BBC technology news

Why so many games are failing right now - and why others are breakout hits https://ift.tt/dimWvhZ Making games is hard and, in 2024, getting people to buy them is another challenge.

Cate Blanchett 'deeply concerned' by AI impact https://ift.tt/N4SUXcQ The Australian actress says the threat of AI is "very real" as "you can totally replace anyone".

Canada watchdog sues Google over alleged anti-competitive conduct https://ift.tt/zd4Y0gc The suit is the latest regulatory headache for Google, which is facing similar action in the US.

Mark Zuckerberg dines with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago https://ift.tt/xZdmLwY Relations appear to have improved markedly from Trump's threat earlier this year to throw the Meta boss in jail.

Uber questioned by US regulator over subscription plan https://ift.tt/7OTnUMd The ride-hailing giant says it received inquiries from the FTC about Uber One cancellation procedures.

Do 'much, much more' on age verification, social media firms told https://ift.tt/Nzfbxd1 The regulator finds a fifth of children are pretending to be adults, potentially exposing them to harm.

US regulator says AI scanner 'deceived' users after BBC story https://ift.tt/RjqVoFP In a proposed settlement, Evolv Technology will be banned from making certain claims about its products.

LinkedIn: We're too boring for kids for social media ban https://ift.tt/iOzknVc It is one of a number of tech firms pushing back against Australia's plan to ban social media for under-16s.

MrBeast says game show allegations 'blown out of proportion' https://ift.tt/yJnMI0Q Beast Games is set to stream next month amid allegations contestants were mistreated on set.

Conservationists turn to AI in battle to save red squirrels https://ift.tt/Zem8IfR The tech is being used to automatically control the creatures' access to feeders at sites across the UK.

Temu owner misses sales forecast as Chinese economy slows https://ift.tt/1UOlIGY US-listed shares of the e-commerce giant fell nearly 11% on Thursday following the announcement.

PayPal down for customers worldwide as thousands report issues https://ift.tt/pHGQOTX The online payment company has confirmed it is experiencing technical problems.

Bluesky chief doesn't know age limit for platform https://ift.tt/ZS9DIF2 Jay Graber wrongly said you needed to be 18 to use Bluesky, when the actual age limit is 13.

'God's influencer' to be made first millennial saint in April https://ift.tt/oH3w1hF London-born Carlo Acutis, who died of leukaemia aged 15, will be canonised by the Catholic church in 2025.

The Sidemen: We've hit YouTube limit so are moving to Netflix https://ift.tt/Bl7iCKn The YouTube stars explain why they're moving reality show Inside to Netflix for its second series.

Social media ban for under-16s 'on the table' in UK https://ift.tt/G9h6nYR The tech secretary Peter Kyle also said he wanted an "assertive" approach from the regulator, Ofcom.

No plans to join Bluesky yet, Starmer says https://ift.tt/NkmnKYl The social media platform has been rapidly growing in popularity since the US presidential election.

Instagram testing tool that removes all recommended posts https://ift.tt/xB25dQz Its reset feature would cleanse a user's feed of personalised content suggested by algorithm.

Google reacts angrily to report it will have to sell Chrome https://ift.tt/Uk6Jwn1 It's reported the US government wants the world's most popular web browser to be sold off to address monopoly concerns.

The Game Awards 2024: Astro Bot and Final Fantasy lead nominations https://ift.tt/GqZkp3d The 3D platformer and role-playing game get seven nods each at the "Oscars of Gaming".

Seven-year-old gets job offer from Russian IT firm https://ift.tt/xjaFeho The software company's boss said Sergey, who teaches coding in online videos, was 'a kind of Mozart'

Trump names 'big tech' critic Brendan Carr to head US comms regulator https://ift.tt/pyOe9XV Carr, a free speech advocate and longtime FCC member, has accused some social media firms of censorship.

Roblox to ban young children from messaging others https://ift.tt/0AeDuNh Parents will also be able to view and manage their child's account, including limiting their screen time.

'Record breaking' 60m homes watched Tyson vs Paul fight, Netflix says https://ift.tt/TgM4flJ But the streaming giant's first foray into live boxing was beset with technical glitches.

‘Do not pet’: Why are robot dogs patrolling Mar-A-Lago? https://ift.tt/qRIWoYx Robotic dogs are helping law enforcement protect President-elect Donald Trump at his Florida residence.

Elon Musk adds Microsoft to lawsuit against ChatGPT-maker OpenAI https://ift.tt/hoxa6BW Mr Musk, a co-founder of the company, is accusing it and the tech giant of operating a monopoly.

X users jump to Bluesky - but what is it and who owns it? https://ift.tt/wqa56Mr Bluesky is picking up one million new users every day at its current rate.

Zuckerberg records 'romantic' cover of explicit rap hit https://ift.tt/ZXRvUea The Facebook founder collaborates with T-Pain on a cove of Lil Jon's 2002 filthy floor-filler Get Low.

'Amazing showcase' for UK gaming industry cancelled https://ift.tt/0z9QN8l The organisers blamed "increasing costs and less demand" as the sector continues to struggle.

Outage hits Bluesky just as the platform's popularity takes off https://ift.tt/c71qt5H Bluesky has at times been the most downloaded app on the Apple Store in the days following the US election.

Meta fined €798m over 'unfair' Facebook Marketplace https://ift.tt/USPgonA The European Union says the tech giant crowded out rivals, breaching competition law.

Amazon launches Temu and Shein rival with 'crazy low' prices https://ift.tt/VIJiC25 The price of products on Haul, which is being trialled in the US, will be capped at $20.

Apple accused of trapping and ripping off 40m iCloud customers https://ift.tt/oSQnF0g Which? is seeking a £3bn payout for UK users as a result of the legal action it is launching.

The Guardian stops posting on Elon Musk's 'toxic' X https://ift.tt/SiYTmno It has accused X of promoting "disturbing content", and says Mr Musk is using it to "shape political discourse."

VW launches $5.8bn tie-up with Tesla rival Rivian https://ift.tt/Cu9gdZl The firms will share EV technology as they face slowing demand and competition from Chinese rivals.

NatWest blocks staff from using WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger https://ift.tt/RTOCnlr Employees must stick to official channels to make sure their messages are fully retrievable.

Seven wild moments from the turbulent story of Bitcoin https://ift.tt/kXfl1Fu Its record price is making headlines - but that's just one part of the cryptocurrency's tumultuous story.

DNA-testing site 23andMe to lay off 40% of its workers https://ift.tt/5pciHQI The once-popular general DNA-testing firm holds a trove of sensitive genetic data from its customers.

'I was moderating hundreds of horrific and traumatising videos' https://ift.tt/DSdv1sc The BBC speaks to social media moderators, whose job it is to find and remove distressing and illegal content.

Bitcoin tops record $80,000 as Trump nears sweep of US Congress https://ift.tt/lmJox2z On the campaign trail the president-elect pledged to make America "the crypto capital of the planet".

'I gave my DNA to a testing company - then it vanished' https://ift.tt/6gZTuvj Customers of Atlas Biomed are angry and worried about what's happened to the highly sensitive data they shared.

Roblox announces new safety features for under-13s https://ift.tt/KSX5zxl The gaming platform has previously been criticised for allowing young users to be exposed to harmful content.

Australia plans social media ban for under-16s https://ift.tt/9q5mG6P The government says it wants to mitigate the "harm" social media is inflicting on children.

What Musk could gain from a Trump presidency https://ift.tt/lm0d2ce One of the president-elect's most visible supporters, Musk could be given a role in Trump's White House.

Vodafone-Three merger could get green light, watchdog says https://ift.tt/VhemYf6 It wants commitments on prices and 5G if the creation of the UK's biggest mobile network is to go ahead.

The environmental campaigners fighting against data centres https://ift.tt/hE4LvJW A growing global movement is seeing people object to data centres in their locality.

DNA-testing site 23andMe fights for survival https://ift.tt/IcLhNO0 Once millions used it to find out about their family histories - this week it was almost delisted. What went wrong?

Hunt for Bitcoin's elusive creator Satoshi Nakamoto hits another dead-end https://ift.tt/KTWnhBI Why are still no closer to unmasking the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto?

MrBeast: Law firm finds grooming claims against co-host baseless https://ift.tt/HF3unkQ The YouTuber hired the firm to look into claims that a co-host had sent inappropriate messages to a minor.