SAN FRANCISCO — Google said it has achieved a breakthrough in quantum computing research, saying an experimental quantum processor has completed a calculation in just a few minutes that would take a traditional supercomputer thousands of years. The findings, published Wednesday in the scientific journal Nature, show that “quantum speedup is achievable...
Google Affiliate Begins Drone Deliveries in Virginia Town
A Google affiliate has started using drones to deliver customers' Walgreens and FedEx purchases in a test being run in a Virginia town. Wing, which is owned by Google parent Alphabet, received federal approval earlier this year to make commercial deliveries by drone. It was the first drone company to receive the...
Google Earth Leads to Remains of Missing Florida Man in Lake
WELLINGTON, Fla. — It took 22 years, but a missing man's remains were finally found thanks to someone who zoomed in on his former Florida neighborhood with Google satellite images and noticed a car submerged in a lake, authorities said. The skeletal remains were of William Moldt, who went missing...
States Led by Texas Target Google in New Antitrust Probe
WASHINGTON — Fifty U.S. states and territories, led by Texas, announced an investigation into Google's "potential monopolistic behavior." The Monday announcement closely followed one from a separate group of states Friday that disclosed an investigation into Facebook's market dominance. The two probes widen the antitrust scrutiny of big tech companies beyond sweeping federal and...
YouTube to Pay $170M Fine After Violating Kids’ Privacy Law
WASHINGTON — Google's video site YouTube has been fined $170 million to settle allegations it collected children's personal data without their parents' consent. The Federal Trade Commission fined Google $136 million. The company will pay an additional $34 million to New York state to resolve similar allegations. The fine is...
Apple Apologizes for Use of Contractors to Eavesdrop on Siri
SAN FRANCISCO — Apple is apologizing for allowing outsiders to listen to snippets of people's recorded conversations with its digital assistant Siri, a practice that undermined its attempts to position itself as a trusted steward of privacy. As part of the apology posted this week, Apple reiterated an earlier pledge to stop...
Researchers: Websites Infected iPhones With Spyware
Researchers say cyberspies exploited security vulnerabilities to plant spyware on Apple iPhones when users merely visited a small group of malware-infected websites. Sensitive data accessed included text messages, photos and real-time location. Security experts are calling the just-announced vulnerability, which Apple fixed in February, the worst yet affecting iPhones. Google...
Tech Firms Struggle to Police Content While Avoiding Bias
WASHINGTON — Take the post down. Put it back up. Stop policing speech. Start silencing extremists. That's just a sampling of the intense, often contradictory demands facing tech companies and their social media platforms as they try to oversee internet content without infringing on First Amendment rights. The pendulum has...
Tech Firms Struggle to Police Content While Avoiding Bias
WASHINGTON — Take the post down. Put it back up. Stop policing speech. Start silencing extremists. That's just a sampling of the intense, often contradictory demands facing tech companies and their social media platforms as they try to oversee internet content without infringing on First Amendment rights. The pendulum has...
Privacy Questions as Humans Reviewed User Audio at Facebook
NEW YORK — Facebook has paid contractors to transcribe audio clips from users of its Messenger service, raising privacy concerns for a company with a history of privacy lapses. The practice was, until recently, common in the tech industry. Companies say the use of humans helps improve their services. But...