By Sara Merken Plaintiffs' lawyers have asked a San Francisco federal judge to award more than $181 million

A federal judge has blocked key agencies within President Joe Biden’s administration from communicating with social media companies about certain online speech in an extraordinary ruling as part of an ongoing case that could have profound impacts on the First Amendment. The preliminary injunction granted by Donald Trump-appointed US District Judge Terry A Doughty in Louisiana on 4 July prohibits the FBI and the US Department of Health and Human Services, among others, from speaking with platforms for “the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech.” The ruling – which could obstruct the administration’s attempts to combat false and potentially dangerous claims about vaccines and elections – is a victory for Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri who have alleged that the federal government was overreaching in its attempts to combat Covid-19 disinformation and baseless election fraud narratives. Judge Doughty, who has yet to issue a final ruling, stated in his injunction that the Republican plaintiffs “have produced evidence of a massive effort by Defendants, from the White House to federal agencies, to suppress speech based on its content.” He did make some exceptions that would allow the government to warn platforms about national security threats, criminal activity or voter suppression. The legal challenge follows ongoing allegations from right-wing officials and Republican lawmakers that the federal government – specifically, Democratic officials – have conspired with “Big Tech” to silence conservative voices, a long-running conspiracy theory that proponents will argue is substantiated by the latest decision. GOP attorneys general in the case have accused government agencies of a “systemic and systematic campaign” to control speech on social media platforms that accelerated during the Trump administration and experienced a “quantum leap” under President Biden. Attorneys for the Biden administration have disputed such claims and warned that an injunction could undermine national security efforts, pointing to the programs developed among government agencies to combat disinformation in the aftermath of the 2016 election. The Independent has requested comment from the White House. Missouri’s Attorney General Eric Schmitt, who originally filed the lawsuit with Louisiana’s Attorney General Jeff Landry, called the ruling a “big win for the First Amendment on this Independence Day.” Though the case originated with those Republican officials, several additional plaintiffs added their name to the case, arguing that they also were unfairly targeted after spreading disinformation online. Plaintiffs also include vaccine conspiracy theorist and presidential hopeful Robert F Kennedy Jr and Jim Hoft, the founder of the far-right conspiracy theory-fuelled website The Gateway Pundit and a defendant in a defamation lawsuit filed by election workers who faced death threats over false reporting about them in the 2020 presidential election. This is a developing story Read More Twitter applies temporary reading limits amid ongoing problems with platform Biden renews call for assault weapons ban after ‘tragic and senseless’ spate of July 4 shootings Ex-New York congressman pardoned by Trump is planning to run again in Florida Suspicious powder found at the White House when Biden was gone was cocaine, AP sources say Biden renews call for assault weapons ban after spate of July 4 shootings Watch live: Joe Biden addresses National Education Association

BRUSSELS Europe's second-top court on Wednesday rejected Meta Platforms' challenge against EU antitrust regulators. The European Commission had

Meta has launched its new “Threads” app, widely thought to be an attempt to succeed Twitter. Threads is branded as an Instagram app and built by its team, but is focused on text updates, like Twitter. Users log into the separate app using their Instagram account and can then post up to 500 character text updates, which can also include photos and videos. Meta says that it has built the foundations of the app to be “open” and “interoperable” so that it can work alongside other social networks in the future. The company intends to support the ActivityPub technology that has been developed as a way of allowing other apps – such as Mastodon and Tumblr – to work together. Twitter was not mentioned in the announcement of Threads, despite its clear competition with the app. The launch of Threads comes at a difficult time for Twitter, which has faced serious technical issues and lost some of its central functionality in recent days. Threads is just the latest in a range of apps looking to take over from Twitter amid criticism of that service. Others, such as Mastodon and Bluesky, have struggled with technical issues and other problems. The launch also comes as Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg plots a mixed martial arts fight with Mr Musk. Meta said that Threads was intended to “take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express your ideas”. “Just like on Instagram, with Threads you can follow and connect with friends and creators who share your interests – including the people you follow on Instagram and beyond,” it said in its announcement. A number of those influencers and celebrities had already signed up to post on Threads, Meta said. That included everyone from Netflix to Shakira, and from mixed martial arts champion Francis Ngannou to novelty song creators Ladbaby. For everyone else, Meta said the app had been built to be easy to get started with. While users must download the separate Threads app, they can use their existing Instagram account to log in, which will bring over their username and verification status, before their profile can be customised for Threads. Other data will be carried over from the main Instagram account, including profiles that have been blocked. Other safety features include the ability to block certain words or hide particular profiles. Like with Instagram, the Threads feed will push content from creators that people have not explicitly chosen to follow. The main Instagram app has received some criticism from users over its heavily algorithmic feed, with users arguing that the algorithm is pushing content that they would prefer not to see over updates from people they have actually opted to follow. The app is available in the US and UK at launch. It is not available in the European Union, apparently because of privacy concerns over the fact that data will be shared between different Meta apps. Perhaps the biggest departure from both rival services and other Meta apps is the decision to allow the app to be interoperable with other similar social platforms. By building on the ActivityPub protocol, Threads will allow users to take their posts into another app, for instance, or follow updates from different platforms. “Threads is Meta’s first app envisioned to be compatible with an open social networking protocol – we hope that by joining this fast-growing ecosystem of interoperable services, Threads will help people find their community, no matter what app they use,” Meta said in its announcement. The company has already announced that it plans to bring similar interoperable design to its existing, more popular apps, by integrating Instagram DMs with WhatsApp, for instance. Those tools are yet to be announced. Read More Meta to launch Threads app that will rival Twitter - live Judge blocks Biden agencies from communicating with social media platforms Meta’s Twitter alternative Threads to be launched this week Instagram and Facebook reveal how their AI decides what you see Celebrity impersonators banned from Facebook protest outside Meta offices Meta rejects accusation of censorship of language around female body

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 2023--

Google is trialling artificial intelligence (AI) in Manchester’s traffic light system to reduce stop-and-go emissions and improve the flow of vehicles. The technology giant announced the UK launch of its Project Green Light on Tuesday, working alongside Transport for Great Manchester (TfGM) to run the pilot. It coincides with Google hosting a major sustainability event in Brussels, where the firm will outline the innovations it has been working on across high-emission industries like transport and energy, including how it is using AI for climate solutions. The company said it found that half of emissions at traffic intersections come from vehicles stopping and starting. To help reduce these emissions, Google’s Green Light research initiative uses AI as well as driving trends from Google Maps to model traffic patterns and make recommendations for making the existing traffic light plans more efficient. Google said city engineers can implement these plans in as little as five minutes using existing infrastructure. The Green Light programme is live at 70 junctions across 12 cities, including Haifa in Israel, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Bangalore in India. Early data from those cities indicate a potential for up to 30% reduction in stops and up to 10% reduction in emissions at junctions, Google said. Manchester, the first UK city to host the pilot, has around 2,400 traffic signals and sees millions of journeys each week. Debbie Weinstein, Google UK managing director and vice president, said: “AI is the most profound technology that we’re working on today, with the potential to boost the UK’s productivity and support net zero ambitions. “That’s why we’re excited to be partnering with Transport for Greater Manchester to pilot Project Green Light here in the UK. Our aim is to make the network run as efficiently as possible and we look forward to seeing how we can use what we’ve learnt from this pilot to improve journey times for all road users David Atkin, Traffic for Greater Manchester “Already, this early stage AI-powered tool uses existing infrastructure to provide city planners with a cost-effective and efficient way to improve traffic flow, reduce stop-and-go traffic and cut emissions. “We look forward to partnering with more organisations across the country to help drive innovative solutions that unlock the benefits of AI.” David Atkin, TfGM’s analysis and reporting manager, said Greater Manchester’s road network is “complex”, adding that the needs of motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and public transport users need to be balanced. “With traffic levels now at or beyond pre-pandemic levels, we are working really hard to tackle congestion and are delighted to be amongst the first areas in the world – and the first in the UK – to work with Google on the innovative Green Light initiative,” he said. “The pilot provided valuable insights and teams from both Green Light and TfGM brought expertise and ideas to the table to improve journeys by up to 18% and reduce emissions. “Our aim is to make the network run as efficiently as possible and we look forward to seeing how we can use what we’ve learnt from this pilot to improve journey times for all road users.” Read More Broadband customers face £150 hikes because of ‘outrageous’ rises – Which? Rise of AI chatbots ‘worrying’ after man urged to kill Queen, psychologist warns William hails ‘amazing’ eco-friendly start-up businesses Royal website subject to ‘denial of service attack’, royal source says TikTok finds and shuts down secret operation to stir up conflict in Ireland Viral WhatsApp warning of cyberattack targeting Jewish people is fake

Allow us to break it to you gently: School will be back in session before

TROY, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2023--

DALLAS & FORT WORTH, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 7, 2023--

If Microsoft Corp. completes its acquisition of Activision Blizzard in the coming months, the $69 billion deal will

SOUTHFIELD, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 9, 2023--

A hacker used AI to deepfake an employee’s voice and break into an IT company.