AI emotion-detection software tested on Uyghurs

By Jane Wakefield Technology reporter A camera system that uses AI and facial recognition intended to reveal states of emotion has been tested on Uyghurs in Xinjiang, the BBC has been told. A software engineer claimed to have installed such systems in police stations in the province. A human rights advocate who was shown the […]

Virgin Galactic rocket plane flies to edge of space

By Jonathan Amos BBC Science Correspondent Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic space plane has conducted the first of three key test flights that should enable it to enter commercial service. The Unity vehicle, with pilots Dave Mackay and CJ Sturckow at the controls, powered to a height of 89km (55 miles), and then glided back […]

China lands its Zhurong rover on Mars

By Jonathan Amos BBC Science Correspondent China has successfully landed a spacecraft on Mars, state media announced early on Saturday. The six-wheeled Zhurong robot was targeting Utopia Planitia, a vast terrain in the planet’s northern hemisphere. The vehicle used a combination of a protective capsule, a parachute and a rocket platform to make the descent. […]

China lands its Zhurong rover on Mars

By Jonathan Amos BBC Science Correspondent China has successfully landed a spacecraft on Mars, state media announced early on Saturday. The six-wheeled Zhurong robot was targeting Utopia Planitia, a vast terrain in the planet’s northern hemisphere. The vehicle used a combination of a protective capsule, a parachute and a rocket platform to make the descent. […]

John McAfee charged with fraud over cryptocurrency

Businessman John McAfee, creator of the McAfee anti-virus software, has been charged in the US with conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering. Mr McAfee and his bodyguard Jimmy Gale Watson Jr are accused of promoting cryptocurrencies to Mr McAfee’s large Twitter following to inflate prices. The currencies were then allegedly sold, making the pair […]

Microsoft hack: White House warns of ‘active threat’ of email

The US is expressing growing concern over a hack on Microsoft’s Exchange email software that the tech company has blamed on China. “This is an active threat,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday. “Everyone running these servers – government, private sector, academia – needs to act now to patch them.” Microsoft said […]

India plans new social media controls after Twitter face-off

By Aditya Kalra, Sankalp Phartiyal NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Chafing from a dispute with Twitter, India plans to oblige social media companies to erase contentious content fast and assist investigations, according to a draft regulation. New Delhi’s planned “Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code” – a copy of which was seen by Reuters – come […]

Exclusive: Facebook and Google could lose bargaining power under upcoming

By Diane Bartz, Helen Coster WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Bipartisan members of Congress plan to introduce a bill in coming weeks to make it easier for smaller news organizations to negotiate with Big Tech platforms, said Rep. Ken Buck, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee’s antitrust panel. The U.S. bill would be introduced at a time […]

Exclusive: White House working with Facebook and Twitter to tackle

By Nandita Bose WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House has been reaching out to social media companies including Facebook, Twitter and Alphabet Inc’s Google about clamping down on COVID misinformation and getting their help to stop it from going viral, a senior administration official said. President Joe Biden, who has raced to curb the pandemic […]

Facebook Australia: PM Scott Morrison ‘will not be intimidated’ by

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said his government will not be intimidated by Facebook blocking news feeds to users. He described the move to “unfriend Australia” as arrogant and disappointing. Facebook is responding to a proposed law which would make tech giants pay for news content on their platforms. It says the legislation “fundamentally […]