Samsung confirms Galaxy Z Fold 5 Thom Browne Edition launch

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Samsung confirms Galaxy Z Fold 5 Thom Browne Edition launch
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Samsung has announced a launch date for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 Thom Browne Edition. The limited edition foldable will debut next Thursday, September 7. The company revealed the date through a teaser on X (formerly Twitter). It described the phone as “a unique vision of innovation, at its most elegant.” It added that the device will be “as striking as it is inviting.”

That’s all Samsung has said about the Galaxy Z Fold 5 Thom Browne Edition so far. Last week, the company posted a short teaser video for the phone on X, asking fans to “take a seat at the Thom Browne table for a celebration of a new experience in design and innovation.” It featured a piece of Fold-shaped cardboard with the New York City-based fashion designer’s iconic red, blue, and white stripes.

The latest teaser, meanwhile, shows the Galaxy Z Fold 5 in black. Samsung likely doesn’t want to reveal the Thom Browne-themed external customizations ahead of the limited edition foldable’s official unveiling next week. If history is any indication, the back panel should feature the iconic Americana stripes. Samsung has launched Thom Browne Editions of the Galaxy Z Flip, Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Z Flip 3, and Galaxy Z Fold 3 in the past.

The Korean firm didn’t team up with the fashion designer for its fourth-gen foldables last year. So there were no speculations of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 or the Galaxy Z Flip 5 getting Thom Browne-themed customizations. However, Samsung has other ideas. It kept mum initially but has now confirmed a limited edition variant of the Fold model. The Flip model may get similar treatments later, possibly in partnership with some other brand or individual.

 

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 Thom Browne Edition may come in a bundle

Samsung’s limited edition Galaxy smartphones usually come in a bundle. It includes other products like smartwatches, TWS earbuds, S Pen (for supported models), and charging hubs in the same package, often with similarly customized exteriors. The company may do the same for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 Thom Browne Edition. We will get a confirmation soon.

Of course, it will be the same Galaxy Z Fold 5 that you can already buy from Samsung and other retail channels. The only difference will be its colors and other external customizations. The same goes for other products in the bundle as well. With all the extra efforts put into pulling it off, the limited edition device will cost more than the standard version. The regular Galaxy Z Fold 5 starts at $1,800.


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Major news and media outlets are blocking ChatGPT

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Major news and media outlets are blocking ChatGPT
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We’ve seen the chilling headlines: “Another company laid off a huge chunk of its staff and started using AI instead”. This is the sad reality that we have to face, but there’s hope out there. Several news outlets and media companies are actually blocking OpenAI’s ChatGPT from accessing the information on their sites.

This news comes from CNN, and CNN’s Oliver Darcy described this accurately as a Cold War. It makes sense; there’s a lot of tension hovering around AI and the potential future. AI companies are building up their arsenal of potentially deadly weapons, and those opposed are mounting their defense.

Major news outlets are blocking ChatGPT

It’s reassuring to know that not all companies are all in on this new AI revolution. Notable news outlets such as CNN, Insider, The New York Times, Reuters, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, ESPN, Axios, ABC News, The Gothamist, and The Atlantic have blocked ChatGPT’s crawlers from accessing their content. This also includes publishers such as Vox Media, Condé Nast, and Hearst.

The list doesn’t stop there. Disney is also opposed to ChatGPT accessing its content. This shows that there’s a long list of companies that are on the offense against ChatGPT and the like.

It’s a matter of morality and legality

Danielle Coffeey, President and chief executive of the News Media Alliance spoke about why these companies are resistant to forking over their content. It’s not only because generative AI proves to be a threat to the news industry. Long-standing news outlets “are on solid legal ground when it comes to copyright protections.”

Of course, if you’re a major news organization, and you’ve put out groundbreaking news stories, you’d want to protect your content. Generative AI does threaten to put writers out of their jobs. It’d be a pretty sour blow to end up training the very AI that’s threatening jobs for writers.

At this moment, we’re not sure about what will happen next as AI progresses. However, it’s nice to know that not everyone purchased a ticket to the AI hype train.


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Meta took down more than 7,000 fake accounts related to pro-China propaganda

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Meta took down more than 7,000 fake accounts related to pro-China propaganda
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Fake accounts on social media aren’t something new. Most likely, many of us have come across at least one fake account during our time on social media. Facebook reportedly holds the largest number of fake accounts compared to any other social network in the world. However, it appears that Meta has managed to eliminate at least some of them. Meta shared details (via Engadget) about a network of fake accounts that had spread pro-China propaganda on Facebook. The company mentions that the takedowns were tied to “individuals associated with Chinese law enforcement” who also ran similar fake accounts on other platforms.

The company often shares updates about taking down fake accounts that are up to no good, but what Meta’s security researchers found this time is pretty big. Meta got rid of 7,704 Facebook accounts, 954 Pages, 15 Groups, and 15 Instagram accounts, making it one of the largest networks of fake accounts ever discovered by the company.

Meta found several groups of fake accounts from various parts of China. The way the groups acted, made it seem like they might have been working together from a shared place, maybe an office. Each group had a specific schedule, being most active in the morning and afternoon. They took breaks for lunch and dinner and then had another burst of activity in the evening, so basically, they had a full-time job.

Ben Nimmo, who’s in charge of global threat intelligence at Meta, calls this move “the most prolific covert influence operation that we know of in the world today.” He also points out that the people running these accounts were also busy on X, Reddit, YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest.

As per Meta, the fake accounts aimed to share pro-China messages, including positive commentary about China, criticisms of the US, and Western foreign policies. The company did verify that it discovered proof connecting these fake accounts to an earlier pro-China operation cleverly called Spamouflage that showed up in 2019.

In addition, the company also shared that it stopped numerous malicious domains and efforts to create fake accounts and Pages linked to the Russian Doppelganger operation, which aims to mimic official news and government websites to spread false articles undermining support for Ukraine. This operation has broadened its scope from France, Germany, and Ukraine to the US and Israel.

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Apple Releases iOS 17 Beta 8 & iPad OS 17 Beta 8

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Apple Releases iOS 17 Beta 8 & iPad OS 17 Beta 8
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Alongside announcing the date for the next iPhone event today, Apple has also pushed out the eighth betas for iOS 17 and iPad OS 17. This should be near the end of the beta cycle, with perhaps one more update before a release candidate is released on September 12 or 13.

That also means that this beta should be pretty stable, so if you’re looking forward to jumping in on the beta, now is a good time to do so.

So far, it’s just the developer beta that’s available. But the Public beta will likely be released later today. As we’ve seen recently with the betas for iOS 17.

What changes does iOS 17 bring?

Initially, many thought that iOS 17 was going to be a pretty small update, and bring some quality of life improvements and that’s it. But Apple actually announced quite a few new features for the iPhone with iOS 17.

First up is StandBy. This is a simple one. Have your iPhone charging and then turn it into landscape orientation, and it’ll act like a smart display. Showing you things like the time, some notifications, the weather and even some photos. They are basically larger versions of the stock widgets on iOS.

Another change with iOS 17 is the Name Drop feature. It uses AirDrop to then drop your contact information with others. So you can now tap your phone with someone else and exchange phone numbers and other contact info. It’s a really cool feature to add to AirDrop. Apple is also adding custom call screens. So now when you call someone, they’ll see the call screen that you picked out and designed. It’s like an advanced caller ID of sorts.

These are just a few of the updates that are part of iOS 17 right now. And there’s likely some specific changes for the iPhone 15 as well. Just like last year we had a specific feature for the iPhone 14 Pro and its new Dynamic Island.


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watcOS 10 Beta 8 is now available for download

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watcOS 10 Beta 8 is now available for download
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In addition to launching the eighth beta for iOS 17 and iPad OS 17, Apple has also released the eighth beta of watchOS 10 today. While we are nearing the end of the beta phase here, we should see one more beta next week and then beta 10 would be the release candidate (likely coming shortly after the iPhone event).

So this version of watchOS 10 should be pretty much final. Apple is really focused on squashing bugs with watchOS 10 now, and not adding new features to the update.

This is the developer beta, but we expect to see the public beta launching in a few hours. The last few weeks, we’ve seen the public beta launch a bit later on the same day as the developer beta.

What’s new in watchOS 10?

Out of all of the new platforms that are coming this fall, watchOS 10 is likely the biggest update. It got a pretty big redesign, though many might say it still looks the same. And, fair. The two major changes that Apple made is with the new widgets. And how you access quick settings. So now when you swipe up on your watch, you’re not opening quick settings, but instead opening a widget stack. Currently, it’s all third-party widgets, but we’d expect that to change in the future.

And now, to open quick settings. You need to press the side button. The app drawer has also been redesigned a bit. It still has a honeycomb-like layout, but now it is scrolling up and down, instead of all around. So it’s a bit easier to get around.

Apple has also included a couple of new watchfaces – Palette and Snoopy. Which many are in love with.

This should be a pretty stable build of the beta, so if you’re willing to check it out on your Apple Watch, now is a good time to do so. Just head to Settings > General > Software Update. Switch from iOS 16 to the iOS 17 Developer Beta or Public Beta. And then you can download the update.


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Google Photos begins rolls out of Locked Folder cloud backup on Android, iOS and the Web

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Google Photos begins rolls out of Locked Folder cloud backup on Android, iOS and the Web
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For years now, Google Photos has been a game-changer in how we manage our cherished memories. The popular app not only gives us a way to save our photos on the cloud, but also incorporates helpful features and utilities that can both transform our media and manage our device storage at the same time.
One of these helpful utilities is the Locked Folder, a nifty little container within the Google Photos app, secured by your device’s screen lock, that can tuck away sensitive photos and videos. Although incredibly useful, to date the feature lacked two very important functions: Compatibility with devices running anything other than Android and the ability to backup and sync the media in case of a device switch.
As reported by 9to5Google, one of the biggest pain points of using the Locked Folder was to find out after having switched to a new device that you have lost your sensitive media. Items in this secure folder are not backed up to your Google account or moved to another device during cable or cloud data transfers. Furthermore, if you uninstall or clear your Photos app data, all the items in the Locked Folder get wiped, forever lost in the ether.

This is all about to change, as Google is rolling out an update for the Photos app that addresses both of these issues. Items in the Locked Folder will now be backed up and synced to your Google account and will now be accessible on all your devices, including iOS and the web.

Google states that these changes will begin to roll out today on existing Android devices, however, as it usually goes with these Google staged rollouts, it might be a while before you see the feature pop up in your Google Photos app. However, I would stay on top of it and make sure I’m on the latest version of the app, which as of right now on Android is v6.9. As a feature that started out as a Pixel exclusive, it will be refreshing to see how it has progressed from expanding to other Androids and now to iOS and the web version with the addition of cloud backup.


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New MMRat Android Trojan Uses Fake App Stores for Bank Fraud

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New MMRat Android Trojan Uses Fake App Stores for Bank Fraud
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  • MMRat is a new Android banking trojan targeting Southeast Asian users.
  • It is distributed through phishing websites disguised as official app stores.
  • It uses a customized Protobuf-based C2 protocol to improve its performance.
  • It captures screenshots, controls devices, collects extensive device, personal data.
  • Users can protect themselves from MMRat by downloading apps from trusted sources and avoiding suspicious websites.

Cybersecurity researchers at Trend Micro Mobile Application Reputation Service (MARS) have discovered a stealthy new Android trojan targeting Southeast Asian mobile phone users since late June 2023.

This Android banking trojan, dubbed MMRat due to its distinctive package called com.mm.user, features a long list of capabilities as it can capture screenshots, remotely control victims’ devices, monitor user input, and perform many other tasks apart from bank fraud while staying undetected.

MARS researchers wrote in a blog post published on August 29, 2023, that the malware remained undetected on VirusTotal.

How is MMRat Distributed?

Most MMRat samples were downloaded from phishing websites disguised as official app stores in different languages to expand their reach. It is worth noting that researchers couldn’t determine how victims were lured into visiting these fake app stores.

This “potent” malware has been declared a “considerable threat” to mobile phone users. It uses a specially designed, fully customized Protobuf-based C2 protocol, a rare feature in Android banking trojans. This feature improves the malware’s performance while transferring large data volumes.

Attack Sequence

MMRat’s primary focus is on conducting bank fraud. The attack relies on the victim downloading and installing the malware on their device and granting it the required permissions. Once done, the malware quickly establishes communication with its remote server, sending copious amounts of data, including personal and mobile data, keylogging data, device status, etc.

Moreover, the malware operator can remotely turn on the device when not in use, unlock the screen, and carry out bank fraud. They may also capture screens for server-size visualization. After performing its malicious tasks, MMRat can self-uninstall and remove every trace of the manipulation.

New MMRat Android Trojan Uses Fake App Stores for Bank Fraud
Attack Sequence (Trend Micro)

MMRat Capabilities

As mentioned above, MMRat is a highly capable malware that can capture user input/screen content and allow remote control of the device. Relying on the Android Accessibility service and MediaProjection API for its functioning, the malware can easily detect when the device is on or off and reboot it by registering a receiver on the system.

Furthermore, the trojan avoids suspicion by disguising itself as an official government or dating app and enters the victim’s device through a phishing website. It also launches a 1×1-sized pixel activity to stay persistent.

What Data Does it Collect?

According to Trend Micro’s blog post, MMRat can collect extensive device and personal data such as screen and battery data such as whether the screen is locked and current activities, installed apps, contact lists, and network data, e.g., signal strength and network type.

The Android trojan also schedules a time task to collect data at regular intervals. This timer executes every second, and the counter resets every 60 seconds. It looks for victims’ contact lists and installed app info to get maximum personal details. 

After obtaining Accessibility permission, it can obtain extended permission and modify device settings by bypassing user intervention. It is also interested in lock screen patterns, which it collects when the victim unlocks the device and sends it to the C2 server so that the malware operator can unlock the device when desired.

What’s worse, it captures real-time screen content and streams it to a remote server via the MediaProjection API. MMRat also uses the “user terminal state” approach for capturing screen data, in which it doesn’t record the screen as a video but dumps the child nodes in Windows every second.

How to Stay Protected?

Users must download apps from trusted platforms like Google Play Store or Apple App Store and avoid suspicious websites posing as app stores. It is equally important to keep updating device software to mitigate security threats like MMRat. Lastly, be very careful when granting Accessibility permissions to an app.

  1. WhatsApp Pink is malware spreading through group chats
  2. Android apps on APKPure store caught spreading malware
  3. Fake reviews & third-party apps cause 50% of Android threats

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Huawei is looking to bring back its Kirin SoCs

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Huawei is looking to bring back its Kirin SoCs
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The US government’s ban on Huawei from conducting business with American companies led to the demise of its Kirin chips, which last saw a release in 2020. However, according to a new report from a Weibo leaker, Fixed Focus Digital (via NotebookCheck.net), it looks like Huawei might be gearing up to reenter the market with its Kirin SoCs.

As per the leak, there are two potential configurations for an upcoming Kirin chipset. The first configuration could feature a combination of two Cortex-X3 and two Cortex-A715 CPU cores, accompanied by four Cortex-A510 CPU cores. For graphical performance, the SoC might include an Arm Immortalis-G715 MC16 GPU.

The second configuration differs slightly, with 2 Cortex-X1 CPU cores, 3 Cortex-A78 cores, and 3 Cortex-A55 cores, along with an Arm Mali G710 MC10/6 GPU. However, it remains unclear whether these configurations represent distinct chips or variant iterations of a single model.

Another configuration in the works

While the prospect of new Huawei chips is intriguing enough, another Weibo post suggests the existence of not just one or two but three new SKUs in the pipeline. These SKUs aptly named—Kirin 720, Kirin 830, and Kirin 9100—would imply that Huawei is developing at least a few new smartphones.

Furthermore, if the rumors hold true, the Kirin 720 and Kirin 830 might debut later this year, and the Kirin 9100 could potentially launch the following year, possibly aligned with the release of a Huawei P70 flagship device.

How will Huawei bypass the restrictions?

Given that Huawei is barred from conducting business with American companies, reports propose that China’s leading foundry, SMIC, could provide a solution, as the company might utilize SMIC’s N+2 (7 nm) node technology to manufacture the new chips. Alternatively, there’s speculation that Huawei has potentially devised a method to stack two 14nm chips to achieve performance comparable to 7nm while maintaining low power consumption.


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Apple September iPhone Event – What to Expect

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Apple September iPhone Event – What to Expect
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Apple is preparing for its annual September event, where they will likely be announcing the latest iPhone. But the September event is not always just the iPhone (and not always the iPhone). So we’re going to go through and tell you everything we know about the event so far, and what you can expect.

With this event, we’re expecting Apple to introduce the iPhone 15 lineup, along with the Apple Watch Series 9. Though we could also see a new pair of AirPods and a new HomePod. Those two would likely just be an update to USB-C, seeing as they’ve all been updated fairly recently, and Apple doesn’t typically replace audio products each year. It’s closer to every two or more years. Though it is about time we got a new pair of AirPods Max.

When is the Apple event?

Apple’s September event is happening on September 12. This is pretty typical of Apple. With the exception of last year, Apple typically holds their September event on the second week of the month, and typically on a Tuesday. So none of this is really a surprise. But now that we have the invites in hand, it is now official.

The event will be held at Steve Jobs’ Theater on the Apple Campus in Cupertino. Rumors are pointing to this still being a pre-recorded event, like we’ve had since the pandemic started, and Apple has continued to do ever since bringing media back to their events. This is a good thing for Apple, as it does get rid of any issues that could happen during a live demo, and eliminates some stress among those presenting.

How can I watch the Apple September iPhone event?

Apple typically livestreams their events. In the past, they were limited to their website, and you could only watch on their devices and through Safari. But that has since changed, and it is usually available on YouTube. We will add a link to this article once the live stream is available on YouTube, so you can watch along with us.

Unfortunately, getting into the Apple Event is extremely hard. Seeing as Apple does have a fairly small space, compared to other major smartphone makers for their events. But Apple is also pretty picky about who they let in.

What’s coming at this event?

There are two lines of products that we know for sure are coming at this September iPhone Event from Apple. With a few other possibilities available as well. So below, we’ll rank them by the possibility of them launching. And of course, the iPhone is at the top of that list.

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro expected colors

iPhone 15 Series

As usual, the headliner for this event is the new iPhone. This year, it’s the iPhone 15 series. Which we are expecting to come in four models: iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra. The Pro Max model is being rumored to be renamed as the Ultra this year.

The standard iPhones aren’t getting a huge upgrade this year, at least according to rumors. We’re looking at Dynamic Island coming, along with an upgrade to the A16 Bionic chipset, and much larger batteries inside. Which should greatly improve the battery life this year.

Now the iPhone 15 Pro and Ultra is where the bigger upgrades are coming. Both models are expected to come with the A17 Bionic chipset, which is set to be even more powerful than the A16 Bionic (big surprise there). It could also see an upgrade to 8GB of RAM. And it’s rumored to be made of titanium this year, with a new starting storage of 256GB. Instead of 128GB. That also means a price hike is coming. Rumors are pointing to the iPhone 15 Pro costing $1,099, and the Ultra costing $1,299. So a $100 and $200 price hike respectively.

Apple WWDC22 watchOS 9 hero 220606 Full Bleed Image jpg large 2x

Apple Watch Series 9

Another very likely candidate for the event next month is, the Apple Watch Series 9. Now, according to leaks and rumors, this does appear to be a pretty small update for the Series 9. And it’s likely that Apple is going to bank on the fact that watchOS 10 got a huge redesign, as a reason to upgrade. But the Apple Watch X set to land next year, is likely going to be a huge upgrade.

One of the bigger upgrades that we’re expecting to see is actually in the processor, or the SIP (System in Package) from Apple. The Series 6, 7 and 8 all had basically the same SIP. But this year, the S9 is expected to be more powerful, which means the end user should actually see a nice performance boost.

Apple Watch Ultra 2

This one is a bit more less likely. There haven’t been a ton of rumors about a new Apple Watch Ultra, other than offering new colors. Like a black titanium model. So we could be getting a new model, or Apple might just release the Ultra in new colors, which is also possible.

The Apple Watch Ultra seemed like a product that they wouldn’t update every year, and might be more like every 18 to 24 months, similar to the iPads now. And given the lack of rumors here, that sounds very plausible.

ipad mini finish unselect gallery 1 202207 FMT WHH

Don’t expect iPads or Macs

Those of you hoping to see the first M3 Macs or a new iPad, don’t expect that at this event. Apple typically does two fall events. With the first one in September being focused on iPhone and Apple Watch. And then an October event being focused on Mac and iPad. So that is likely where we’d see the new M3 Macs as well as some new iPads.


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YouTube now gives its creators a way to wipe content violation warnings from their channel

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YouTube now gives its creators a way to wipe content violation warnings from their channel
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In a surprising move this morning, YouTube published a change to the Community Guidelines that govern what content creators can and cannot do on the platform. Under this new rule, creators that —knowingly or unknowingly— violate any of these guidelines will now get a chance to right their wrong and lift the warning from their channel.

The announcement was made via a video posted to the official YouTube Creators channel and the YouTube Official Blog which included detailed instructions on what to expect and what creators should do in case of a violation warning. Under these revised guidelines, creators who receive a warning for policy violations now have an intriguing option at their disposal — an educational training course.

Here’s the great part: once the creator successfully completes the course, YouTube will remove the warning from their channel, just as long as they don’t violate the same policy for the next 90 days. It’s like a friendly handshake agreement to play by the rules. However, should the creator fail to follow through, the video in question will be removed and a strike will be applied to the channel.

If the creator violates the same policy again, but after the 90 period, the video in question will be removed and the creator will be issued another warning. However – and surprisingly – another chance will be given to take another training course and once again wipe the warning from the channel.

We believe this update will help the vast majority of creators who strive to produce content that complies with our Community Guidelines, and will help keep YouTube a safe and responsible platform for everyone.

This change represents a significant shift in how YouTube deals with policy violations. In the past, YouTube would move to immediately remove the video in question and apply a lifetime warning to the channel. Now, it’s all about education and second chances.

It is clear that monetization is a big motive for the policy change. Previously, policy warnings were more general and affected the entire channel, whereas with the new policy, warnings are more specific on what was breached. Giving creators a chance to fix warnings before they become strikes will allow for more content to stay up on YouTube and avoid the 3-strike rule that has been known to get channels terminated from the platform.


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