INTERNET FIRMS
Australia gives internet firms 6 months to draft online child safety rules
The eSafety Commissioner requested online industry members to submit a plan by October 3 outlining measures to shield minors from encountering high-impact content prematurely, covering themes such as suicide and eating disorders. The code should establish criteria for app stores, websites (including pornography and dating sites), social media platforms, and multiplayer gaming platforms to verify user content suitability, stated the commissioner.
New Zealand to press ahead with media content pay law
New Zealand's government is pushing for a bill to make digital platforms pay media companies for news. The legislation, aligned with Australia's law, could affect companies like Meta Platforms and Alphabet Inc. The bill's authority will be supervised by an independent regulator, supported by the Labour party but facing opposition from the ACT New Zealand party.
Why the Digital Competition Bill has started a polarising debate in the tech industry
India’s Digital Competition Bill has turned previous foes in the tech industry into unlikely allies and sparked a polarising debate on market practices. The Committee on Digital Competition Law (CDCL) on February 27, submitted its report to the ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) after working on it for more than a year.
Search party: Google's dominance in internet search wanes amid rising app queries and AI threats
The search landscape is evolving rapidly, with Google facing challenges from specialized platforms and AI-driven search experiences. Users now turn to diverse platforms like Amazon and social media for different search needs, impacting Google's heft. The future of search seems to be personalized and AI-driven, reshaping how we navigate the digital world.
Priyank Kharge meets IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, requests Centre's support for state's chip firms
Karnataka IT minister Priyank Kharge met Ashwini Vaishnaw, union IT minister, to seek support for the state's semiconductor and electronics space. Kharge said that the State has the highest share of 46% in India in housing innovative companies and contributes 10% of India's industrial output.
ETtech Deep Dive: How RBI and NPCI are working to tackle mule account frauds
The RBI, the National Payments Corporation of India, and the Ministry of Home Affairs are teaming up with banks, financial institutions, and tech security companies to crack down on mule accounts and prevent fraud in the country's banking system.
- Go To Page 1
UN chief tells consumer tech firms: own the harm your products cause
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres demands accountability from tech giants for the harm caused by their products and social media platforms. He launches U.N. global principles for information integrity to combat misinformation and hate speech.
Flipkart-Swiggy deal talks; Corning’s India plan
Flipkart considered buying a stake in Swiggy months ago amid the rise of quick commerce. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.
US probing China Telecom, China Mobile over internet, cloud risks
The Biden administration is investigating China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom over concerns they could misuse access to American data through their U.S. cloud and internet services by sharing it with Beijing. The Commerce Department is leading the probe, which has completed "risk-based analyses" of China Mobile and China Telecom. These companies, despite being barred from providing certain services, still offer cloud and internet routing services in the U.S., posing potential national security risks. The investigation aims to close any remaining avenues for Chinese firms to access U.S. data, amid ongoing tech tensions.
US billionaire eyes TikTok takeover to save internet from Big Tech
Frank McCourt, a US real estate billionaire, aims to buy TikTok to rescue the internet from the clutches of major platforms that he firmly believes are destroying society and endangering children. To address the problem, McCourt is campaigning for a "new internet" which, he claims, would wrest control of the web away from major platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or X. "These platforms have hundreds of thousands of individual attributes about each of us.
Why are female profiles being used to engage with users on the Internet?
Disinformation campaigns, AI Chatbots and other internet users are using female profiles to engage with the users and gather more views and clicks. In many cases, they have been found to be fake profiles.
Faking an honest woman: Why Russia, China and big tech firms use faux females to get clicks
Whether it's Chinese or Russian propaganda agencies, online scammers or AI chatbots, it pays to be female - proving that while technology may grow more and more sophisticated, the human brain remains surprisingly easy to hack thanks in part to age-old gender stereotypes that have migrated from the real world to the virtual.
Surprise poll results impact startups' plans, and other top stories this week
In a week charged with political buzz, the BJP government came back to power after a stormy election, but without a full majority that left it dependent on the whims of its alliance partners. Unnerved, the markets went into a tailspin on counting day, with both benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty50, dropping 8% intraday. They recovered a day later as hopes of a stable government revived.
How an Israeli firm tried to build anti-BJP narrative during polls
OpenAI claims to have disrupted an AI-based covert operation launched by an Israeli firm that allegedly peddled anti-BJP agenda. In 2021, the BJP government drew flak after Israeli spyware Pegasus was allegedly used to snoop on journalists, Opposition leaders and rights activists
Listen closely: From Google smart speakers to Paytm soundboxes, these businesses are thriving in manufacturing
Making for others can be more lucrative than building a brand for themselves — this realisation has created a brigade of small contract manufacturers who are making India’s place prominent in the global electronics manufacturing services map.
New York’s Empire State Building struck by lightning, pic goes viral
The structure stands as a worldwide cultural symbol, having been showcased in over 250 television series and films since its debut in the 1933 movie 'King Kong.' Its measurements have established a universal benchmark for depicting the height and length of other buildings.
Indian AI firms may face extra costs as EU’s AI Act kicks in
The European Union wrapped up approval of the world's first law governing AI development last week. This legislation takes a tiered approach, setting varying compliance timelines and regulations based on the potential risk each AI system poses. Generally applicable AI will have a year to comply, while high-risk systems get up to three years.
Ethereum ETF approval boosts Bitcoin, says Michael Saylor; Raboo Presale soars
ETF legitimisation positively impacts cryptocurrencies. Ethereum ETF approval boosts crypto prices, benefiting tokens like Raboo ($RABT) which raised $1.5 million in presale, expecting a 100x gain. Michael Saylor anticipates a BTC boom post approval, aligning with Raboo's potential for significant price gains.
Top EU data regulator says tech giants working closely on AI compliance
Des Hogan, Data Protection Commissioner in Ireland, highlighted the broad powers of national regulators to enforce changes in AI products for data privacy compliance.
India must loosen the cords tying it too tightly to the pervasive influence of global Big Tech
India aims for self-sufficiency through autarky and atmanirbhar initiatives, focusing on nurturing the 13 markers of 'Viksit Bharat' for a fully digitised economy and sustained growth in various sectors.
Elon Musk, Indonesian health minister, launch Starlink for health sector
Musk, the billionaire head of SpaceX and Tesla, arrived on the Indonesian resort island of Bali by private jet before attending the launch ceremony at a community health centre in the provincial capital, Denpasar.
Out of school, into startups: Young founders are on the rise, ready to even pause studies to chase their entrepreneurial dreams
In 2023, Ayush Pathak and Aryan Sharma founded Induced, assisting businesses in automating workflows with AI. Apoorv Singh launched Connect AI with Asta. Himanshu Rajpurohit's startup, Strangify, provides corporate mental health solutions. Dyumna Madan's ProjectClay helps students find career paths.
Digit cuts valuation for IPO; Internet firms vs Google in NCLAT
Insurtech startup Digit is eyeing a discounted $3 billion valuation through its proposed public offering. Details on this and more in today’s ETtech Top 5.
Banks get ready to count int'l credit card spend in liberalised remittance scheme
Under the belief that reissuing the specific notification may not go against the model code of conduct, many banks are preparing to integrate their systems with the RBI’s for capturing the card spend information of individual customers during personal foreign tours.
SC stays govt’s fact-check unit; no CCI relief for Indian internet firms
The apex court has put on hold the Centre's notification on setting up a fact-checking unit. Details on this and more in today’s ETtech Top 5.
Google billing issue: CCI denies interim relief to Indian internet firms
The internet companies sought to restrict Google from levying any commission for in-app purchases and from delisting those not adhering to its policies. The relief was sought by People Interactive, which runs Shaadi.com and Mebigo Labs, which runs Kuku FM.
New antitrust law for large tech firms shouldn’t stifle innovation: experts
Zomato, Swiggy, Flipkart and Oyo have opposed the new regulations on digital competition proposed by a government-appointed committee. Indian companies that supported the proposal of ex-ante regulations include Paytm and MakeMyTrip, albeit with caveats.
Slice gets CCI's clearance to merge with North-East Small Finance Bank
CCI has cleared the merger of fintech firm Slice with North-East Small Finance Bank and approved the acquisition of stake and majority shareholding in Asian Institute of Nephrology and Urology by TPG Growth V SF Markets Pte Ltd and Lathe Investment Pvt Ltd respectively.
Real-money gaming firms look for cues in Google billing row
As the battle between Google and startups over service fees unfolds, online real-money gaming (RMG) companies are observing the situation closely. These companies are concerned that they might be the next group of app developers to face the 15-30% fee implementation starting from June this year.
Load More
