The Conversation (0)
8h
The Federal Trade Commission lost its antitrust case against Meta last year, but the regulator hasn't given up on its attempts to punish the social media company for its acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram. The FTC is appealing a ruling last year in which a federal judge found that the government hadn't proven that Meta is currently operating as a monopoly.
"Meta has maintained its dominant position and record profits for well over a decade not through legitimate competition, but by buying its most significant competitive threats," the FTC's Bureau of Competition Director Daniel Guarnera said in a statement. "The Trump-Vance FTC will continue fighting its historic case against Meta to ensure that competition can thrive across the country to the benefit of all Americans and U.S. businesses.�
The FTC originally filed antitrust charges against Facebook in 2020 during President Donald Trump's first term in office. The government argued that by acquiring apps it once competed with, Instagram and WhatsApp, the company had depressed competition in the space and ultimately hurt consumers. A trial last year saw testimony from several current and former executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg and former COO Sheryl Sandberg, who spoke at length about the pressure to compete with TikTok.
US District Judge James Boasberg was ultimately persuaded by Meta�s arguments, writing that the success of YouTube and TikTok prevented Meta from currently "holding a monopoly" even if the company had acted monopolistically in the past. If the FTC had won, it could have tried to force Meta to undo its acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram. Should it be successful in its appeal, that remedy could once again be on the table.
News of the FTC's plan to appeal is also a blow to Zuckerberg, who has spent the last year courting Trump and hyping Meta's plans to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on AI infrastructure in the United States. In a statement, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said that the original ruling was "correct," and that "Meta will remain focused on innovating and investing in America."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-ftc-isnt-giving-up-on-its-antitrust-case-against-meta-225020769.html?src=rssKeep reading...Show less
8h
OpenAI is the latest company to hop on the bandwagon of gating access by users' age. The AI business is beginning a global rollout of an age prediction tool to determine whether or not a user is a minor. �The model looks at a combination of behavioral and account-level signals, including how long an account has existed, typical times of day when someone is active, usage patterns over time,and a user�s stated age,� the company�s announcement states. If an individual is incorrectly characterized by ChatGPT as underage, they will need to submit a selfie to correct the mistake through the Persona age verification platform.
Most AI companies have been willing to push new features first and then attempt to layer on a patchwork of protections and safety guards on top of them after they cause harm. OpenAI was implicated in a wrongful death suit for a teen who allegedly used ChatGPT to plan his suicide, and only in the following months began pondering automatic restrictions on content for underage users and launching a mental health advisory council. In this instance, OpenAI is attempting to prepare for the launch of an "adult mode" that will allow users to create and consume content that would be dubbed NSFW. Considering how well a similar change has been going over at Roblox, another platform with a shaky history around protecting minors, it seems probable that underage users will find ways to circumvent the existing tools if they want to use ChatGPT as adults.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-is-launching-age-prediction-for-chatgpt-accounts-222650340.html?src=rss
Keep reading...Show less
Tu peux voir Charlotte Cardin, Jason Derulo & plus pour 90$ à ce festival près de Montréal
June 02 | 2022
Mariana Mazza. Droite : L'International de montgolfières.
Tout au long de l'été, la ville de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu sur la Rive-Sud de Montréal brille avec ses envolées quotidiennes de montgolfières qui colorent le ciel ainsi que l'International de montgolfières, un festival de neuf jours en août. Le 1er juin marquait d'ailleurs le coup d'envoi des festivités alors que l'équipe derrière l'événement a finalement annoncé la programmation complète.
À la fin mars, on nous présentait déjà deux têtes d'affiche qui seront présentes pour animer la foule durant le dernier week-end de l'événement, soit la chanteuse québécoise Alicia Moffet, les rappeurs Loud et Imposs ainsi que celui qui se cache derrière le récent succès Acapulco, Jason Derulo.
Ce sont entre autres Charlotte Cardin, Hubert Lenoir, Ludacris, The Franklin Electric, Koriass et PETiTOM qui s'ajoutent à la programmation, pour un total de plus de 60 artistes d'ici et d'ailleurs.
Celle qui a été nommée humoriste de l'année au dernier gala Les Olivier, Mariana Mazza, aura même une soirée carte blanche combinant autant l'humour que la musique avec des invité.es comme Martin Vachon, Michelle Desrochers, Stéphane Fallu, Roxane Bruneau, Sarahmée ainsi que Laurence Nerbonne.
Outre les spectacles, les festivalier.ères pourront se promener à travers les différents espaces. Il y aura entre autres un grand bassin où des embarcations seront disponibles pour se promener sur l'eau, un coin de manèges, la zone gourmande et la zone sportive. Cette dernière aura des jeux gonflables, des tables de ping pong et des jeux de spikeball.
Tout ça, sans oublier les quelque 80 montgolfières qui se promèneront dans le ciel. Les nuits magiques avec les ballons illuminés et maintenus au sol seront aussi de retour le premier et le dernier soir des festivités. L'International des montgolfières s'installera du samedi 13 août au dimanche 21 août prochain à compter de midi et tu peux déjà te procurer des billets.
Le passeport régulier pour les neuf jours est offert à 90 $, mais tu peux aussi te procurer un accès journalier à 35 $ du lundi au jeudi ou à 40 $ du vendredi au dimanche. Il ne te reste plus qu'à booker les dates sur ton calendrier et acheter ta passe.
L'International de montgolfières de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Coût : À partir de 35 $ pour la passe journalière et 90 $ pour le passeport
Quand : Du 13 au 21 août 2022
Adresse : 5, ch. de l'aéroport, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC
Keep reading...Show less
Gavin Hewitt says Emmanuel Macron is 'plotting to become EU President' as he shared his thoughts with Steven Edgington in a GB News original. Speaking exclusively to GB News, political analyst Gavin Hewitt has claimed that French President Emmanuel Macron has his sights set on one of the EU’s top jobs, the presidency of the European Commission.Mr Hewitt warned that Macron’s ambitions are shaping his domestic policy decisions, as the French leader balances growing unrest at home with his European aspirations. “Macron’s ego knows no bounds,” Mr Hewitt said. “He is absolutely determined to position himself for the EU Commission role, and it influences everything he does in Paris.”WATCH THE GB NEWS ORIGINAL ABOVE