Tag: OFCOM
Amazon order to recall 400,000 products in US, Gen Z switching off live TV
Amazon has been ordered by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to recall over 400,000 products sold on its platform due to serious safety risks, including death and electrocution. The e-commerce giant failed to adequately warn over 300,000 customers about these hazards, despite tests by the CPSC verifying the products to be defective. The…
Crowdstrike says ‘significant number’ of devices now online, Ofcom fines BT £17.5 million
Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike says "a significant number" of devices that were impacted by a global IT outage on Friday are now back online. In a social media post, the company - whose faulty security update caused Microsoft Windows computers to crash around the world - added it "continues to focus on restoring all systems". Microsoft…
Children view violent online content in Primary School, Tesla’s sub-£25K EV to enter production
Children first see violent online content while still at primary school and describe it as an inevitable part of being online, according to new research commissioned by Ofcom. All children who took part in the research came across violent content online, mostly via social media, video-sharing and messaging sites and apps. Many say this is before…
TikTok gives special status to celebs, Chinese EV boasts range of 650 miles
TikTok has given special status to certain high-profile accounts, with moderators in Europe encouraged to be more lenient with content posted by people including Russell Brand, according to internal messages seen by the Guardian. The demand to be less stringent has also been underlined in meetings with moderators, the Guardian has been told. Documents suggest that…
Clothes-hook spy cameras on sale on Amazon, Barbie most Googled movie of 2023
Spy cameras disguised as clothes hooks are for sale on Amazon, despite the firm being sued over the gadgets. One clothes hook camera listing seen by the BBC features a picture of the device positioned in a bathroom. A US judge recently ruled the retail giant must face a case brought by a woman who…
Ofcom report: Average adult now spends 56 days a year online!
Ofcom's latest Online Nation research takes a look at how people in the UK are spending their time online. It found that teenagers and children are leading the way in getting to grips with emerging technology like generative artificial intelligence, as well as highlighting a range of other trends. Here we take a look at some…
Data concern over period trackers, scanning WhatsApp messages not practical
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is reviewing period and fertility trackers over data security concerns. The apps work by plotting menstrual cycles, based on user information. They purport to help with a range of period-related health issues, including calculating the best time to attempt to conceive. But the ICO says survey evidence indicates many users…
ShinyShiny snippets: Elon Musk among those calling for halt in AI training
Key figures in artificial intelligence want training of powerful AI systems to be suspended amid fears of a threat to humanity. They have signed an open letter warning of potential risks, and say the race to develop AI systems is out of control. Twitter chief Elon Musk is among those who want training of AIs…
ShinyShiny snippets: TikTok raise livestreaming age to 18
TikTok is raising its minimum age for livestreaming from 16 to 18 from next month. A BBC News investigation found hundreds of accounts going live from Syrian refugee camps, with children begging for donations. Some were receiving up to $1,000 (£900) an hour - but when they withdrew the cash, TikTok had taken up to…
Tech Digest daily roundup: 2 in 3 children have seen harmful content online
The UK's communications regulator is calling on young people to help protect each other by reporting harmful content online. Ofcom says two-thirds of youngsters aged between 13 and 17 see harmful content online but only 16% report it. As it waits for the government's Online Safety Bill to go through parliament, it has called on…
