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User control of video autoplay can alter awareness of online video 'rabbit holes'The rabbit hole contains madness, according to author Lewis Carroll. Online, that madness manifests in the form of increasingly extreme content, often without users realizing it. A new study by Penn State researchers suggests that giving users control over the interface feature of autoplay can help them realize that they... Read more
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Q&A: AI vs. the metaverse—How artificial intelligence might change the future of the internetRemember the metaverse? It was just a couple of years ago when it seemed as if every technology, media and entertainment company was scrambling to adapt to a future in which regular people would live parallel digital lives online, walking around as virtual reality avatars in 3D computerized worlds.... Read more
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US says it broke up Russian AI bot farm on XThe United States has disrupted a Russian disinformation campaign involving AI-powered bots used to create fake profiles on the social media platform X, the Justice Department said Tuesday.... Read more
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Tapping social media and AI to speed supply chain assistance during disastersA doctoral candidate at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) is lead author of a study in the International Journal of Production Research investigating the ways social media platforms can be leveraged with artificial intelligence (AI) to provide vital communication connecting victims of disaster to outside aid and support.... Read more
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Australia is pushing big tech to 'protect kids from porn.' What can they actually do?Australia's eSafety Commissioner has announced she's given the major tech platforms six months to develop enforceable codes for protecting children from online pornography and other "high-impact" content like self harm.... Read more
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AI is learning from what you said on Reddit, Stack Overflow or Facebook. Are you OK with that?Post a comment on Reddit, answer coding questions on Stack Overflow, edit a Wikipedia entry or share a baby photo on your public Facebook or Instagram feed and you are also helping to train the next generation of artificial intelligence.... Read more
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Bot-like accounts spreading 'hate' during UK election: NGOBot-like social media accounts have spread "disinformation and hate" in tens of thousands of posts viewed an estimated 150 million times during the UK general election campaign, a watchdog investigation revealed Tuesday.... Read more
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'Google is broken': How an algorithm tweak cost livelihoodsGoogle made major changes to its search algorithm and spam filters earlier this year to get rid of low-quality content—but the effects have proved devastating to some smaller websites.... Read more
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The growing influence of virtual gaming platforms like Roblox on how we interact onlineRoblox is an online platform that allows users to create games and play those designed by others. A self-described "ultimate virtual universe," it is hard to pinpoint exactly what Roblox is: Is it a game? Is it social media? Is it a place to create content or consume media? Is... Read more
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Meta risks fines over 'pay for privacy' model breaking EU rulesThe EU accused Facebook owner Meta on Monday of breaching the bloc's digital rules, paving the way for potential fines worth billions of euros.... Read more
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Other countries have struggled to control how kids access the internet. What can Australia learn?Debate continues to rage in Australia over whether children should (or can) be banned from social media. Following politicians' recent promises to ban those under 16 from the platforms, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has raised concerns that imposing age restrictions could push children to use social media in secret... Read more
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One Tech Tip: Too many passwords to remember? Try using a password managerEveryone has too many passwords. The credentials we need to remember to navigate online life keep multiplying, not just for frequently used email, banking, social media, Netflix and Spotify logins, but also, say, the little-known e-commerce site you're not sure you'll buy from again.... Read more
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Pioneering internet messenger ICQ shuts after 28 yearsA pioneering internet messaging service that once boasted 100 million accounts has shut down, a message on the Russian-owned ICQ website said Wednesday.... Read more
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Deepfake, AI or real? It's getting harder for police to protect children from sexual exploitation onlineArtificial intelligence (AI), now an integral part of our everyday lives, is becoming increasingly accessible and ubiquitous. Consequently, there's a growing trend of AI advancements being exploited for criminal activities.... Read more
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Security experts find millions of users running malware infected extensions from Google Chrome Web StoreA trio of security experts at Stanford University has found that millions of people are running an infected version of Chrome web browser due to extensions installed from the Google Chrome Web Store (GCWS). Sheryl Hsu, Manda Tran and Aurore Fass have posted a paper to the arXiv preprint server... Read more