Epic Games pays $520 million for child privacy violations
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint against Epic Games on Monday on grounds of illegal personal data handling. Epic Games has agreed to pay £520 million in penalties and refunds. Epic Games, publisher of popular games like Fortnite, Rocket League, and Fall Guys, has agreed to pay...
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Opinion – sexual assault victims need more digital protection
Reality star Stephen Bear was convicted for acts of revenge porn against ex-girlfriend Georgia Harrison. His case sets a precedent for protecting women in the digital world. On 2nd August 2020, reality TV star Stephen Bear and then-girlfriend Georgia Harrison were captured having sex on CCTV cameras in his garden. Harrison...
2022 is officially the worst year for climate scepticism on Twitter
Climate misinformation on Twitter has been more rife in 2022 than any previous year, according to recent reports. But why? People talking garbage on Twitter isn’t a new phenomenon, but we’ve lowered the bar in 2022. An exasperating rise in climate denier content ignited in 2022 on Twitter, making the year...
Can cloud technology help banking transition to net zero?
Data from IDC shows that transitioning away from legacy systems within banking could prevent 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide in the coming years. A growing consensus from experts is that the green future of the industry lies within cloud computing. Our financial worries and existential dread about the climate...
Study shows coronavirus can have long-term effects on the brain
Researchers have found differences in the frontal lobe and brainstem of recovered COVID-19 patients when compared to healthy people. These changes are linked to issues such as anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, and other cognitive abnormalities. Feeling out of whack despite finally testing negative for COVID? A recent small study may have...
Complex metal Bismuth may be the future of clean energy
Bismuth is a heavy, brittle metal that forms colourful geometric crystals when melted down. Completely nontoxic and able to absorb light almost anywhere, it may one day power our homes with clean energy. Looking like an artifact straight from a Guardians of the Galaxy movie, Bismuth, or Bismuth Subsalicylate is...
Controversial influencer Andrew Tate has been arrested
The problematic Internet guru has been detained on charges of human trafficking, rape, and forming an organised crime group. Rumours are swirling on social media that his recent Twitter row with Greta Thunberg is what tipped off police to his presence in Romania. Earlier this year, Andrew Tate made headlines when he was permanently removed from social media for posting flagrantly hateful content. Domestic abuse charities have characterised...
Students are using AI language tools to ace assignments
In a world where AI can be used to do almost anything, students are using language algorithms to write their assignments and are circumventing plagiarism software. As a 14-year-old, I remember attempting to blag my French language homework by using translation tools on Google. My poor attempt failed to fool the teacher, and I promptly found myself in detention. Despite my terrible execution all those years ago, however, it appears I...
TikTok is failing to protect young users
Sparking fresh concerns about the platform’s influence on children, new research has uncovered that its algorithm is pushing videos about eating disorders and self-harm to 13-year-olds. According to research from the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), TikTok appears to be pushing videos about eating disorders and self-harm to children as young as 13. The study, which looked into the platform’s powerful algorithm, found accounts promoting suicide...
NASA says astronauts will be living on moon by 2030
Think inhabiting the moon is stuff of science fiction fantasy? One NASA official reckons it will be a reality by the end of this decade, with the latest Artemis 1 mission the ‘first step.’ Astronauts could be living and working on the moon by 2030, one NASA official says. Head of US agency Orion lunar programme, Howard Hu, reckons that humans will be able to live in specially made habitats and...
