ByTechVista

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  • Meet ‘Amelia’: the AI-generated British schoolgirl who is a far-right social media star

    The avatar, created to deter young people from extremism, has been subverted and is breaking out of niche online silos In certain corners of the internet, on niche news feeds and algorithms, an AI-generated British schoolgirl has emerged as something of a phenomenon. Her name is Amelia, a purple-haired “goth girl” who proudly carries a…

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  • The year of the ‘hectocorn’: the $100bn tech companies that could float in 2026

    OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceX and Stripe are rumoured to be among ten of the biggest companies considering IPOs You’ve probably heard of “unicorns” – technology startups valued at more than $1bn – but 2026 is shaping up to be the year of the “hectocorn”, with several US and European companies potentially floating on stock markets at…

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  • Lords put pressure on Starmer with vote to ban social media for under-16s

    Commons will now have to consider Tory-led amendment, which is likely to be supported by Labour MPs As a parent – and a Conservative – I know that banning social media for under-16s is the right thing to do The House of Lords has voted decisively for a ban on social media for under-16s in…

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  • UK study to examine effects of restricting social media for children

    Trial involving 4,000 children will explore impact on mental health, sleep and time spent with friends and family A pioneering investigation into the impact of restricting social media access for children in the UK has been announced as politicians around the world consider action on the issue. In December, Australia became the first country to…

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  • Elon Musk floats idea of buying Ryanair after calling CEO ‘an idiot’

    Tesla boss clashed with Michael O’Leary when airline boss rejected installing Starlink technology on aircraft Business live – latest updates Elon Musk has floated the idea of buying the budget airline Ryanair, escalating his public spat with the Irish carrier’s boss, Michael O’Leary. The two outspoken businessmen have locked horns since last week, when O’Leary…

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  • UK exposed to ‘serious harm’ by failure to tackle AI risks, MPs warn

    Government, Bank of England and FCA criticised for taking ‘wait-and-see’ approach to AI use in financial sector Consumers and the UK financial system are being exposed to “serious harm” by the failure of government and the Bank of England to get a grip on the risks posed by artificial intelligence, an influential parliamentary committee has…

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  • More than 60 Labour MPs urge Starmer to back under-16s social media ban

    Exclusive: Letter signed by figures on right and left of party says UK should follow Australia’s example by enacting ban More than 60 Labour MPs have written to Keir Starmer urging him to back a social media ban for under-16s, with peers due to vote on the issue this week. The MPs, who include select…

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  • Prominent PR firm accused of commissioning favourable changes to Wikipedia pages

    Portland Communications, founded by Keir Starmer’s communications chief, linked to so-called black hat edits A high-profile PR company founded by Keir Starmer’s communications chief has been accused of commissioning changes to Wikipedia pages to make them more favourable towards clients. Portland Communications, founded by Tim Allan, has been linked to the so-called black hat edits,…

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  • Sacked TikTok workers in UK launch legal action over ‘union busting’

    Moderators accuse social media firm of unfair dismissal after it fired hundreds in UK just before vote to form union TikTok moderators have accused the social media company of “oppressive and intimidating” union busting after it fired hundreds of workers in the UK, beginning the process just before they were due to vote on forming…

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  • TikTok to strengthen age-verification technology across EU

    Move comes as calls for Australia-style social media ban for under-16s grow around world TikTok will begin to roll out new age-verification technology across the EU in the coming weeks, as calls grow for an Australia-style social media ban for under-16s in countries including the UK. ByteDance-owned TikTok, and other major platforms popular with young…

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