The return of an uber-popular cellular multiplayer, ChatGPT, getting into the cellular app area, and Twitter admitting censorship of content material — these developments have dominated tech headlines over the previous week. Whereas final week noticed an announcement-heavy Google I/O 2023 the place we had been handled to Google’s first-ever foldable cellphone, the Pixel Fold, and the tech large’s re-entry into the world of tabs with the Pixel Pill, this week felt a bit of empty as a followup. Nevertheless, with some mega bulletins on the desk, it seems that tech aficionados will definitely have quite a bit to look ahead to within the coming days.
Twitter’s Troubles
Let’s begin with Twitter. Ever since Elon Musk took over with a hostile $44-billion bid again in October 2022, the eccentric entrepreneur has been fairly vocal on the subject of sharing situations of content material restriction on the platform.
On Could 16, the microblogging platform acknowledged that it enforced content material limitations in Turkey in anticipation of the nation’s latest presidential election. The official Twitter International Authorities Affairs account issued an announcement verifying the measures applied. It emphasised the platform’s dedication to complying with authorized necessities whereas guaranteeing continued accessibility for Turkish customers.
Twitter stated, “To make sure compliance with authorized procedures and keep Twitter’s availability to the individuals of Turkey, we now have applied measures to limit entry to particular content material throughout the nation.”
The platform additional confirmed that it took motion towards 4 accounts and 409 tweets, as recognized by a courtroom order. The account clarified that the content material would nonetheless be accessible to customers exterior of Turkey and that the account holders had been duly knowledgeable in regards to the restrictions.
You may learn our detailed protection right here.
TikTok Takes A Hit
TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, is definitely probably the most fashionable short-form video apps within the US, with over 150 million customers within the nation. On Could 17, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed laws that successfully banned TikTok throughout the state, making Montana the primary US state to take action.
The transfer was a part of an effort to guard the privateness of its residents towards suspected intelligence gathering by China. Nevertheless, you will need to word that particular person customers themselves won’t be topic to any penalties for utilising the app.
The implementation of this ban is scheduled to begin on January 1, 2024. Nevertheless, authorized obstacles are anticipated to come up and doubtlessly problem its enforcement.
You may learn our full report right here.
Talking of authorized obstacles, only a day after, 5 TikTokers have filed a lawsuit, hoping to overturn the state-wide ban, claiming that the restriction violates their constitutional proper to free speech.
It must be famous right here that TikTok has been banned on some degree in a number of international locations, primarily attributable to issues over knowledge security. The UK, for instance, banned the app on authorities telephones in March this 12 months, after the US did the identical for its authorities units in December 2022.
Again in 2020, India introduced a blanket ban on TikTok and 58 different ‘Chinese language’ apps as they had been deemed “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, safety of the state and public order.” So far, there was no phrase of the app making a comeback to the nation.
You may take a look at which international locations have banned TikTok up to now.
ChatGPT Catches App Fever
These days, should you don’t exist in an app model, are you even legit? Microsoft-backed OpenAI introduced on Could 18 that its surprisingly human-like chatbot, ChatGPT, will lastly be accessible for iOS customers by way of the App Retailer.
ChatGPT was launched as a prototype again in November 2022 and ever since then, the chatbot has made customers and establishments alike fall head-over-heels for its spectacular functionality of dealing with a myriad of consumer queries in seconds — starting from producing complicated programming codes to fixing third-grade maths issues.
Thus far, ChatGPT was accessible solely by way of Internet variations — desktop or cellular. Now, iOS customers will be capable of obtain its new app on their telephones and revel in options like synced conversations and voice inputs.
This was clearly OpenAI’s method of hitting again at Google’s newly launched Bard AI, which additionally has the potential of taking voice instructions on telephones.
ChatGPT being accessible as a cellular app additionally opens the doorways for a spread of subscription plans. It stays to be seen how the corporate plans to leverage the platform finest.
It must be famous that the ChatGPT app is barely accessible within the US for now and is anticipated to be rolled out to extra international locations quickly. An Android model of the app can be on its method.
Learn our full story right here.
BGMI’s Again (Alright?)
Apologies for the Backstreet Boys pun, however after an absence of 10 months, Battlegrounds Cellular India (BGMI) is making its return to the nation — and issues might not be fully ‘alright’.
Similar to TikTok, PUBG Cellular was banned in India again in 2020 attributable to issues over Chinese language our bodies snooping on consumer knowledge. Then, PUBG Cellular was rebranded as Battlegrounds Cellular India, or BGMI, by South Korea-based Krafton and was relaunched with a number of adjustments to stick to the Indian viewers. The adjustments had been marked by watering-down parts like altering in-game blood color to inexperienced, and so forth.
Nevertheless, once more in July final 12 months, BGMI was banned by the Centre because it was discovered that the sport’s servers had been interacting with Chinese language servers.
This time round, the Centre has requested for some extra adjustments to the sport, notably asking for the elimination of blood fully (who wants violence in a recreation that allows you to shoot enemies?) and permitting customers to solely entry the sport throughout specified time slots throughout the day. After ongoing negotiations, it seems that Krafton has discovered a option to make its return to India and stated that BGMI will probably be accessible for obtain by way of Google Play and App Retailer quickly.
Now, MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar took to Twitter to make clear that it is a “three-month trial approval.” “We are going to maintain an in depth watch on different problems with consumer hurt, habit, and so forth, within the subsequent three months earlier than a ultimate resolution is taken,” the minister added.
So, it seems that avid gamers must wait and see how BGMI’s newest return performs out.
Click on right here to take a look at how the Indian gaming business is reacting to BGMI’s comeback.
Need Pirated Motion pictures? Head To Twitter
Twitter CEO Elon Musk on Could 18 introduced that Twitter Blue subscribers (you realize, those who’re paying ~Rs 900 to make use of options that had been purported to be free) will now be capable of add movies as much as two hours lengthy, or round 8GB, on the microblogging platform.
Whereas that is definitely an ideal characteristic, some Twitter Blue customers determined to make use of their newfound energy to add whole films on the platform. “Shrek 3” on Twitter, anybody?
Whereas most of those movies are eliminated virtually instantly by Twitter’s eagle-eyed content material moderators, the general plan behind including long-form movies on the platform falls consistent with Musk’s general imaginative and prescient of folding Twitter into X, his ‘All the things App’, and positioning it towards different fashionable portals corresponding to YouTube.
Learn our full protection right here.
That’s it from the world of tech headlines this week. Keep tuned to this area for extra high tales subsequent week.
The return of an uber-popular cellular multiplayer, ChatGPT, getting into the cellular app area, and Twitter admitting censorship of content material — these developments have dominated tech headlines over the previous week. Whereas final week noticed an announcement-heavy Google I/O 2023 the place we had been handled to Google’s first-ever foldable cellphone, the Pixel Fold, and the tech large’s re-entry into the world of tabs with the Pixel Pill, this week felt a bit of empty as a followup. Nevertheless, with some mega bulletins on the desk, it seems that tech aficionados will definitely have quite a bit to look ahead to within the coming days.
Twitter’s Troubles
Let’s begin with Twitter. Ever since Elon Musk took over with a hostile $44-billion bid again in October 2022, the eccentric entrepreneur has been fairly vocal on the subject of sharing situations of content material restriction on the platform.
On Could 16, the microblogging platform acknowledged that it enforced content material limitations in Turkey in anticipation of the nation’s latest presidential election. The official Twitter International Authorities Affairs account issued an announcement verifying the measures applied. It emphasised the platform’s dedication to complying with authorized necessities whereas guaranteeing continued accessibility for Turkish customers.
Twitter stated, “To make sure compliance with authorized procedures and keep Twitter’s availability to the individuals of Turkey, we now have applied measures to limit entry to particular content material throughout the nation.”
The platform additional confirmed that it took motion towards 4 accounts and 409 tweets, as recognized by a courtroom order. The account clarified that the content material would nonetheless be accessible to customers exterior of Turkey and that the account holders had been duly knowledgeable in regards to the restrictions.
You may learn our detailed protection right here.
TikTok Takes A Hit
TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, is definitely probably the most fashionable short-form video apps within the US, with over 150 million customers within the nation. On Could 17, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed laws that successfully banned TikTok throughout the state, making Montana the primary US state to take action.
The transfer was a part of an effort to guard the privateness of its residents towards suspected intelligence gathering by China. Nevertheless, you will need to word that particular person customers themselves won’t be topic to any penalties for utilising the app.
The implementation of this ban is scheduled to begin on January 1, 2024. Nevertheless, authorized obstacles are anticipated to come up and doubtlessly problem its enforcement.
You may learn our full report right here.
Talking of authorized obstacles, only a day after, 5 TikTokers have filed a lawsuit, hoping to overturn the state-wide ban, claiming that the restriction violates their constitutional proper to free speech.
It must be famous right here that TikTok has been banned on some degree in a number of international locations, primarily attributable to issues over knowledge security. The UK, for instance, banned the app on authorities telephones in March this 12 months, after the US did the identical for its authorities units in December 2022.
Again in 2020, India introduced a blanket ban on TikTok and 58 different ‘Chinese language’ apps as they had been deemed “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, safety of the state and public order.” So far, there was no phrase of the app making a comeback to the nation.
You may take a look at which international locations have banned TikTok up to now.
ChatGPT Catches App Fever
These days, should you don’t exist in an app model, are you even legit? Microsoft-backed OpenAI introduced on Could 18 that its surprisingly human-like chatbot, ChatGPT, will lastly be accessible for iOS customers by way of the App Retailer.
ChatGPT was launched as a prototype again in November 2022 and ever since then, the chatbot has made customers and establishments alike fall head-over-heels for its spectacular functionality of dealing with a myriad of consumer queries in seconds — starting from producing complicated programming codes to fixing third-grade maths issues.
Thus far, ChatGPT was accessible solely by way of Internet variations — desktop or cellular. Now, iOS customers will be capable of obtain its new app on their telephones and revel in options like synced conversations and voice inputs.
This was clearly OpenAI’s method of hitting again at Google’s newly launched Bard AI, which additionally has the potential of taking voice instructions on telephones.
ChatGPT being accessible as a cellular app additionally opens the doorways for a spread of subscription plans. It stays to be seen how the corporate plans to leverage the platform finest.
It must be famous that the ChatGPT app is barely accessible within the US for now and is anticipated to be rolled out to extra international locations quickly. An Android model of the app can be on its method.
Learn our full story right here.
BGMI’s Again (Alright?)
Apologies for the Backstreet Boys pun, however after an absence of 10 months, Battlegrounds Cellular India (BGMI) is making its return to the nation — and issues might not be fully ‘alright’.
Similar to TikTok, PUBG Cellular was banned in India again in 2020 attributable to issues over Chinese language our bodies snooping on consumer knowledge. Then, PUBG Cellular was rebranded as Battlegrounds Cellular India, or BGMI, by South Korea-based Krafton and was relaunched with a number of adjustments to stick to the Indian viewers. The adjustments had been marked by watering-down parts like altering in-game blood color to inexperienced, and so forth.
Nevertheless, once more in July final 12 months, BGMI was banned by the Centre because it was discovered that the sport’s servers had been interacting with Chinese language servers.
This time round, the Centre has requested for some extra adjustments to the sport, notably asking for the elimination of blood fully (who wants violence in a recreation that allows you to shoot enemies?) and permitting customers to solely entry the sport throughout specified time slots throughout the day. After ongoing negotiations, it seems that Krafton has discovered a option to make its return to India and stated that BGMI will probably be accessible for obtain by way of Google Play and App Retailer quickly.
Now, MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar took to Twitter to make clear that it is a “three-month trial approval.” “We are going to maintain an in depth watch on different problems with consumer hurt, habit, and so forth, within the subsequent three months earlier than a ultimate resolution is taken,” the minister added.
So, it seems that avid gamers must wait and see how BGMI’s newest return performs out.
Click on right here to take a look at how the Indian gaming business is reacting to BGMI’s comeback.
Need Pirated Motion pictures? Head To Twitter
Twitter CEO Elon Musk on Could 18 introduced that Twitter Blue subscribers (you realize, those who’re paying ~Rs 900 to make use of options that had been purported to be free) will now be capable of add movies as much as two hours lengthy, or round 8GB, on the microblogging platform.
Whereas that is definitely an ideal characteristic, some Twitter Blue customers determined to make use of their newfound energy to add whole films on the platform. “Shrek 3” on Twitter, anybody?
Whereas most of those movies are eliminated virtually instantly by Twitter’s eagle-eyed content material moderators, the general plan behind including long-form movies on the platform falls consistent with Musk’s general imaginative and prescient of folding Twitter into X, his ‘All the things App’, and positioning it towards different fashionable portals corresponding to YouTube.
Learn our full protection right here.
That’s it from the world of tech headlines this week. Keep tuned to this area for extra high tales subsequent week.