TikTok hack targets Paris Hilton, X now officially allows X-rated content
TikTok says it is addressing a cyber-attack that targeted brands and celebrities, including Paris Hilton and CNN. However, the video-sharing app told the BBC that a “very limited” number of accounts had been compromised. It added that it was working with users to restore access to their accounts. TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, did not share further details on cyber-attack, such as how it was carried out. A TikTok spokesperson said Ms Hilton’s account was targeted, but it was not compromised. BBC
X, formerly known as Twitter, will now explicitly allow adult content and pornography. In practice, X has long allowed pornographic posts. Since Elon Musk’s takeover of what was then Twitter, adult content is regularly posted on the site – including in the suggested searches that come up on the news feed, in the form of trending topics, and in replies to posts. But those posts have not been explicitly permitted by its rules. Now, in an update spotted by TechCrunch, that has changed. Independent
Instagram is testing adverts that users cannot skip past. The social media platform currently allows people to swipe or scroll past adverts that appear in its main feed of images and videos, as well as in its Stories and Reels feeds. But it is now trialling a feature called “ad break”, which users say they can not flick past as usual. Images shared online show a timer, which counts down to zero before normal functionality can resume. “Sometimes you may need to view an ad before you can keep browsing,” the Meta-owned platform tells those who click for more information.” BBC
Chinese electric car sales in Europe are “screeching to a halt” amid the growing threat of a trade war between Beijing and Brussels, according to experts. Analysis by consultancy firm Schmidt Automotive shows that only 116,100 new Chinese-branded cars were registered across Western Europe in the first four months of 2024, accounting for just 2.9pc of the new vehicle market. This was down slightly from their 3pc share during the same period a year earlier. Telegraph
Russia is targeting the Paris Olympics with a disinformation campaign that includes deploying a deepfake Tom Cruise to narrate a documentary criticising the organisation behind the games, according to a new report from Microsoft. Microsoft said a network of Russia-affiliated groups are running “malign influence campaigns” against France, Emmanuel Macron, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Paris Games with the event less than 80 days away. Guardian
A number of procedures have been cancelled or redirected to other NHS providers after a cyber attack affected major hospitals in the capital. King’s College Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’, including the Royal Brompton and the Evelina London Children’s Hospital, and primary care services were hit by the “major IT incident” involving pathology partner Synnovis, letters sent to NHS staff said. Trusts reported the incident was having a “major impact” on the delivery of services, with blood transfusions particularly affected. Sky News
Spotify‘s US prices are going up for the second time in 12 months. From July, the Individual plan will cost $12 a month (up from $11), the Duo plan $17 (up from $15) and its Family plan $20 (up from $17). The ad-supported free tier remains, while students will still pay the reduced rate of $6 a month, Engadget reports. No one likes a price hike at the best of times, especially given the sky-high levels of inflation in recent years. But this price rise comes just a year after the last. WhatHiFi
