Senators want to deny the Section 230 shield to AI companies

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Senators want to deny the Section 230 shield to AI companies
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Just as the European Union (EU) gears up to regulate artificial intelligence, a couple of US senators have come up with new bipartisan legislation that holds companies accountable for any illegal or harmful content generated by their AI tools. Introduced by Senators Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), the No Section 230 Immunity for AI Act does what its name suggests. The proposed Senate bill denies Section 230 safeguards to AI creators.

Section 230 is the shield that protects social media platforms from being held accountable for the content that users post or create on their platforms. It gives companies like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube immunity against misinformation or harmful content shared by their users. There have been several attempts to reform the legislation over the years. Hawley himself has been part of the group pushing for this reform in the past. However, all of those attempts stalled very quickly and Section 230 remained intact.

But, the burgeoning AI growth in recent months has now led to another push for reform. Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Google Bard, Dall-E, Google MusicLM, and others can generate various forms of content based on prompts provided by users. These tools can create everything from lengthy text and images to music and videos simply using short text prompts. The newly-introduced bill aims to hold the creators of these tools accountable for illegal content generated by users, like deepfake images or audio.

This Senate bill would strip Section 230 immunity from AI companies

“AI-generated deepfakes – lifelike false images and videos of real individuals – are exploding in popularity. Ordinary people can now suffer life-destroying consequences for saying things they never said or doing things they never would.

Companies complicit in this process should be held accountable in court,” senators Hawley and Blumenthal said (via). They want to strip Section 230 immunity from these companies and empower US citizens to sue them in court should someone use AI tools to ruin their reputation. Along with the person who misused the tool, of course.

This comes shortly after ChatGPT creator OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman called for the government to act on AI. There are already talks over a pause on AI experimentation to give lawmakers time to come up with regulations.

Some industry experts see unregulated AI as dangerous as nuclear war. European lawmakers recently passed an AI Act and are aiming to turn it into law by the year. It remains to be seen if Hawley and Blumenthal succeed in realizing this proposed legislation. An equivalent House bill needs to pass a vote before it can turn into law.


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Microsoft Patch Tuesday June Arrived With 77 Vulnerability Fixes

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Microsoft Patch Tuesday June Arrived With 77 Vulnerability Fixes
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This week marked the arrival of monthly scheduled Microsoft Patch Tuesday updates for June 2023. The update bundle addresses some critical, and a large number of important severity vulnerabilities. Thus, users must ensure updating their systems at the earliest (if not updated automatically) to receive all bug fixes in time.

Microsoft June 2023 Patch Tuesday Overview

The June Patch Tuesday update bundle addressed six different critical severity vulnerabilities across different Microsoft components.

The most severe (CVE-2023-29363, CVE-2023-32014, and CVE-2023-32015) affected the Windows Pragmatic General Multicast (PGM). Each of these vulnerabilities received a CVSS score of 9.8.

Exploiting these flaws could allow a remote adversary to execute malicious codes by sending specially crafted files over the network. However, the exploitability required the Windows message queuing service to be enabled and running on the PGM server environment.

Another severe vulnerability, CVE-2023-29357 (CVSS 9.8), affected the Microsoft SharePoint Server. Exploiting the flaw could allow an attacker to gain admin privileges without prior authentication.

Besides, the other two critical-severity vulnerabilities patched with this update bundle include CVE-2023-24897 (CVSS 9.8) – a remote code execution flaw affecting the .NET, .NET Framework, and Visual Studio, and CVE-2023-32013 (CVSS 6.5) – a DoS vulnerability in the Windows Hyper-V.

Alongside these six critical vulnerabilities, Microsoft patched 68 other vulnerabilities with June Patch Tuesday. These include 9 denial of service vulnerabilities, 16 privilege escalation flaws, 5 information disclosure issues, 9 vulnerabilities leading to spoofing, 4 security feature bypass, and 22 remote code execution vulnerabilities across different components.

One noteworthy important severity vulnerability includes CVE-2023-24896 affecting Microsoft Dynamics 365 (on-premises). Microsoft reported it as a cross-site scripting flaw that allowed an authenticated attacker to steal login credentials and other sensitive information via maliciously crafted popups linked to web pages or emails.

Alongside these issues, this update bundle includes a low-severity bug fix for CVE-2023-29345 – a security feature bypass in Microsoft Edge.

While these vulnerabilities would automatically reach the eligible devices, users should still check for any updates manually for timely bug fixes. Also, it’s wise to enable automatic updates on all systems.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.


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Finding tablet apps on the Play Store is now much easier

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Finding tablet apps on the Play Store is now much easier
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The Google Play Store is mostly populated by smartphone apps, but it’s also the home to apps you can play on your tablet and Chromebook. The thing is, it can be hard to find apps that will run perfectly on your tablet. However, that’s going to change. Google just made it easier to find tablet apps on the Play Store.

Google has been working on making Android a much better place for tablets, so this new feature comes as no surprise. It’s been optimizing its apps to work better with tablets. This is in the hopes that other companies will follow suit and make their apps more compatible with Android tablets.

It’s now easier to find tablet apps on the Google Play Store

As stated before, if you see apps on the Google Play Store, they’re most likely optimized for your phone. That’s great, but with this new Android tablet revolution happening, people are more likely to be looking for tablet apps. Thus, help finding apps for tablets is appreciated.

According to 9To5Google (via Android Police) the Play Store now has a new tab dedicated to locating tablet apps. When you open up the Play Store, it will automatically open to the For You tab. You will see that up top. In order to find the tablet apps, tap on the Other Devices tab.

While in that tab, you will see chips for the different types of devices you can find apps for. You will see one for Watch, TV, and Car. There are two new chips: Chromebook and tablet. When you tap on one of these chips, you will see a feed of apps designed specifically for these devices.

When you tap on the chip, you will see the apps organized and categorized to make finding apps easier. Some of the categories include educational apps, stylus-friendly apps, creativity apps, streaming apps, etc. This is a great addition for anyone who has a tablet and wants to use it to its full potential


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Music publishers file a lawsuit against Twitter over copyright infringement

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Music publishers file a lawsuit against Twitter over copyright infringement
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It comes as no surprise ever since Elon Musk took over Twitter, the social media giant has been under a slew of controversies and lawsuits. Now, in a recent development, the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), on behalf of 17 prominent music publishers, has filed a lawsuit against Twitter for hosting an abundance of unauthorized copies of musical compositions, thus violating the exclusive rights of publishers.

The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Tennessee, is seeking over $250 million in damages, alleging that the platform infringed thousands of copyrighted works from major publishers like Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, The Royalty Network, Anthem Entertainment, and Concord.

Additionally, the lawsuit highlights that nearly all other major social media platforms, including Instagram and TikTok, have successfully established licensing deals with music publishers. And although Twitter is not as music-centric as TikTok, the plaintiffs take issue with users incorporating copyrighted music into Twitter videos.

However, it’s important to note the platform engaged in negotiations with music publishers to secure a licensing agreement prior to Musk’s acquisition, but discussions failed due to the platform’s reluctance to bear associated costs.

Highlighting Musk’s tweets

To make matters worse for Twitter, the lawsuit utilizes Elon Musk’s own tweets against him, referencing his public criticisms of copyright law and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Furthermore, Musk’s recent decision to allow Blue subscribers to upload videos up to 3 hours long also indirectly contributes to the allegations of copyright infringement.

“Twitter stands alone as the largest social media platform that has completely refused to license the millions of songs on its service. Twitter knows full well that music is leaked, launched, and streamed by billions of people every day on its platform. No longer can it hide behind the DMCA and refuse to pay songwriters and music publishers,” said David Israelite, president of the National Music Publishers’ Association trade group.


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Google Maps Immersive View Just landed in four new cities

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Google Maps Immersive View Just landed in four new cities
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Last year, Google unveiled one of its most interesting products called Immersive View. This is an extension of Google Maps that, as the name suggests, gives a very immersive and in-depth view of certain locations. Well, the company just announced that Immersive View is now making its way to four new cities.

In order to use Immersive View, you simply have to search for a famous landmark in Google Maps. In the search results, you will see a large card showing the Immerse View text. Also, you will see the camera panning around that location in real time.

When you tap on it, it will show you a high-resolution rendering of that location along with the option to see the time and weather. You will then see a real-time representation of the weather in that location along with the time of day.

As you can imagine, it’s an extremely immersive and intuitive way to get a view of certain landmarks.

Google Maps Immersive View now includes four new cities

Now, Immersive View is limited to only major landmarks. These include landmarks like Madison Square Garden, the Golden Gate Bridge, Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, and many more. So, don’t think that you will be getting a view of your apartment complex or your local park.

In any case, Google announced in a blog post that the Immersive View now includes four new cities: Amsterdam, Dublin, Florence, and Venice. So, you can look up landmarks such as Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, St Mark’s Square in Venice, RDS Main Arena in Dublin, and plenty more. If you’re planning a trip there, or if you want to see the landmarks, then you’ll be able to get an amazing view of these beautiful places.

There’s more interesting stuff coming to Google Maps, and this includes Immersive View for Routes. If you’re planning a trip, you will be able to map out the path to your location, and Immersive View will give you an in-depth look at what your trip will look like


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EU passes AI Act, seeks to ban facial recognition and regulate AI

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EU passes AI Act, seeks to ban facial recognition and regulate AI
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The European Union (EU) has taken a major step in regulating the burgeoning AI technology. The governing body on Wednesday passed the first draft of the AI Act, which would put restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence in the region. It aims to turn the draft act into law by the end of this year. The proposed law also bans real-time, remote biometric identification systems such as facial recognition.

Calls for regulation on AI have grown in recent months, particularly after generative AI tools like ChatGPT ushered the tech industry into a new AI revolution. But works on such regulations have been ongoing for a few years now. European lawmakers proposed the first regulatory framework for AI in the region back in April 2021. After more than two years of countless debates, the governing body has now passed a draft law.

The AI Act has varying rules depending on the risk level of AI systems

The AI Act draft passed by the EU specifies different rules for different levels of risk from AI. It puts a blanket ban on “unacceptable risk AI systems” which include “cognitive behavioral manipulation of people or specific vulnerable groups,” “classifying people based on behavior, socio-economic status, or personal characteristics,” and “real-time and remote biometric identification systems”.

Other lesser-risk AI systems will be assessed before market launch and also throughout their lifecycle. These include AI technologies used across various areas such as biometric identification, management and operation of critical infrastructure, education and vocational training, law enforcement, and more. Vendors must register such systems in an EU database before putting them out on the market.

Last but not least, generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Bard, which are all the rage right now, would have to comply with transparency requirements in the EU once the AI Act turns into law. These tools must disclose AI-generated content and prevent users from generating illegal content. The EU also requires these tools to publish summaries of copyrighted data used for training.

“Parliament’s priority is to make sure that AI systems used in the EU are safe, transparent, traceable, non-discriminatory, and environmentally friendly,” the governing body said in a press release. “AI systems should be overseen by people, rather than by automation, to prevent harmful outcomes. Parliament also wants to establish a technology-neutral, uniform definition for AI that could be applied to future AI systems”. Once passed as law, the EU’s AI Act will be the world’s first major regulation on AI.


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Motorola’s new Razr+ is now available for pre-order

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Motorola’s new Razr+ is now available for pre-order
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Motorola announced the Razr+ (and Razr) back on June 1, and now it is available for pre-order. You can pre-order it for $999 right now from Motorola, Amazon and a few other retailers, as well as carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile.

The carriers, as well as Motorola.com, are offering some really good deals for the Razr+, where you can get it for as low as, free.

AT&T is offering it for $5/month for 36 months. That comes out to $180 over the three years, and that’s with no trade-in needed. Now, T-Mobile is offering a trade-in credit that will get you the Razr+ for free. Motorola.com is also doing something similar, but you can get the Razr+ for as low as a dollar, with trade-in.

You can pre-order the Razr+ today, and it will be available next week, on June 23. That’s a pretty quick turnaround for Motorola, and really great to see. As many other OEMs will announce a phone but not put it on sale for months.

What’s so great about the Motorola Razr+?

As we noted in our hands on a couple of weeks ago, Samsung should really be worried about both the Razr+ and Razr. Especially the Razr, which will be significantly cheaper than the Razr+ which is already the same price as the Galaxy Z Flip 4. But what really makes it stand apart is the crease and the outer display.

Motorola has packed a 3.6-inch outer display, basically the entire outer side of the phone, as a display. This makes it easier to deal with notifications, as well as browsing apps and more. All without actually opening the phone. Additionally, the crease is basically non-existent. Now, of course, we only spent a couple of hours with the phone in our hands-on time, but the crease was almost not there. You could see it in the right light, but you couldn’t really feel it. Which is a big step forward for foldables.

Internally, you’re looking at the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. You can pre-order the Motorola Razr+ by hitting the links below.

Pre-Order Motorola Razr+ – Amazon

Pre-Order Motorola Razr+ – Motorola.com

Pre-Order Motorola Razr+ – AT&T

Pre-Order Motorola Razr+ – T-Mobile


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Texas Rangers’ Bally Sports Broadcast Rights in Jeopardy as Payment Deadline Looms

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Texas Rangers’ Bally Sports Broadcast Rights in Jeopardy as Payment Deadline Looms
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The Texas Rangers could be the next team to disappear from Bally Sports, as the team’s broadcasting rights payment is due on June 15. The Rangers are reportedly seeking a new deal with Bally Sports, but the two sides have been unable to reach an agreement. If no deal is reached, the Rangers could be forced to find a new broadcasting partner, which could mean their games would no longer be available on Bally Sports.

The Rangers are not the only team that is facing this issue. Several other teams, including the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, and Miami Marlins, are also in the midst of negotiations with Bally Sports over their broadcasting rights. If no deals are reached, these teams could also be forced to find new broadcasting partners.

Bally Sports continues to not pay what they are legally obligated too

The situation with the Rangers and Bally Sports is a sign of the growing tensions between teams and their broadcasting partners. In recent years, the cost of broadcasting rights has skyrocketed, and teams are now demanding more money from their partners. This has led to a number of disputes, and it is possible that more teams could be forced to find new broadcasting partners in the future.

The loss of the Rangers’ games from Bally Sports would be a major blow to the network. The Rangers are one of the most popular teams in the country, and their games are a major draw for viewers. If the Rangers are no longer on Bally Sports, it is likely that the network will lose a significant number of viewers.

The situation with the Rangers and Bally Sports is a developing story, and it is unclear what the outcome will be. However, it is clear that the relationship between teams and their broadcasting partners is under strain, and this could lead to more teams being forced to find new broadcasting partners in the future.


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Google Maps gets new features to make your trip planning easier

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Google Maps gets new features to make your trip planning easier
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Google announced this week it’s adding a few new features to its Maps app on Android, iOS and desktop. All three improvements are aimed at making Google Maps easier to use when you’re planning a trip or just want to explore with the help of the app.

Immersive View is not really a new feature, as Google launched the feature earlier this year. However, the search giant announced that it’s now rolling out Immersive View in four new cities: Amsterdam, Dublin, Florence, and Venice.

In addition, Immersive View is now available for over 500 iconic landmarks around the world. This particular improvement is coming to Android and iOS in the coming days, Google confirmed. Being able to see the landmarks from around the location you plan to visit is a nice feature to have on your phone.

Also, Google Maps will provide you with important information like what the weather will be like at different times of day and how crowded it will. Being able to know these things in advance makes a big difference if you have only a limited time to explore certain locations.

Another new feature coming to Google Maps on Android and iOS is the ability to track your trip progress with glanceable directions. Basically, you can now see the progress of your trip or route on your lock screen without having to open the app.

According to Google, glanceable directions start rolling out globally this month for walking, cycling and driving modes, so everyone should have the new feature ready by June’s end.

Last but not least, those who use Google Maps on desktop are getting new updates to Recents. Improvements to Recents include the ability to save places even after closing the Google Maps window. Also, you’ll be able to remove places viewed, plan multiple trips at once, as well as share a wide range of places, including attractions and hotels, with the person(s) you’re traveling with.


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New Android 14 Beta 3 animation makes switching users more fun

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New Android 14 Beta 3 animation makes switching users more fun
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Switching users on Android is set to become more fun than ever, thanks to a new animation. That animation has been added along with Android 14 Beta 3, and it will be making its way to the final build.

New animation in Android 14 Beta 3 makes switching users more fun

With Android 13, Google added new icons for user profiles, and also used a fade animation when switching between them. Android 14 Beta 3 has reworked the UI and introduced a better-looking animation. You can check it out below.

Once you go to switch a user, the screen will quickly fade and show you a full-screen profile icon. That profile icon will have a circular progress bar around it, and once it goes full circle, a new profile appears.

It’s always nice to see when Google is polishing Android, and this definitely belongs in that category. It’s not a major change, but it’s nice to see nonetheless. You’ll probably appreciate it if you’re changing profiles often.

The smoothness of the animation needs to be improved, though

One thing Google could improve is the smoothness of this animation, but we presume that it will happen once the stable build of Android 14 comes knocking. We’re still a couple of months away from that point.

Profiles on Android work similarly to those on Windows OS. You can basically set up different users for the same phone, so that the other users don’t have access to your documents, or anything you’ve installed, basically. Those users get a fresh new canvas.

You can even set up guest profiles, which you can set up with some apps, so that others can borrow your phone when needed. It’s not a feature that most regular users will be using, but it can be useful. You can access these settings via Settings -> System -> Multiple users.


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