block | Common News Update

Mar162021 by adminNo Comments

Instagram to allow teens to block messages from adults

Technology

Instagram is introducing new anti-grooming safety measures that will prevent adult users from sending direct messages to teenagers unless they follow them.It follows criticism of Facebook over its actions on child grooming, with multiple international statements calling for the company to ensure that young people using its platforms were kept safe. Of particular concern has been the company's plans to move all of its platforms to using end-to-end encryption, similar to WhatsApp. Critics allege this would disable Facebook's own internal monitoring of messages for potential grooming. Image: Facebook also owns Instagram and WhatsApp Instagram's policies require that all of its users are over 13. People who identify themselves as teenager...

Jan242021 by adminNo Comments

Google threatens to block search engine in Australia if forced to pay for news

Technology

Google has threatened to block its search engine in Australia if it is forced to pay media outlets for their news content.Both Google and social media giant Facebook - which also opposes the rules and has threatened to remove news from its feed for Australian users - are fighting government plans for a new digital news code. It would make tech giants negotiate payments with local publishers and broadcasters, and a government-appointed arbitrator would decide the price if they fail to strike a deal. Image: Facebook also opposes the new digital news code in Australia "Coupled with the unmanageable financial and operational risk if this version of the code were to become law, it would give us no real choice but to stop making Google Sear...

Oct272020 by adminNo Comments

Polish protesters block roads, storm churches over abortion ban

World

Oct. 26 (UPI) -- Protesters in Poland blocked roads and disrupted church services in response to a ruling that would institute a near-total ban on abortion in the country. Demonstrations have carried on for four days after Poland's constitutional tribunal issued a ruling that would ban abortions in instances where a fetus is diagnosed with a serious irreversible birth defect. Advertisement Under the ban, abortions would only be permitted under circumstances including rape, incest and threat to the mother's life. The demonstrations have spread to more than 150 cities and towns throughout Poland including the capital city of Warsaw where protesters poured red paint across the Lazienkowski Bridge. Others used their cars to create a series of blockages in city centers as thousands of people m...

Sep12020 by adminNo Comments

Boeing delivers first MH-47G Block II Chinook helicopter to Special Ops

Business

Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Boeing has delivered the first of two dozen MH-47G Block II Chinook helicopters to Army Special Operations Command, the company announced Tuesday. The company signed a $ 265 million contract in July to to build upgraded Chinook aircraft for SOCOM. Advertisement Under the current iteration of the contract, Boeing will build a total of 24 aircraft for a total potential value of $ 602.2 million. "This delivery marks a major step for the Chinook program," Andy Builta, Boeing vice president and H-47 program manager, said in a statement. "The new Chinook will give U.S. Special Operations Forces significantly more capability for extremely challenging missions and will enable them to conduct those missions on the future battlefield." The Block II version of the Chinook includes n...

Aug252020 by adminNo Comments

Apple can block Epic’s Fortnite but not Unreal Engine

Technology

A US judge has ruled that, for now, Apple can continue to block the video game Fortnite from its App Store.However the tech giant cannot terminate Epic Games' developer accounts or compromise its graphics tool Unreal Engine, which is used by many third-party game creators.This is until a full hearing can take place on 28 September.Apple pulled Fortnite from the App Store after Epic deliberately broke its rules in protest at Apple's policies.Epic said Apple had also threatened to take away its access to developer tools.In her ruling, as reported by The Verge, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers wrote that Epic had not demonstrated that Apple's actions so far had caused the "irreparable harm" it claimed in its legal papers.However, she also wrote that Apple had "c...