Top Tech and Business News for May 25, 2023
Meta fined $1.3 billion by the EU for data transfers to the US.
Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino is teetering on the glass cliff.
Pegasus spyware is detected in a war zone for the first time.
Ron DeSantis pushes Elon Musk's Twitter to its breaking point.
Sam Altman's world tour hopes to reassure AI doomers.
Meta fined $1.3 billion by the EU for data transfers to the US.
The European Commission has fined Meta, the parent company of Facebook, $1.3 billion for violating the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by transferring user data to the US without adequate safeguards. The fine is the largest ever imposed by the EU under the GDPR.
The GDPR requires companies to obtain consent from users before transferring their data to countries outside of the EU that do not have adequate data protection laws. Meta argued that it had obtained consent from users, but the Commission found that the consent was not valid because it was not freely given.
The fine is a major blow to Meta, which is already facing scrutiny from regulators around the world. The company is also facing a lawsuit from the US government alleging that it violated antitrust laws.
Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino is teetering on the glass cliff.
Elon Musk's appointment of Yaccarino as Twitter's new CEO has raised concerns about her ability to succeed in the role. Yaccarino is a seasoned media executive, but she has no experience in the tech industry. Some experts believe that she is being set up to fail by Musk, who is known for his aggressive management style.
Yaccarino has a lot of work to do if she wants to turn Twitter around. The company is struggling to grow its user base and its advertising business is under pressure from competition from Google and Facebook. Musk has promised to make Twitter a more open and free platform, but it remains to be seen how he will achieve this goal.
Pegasus spyware is detected in a war zone for the first time.
Researchers have found evidence that the Pegasus spyware, developed by the Israeli company NSO Group, was used to target government workers, journalists, and at least one United Nations official in Armenia. The discovery is the first time that Pegasus has been detected in a war zone.
Pegasus is a powerful spyware that can be used to track a target's phone calls, text messages, and emails. It can also be used to turn on the target's camera and microphone without their knowledge. The spyware is sold to governments and law enforcement agencies, but it has also been used by criminals and human rights abusers.
The discovery of Pegasus in Armenia is a reminder of the dangers of this type of spyware. It is important for people to be aware of the risks and to take steps to protect their privacy.
Ron DeSantis pushes Elon Musk's Twitter to its breaking point.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's announcement that he is considering running for president in 2024 caused Twitter to experience technical difficulties. The site was down for several hours, and many users were unable to access their accounts. DeSantis's announcement came just days after Elon Musk purchased Twitter for $44 billion.
It is unclear what caused the technical difficulties, but some experts believe that they may have been caused by a cyberattack. Others believe that the problems may have been caused by a surge in traffic to the site as people tried to access DeSantis's account.
Whatever the cause, the technical difficulties are a reminder of the vulnerability of social media platforms. They are also a sign of the growing political polarization in the United States.
Sam Altman's world tour hopes to reassure AI doomers.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is on a world tour to reassure people that artificial intelligence is not a threat. Altman argues that AI can be used to solve some of the world's biggest problems, such as climate change and poverty. However, he also acknowledges that there are risks associated with AI, and he says that it is important to be aware of these risks and to develop safeguards to mitigate them.
Altman's tour comes at a time when there is growing concern about the potential dangers of AI. Some experts believe that AI could pose an existential threat to humanity. Others believe that AI could be used to create a totalitarian society.
Altman's goal is to convince people that AI can be used for good. He says that AI is a tool, and like any tool, it can be used for good or evil. It is up to us