TGIF. Let’s get stuck into the news.
1. Twitter/X exec defends reinstating account that share child abuse material
As reported by Forbes, Twitter/X’s global head of government affairs Nick Pickles has publically defended the reinstating of an account that shared child abuse material, saying that the offending account was doing it “out of outrage”. “One of the challenges we see is, for example, people sharing this content out of outrage because they want to raise awareness of an issue and see something in the media,” Pickles said, according to Forbes. As rightly pointed out in the article, there’s nothing in Twitter/X’s terms of service that makes sharing such material okay if it’s done ‘out of outrage’, and shortly after the material was posted, CEO Elon Musk personally intervened to reinstate the account.
Here’s a clip from today’s hearing where the Twitter exec explains why sharing child sexual abuse material isn’t an automatic ban. And then an Australian senator explains why that’s idiotic. https://t.co/KiUfd4iT20 pic.twitter.com/Ya7uGRUyu9
— Matt Novak (@paleofuture) August 10, 2023
2. An NBN price hike could arrive by Christmas
As reported by itNews, an NBN price hike could arrive by Christmas, however, it’s likely to be pushed into 2024. It hinges on if NBN Co can create a long-term plan that is capable of regulatory approval, whereas previous attempts have fallen short. NBN Co could submit a revised ‘special access undertaking’ as soon as August 14, with changes applied to its wholesale network plans, which included a yearly price increase model in the rejected plan.
3. Apple’s emergency SOS helps a family escape Hawaii fires
Apple’s emergency SOS feature is helping save folks struggling to outrun the wildfires taking over the Hawaiian island of Maui. Michael J. Miraflor tweeted out screenshots depicting what it’s like on the emergency contact side of Apple’s proprietary offerings. As described, Miraflor’s “brother’s girlfriend’s cousin” and his family were on holiday in Maui’s Lahaina area when they suddenly realized their surroundings had “erupted” into flames. Screenshots show how the family member used the iPhone 14’s satellite-based Emergency SOS service to message for help.
My brother’s girlfriend’s cousin and his family were caught in their vehicle in Maui while the wildfires suddenly erupted around them.
— Michael J. Miraflor (@michaelmiraflor) August 10, 2023
No cell service, so Apple Emergency SOS was the only way they could get in contact with first responders. Literally saved their lives. pic.twitter.com/PpxNwTGOAf
4. UFO hearing’s star witness kept security clearance after psychiatric detention
As reported by The Intercept with documents obtained through a Freedom of Information request, David Grusch, a star witness at the recent hearing on UFOs in the U.S., was committed to a mental health facility after undergoing a psychiatric episode in 2018. It wasn’t the first episode the retired U.S. Air Force veteran had undergone, and in 2014, another incident occurred, after which Grusch was allowed to keep his Air Force security clearance. After the report was published, conspiracy theorists began to dox the reporter and call for his resignation.
5. Google and Universal chat about replicating musician’s voices
Universal Music Group and Google are in discussions to license artists’ voices and melodies for AI-generated content. The two companies are considering developing a tool that people can use to create AI-generated music, otherwise known as deepfake, with popular artists’ voices, the Financial Times reported. Under the licensing deal, the relevant copyright owners would be paid for the use of their likeness and would have the option to opt in to give UMG and Google permission to license AI-generated music using their voice, per the FT. Deepfake songs can convincingly mimic a singer’s voice, though they recently have been used to replicate established artists without their consent.
BONUS ITEM: Speaking of AI, be extra careful when trying to find correct information online.
Go to Google Scholar and look up ‘As an AI language model” -“ChatGPT”’ pic.twitter.com/ujPNb3TCXm
— Andrew Kean Gao (@itsandrewgao) August 10, 2023
I hope you had a nice week, and I wish you a lovely weekend.