Benett / WireImage via Getty TikTok creator ByteDance says that it is working to improve safeguards on its […]
Instagram and X have an impossible deepfake detection deadline
Instagram and X have an impossible deepfake detection deadline Just fix everything by next week, no pressure. | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images The best methods we currently have for detecting and labelling deepfakes online are about to get a stress test. India announced mandates on Tuesday that require social media platforms […]
Live Nation’s monopoly trial is reportedly fracturing Trump’s Justice Department
Live Nation's monopoly trial is reportedly fracturing Trump's Justice Department Live Nation executives have reportedly sidestepped the Justice Department’s antitrust division to negotiate directly with more sympathetic senior officials in the hopes of avoiding a monopoly trial. Citing “people familiar with the matter,” Semafor reports that some talks have excluded antitrust chief Gail Slater, who […]
TikTok’s infinite scroll is too addictive, say EU regulators
TikTok's infinite scroll is too addictive, say EU regulators EU regulators have declared that TikTok’s “addictive design” may put it in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA), in the preliminary results of an ongoing investigation into the social media app. If those findings are confirmed, TikTok could face a major fine and be required […]
Democrats push FTC to investigate Trump Mobile
Democrats push FTC to investigate Trump Mobile Elizabeth Warren and other Democrat lawmakers have written an open letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asking for an investigation into alleged “false advertising and deceptive practices” from Trump Mobile. The company first announced its T1 Phone more than six months ago, but is yet to ship […]
New York wants to regulate Roblox
New York wants to regulate Roblox New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is making kids’ online safety a cornerstone of her administration, and she’s eyeing a platform that has often flown under the radar: Roblox. As progress in Congress has stagnated, states have become the primary drivers of internet reforms meant to protect kids, including age […]