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Facebook Tests Extremist Content Warning Messages

The BBC reported:

Facebook is testing a feature in the U.S. that asks users if they are worried somebody they know is becoming an extremist.

Other users may also receive an alert saying they may have been exposed to extremist content.

The trial messages are part of Facebook’s Redirect Initiative which aims to combat extremism. The pop-ups redirect users to a support page.

No Lockdown Plans in Russia as Virus Deaths Hit New Record

Associated Press reported:

Russian authorities reported a record-breaking 679 new coronavirus deaths on Friday, a fourth day in a row with the highest daily death toll in the pandemic.

No plans for a lockdown are being discussed, however, the Kremlin insisted.

The previous record, of 672 deaths, was registered on Thursday. Russia has struggled to cope with a surge in infections and deaths in recent weeks that comes amid slow vaccination rates.

New York Inmates Offered Food, Conjugal Visits, More to Get COVID Vaccine

New York Post reported:

State prison officials are so desperate to get inmates vaccinated against COVID-19 that they’re dangling care packages, barbecue parties and even conjugal visits, according to a memo issued this week to the nearly 34,000 jailbirds.

A mere 45 percent of New York’s incarcerated felons have been inoculated, compared to more than 70 percent of the law-abiding population, Acting Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner Anthony Annucci wrote.

Facebook Probe by DC Official Targets Vaccine Misinformation

Bloomberg reported:

Facebook Inc. is under investigation by the attorney general for the District of Columbia over whether it has taken adequate steps to curb the spread of misinformation about vaccines.

Attorney General Karl Racine is seeking internal documents that show how the social media giant penalizes users who violate its misinformation policies around vaccines, as well as materials related to a Facebook study about vaccine hesitancy among users, according to a copy of a subpoena issued by Racine’s office last month. The subpoena also demanded data on the total volume of content that has been removed or demoted by Facebook for violating its vaccine misinformation policies.

Google Must Face Voice Assistant Privacy Lawsuit — U.S. Judge

Reuters reported:

A federal judge said Google must face much of a lawsuit accusing the company of illegally recording and disseminating private conversations of people who accidentally trigger its voice-activated Voice Assistant on their smartphones.

In a Thursday night decision, U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman let plaintiffs in the proposed class action pursue claims that Google and its parent Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) violated California privacy laws, some claims that they violated federal privacy laws, and some breach of contract claims.

Your Google Search History Needs Its Own Password 

Popular Science reported:

Google has become so synonymous with search that the company’s name has found its way into the dictionary as a verb—and all those times you’ve asked Google something can reveal a lot about your life, from the medical conditions you’ve been worried about, to where you’ve been on your vacations.

With so much sensitive data involved, you want to make sure that your search history is safe from prying eyes. There are ways to make extra-sure that no one else can get a glimpse at what you’ve been searching for, and to block Google itself from knowing anything about your online queries.

Never Mind 5G. This Is What 6G Could Look Like

CNET reported:

Carriers around the world have launched their 5G networks. Nationwide coverage is available in the U.S. from the big three providers. Compatible smartphones are getting cheaper. The next-generation wireless technology is rapidly maturing.

So let’s talk about the next-next-generation wireless technology. Yes, 6G.

Each wireless generation lasts about a decade, so 6G is a long, long way from becoming reality. Maybe in 2029 we’ll get a hint of a deployment. Still, it’s worth considering the technology that will be around the next corner and looking at what wireless researchers are thinking about in terms of its potential.