TikTok removes Russian state media accounts, Telegram agrees to hand over some data

TikTok has said it has removed accounts associated with Russian state media for "engaging in covert influence operations". It's part of the site's efforts to prevent disinformation in the run up to November's US presidential election. Accounts affected are those from media group Rossiya Segodnya, which owns the RIA Novosti and Sputnik news services; and…

Instagram boosts privacy with ‘teen accounts’, Meta bans Russian state media

Instagram is overhauling the way it works for teenagers, promising more "built-in protections" for young people and added controls and reassurance for parents. The new “teen accounts”, for children aged 13 to 15, will force many privacy settings to be on by default, rather than a child opting in. Teenagers' posts will also be set…

Parental controls not used on Meta claims Nick Clegg, Tecno launches two foldable phones

Parents do not use parental controls on Facebook and Instagram, according to Meta’s Nick Clegg, with adults failing to embrace the 50 child safety tools the company has introduced in recent years. Meta’s global affairs chief said there was a “behavioural issue” around using the tools, after admitting they were being ignored by parents. Regulatory pressure…

First private spacewalk a success, Microsoft to cut 650 gaming jobs

Jared Isaacman outside the Dragon capsule. Pic: SpaceX An American billionaire has become the first person to take part in a private spacewalk - against the spectacular backdrop of the Earth. A spacewalk is considered one of the most dangerous activities an astronaut can do in orbit. It was delayed by…

5 Pro Tips from an AI expert to beat deepfakes

One example of a recent deepfake Over half of Brits (53%) either haven't heard of the term deepfake or have misunderstood its meaning, with only 17% feeling confident in their ability to spot them. Meanwhile, two in five have encountered at least one deepfake in the past six months, as recent reports reveal that over…

Fraud has lasting impact on victims’ mental health, Which? warns

Fraud has a lasting impact on victims’ mental health, new Which? research reveals, as it calls on the payments regulator not to slash reimbursement limits by £330,000.  Ahead of the Payment System Regulator’s (PSR) new reimbursement rules coming into effect next month, Which? surveyed more than 1,000 UK adults who had lost money to fraud…

Sony anounces £699 PS5 Pro console, Australia to set age limit on social media

After years of rumour, speculation and hype, Sony has confirmed it is launching a more powerful - and much more expensive - version of its hugely popular PlayStation 5 console. The PS5 Pro will be able to show more advanced graphics and display the most demanding games at higher, more consistent frame rates. But that…