Democrats Widen Scrutiny of US Tech Companies Over Abortion Data Privacy

Democrats Widen Scrutiny of US Tech Companies Over Abortion Data Privacy

Democratic representatives are widening their scrutiny into the role of tech companies in collecting the personal data of people who may be seeking an abortion, as lawmakers, regulators and the Biden administration grapple with the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling last month ending the constitutional protections for abortion. In…

Google Restoring App Permission List on Play Store Months After Introducing Data Safety Labels

Google Restoring App Permission List on Play Store Months After Introducing Data Safety Labels

Google is re-introducing the app permissions list on the Play Store. The search giant had earlier removed the app permissions list from the Play Store in place of Data Safety labels that rolled out this year. However, the permission list’s return timeline on the platform is not specified by the…

Google Pixel Buds Pro TWS Earbuds Launched in India, Offer ANC, Up to 31-Hour Playback Time

Google Pixel Buds Pro TWS Earbuds Launched in India, Offer ANC, Up to 31-Hour Playback Time

Google Pixel Buds Pro truly wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds were launched in India on Thursday. The earbuds come with active noise cancellation (ANC) support that makes them different from the previous Pixel Buds models. They were showcased in May during the Google I/O 2022 event alongside the Google Pixel Watch…

Instagram Makes It Easy for Users to Search Locations With Its New Map Feature

Instagram Makes It Easy for Users to Search Locations With Its New Map Feature

Instagram is adding a new map feature, which supposedly looks like a Google-inspired one, but with some modification. Instagram’s parent company Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared a post on Instagram Stories to reveal the new searchable map on the platform. The post shows that the new feature will let users…

India’s Proposed IT Rules, Panel Formation for Content Moderation Decisions Concern US Tech Giants

India’s Proposed IT Rules, Panel Formation for Content Moderation Decisions Concern US Tech Giants

US lobby groups representing Facebook and Twitter are concerned India’s plan to form a government panel to hear appeals against content moderation decisions could lack independence, documents seen by Reuters show. The proposed policy change is the latest flashpoint between India and technology giants which have for years said stricter…

Google to Cut Play Store Fees, Allow Developers to Use Rival Payment Systems: All Details

Google to Cut Play Store Fees, Allow Developers to Use Rival Payment Systems: All Details

Alphabet unit Google said it will from Tuesday cut fees to 12 percent, from 15 percent, for non-gaming app developers on its Google Play App Store which switch to rival payment systems, as it moves to comply with new EU tech rules. The world’s most popular internet search engine said…

Apple to Slow Hiring, Spending Growth for Some Teams Next Year: Report

Apple to Slow Hiring, Spending Growth for Some Teams Next Year: Report

Apple intends to slow hiring and spending growth next year in some units to cope with a potential economic downturn, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The changes will not affect all teams, and Apple is still planning an aggressive product launch schedule in…

Russian Lawmakers Approve Harsher Rules for Foreign Tech Firms Without Offices, Personal Data Transfer

Russian Lawmakers Approve Harsher Rules for Foreign Tech Firms Without Offices, Personal Data Transfer

Russian lawmakers on Tuesday approved a bill providing for stricter penalties for foreign internet companies that fail to open an office in Russia, including fines. Moscow has long sought to exert greater control over technology firms, and disputes over content and data have intensified since it sent armed forces into…

Digital Markets Act, Digital Services Act Passed as EU Moves to Rein in Big Tech; Enforcement Concerns Remain

Digital Markets Act, Digital Services Act Passed as EU Moves to Rein in Big Tech; Enforcement Concerns Remain

EU lawmakers gave the thumbs up on Tuesday to landmark rules to rein in the power of tech giants such as Google, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft, but enforcing them could be an issue due to regulators’ limited resources. In addition to the rules known as the Digital Markets Act…

Facebook Owner Meta Will Reportedly Lower Engineering Hiring Target for 2022 to Around 6,000-7,000

Facebook Owner Meta Will Reportedly Lower Engineering Hiring Target for 2022 to Around 6,000-7,000

Facebook parent Meta Platforms has reportedly reduced its target for hiring engineers in 2022 to around 6,000-7,000, down from an initial plan to hire about 10,000 new engineers. According to Reuters, the statement comes Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, who cited the figure during a weekly employee Q&A session on…