Latest posts

  • Way past its prime: how did Amazon get so rubbish?

    Sick of scrolling through junk results, AI-generated ads and links to lookalike products? The author and activist behind the term ‘enshittification’ explains what’s gone wrong with the internet – and what we can do about it It’s not just you. The internet is getting worse, fast. The services we rely on, that we once loved?…

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  • Six out of 10 UK secondary schools hit by cyber-attack or breach in past year

    Hackers are more likely to target educational institutions than private businesses, government survey shows When hackers attacked UK nurseries last month and published children’s data online, they were accused of hitting a new low. But the broader education sector is well used to being a target. Continue reading…

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  • TikTok ‘directs child accounts to pornographic content within a few clicks’

    Despite platform’s limits on adult content, study finds it not only accessible but often suggested TikTok has directed children’s accounts to pornographic content within a small number of clicks, according to a report by a campaign group. Global Witness set up fake accounts using a 13-year-old’s birth date and turned on the video app’s “restricted…

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  • Is TikTok about to go full Maga? – podcast

    Investigative journalist Emily Baker-White on the deal to transfer TikTok’s US operations to Trump allies Last week, Donald Trump signed an executive order approving a proposed deal to keep TikTok operating in the US. The $14bn deal, if finalised, would see the transfer of TikTok’s US operation from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to a…

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  • Kido nursery hackers say they have deleted stolen data

    Experts say attempting to extort children lost Radiant group credibility in hacking world, which made it take action Cybercriminals who stole pictures and the private information of thousands of nursery children have deleted the data. A gang calling themselves Radiant have removed details of children at the UK-based Kido nursery chain from a website it…

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  • ‘My son genuinely believed it was real’: Parents are letting little kids play with AI. Are they wrong?

    Some believe AI can spark their child’s imagination through personalized stories and generative images. Scientists are wary of its affect on creativity Josh was at the end of his rope when he turned to ChatGPT for help with a parenting quandary. The 40-year-old father of two had been listening to his “super loquacious” four-year-old talk…

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  • Elon Musk becomes first person with net worth of $500bn

    Tesla owner’s wealth temporarily crosses half-trillion-dollar mark before retreating to $499bn Business live – latest updates Elon Musk has become the first person to reach a net worth of $500bn, bringing the Tesla chief executive halfway to trillionaire status. Musk’s wealth temporarily crossed the half-trillion mark on Wednesday before retreating to $499bn, according to the…

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  • UK government resumes row with Apple by demanding access to British users’ data

    New access order by Home Office would seek access to the tech company’s encrypted cloud backups The UK government has renewed its confrontation with Apple over access to customer data by demanding a backdoor into the tech company’s cloud storage service – targeting British users only. The Home Office had previously sought access to data…

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  • Anti-Defamation League takes down extremism research after Musk leads rightwing backlash

    Prominent US Jewish advocacy and anti-hate organization removed over a thousand pages of research The Anti-Defamation League, one of the most prominent Jewish advocacy and anti-hate organizations in the US, removed over a thousand pages of extremism research from its site on Tuesday night following online backlash from rightwing influencers and Elon Musk. The ADL’s…

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  • Leading UK tech investor warns of ‘disconcerting’ signs of AI stock bubble

    James Anderson voices concern over soaring valuations of artificial intelligence firms A leading British tech investor has described soaring valuations of artificial intelligence companies as “disconcerting”, amid concerns of an AI stock market bubble. James Anderson was an early backer of Tesla, Amazon and China’s Tencent and Alibaba, generating vast returns for Baillie Gifford’s flagship…

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