USER PRIVACY RIGHTS
Google, Meta, TikTok sue to block California youth social media law
The law, known as Assembly Bill 1709, prohibits such platforms from offering underage children "psychologically exploitative features" that could lead to compulsive use, such as providing personal recommendations and sending videos through autoplay features. It also requires the deletion of children's accounts with those features.
Unknown numbers adding you to WhatsApp groups? Android and iOS users can change this setting to protect privacy
WhatsApp users can prevent unknown people from adding them to unwanted groups by changing their group privacy settings. Under Settings, go to Privacy and select Groups. Choose My contacts or My contacts except to restrict who can add you. The setting applies to new groups and syncs across WhatsApp Web and Desktop.
Deep use cases vault India to ChatGPT’s top global market: OpenAI's India MD
During a visit to India last year, the ChatGPT maker’s cofounder Sam Altman said that India was the fastest growing market for the frontier lab and was already the second largest in terms of users globally. Market estimates had earlier put the India user base at 100 million.
Consent managers search for viable revenue model as registration nears
Consent managers are intended to help individuals manage, review and withdraw consent for the processing of their personal data, and they're required to be registered with the Data Protection Board of India (DPBI). A consent manager is data-blind, and processes metadata, consent artifacts, and cryptographic routing instructions.
See data centres less as energy-sucking private warehouses, and more as quasi-public utilities
We need data centres. They run far more than ChatGPT. Search, banking, streaming, social networks, cloud software, government services, hospitals and almost every company's digital operations depend on them. AI simply raises the requirement dramatically. Google says its Vizag hub will provide new subsea connectivity for India. IEA says electricity use by AI-focused data centres jumped 50% in 2025. A country without serious compute infrastructure risks becoming a consumer, rather than a producer, of the AI revolution.
Anthropic IPO rocks Indian IT; Why Walmart is in no hurry to list Flipkart
Anthropic’s US IPO filing sent Indian IT stocks lower on Tuesday. This and more in today’s ETtech Top 5.
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Apple iPhone Duo review: Five days with Apple's first foldable is it worth Rs 3 lakh?
Apple iPhone Duo review after five days of use examines whether Apple's first foldable smartphone justifies its starting price of Rs 2,99,900. The device impresses with its premium build, vibrant displays, smooth performance and excellent battery life, which can last up to two days with light usage. However, third-party app optimisation needs improvement, multitasking remains limited, and the absence of a dedicated telephoto camera is a drawback. While the iPhone Duo offers an enjoyable foldable experience, it is best suited to buyers who can comfortably afford its price and genuinely need a larger display.
Meta beats expectations but legal penalties hit profit amid AI race
Meta beat investor expectations for third-quarter revenue on Wednesday as it doubles down on a global AI race but the social media giant's profits took a hit due to an $18 billion legal settlement with nearly all US states. The company reported $9.86 billion in profits from July to September, almost 50 percent below investor expectations, which Meta said was dragged down by a $9.9 billion charge related to the settlement.
OpenAI’s IPO dream may shatter with distress sale to MS
In a recent discussion, Gary Marcus raised critical flags about OpenAI's fiscal responsibilities as the stock market faces instability. He warned that the demise of leading AI firms could trigger extensive financial repercussions. Notably, Marcus compared the current climate to WeWork's disastrous decline, suggesting that Microsoft might pick up OpenAI at a bargain.
EssilorLuxottica's smart glasses boom runs into tougher regulatory scrutiny
Smart glasses that resemble ordinary eyewear are under increased scrutiny from European regulators and advocacy groups, leaving investors questioning whether sales can keep booming as Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica
Gurugram realtor offers Ashneer Grover a job after Camellias tour, says he showed everything except the flat; asks, ‘Interview kab de rahe ho?’
A Gurugram realtor has offered Ashneer Grover a tongue-in-cheek job as a field associate after mocking his tour of DLF Camellias, where he showcased the clubhouse and greenery instead of his apartment. Grover said tenants currently occupy the flat and he wanted to respect their privacy. The realtor's post sparked reactions on X.
AI agents are only as good as the personal information you share, and that raises privacy concerns
Many have welcomed AI agents into their online lives, and raved about how personalized assistants like Muse can handle everyday tasks with ease - from snagging a dinner reservation or planning a trip, to organizing email inboxes. But like other AI bots, the agents are only as good as the information they have access to. They perform better the more they know about a user - and perhaps also that person's friends, family and even colleagues. That raises privacy concerns.
Children have fundamental right to access internet, can't impose blanket ban on its use: SC
The Supreme Court affirmed the right to access the internet as fundamental for children. It ordered the creation of a national database to detect and remove harmful content targeting minors. The court emphasized the importance of content moderation while ensuring child safety online. It implemented measures to combat the increase in child sexual exploitation material on digital platforms.
Inside Google's Gemini safety strategy: Protecting children, verifying age and tackling AI misinformation
To tackle rising child safety concerns linked with AI, Google is taking proactive steps as children engage with chatbots. The focus is on ensuring age-appropriate interactions, encouraging parental oversight, and promoting responsible AI use. The upcoming Gemini platform will feature age assurance technology to evaluate users' ages based on their behavior.
EU watchdog says smart glasses must give 'clear warnings' when recording
The European Union's central data regulator on Tuesday said smart glasses should give "clear warnings" when they are recording, after a public outcry in recent months over secretly filmed footage of girls and women. The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) warned in its non-binding guidance to users and manufacturers that smart glasses raised "serious privacy concerns" as it seeks to increase awareness about the risks.
Mumbai-NCR real estate price gap narrows to 1.6 times as Gurugram gains ground
Gurugram's real estate landscape has rapidly evolved to surpass several areas in Mumbai in terms of property prices. The NCR's property values have increased by 450% since 2020, outpacing the growth in other leading cities. This rapid escalation in the luxury housing market is driven by affluent clientele in pursuit of high-end features and amenities.
The rise of AI personal assistants and the battle for users' trust
Meta Connect recently unveiled Muse Charm, which serves as a personal AI assistant for users. This device can interact with emails, calendars, and other services to streamline life tasks. It represents a shift from traditional devices to persistent AI help that anticipates users' needs. While user trust and privacy concerns persist, tech companies are racing to develop autonomous agents. The future may see these assistants represented in various hardware forms.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 review: Who really needs to upgrade?
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is a meaningful upgrade mainly for users coming from older Apple Watches or the original Ultra, offering better battery life, a redesigned sensor system, brighter 3,000-nit display, new health features and the S11 chip. However, Ultra 2 and Ultra 3 owners have little reason to rush, as many core features remain similar and software support continues.
Be agent provocateur: India's internet needs an AI makeover
As India's digital ecosystem experiences rapid transformation, it is imperative to enhance support for the growing presence of AI agents in business and services. By tackling the obstacles within the navigational framework, costs for these agents can be significantly lowered. Revamping e-commerce catalogs and improving data availability will optimize purchase processes.
A reckoning on social media addiction came late for many kids. Will AI safety be different?
When Meta agreed to changes to its social media platforms and enhanced safeguards in an $18 billion settlement, it made progress by "getting at what we've known for years" about the dangers, said Kristin Bride, a parent advocate who has fought for social media reform since the death of her teenage son. "How are we going to get at what we don't know is coming?"
India needs its own AI safety framework, not a copy of US pact: Industry experts
India should build its own artificial intelligence (AI) safety framework suited to its languages, scale, and application-led AI ecosystem rather than replicate a voluntary pact signed by US President Donald Trump and top technology firms last week, industry experts said.
India needs its own AI safety framework, not a copy of US pact: Industry experts
Industry experts say India should develop an AI safety framework tailored to its own languages, scale and application-driven ecosystem rather than simply copy the voluntary US pact signed by major tech firms. While there is broad support for independent audits, accountability and safeguards against deepfakes and cyberattacks, experts differ on whether India should rely mainly on self-regulation or combine voluntary standards with binding rules.
Apple Pay lands in India; Google executive on AI's next big hurdle
Apple Pay has finally arrived in India, giving iPhone users a new way to make payments. This and more in today’s ETtech Top 5.
Apple Pay launches in India: iPhone XR and later supported, Apple Pay VP Jennifer Bailey on why now
Apple Pay has finally launched in India, more than a decade after its US debut. The service is initially available on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch for eligible Axis Bank Visa and Mastercard credit cards, allowing users to make contactless payments and pay on apps and websites. Apple says it views Apple Pay as complementary to UPI, while highlighting convenience, privacy and security as key features.
AI debate assumes a darker edge after OpenAI agents raid ChatGPT database, leak user images
The latest discoveries have lent a sharper edge to the debate over whether increasingly capable AI systems can be effectively monitored and controlled. OpenAI's Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei have called for a more measured pace of AI development and caution in pursuing recursive self-improvement.
AI agents take over online shopping: Ecommerce firms rethink pricing, verification
India’s ecommerce and digital platforms are preparing for a surge in personal AI agents that could increasingly make shopping decisions and transactions for consumers, forcing companies to rethink pricing, customer engagement and bot verification.
OpenAI works to understand full scope of agent activity as user data leak emerges
OpenAI's ongoing battle also reflects a yawning gap between the strength of the models the company is testing and its capacity to oversee or even track their actions.
Australia steps up response to AI after OpenAI bot breaches health system database
The incursion on one of the country's most used government agencies may prompt a tougher stance as Australia readies AI-specific laws starting in 2027, adding pressure to Australia-US relations already tested by Canberra's teen social media ban, tech policy experts said.
No reason to slow AI efforts here, India focused on applications not frontier models: IT Ministry sources
India sees no reason to pause its artificial intelligence research, as its focus remains on developing applications and models suited to the needs of its people, IT Ministry sources said. The government is, however, working to tighten AI incident reporting rules, including the norms, timelines and information that companies must share with authorities.
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