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The News/Media Alliance, formerly the Newspaper Association of America, asked US federal agencies to investigate Googles removal of links to California news media outlets. Googles tactic is in response to the proposed California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA), which would require it and other tech companies to pay for links to California-based publishers news content. The News/Media Alliance, which represents over 2,200 publishers, sent letters to the Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission and California State Attorney General on Tuesday. It says the removal appears to be either coercive or retaliatory, driven by Googles opposition to a pending legislative measure in Sacramento. The CJPA would require Google and other tech platforms to pay California media outlets in exchange for links. The proposed bill passed the state Assembly last year. In a blog post last week announcing the removal, Google VP of Global News Partnerships Jaffer Zaidi warned that the CJPA is the wrong approach to supporting journalism (because Googles current approach totally hasnt left the industry in smoldering ruins!). Zaidi said the CJPA would also put small publishers at a disadvantage and limit consumers access to a diverse local media ecosystem. Nothing to see here, folks: just your friendly neighborhood multi-trillion-dollar company looking out for the little guy! Google described its link removal as a test to see how the bill would impact its platform: To prepare for possible CJPA implications, we are beginning a short-term test for a small percentage of California users, Zaidi wrote. The testing process involves removing links to California news websites, potentially covered by CJPA, to measure the impact of the legislation on our product experience. Until theres clarity on Californias regulatory environment, were also pausing further investments in the California news ecosystem, including new partnerships through Google News Showcase, our product and licensing program for news organizations, and planned expansions of the Google News Initiative. In its letters, The News/Media Alliance lists several laws it believes Google may be breaking with the short-term removal. Potential federal violations include the Lanham Act, the Sherman Antitrust Act and the Federal Trade Commission Act. The letter to Californias AG cites the states Unruh Civil Rights Act, regulations against false advertising and misrepresentation, the California Consumer Privacy Act and Californias Unfair Competition Law (UCL). Importantly, Google released no further details on how many Californians will be affected, how the Californians who will be denied news access were chosen, what publications will be affected, how long the compelled news blackouts will persist, and whether access will be blocked entirely or just to content Google particularly disfavors, News/Media Alliance President / CEO Danielle Coffey wrote in the letter to the DOJ and FTC. Because of these unknowns, there are many ways Googles unilateral decision to turn off access to news websites for Californians could violate laws. Google has a mixed track record in dealing with similar legislation. It pulled Google News from Spain for seven years in response to local copyright laws that would have required licensing fees to publishers. However, it signed deals worth around $150 million to pay Australian publishers and retreated from threats to pull news from search results in Canada, instead spending the $74 million required by the Online News Act. Google made more than $73 billion in profits in 2023. The company currently has a $1.94 trillion market cap.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/media-coalition-asks-the-feds-to-investigate-googles-removal-of-california-news-links-212052979.html?src=rss
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TikTok is ramping up penalties for creators who post potentially problematic content and tightening its rules around what can be recommended in the app. The updates arrive as TikTok is fighting for its future in the United States and trying to convince lawmakers and regulators that its app is safe for teens. Under its updated community guidelines, set to take effect in May, TikTok has added a long list of content thats not eligible to be recommended in the apps coveted For You feed. The list includes some obvious categories, like sexually suggestive or violent content, but it also adds topics that have previously been a source of controversy for the app. For example, the new guidelines bar videos showing dangerous activity and challenges, as well as many types of weight loss or dieting content. It also prohibits any clips from users under the age of 16 from appearing in For You. Theres also a lengthy section dedicated to a wide range of misinformation and conspiratorial content. From the guidelines: -Conspiracy theories that are unfounded and claim that certain events or situations are carried out by covert or powerful groups, such as "the government" or a "secret society" -Moderate harm health misinformation, such as an unproven recommendation for how to treat a minor illness -Repurposed media, such as showing a crowd at a music concert and suggesting it is a political protest -Misrepresenting authoritative sources, such as selectively referencing certain scientific data to support a conclusion that is counter to the findings of the study -Unverified claims related to an emergency or unfolding event -Potential high-harm misinformation while it is undergoing a fact-checking review In addition to the eligibility changes, TikTok says it will also begin to penalize creators who repeatedly disregard this guidance by making their entire account ineligible for recommendations, not just the specific offending posts. The company will also make their account harder to find in search. Additionally, the app is getting a new account status feature, which will help users track if they are running afoul of these rules. Much like the feature of the same name in Instagram, TikToks account status will alert creators to strikes on their account and posts that run afoul of the apps rules. And an account check feature will allow users to track if they are currently being blocked from recommendations or otherwise unable to access features like messaging or commenting as a result of breaking the apps rules.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-is-trying-to-clean-up-its-for-you-recommendations-210057825.html?src=rss
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It hasn't been long since Apple started allowing retro game emulators on the App Store. We've already seen one notable controversy after the company pulled Game Boy emulator iGBA from the storefront. It turned out that iGBA, which hit the top of the download charts, was a near carbon copy of another emulator submitted for review. GBA4iOS developer Riley Testut claimed that iGBA was a "knock-off of GBA4iOS" that was packed with ads and trackers. As it turns out, Testut's Delta, a successor to GBA4iOS, is now available for free in the App Store. The original emulator picked up some buzz a decade ago after Testut found a way for iPhone users to sideload the Game Boy Advance emulator without having to jailbreak their device. Apple eventually closed the iOS loophole and, of course, Nintendo was none too happy about the emulator. However, you can now download Delta free from the App Store directly without having to worry about sideloading. Along with GBA titles, the app supports NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color and Nintendo DS games, with the promise of more platforms to come. The app supports third-party controllers, as well as quick saves, cheat codes and data syncing between devices using Google Drive or Dropbox. There's even local multiplayer for up to four players, though you'll probably want to use an iPad or mirror your phone to your TV in that case. You'll need to supply any games you want to play on the emulator. To stay on the right side of the law, you'll need to dump games that you already own into ROM files. While iPhone and iPad users outside of the EU can snag Delta from the App Store directly, the process is a little different for those who live in the bloc. Testut is also behind a third-party app marketplace called AltStore, which iPhone users in the EU can now more easily install a version of. Europes coolest alternative app marketplace is HERE!Introducing AltStore PAL an Apple-approved version of AltStore exclusive to the EUDownload now from our website for just 1.50/year (+ VAT) https://t.co/3ZfYbq4QNU pic.twitter.com/D5cbkWhi7l AltStore.io (@altstoreio) April 17, 2024 AltStore PAL is an open-source marketplace that includes Delta as well as another app that Testut developed called Clip, which is a clipboard manager. The latter requires a small donation of at least one Euro to use. Testut noted that he and his business partner Shane Gill plan to open up AltStore PAL to other third-party apps after making sure that everything runs smoothly. That said, AltStore PAL costs users 1.50 per year. That covers the Core Technology Fee Apple charges for each download of an app marketplace, as well as payment processing. Alternatively, you can use the previous version of AltStore, but you'll still need to use a computer to sideload apps and refresh them once per week.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-emulator-delta-hits-the-ios-app-store-no-sideloading-required-201158987.html?src=rss
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