
Jon Jones backs Mark Zuckerberg to counter Andrew Tate's support for Elon Musk in possible fight between CEOs
Musk had proposed a cage match after a fan's concerns about Zuckerberg's jiu-jitsu skills and the Meta CEO accepted, saying, 'Send me location'
2023-06-23 16:29

Facebook and Instagram to block news in Canada
Meta has announced plans to remove all news content from Facebook and Instagram in Canada ahead of a new law coming into effect that would force the platforms to share revenue with publishers. The Online News Act, known as Bill C-18, will force big technology companies to compensate news publishers for content that appears on their platforms, with Google also impacted by the legislation. “Today, we are confirming that news availability will be ended on Facebook and Instagram for all users in Canada prior to the Online News Act (Bill C-18) taking effect,” Facebook said in a blog post. “We have repeatedly shared that in order to comply with Bill C-18, passed today in Parliament, content from news outlets, including news publishers and broadcasters, will no longer be available to people accessing our platforms in Canada.” Ottawa has said the law creates a level playing field between online advertising giants and the shrinking news industry. Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez has promised to push back on what he describes as “threats” from Facebook and Google to remove journalism from their platforms. Meta’s plan to comply with the new law by blocking all news will also likely be harmful for news organisations, who derive web traffic from stories posted to Facebook and Instagram. The tech giant did not offer details about the timeline for the move, with the bill set to come into force six months after it receives royal assent. Meta, which is based in Menlo Park, California, has taken similar steps in the past. In 2021, it briefly blocked news from its platform in Australia after the country passed legislation that would compel tech companies to pay publishers for using their news stories. It later struck deals with Australian publishers. Laura Scaffidi, a spokesperson for the minister, said Mr Rodriguez was set to have a meeting Thursday afternoon with Google, which has hinted that removing news links from its popular search engine is a possibility. The company didn’t provide comment on the matter. Meta is already undergoing a test that blocks news for up to five percent of its Canadian users, and Google ran a similar test earlier this year. The Online News Act requires both companies to enter into agreements with news publishers to pay them for news content that appears on their sites if it helps the tech giants generate money. Ms Scaffidi said: “The tech giants do not have obligations under the act immediately after Bill C-18 passes. As part of this process, all details will be made public before any tech giant is designated under the act.” Additional reporting from agencies Read More Elon Musk confirms cage fight with Mark Zuckerberg Facebook Marketplace is most complained-about online retail platforms Meta reveals new AI that is too powerful to release Mark Zuckerberg reveals what he thinks about Apple’s headset – and it’s not good
2023-06-23 16:19

Small but powerful: tiny data centre heats UK swimming pool
A leisure centre in Exmouth, southwest England, is using a small data centre to heat its indoor swimming pool, trialling an innovative solution that reduces its...
2023-06-23 15:49

Amazon reacts after Logitech F710 game controller hit by trolls who left sick reviews after Titan tragedy
As the tragedy of the OceanGate submersible unraveled, the revelation that it was piloted using an old video game controller sparked controversy
2023-06-23 14:45

Indonesia entrepreneurs cash in on TikTok live selling spree
Indonesian livestreamer Christine Febriyanti stood in a room crammed with clothes in Jakarta, hawking colourful garments to hundreds of viewers on a TikTok livestream...
2023-06-23 14:30

TikTok Ban? Not at Cannes, Where Advertisers Embrace the Video App
TikTok Inc.’s political troubles seemed far away in Cannes, where advertising executives swarmed the short video app’s booth
2023-06-23 13:21

'Sister Wives' star Meri Brown slammed for using Facetune to hide wrinkles: 'Skin changes as you age'
'Sister Wives' star Meri Brown faces backlash over excessive use of face tune which hides her real age as she shares selfie with friend
2023-06-23 13:16

El Nino’s Fierce Heat Carries New Risk of Resurgent Deadly Viruses
The return of El Niño after nearly four years is raising the specter of extreme weather, economic pain,
2023-06-23 12:55

MrBeast plans exciting giveaway to break cash prize record in gaming history, fans say 'you obviously have too much money'
MrBeast recently announced his plan to give away the world's greatest prize money won in gaming show history
2023-06-23 12:55

Summer’s Barely Begun and the UK Already Has a Water Crisis
It’s just a month into summer and Britain has been hit by water shortages. Earlier-than-usual hot weather has
2023-06-23 12:54

Twitter faces 'stress test' of Europe's tough new Big Tech rules
A top European Union official is in Silicon Valley to check whether Twitter is ready to comply with sweeping new standards that the world’s biggest online platforms must obey soon
2023-06-23 12:51

Secure lifetime access to 10TB of cloud storage for under £60
TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to Prism Drive Secure Cloud Storage (10TB) is on sale for
2023-06-23 12:23