The Sixth Circuit US Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that the FCC does not have the "statutory authority" to implement net neutrality rules.
Since the rules were established in 2015, the FCC argued that classifying ISPs as "telecommunication services" gives it broad authority to regulate them. The decision to redefine ISPs as "information services" during the first Trump Administration led to the repeal of net neutrality in 2017.
The current FCC voted to restore net neutrality on April 25 last year. The difference between 2015 and now is the Supreme Court's recent, radical reinterpretation of an important legal doctrine. The Chevron doctrine said that if Congress doesn't weigh in on an issue, courts are supposed to defer to the interpretation of government agencies. Now, interpretation falls to the individual judge, and the Sixth Court doesn't agree with the FCC.
This is the end of the road for the FCC’s attempts to wrench a little bit of the power from internet providers and carriers and level speeds and access regardless of service. Net neutrality rules will remain in California and other states, but anything at the federal level will require either an act of Congress or, for this case, be appealed to (and succeed in front of) the Supreme Court.
Tesla delivered around 1.78 million vehicles in 2024, but the company delivered 1.81 million total in 2023. Company shares fell by as much as seven percent at the news, but has since rallied a couple of points. This follows similar news from Q1 of 2024, but that was just for a single quarter. Tesla doesn’t publish actual sales numbers in the US, but numbers are down in Europe, with a 14 percent decline in 2024 when compared to last year, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.
Class members could get up to $20 per Siri-enabled device.
Apple will settle a five-year-old class action lawsuit over Siri privacy. Reuters reports that the company agreed to pay $95 million to class members, estimated to be tens of millions of Siri-enabled device owners. The lawsuit stemmed from a 2019 report that Apple quality control contractors could regularly hear sensitive info accidentally recorded by the voice assistant’s “Hey Siri” feature. The clips were said to include medical information, criminal activities and even “sexual encounters.” Reuters notes that $95 million in cash amounts to about nine hours of profit for the company. If you owned a Siri-enabled mobile product during that period (and Judge White approves the settlement), you might get a heady $20 per device.
In 1972, Time named the computer ‘Man of the Year’
Well, machine of the year.
Time
42 years ago, long before Time was awarding it to ‘you’, groups of scientists or even women (gasp!) it awarded the personal computer its 'man of the year' award. Time publisher John A. Meyers wrote: "Several human candidates might have represented 1982, but none symbolized the past year more richly, or will be viewed by history as more significant, than a machine: the computer."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121617627.html?src=rss
Telegram has introduced a new third-party account verification system as part of its latest app update, the company announced in a blog post. The idea is to let public figures or companies that are already verified by Telegram in turn verify others, for instance employees in the organization. "This decentralized platform for additional verification will help prevent scams and reduce misinformation — with a unique proactive solution that sets a new safety standard for social platforms," Telegram wrote.
Individuals or groups that want to be able to verify others must already have an official bot verified by Telegram. Once that happens, they can apply to become a third-party verifier on Telegram. They're also required to have a unique icon (simple and. minimalistic in a solid color) that will appear next of the names of accounts they verify.
Any accounts verified in this way will have that logo next to their name, and opening their profile will show a detailed explanation of that status and what it means. The company emphasized that this type of verification is "completely separate" from its internal verification, and provided more details in a guide.
Telegram also introduced new search filters that let you refine a list of results only from private chats, group chats or channels. It also added custom emojis for folder names, reactions for service messages and the ability to upgrade gifts to NFTs.
The company also announced that it reached profitability for the first time thanks to monetization features like Premium subscriptions, ads, Telegram Stars and more. Not all has been rosy for the company of late, though: In August last year, the founder of the chat app, Pavel Durov, was arrested over charges that the company hadn't done enough to stop illegal activity on the app.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/telegram-introduces-third-party-verification-and-new-search-filters-140013424.html?src=rss
After announcing this week that it furloughed 82 employees, EV startup Canoo emailed remaining workers to inform them they were being placed on a “mandatory unpaid break” and would be locked out of the company’s systems at the end of the day Friday, TechCrunch reports. The email viewed by TechCrunch reportedly said the break would last at least through the end of the year. Canoo announced on Wednesday that it was idling its Oklahoma factories “while it works to finalize securing the capital necessary to move forward with its operations.”
Canoo has faced financial difficulties, lawsuits and the departure of multiple executives over the last year. It previously announced it was furloughing 30 employees just this fall. Canoo’s announcement on Wednesday said that the company is now in “advanced discussions with various capital sources.” In a statement about the cuts, Canoo said, “We regret having to furlough our employees, especially during the holidays, but we have no choice at this point. We are hopeful that we will be able to bring them back to work soon.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/canoo-put-employees-on-a-mandatory-unpaid-break-after-pausing-work-at-oklahoma-factories-this-week-221912555.html?src=rss
Google has filed a proposal outlining how it would remedy the antitrust violations it’s been accused of by the Department of Justice, after the DOJ called for Google to sell off Chrome and face restrictions that would prevent it from favoring its own search engine in Android. Judge Amit Mehta of the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled in August that Google has violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act, and called Google “a monopolist.” Google said in the proposal filed on Friday night that it disagreed with the ruling but suggested ways to make its contracts with browser companies and Android device makers more flexible.
In a blog post summarizing the filing, Google’s VP of regulatory affairs Lee-Anne Mulholland wrote that the proposal would let browser companies like Apple and Mozilla “continue to offer Google Search to their users and earn revenue from that partnership,” while allowing them to have “multiple default agreements across different platforms (e.g., a different default search engine for iPhones and iPads) and browsing modes.” And browsers would be able to change their default search provider every 12 months. The proposal would also give device makers “additional flexibility in preloading multiple search engines, and preloading any Google app independently of preloading Search or Chrome.”
Google said it plans to appeal the judge’s decision ahead of a hearing in April, and will submit a revised proposal on March 7. In the blog post, Mulholland called the DOJ’s proposal “overboard,” going on to write that it reflects an “interventionist agenda” and “goes far beyond what the Court’s decision is actually about — our agreements with partners to distribute search.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-proposes-alternative-remedies-for-its-search-monopoly-after-doj-demands-radical-changes-185253526.html?src=rss
INDIA - 2024/12/12: In this photo illustration, the chrome logo is seen displayed on a mobile phone screen with google logo in the background. (Photo Illustration by Idrees/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
There's no arguing that AI still has quite a few unreliable moments, but one would hope that at least its evaluations would be accurate. However, last week Google allegedly instructed contract workers evaluating Gemini not to skip any prompts, regardless of their expertise, TechCrunch reports based on internal guidance it viewed. Google shared a preview of Gemini 2.0 earlier this month.
Google reportedly instructed GlobalLogic, an outsourcing firm whose contractors evaluate AI-generated output, not to have reviewers skip prompts outside of their expertise. Previously, contractors could choose to skip any prompt that fell far out of their expertise — such as asking a doctor about laws. The guidelines had stated, "If you do not have critical expertise (e.g. coding, math) to rate this prompt, please skip this task."
Now, contractors have allegedly been instructed, "You should not skip prompts that require specialized domain knowledge" and that they should "rate the parts of the prompt you understand" while adding a note that it's not an area they have knowledge in. Apparently, the only times contracts can skip now are if a big chunk of the information is missing or if it has harmful content which requires specific consent forms for evaluation.
One contractor aptly responded to the changes stating, "I thought the point of skipping was to increase accuracy by giving it to someone better?"
Shortly after this article was first published, Google provided Engadget with the following statement: "Raters perform a wide range of tasks across many different Google products and platforms. They provide valuable feedback on more than just the content of the answers, but also on the style, format, and other factors. The ratings they provide do not directly impact our algorithms, but when taken in aggregate, are a helpful data point to help us measure how well our systems are working."
A Google spokesperson also noted that the new language shouldn't necessarily lead to changes to Gemini's accuracy, because they're asking raters to specifically rate the parts of the prompts that they understand. This could be providing feedback for things like formatting issues even if the rater doesn't have specific expertise in the subject. The company also pointed to this weeks' release of the FACTS Grounding benchmark that can check LLM responses to make sure "that are not only factually accurate with respect to given inputs, but also sufficiently detailed to provide satisfactory answers to user queries."
Update, December 19 2024, 11:23AM ET: This story has been updated with a statement from Google and more details about how its ratings system works.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-accused-of-using-novices-to-fact-check-geminis-ai-answers-143044552.html?src=rss
The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear TikTok owner ByteDance’s appeal of a law that could ban the app. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act is set to go into effect on January 19, the day before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. ByteDance claimed the law violates free speech rights, a position the ACLU has supported. The Justice Department defended the law in lower courts, citing concerns that the Chinese government could influence the company and collect data about American citizens.
The Supreme Court’s response was fast — only two days after the company filed its appeal. Oral arguments are scheduled for January 10.
It’s teaming with talent agency CAA to test ‘likeness management technology.’
YouTube is teaming up with one of the world’s largest talent agencies, CAA, to help its high-profile actors and athletes monitor their AI likenesses. The platform will test its “likeness management technology” with unnamed award-winning actors and top NBA and NFL athletes. Down the road, it will announce further testing for top YouTube creators, creative professionals and other talent agencies. It’s largely aimed at removing depictions of their likenesses.
It’s about avoiding regulatory pressures and regulation.
Apple is shelving its plans to offer the iPhone for a monthly subscription, according to a Bloomberg report. The idea of an Apple hardware subscription was first rumored in 2022, but a hardware subscription might have required Apple to “follow the same regulations as credit card companies.” It’s part of a retreat from the headaches of financial services. Apple Pay Later shut down in June 2024, replaced with access to Affirm loans in Apple Pay as part of iOS 18, while the Apple Card is also reportedly in limbo as it tries to find a replacement partner for Goldman Sachs.
LG’s transparent wireless OLED TV is now available. The 77-inch OLED T has 4K resolution, the company’s wireless transmission tech for video and audio and the ability to shift between transparent and opaque modes with the push of a button. And you pay just $60,000 for the privilege. Here’s what we thought when we saw it early this year.
I can't remember a recent instance in which the final amount I owed, whether it be for a hotel reservation or a concert ticket, didn't make my eyes bug out in shock. Now, a new rule from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) should limit these bait-and-switch pricing tactics. The FTC has announced the Junk Fees Rule, requiring live-event ticketing and short-term lodging businesses to be transparent about the total price owed. Other companies will continue to be monitored on a case-by-case basis for deceptive pricing.
The new rule, first proposed in 2023, should get rid of all those extra "resort" and "service" fees tacked on at checkout that often feel arbitrary. Companies can still technically include them, but they must be factored into the initial price shown. The required disclosure means the first amount you see on displays, advertisements and the like should also be the total amount you pay.
The Junk Fees Rule also requires businesses to display that final amount "more prominently" than any other information. So, it can't say it will cost one thing in big font and then in really small print add that there's a lot of fees on top of it. “People deserve to know up-front what they’re being asked to pay — without worrying that they’ll later be saddled with mysterious fees that they haven’t budgeted for and can’t avoid,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. "I urge enforcers to continue cracking down on these unlawful fees and encourage state and federal policymakers to build on this success with legislation that bans unfair and deceptive junk fees across the economy.”
The FTC claims the Junk Fee Rule will save individuals up to an estimated 53 million hours each year and more than $11 billion over the next decade. The rule will go into effect 120 days after it's published in the Federal Registrar.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ftc-bans-hidden-junk-fees-on-tickets-and-short-term-lodging-purchases-160702790.html?src=rss
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan testifies before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on "Oversight of the Federal Trade Commission," on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., July 13, 2023.
It's an expensive day for Meta. First, Australia announced a $50 million AUD ($31.7 million USD) settlement with the company over the Cambridge Analytica scandal and now the Irish Data Protection Committee (IDPC) has issued Meta a €251 million ($263 million) fine. The IRDC's fine stems from a personal data breach on Facebook in 2018.
Hackers had exploited a "vulnerability in Facebook’s code," related to the View As feature, the company said at the time. It allowed them to get hold of users' access tokens and take over those accounts. The bad actors were able to log on to about 29 million global users' Facebook accounts, including three million users in the European Union and European Economic Area. They gained access to information such as a user’s full name, email address, phone number, location, date of birth, religion and children’s personal data.
The IDPC holds Meta responsible for not having proper data protection when designing its processing systems, not processing personal data only when specifically necessary and not disclosing all the information about the breach.
"This enforcement action highlights how the failure to build in data protection requirements throughout the design and development cycle can expose individuals to very serious risks and harms, including a risk to the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals," DPC Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle stated. "By allowing unauthorised exposure of profile information, the vulnerabilities behind this breach caused a grave risk of misuse of these types of data."
In response to the fine, a Meta spokesperson told Engadget, "This decision relates to an incident from 2018. We took immediate action to fix the problem as soon as it was identified, and we proactively informed people impacted as well as the Irish Data Protection Commission. We have a wide range of industry-leading measures in place to protect people across our platforms.”
Down under, the Cambridge Analytica scandal settlement stems from a whistleblower who revealed in 2018 that the company had "exploited Facebook to harvest millions of people’s profiles." Facebook had found out about it three years earlier. Cambridge Analytica took this information to influence US voters for Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and the Pro-Brexit campaign. The company was previously led by Steve Bannon, who recently served time in jail for his refusal to cooperate in the January 6 investigation.
The settlement should provide payment to an estimated 311,127 people. Eligible parties must have had a Facebook account from November 2015 to December 2015, spent more than 30 days in Australia during that period and personally or had a Facebook friend who installed the This is Your Digital Life app. Meta previously agreed to pay $725 million to users in the US.
Update, December 17 2024, 10:19AM ET: This article has been updated to include a statement from a Meta spokesperson.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ireland-fines-meta-263-million-for-2018-view-as-data-breach-133042475.html?src=rss
The holidays haven’t even kicked off, but we’re already looking to next year when, almost immediately, some of the Engadget team will head to Las Vegas for tech’s biggest annual conference. The pitches from companies, both legit and unhinged, are already filling our inboxes and spam tabs, so what are we excited about?
Excited might not be the word, but we expect AI to become even more pervasive in good and overhyped ways. There will also be the usual slew of new processors and subsequent laptops. We expect NVIDIA to debut its long-awaited RTX 5000 video cards at CES, while AMD CEO Lisa Su has confirmed we’ll see next-generation RDNA 4 GPUs early next year. While 2024 was a year of endless AI PC hype, 2025 might be a year of reckoning. Microsoft’s long-delayed Recall feature is slowly trickling out to more users, for example, but is still facing struggles. PC makers in 2025 will have to actually prove their new AI-laced devices can live up to their claims.
There are also audio products, EVs, flying EVs (!) and more. Check out the full CES 2025 preview.
More than 100 million people use the site every day.
Cementing its status as the fastest growing social network ever (with a heavy nepo-baby lift from Instagram), Threads has hit 300 million users, with over 100 million people using the site every day. We could see some big changes for Threads as Meta capitalizes on that growth. The company reportedly has plans to experiment with the first ads for threads in early 2025, according to a recent report in The Information.
While it’s still a ways off, Zuckerberg has repeatedly speculated that Threads has a “good chance” of becoming the company’s next billion-user app.
The social media app is just a few weeks away from a potential ban.
It’s a tale of two social media networks today. After a federal court last week denied TikTok’s request to delay a law that could ban the app in the United States, the company is now turning to the Supreme Court to buy time. The social media company has asked the court to temporarily block the law. The company, which argues the law is unconstitutional, lost its initial legal challenge earlier this month. The company then requested a delay of the law’s implementation, saying President-elect Donald Trump had said he would “save” TikTok. That request was denied on Friday. TikTok is now hoping the Supreme Court will intervene to suspend the law, otherwise, app stores and internet service providers will begin blocking TikTok next month.
If you've been waiting patiently to try ChatGPT Search, you won't have to wait much longer. After rolling out to paid subscribers this fall, OpenAI announced Monday it's making the tool available to everyone, no Plus or Pro membership necessary.
At that point, all you need before you can start using ChatGPT Search is an OpenAI account. Once you're logged in, and if your query calls for it, ChatGPT will automatically search the web for the latest information to answer your question. You can also force it to search the web, thanks to a handy new icon located right in the prompt bar. OpenAI has also added the option to make ChatGPT Search your browser's default search engine.
At the same time, OpenAI is integrating ChatGPT Search and Advanced Voice mode together. As you might have guessed, the former allows ChatGPT's audio persona to search the web for answers to your questions and answer them in a natural, conversational way. For example, say you're traveling to a different city for vacation. You could ask ChatGPT what the weather will be like once you arrive, with the Search functionality built-in, the chatbot can answer that question with the most up-to-date information.
To facilitate this functionality, OpenAI says it has partnered with leading news and data providers. As a result, you'll also see widgets for stocks, sports scores, the weather and more. Basically, ChatGPT Search is becoming a full-fledged Google competitor before our eyes.
OpenAI announced the expanded availability during its most recent "12 Days of OpenAI" livestream. In previous live streams, the company announced the general availability of Sora and ChatGPT Pro, a new $200 subscription for its chatbot. With four more days to go, it's hard to see the company topping that announcement, but at this point, OpenAI likely has a surprise or two up its sleeve.
Correction 12/1 7/2024: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated OpenAI would roll out ChatGPT Search "over the coming months." The tool is now available to all logged-in users. We regret the error.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chatgpt-is-getting-ready-to-roll-its-search-tool-out-to-everyone-184442971.html?src=rss
OpenAI published receipts, in the form of a long timeline of emails, texts and legal filings, illustrating that Elon Musk’s injunction to prevent OpenAI from converting into a for-profit company runs counter to what he wanted in 2017. Essentially, OpenAI is providing even more evidence to the fact that its former co-founder wanted the AI startup to become a for-profit company and make him CEO.
You should read the whole blog to get all of the details (and get a sense for how billionaires email) but the gist is that in 2017, Musk and OpenAI came to an understanding that the then non-profit needed to become a for-profit to “advance its mission” and seemingly capitalize on the public interest earned from its AI beating professional Dota 2 players in one-on-one matches. According to OpenAI, Musk proposed a new board structure where he “would unequivocally have initial control of the company,” which OpenAI was opposed to. That led to the disagreements between Musk and OpenAI leadership, and him ultimately leaving the nonprofit's board in 2018. xAI, Musk’s AI startup that’s a direct competitor to OpenAI, was started in 2023.
It’s pretty clear what OpenAI is trying to do here. Musk first sued OpenAI in March 2024 over the company’s dealings with Microsoft and the belief they violated its non-profit status. He dropped the suit not long after OpenAI published a blog with emails that suggested Musk wanted OpenAI to either merge with Tesla or make him CEO. OpenAI’s new blog expands on all those details with new material and seems set up to achieve a similar effect.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-published-more-of-elon-musks-emails-if-thats-something-you-want-to-read-225614986.html?src=rss
A judge has issued an injunction ordering WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg and his company Automattic to restore access to the WP Engine web hosting service, according to legal documents seen by The Verge. Automattic must also restore WP Engine's control of its popular ACF (Advanced Custom Fields) plugin. It also removes a checkbox implemented by Automattic that made people say they had no relationship with WP Engine.
The ruling follows a major dispute between WP Engine and Automattic and its CEO Matt Mullenweg, a co-founder of WordPress. Last September, Mullenweg accused WP Engine of misusing the WordPress trademark and said it "never once" donated to the open-source arm of the foundation. The WordPress foundation then banned WP Engine from accessing resources like plug-ins and themes, breaking many of WP Engine's over 200,000 websites. It also took control of the company's ACF plugin, forking and renaming it to Secure Custom Fields.
WP Engine then sued Automattic and Mullenweg, accusing them of extortion and abuse of power. The company said that Automattic demanded eight percent of its gross revenues (or donated employee time) in exchange for restoring its access. Mullenweg admitted that "a good chunk of my Automattic colleagues disagreed with my actions," and said that 159 employees resigned and took him up on a buyout offer of at least $30,000.
Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin said that WP Engine's claims that Automattic's actions harmed its business had merit. Without the injunction, WP Engine will suffer "irreparable harm" because it has "suffered loss of existing and potential customers," adding that those customers and the larger WordPress community also sustained harm.
In a post on X, WP Engine said it's "grateful that the court has granted our motion for a preliminary junction that restores access to and functionality of wordpressdotorg for WP Engine, its customers and its users." Automattic, meanwhile, said that it planned to file counterclaims "shortly" and "looks forward to prevailing in trial." It should be noted that while providing temporary relief to WP Engine, the injunction is certainly not the end of the legal actions.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/wp-engine-wins-preliminary-injunction-in-wordpress-legal-battle-131527285.html?src=rss
California is introducing new requirements aimed at protecting young passengers traveling alone in taxis and rideshares. The California Public Utilities Commission is requiring drivers to pass a fingerprint background check in order to provide a ride to an unaccompanied minor. According to TechCrunch, transit companies will also be responsible for the cost of these background checks. Companies will have 30 days to comply with this policy.
This ruling will mostly impact Uber, which began rolling out teen accounts last year and added further safety features to the accounts this year. Uber for Teens, which allows minors between the ages of 13 and 17 to hail a ride without their parent or guardian present, although an adult has to provide consent for the teen to use the app.
Uber has historically pushed back against fingerprinting drivers, arguing that the additional burden would discourage participation in the rideshare service and that its own safety guards are sufficient. In fact, this isn't the first time Uber and California have clashed over fingerprinting. In this case, Uber is also objecting that shouldering the cost of fingerprinting background checks will lead to higher fares for unaccompanied minors using the rideshare service.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/california-will-require-fingerprint-screening-for-uber-drivers-to-provide-rideshares-to-minors-234031152.html?src=rss
Telegram is taking a significant step to reduce child sexual abuse material (CSAM), partnering with the International Watch Foundation (IWF) four months after the former's founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested. The French authorities issued 12 charges against Durov in August, including complicity in "distributing, offering or making available pornographic images of minors, in an organized group" and "possessing pornographic images of minors."
The UK-based IWF works with social media platforms, tech companies, governments and more to prevent the spread of CSAM. Telegram's membership to the IWF grants it access to the organization's tools that block links to CSAM content and "non-photographic depictions," including AI-created images. It also provides Telegram with hashes of known CSAM content and any harmful content the organization detects. The IWF reports having found thousands of confirmed instances of CSAM on Telegram since 2022.
Telegram has previously refused to join any programs that could help limit CSAM. In a release, Telegram's Head of Press and Media Relations Remi Vaughn claimed the platform "removes hundreds of thousands of child abuse materials each month" through reports and moderation through AI, hash-matching and more. Though Vaughn conceded IWF's support will strengthen the company's ability to delete CSAM before it reaches anyone.
Telegram has taken other steps since Durov's arrest, announcing in September that it would hand over IP addresses and phone numbers in legal requests — something it fought in the past. Durov must remain in France for the foreseeable future.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/telegram-finally-takes-action-to-remove-csam-from-its-platform-134514444.html?src=rss
Virtual private networks (VPNs) promise the potential to stream any content, from anywhere. They unlock content from abroad across nearly any streaming service you use regularly, which can come in handy if you’re into some obscure BBC exclusive not available in the United States. But that’s actually just one small perk of VPN services. VPNs provide a private traffic tunnel to keep your internet service provider out of your business, and provide an extra layer of security to protect your browsing habits.
We tested nine of the most popular VPN services available now to come up with our top picks, and lay out what you should know before paying for one. Our top pick remains ProtonVPN thanks to its easy-to-use interface, no-logs policy and open-source framework, while other popular options like NordVPN didn't quite make the cut. While we think ProtonVPN is the best VPN for most people, we lay out other good options you can consider, too.
VPNs, or virtual private networks, mask your IP address and the identity of your computer or mobile device on the network and creating an encrypted "tunnel" that prevents your internet service provider (ISP) from accessing data about your browsing history. VPNs are not a one-size-fits-all security solution, though.
Instead, they’re just one part of keeping your data private and secure. Roya Ensafi, assistant professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Michigan, told Engadget that VPNs don’t protect against common threats like phishing attacks, nor do they protect your data from being stolen. Much of the data or information is stored with the VPN provider instead of your ISP, which means that using a poorly designed or unprotected network can still undermine your security. But they do come in handy for online privacy when you’re connecting to an untrusted network somewhere public because they tunnel and encrypt your traffic to the next hop.
That means sweeping claims that seem promising, like military-grade encryption or total digital invisibility, may not be totally accurate. Instead, Yael Grauer, program manager of Consumer Reports’ online security guide, recommends looking for security features like open-source software with reproducible builds, up-to-date support for industry-standard protocols like WireGuard (CR's preferred protocol) or IPsec, and the ability to defend against attack vectors like brute force.
Before considering a VPN, make sure your online security is up to date in other ways. That means complex passwords, multi-factor authentication methods and locking down your data sharing preferences. Even then, you probably don’t need to be using a VPN all the time.
“If you're just worried about somebody sitting there passively and looking at your data then a VPN is great,” Jed Crandall, an associate professor at Arizona State University, told Engadget.
That brings us to some of the most common uses cases for VPNs. If you use public WiFi networks a lot, like while working at a coffee shop, then VPN usage can help give you private internet access. They’re also helpful for hiding information from other people on your ISP if you don’t want members of your household to know what you’re up to online.
Geoblocking has also become a popular use case as it helps you reach services in other parts of the world. For example, you can access shows that are only available on streaming services, like Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime, in other countries, or play online games with people located all over the globe.
There are also a few common VPN features that you should consider before deciding if you want to use one, and which is best for you:
What is split tunneling?
Split tunneling allows you to route some traffic through your VPN, while other traffic has direct access to the internet. This can come in handy when you want to protect certain activity online without losing access to local network devices, or services that work best with location sharing enabled.
What is a double VPN?
A double VPN, otherwise known as multi-hop VPN or a VPN chain, passes your online activity through two different VPN servers one right after the other. For VPN services that support this, users are typically able to choose which two servers they want their traffic to pass through. As you might expect, this provides an extra layer of security.
Are VPNs worth it?
Whether or not VPNs are worth it depends how often you could use it for the above use cases. If you travel a lot and rely on public WiFi or hotspots, are looking to browse outside of your home country or want to keep your traffic hidden from your ISP, then investing in a VPN will be useful. But, keep in mind that even the best VPN services often slow down your internet connection speed, so they may not be ideal all the time.
In today's world, we recommend not relying on a VPN connection as your main cybersecurity tool. VPN use can provide a false sense of security, leaving you vulnerable to attack. Plus, if you choose just any VPN, it may not be as secure as just relying on your ISP. That’s because the VPN could be based in a country with weaker data privacy regulation, obligated to hand information over to law enforcement or linked to weak user data protection policies.
For VPN users working in professions like activism or journalism that want to really strengthen their internet security, options like the Tor browser may be a worthwhile alternative, according to Crandall. Tor is free, and while it's less user-friendly, it’s built for anonymity and privacy.
How we tested VPNs
To test the security specs of different VPNs and name our top picks, we relied on pre-existing academic work through Consumer Reports, VPNalyzer and other sources. We referenced privacy policies, transparency reports and security audits made available to the public. We also considered past security incidents like data breaches.
We looked at price, usage limits, effects on internet speed, possible use cases, ease of use, general functionality and additional “extra” VPN features like multihop. The VPNs were tested across iOS, Android and Mac devices so we could see the state of the mobile apps across various platforms (Windows devices are also supported in most cases). We used the “quick connect” feature on the VPN apps to connect to the “fastest” provider available when testing internet speed, access to IP address data and DNS and WebRTC leaks or when a fault in the encrypted tunnel reveals requests to an ISP.
Otherwise, we conducted a test of geoblocking content by accessing Canada-exclusive Netflix releases, a streaming test by watching a news livestream on YouTube via a Hong Kong-based VPN and a gaming test by playing on servers in the United Kingdom. By performing these tests at the same time, it also allowed us to test claims about simultaneous device use. Here are the VPN services we tested:
NordVPN didn’t quite make the cut because it’s overhyped, and underwhelming. As I've written in our full review of NordVPN, the pricing, up to $14.49 for a “complete” subscription, seemed high compared to other services, and its free or lower cost plans just didn’t have the same wide variety of features as its competitors.
TunnelBear
Despite the cute graphics and user friendliness, TunnelBear wasn’t a top choice. It failed numerous basic security tests from Consumer Reports, and had limited availability across platforms like Linux. It did, however, get a major security boost in July when it updated to support WireGuard protocol across more of its platforms.
Bitdefender VPN
Bitdefender doesn’t offer support for devices like routers, which limits its cross-platform accessibility. It also lacked a transparency report or third-party audit to confirm security specs.
Atlas VPN
Atlas ranked lower on our speed tests compared to the other VPNs tested, with a notably slower difference on web browsing and streaming tests. It was a good option otherwise, but could easily cause headaches for those chasing high speed connections. Security-wise, an Atlas VPN vulnerability leaked Linux users’ real IP addresses.
VPN FAQs
What are some things VPNs are used for?
VPNs are traditionally used to protect your internet traffic. If you’re connected to an untrusted network like public WiFi in a cafe, using a VPN hides what you do from the internet service provider. Then, the owner of the WiFi or hackers trying to get into the system can’t see the identity of your computer or your browsing history.
A common non-textbook use case for VPNs has been accessing geographically restricted content. VPNs can mask your location, so even if you’re based in the United States, they can make it appear as if you’re browsing abroad and unblock access. This is especially useful for streaming content that’s often limited to certain countries, like if you want to watch Canadian Netflix from the US.
What information does a VPN hide?
A VPN doesn’t hide all of your data. It only hides information like your IP address, location and browser history. A common misconception is that VPNs can make you totally invisible online. But keep in mind that the VPN provider often still has access to all of this information, so it doesn’t grant you total anonymity. You’re also still vulnerable to phishing attacks, hacking and other cyberthreats that you should be mindful of by implementing strong passwords and multi-factor authentication.
Are VPNs safe?
Generally, yes. VPNs are a safe and reliable way to encrypt and protect your internet data. But like most online services, the safety specifics vary from provider to provider. You can use resources like third-party audits, Consumer Reports reviews, transparency reports and privacy policies to understand the specifics of your chosen provider.
What about Google’s One VPN?
Google One subscriptions include access to the company’s VPN, which works similarly to other VPNs on our list, hiding your online activity from network operators. However, Google announced recently that it plans to shut down the One VPN because "people simply weren’t using it." There's no specific date for the shutdown, with Google simply saying it will discontinue the service sometime in 2024. Pixel phone owners, however, will continue to have access to the free VPN available on their devices.
Recent updates
October 2024: Added a "read more" section with links to additional VPN content.
June 2024: Updated to include table of contents.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/best-vpn-130004396.html?src=rss
Bluesky has updated its impersonation policy to be "more aggressive" after third-party analysis highlighted its verification problem. The Bluesky Safety account said that the social media service is removing accounts that are impersonating other people and those squatting on handles. Bluesky doesn't have a conventional verification system, so it's easy for unscrupulous users to pretend to be someone else either for attention or to scam other people. That may not have been a serious problem in the past, but the recent influx of new users threw the issue into stark relief.
While users can verify their identities on Bluesky by linking their account to a domain name, the process isn't as straightforward as paying for a checkmark. They'd have to add a string of text to the DNS record associated with their domain so that they could claim their URL. For instance, we could claim the Engadget.com handle on Bluesky if we go through this self-verification process. Individuals can link their accounts to personal domains or pay for Bluesky's custom domain service. In its new announcement, the platform say's it's working with organizations and high-profile individuals to set up their verified handles.
That said, when a user verifies their account, their old handle (typically username.bsky.social) gets freed up and becomes available to other people who sign up. Alexios Mantzarlis, the third party from Cornell Tech who analyzed the app's userbase, found that 44 percent of Bluesky's 100 most-followed accounts have a doppelganger. That is why Bluesky now requires parody, satire or fan accounts to label themselves as such in both their handles and their bio. If they don't, or if they only indicate the nature of their account in one of those elements, then they'll be treated as an impersonator and will be removed from the platform.
Bluesky now explicitly prohibits identity churning, as well. Accounts that start as impersonators with the purpose of gaining new users, and who then switch to a different identity in an attempt to circumvent the ban, will still get booted off the app. Finally, it says it's exploring "additional options to enhance account verification," though they're not quite ready for rollout.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/bluesky-implements-a-more-aggressive-impersonation-policy-130047163.html?src=rss
BATH, UNITED KINGDOM - NOVEMBER 17: In this photo illustration a smartphone screen displays the logo of social media app Bluesky on November 17, 2024 in Bath, England. Millions of users have been leaving Elon Musk's social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, and have instead been joining Bluesky, set up by former Twitter founder Jack Dorsey. (Photo by Anna Barclay/Getty Images)
In the last decade social media has gone from silly dog lenses to over the top beauty filters. The latter is at the core of a new initiative from TikTok — the company currently being sued in 14 US states for negatively impacting young people's mental health. TikTok is now taking a step to reduce young people's access to these appearance altering effects, with the platform announcing new restrictions on Tuesday around which filters will be available to users under 18 years old.
TikTok is limiting anyone in this age group's use of "some appearance effects," a vague promise that's scope will determine if its to actually help young people or just TikTok's image. The company also plans to expand how much information each filter must have about changes to a person's appearance. Plus, TikTok is "refreshing" its guidance for creators in its TikTok Effects House around the impact certain filters might have — again vague, so we'll have to see if it's just talk or actually beneficial.
Then there's the matter of finding and banning users under 13 years old. The company claims to removes six million accounts worldwide each month of users that it suspects are underage. Now, TikTok is also "exploring" how to use machine learning to technology to detect accounts run by individuals under 13 years old to then be sent to a moderator to confirm. A TikTok spokesperson confirmed to Engadget that the company will initially test this in the UK, while the filter restrictions and guidance should roll out globally in the coming weeks and months.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/tiktok-is-limiting-appearance-altering-effects-for-anyone-under-18-140006448.html?src=rss
FILE - In this Friday, Aug. 7, 2020 file photo, the icons for the smartphone app TikTok on a smartphone screen in Beijing. A TikTok executive told a British parliamentary committee Tuesday Sept. 22, 2020 the video of a man apparently taking his own life that circulated on its platform was spread deliberately by a group of users working together. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
Bloomberg reports that Uber has started farming out independent contractors for data-labeling services as well as coders-for-hire.
Uber describes its new Scaled Solutions division as a platform of “analysts, testers and independent data operators,” according to the company’s website. Scaled Solutions began life as an internal team, handling “large-scale annotation tasks” for Uber’s other services. Now it’s been expanded to provide coders and data labelers for outside companies like Pokémon Go developer Niantic Inc. and the self-driving trucking software firm Aurora Innovations. Aurora acquired Uber’s self-driving Advanced Technologies Group (ATG) unit in 2020 and Uber is one of Aurora’s investors.
Uber started recruiting workers this month for its Scaled Solutions division from India, the US, Canada, Poland and Nicaragua. Scaled Solutions also posted some corporate openings for positions in San Francisco, New York and Chicago. According to an onboarding FAQ reviewed by Bloomberg, contractor pay is distributed monthly and totals are based on the tasks that contractors complete. The company did not reveal any specific rates to Bloomberg for its new crop of freelance employees.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ubers-latest-gig-economy-play-is-offering-out-coders-for-hire-215036314.html?src=rss
Google is running a short test in Germany, Belgium and Estonia that removes more detailed results from Google Search when users look for hotels and lodgings in these countries. Results will instead appear in a simple “blue link” that older users may recall from years past. The primary reason behind this test is pressure from the European Union, which is calling for more Google compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
According to a blog post, Google has been working hard over the past year with the European Commission and various industries, particularly hotels, airlines and small retailers. The company claims these three business types are experiencing 30 percent less traffic due to changes to comply further with the DMA. However, comparison sites are asking for more. For the uninitiated, comparison sites gather various results for users to pick between.
Therefore, Google is now proposing three more changes to Search. The main change is “expanded and equally formatted units” that let users choose between comparison sites or supplier websites. This change only applies to searches for products, hotels, flights and restaurants.
Another change is new formatting that allows comparison sites to show more information when they appear in Google Search, such as pictures and prices. The final change is the introduction of new ad units for comparison sites.
TechCrunch received a statement from the European Commission regarding the enforcement of DMA. Lea Zuber, an EU spokesperson, didn’t say much besides confirming that they’re “assessing Google’s compliance proposals.”
The hotel-specific test is temporary, but Google still says it’s “very reluctant” to do so, as these changes and more will hurt Google and businesses in Europe. The tech giant is trying to balance trade-offs and find a solution where both the law, European consumers and businesses, and the company will be happy.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-is-testing-plan-blue-link-search-results-for-hotels-in-a-few-european-countries-155417020.html?src=rss
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has released a 23-page document calling for the breakup of Google, including a sale of the Chrome web browser and restrictions on Android, confirming previous reports. Selling Chrome "will permanently stop Google’s control of this critical search access point and allow rival search engines the ability to access the browser that for many users is a gateway to the internet," DoJ lawyers argued in the filing.
The regulator said that Google must also stop favoring its own search engine in Android. If the company fails to do that, DoJ lawyers argued that it should also be required to divest its mobile device operating system. They also proposed that Google syndicate search results separately and sell its click and query data to aid rival search engines and AI startups.
In a response on its Keyword blog, Google said the DoJ's "staggering proposal" would harm consumers and affect US tech leadership. "[The] DoJ chose to push a radical interventionist agenda that would harm Americans and America's global leadership," wrote Global Affairs president and chief legal officer, Kent Walker. "DoJ’s wildly overbroad proposal goes miles beyond the Court’s decision. It would break a range of Google products — even beyond Search — that people love and find helpful in their everyday lives."
All of this started back in 2020, when the DoJ and multiple states filed a lawsuit arguing that Google paid billions to device manufacturers to secure default status for its search engine. Then in August this year, federal judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google "is a monopolist" in the industry and used its power to charge "supracompetitive prices for general search text ads." (As of last year, Google controlled around 90 percent of the search engine market, processing nearly 9 billion searches per day.)
The DoJ's proposals to breakup Google are based on that ruling, but the makeup and philosophy of the department is likely to change drastically in a Trump administration. Indeed, Google's Keyword blog seems to be aimed directly at the incoming president, invoking dangers to security, required disclosure to foreign companies and the mandating of "government micromanagement." Recently, Trump himself weighed in on the matter, suggesting a breakup might be too drastic. "What you can do without breaking it up is make sure it’s more fair," he said last month.
All of this is still at an early stage, with many court cases and appeals likely to come. Still, it would represent a seismic shift in how Google, a company with 182,500 employees, does business. More importantly, it could drastically affect how the internet works, as over 60 percent of web interactions start with a search query — and most of those are done using Google search.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/department-of-justice-confirms-that-it-wants-google-to-sell-off-chrome-094929822.html?src=rss
WEST BENGAL, INDIA - 2024/09/14: In this photo illustration, a Google Chrome logo seen displayed on a smartphone with a Google Logo in the background. (Photo Illustration by Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
