Page 3 - Internet Technologies

MCA planning new portal to streamline IBC cases, boost transparency

The IBBI would also be able to keep track of the happenings in the NCLT through this portal

Top porn sites must verify ages to protect kids under EU's new digital law

Three of the world's biggest porn websites face new requirements in the European Union that include verifying the ages of users, the 27-nation bloc said Wednesday, expanding the reach of its digital law designed to keep people safe on the internet. Pornhub, XVideos and Stripchat have now been classed as very large online platforms subject to more stringent controls under the Digital Services Act because they have more than 45 million users each, according to the European Commission, the EU's executive branch. The three companies did not respond immediately to requests for comment. They are the first porn sites to be targeted by the sweeping Digital Services Act, which imposes tough obligations to keep users safe from illegal content and dodgy products. Violations are punishable by fines of up to 6% of global revenue or even a ban on operating in the EU. Some 19 online platforms and search engines have already been identified for stricter scrutiny under the DSA, including TikTok, ...

Govt in process of shaping regulations on Artificial Intelligence: Official

The government has commenced the process of preparing regulations for Artificial Intelligence (AI) to foster development, protection, and innovation in this emerging technology in India, a top government official said on Tuesday. Additionally, the government is considering a second version of the Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS) that would focus on ancillary development for the semiconductor supply ecosystem. The government was working on the preparation of the regulations on AI and it was also evaluating global inputs, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) S. Krishnan said on the sidelines of an international conference organised by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), in Kolkata. He also indicated that discussions are underway regarding whether a separate act is needed or if regulations can be incorporated into existing acts. "The government is already engaged in ..

US, China agencies race to shield secrets from quantum computers: Report

Machines vastly more powerful than today's fastest supercomputers would be capable of cracking the codes that protect virtually all modern communication, a Canadian cyber security firm has warned

Gen AI can add up to $1.5 trillion to India's GDP over next 7 years: Report

Generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) has the potential to add a cumulative USD 1.2-1.5 trillion to India's Gross Domestic Product over the next seven years, according to a report by EY India. The report, titled 'The AIdea of India: Generative AI's potential to accelerate India's digital transformation', provided insights into the industry's preparedness and challenges in embracing Gen AI. Generative AI can potentially add a cumulative USD 1.2-1.5 trillion to India's GDP by FY2029-30, as per the report. "The report forecasts that by fully capitalising Gen AI technology and its applications across sectors, India can potentially add USD 359-438 billion in FY2029-30 alone, reflecting a 5.9 per cent to 7.2 per cent increase over and above baseline GDP," it said. Nearly 69 per cent of the overall impact is expected to be derived from sectors such as business services (including IT, legal, consulting, outsourcing, rental of machinery and equipment, and others), financial services,

Google plans to phase out use of third-party cookies for users in 2024

The search giant is set to roll out the feature, called Tracking Protection, on Jan. 4 to 1% of Chrome users globally, that will restrict cross-site tracking by default

Panic, hype: 2023, the year we played with artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence went mainstream in 2023 it was a long time coming yet has a long way to go for the technology to match people's science fiction fantasies of human-like machines. Catalysing a year of AI fanfare was ChatGPT. The chatbot gave the world a glimpse of recent advances in computer science even if not everyone figured out quite how it works or what to do with it. I would call this an inflection moment, pioneering AI scientist Fei-Fei Li said. 2023 is, in history, hopefully going to be remembered for the profound changes of the technology as well as the public awakening. It also shows how messy this technology is. It was a year for people to figure out what this is, how to use it, what's the impact all the good, the bad and the ugly," she said. PANIC OVER AI The first AI panic of 2023 set in soon after New Year's Day when classrooms reopened and schools from Seattle to Paris started blocking ChatGPT. Teenagers were already asking the chatbot released in late 2022

Hackers stole about $1.7 billion this year from crypto projects: Report

Infrastructure attacks - such as private-key theft that gives hackers access to a crypto project's servers to steal funds or manipulate trades - contributed to nearly 60% of the total stolen this year

Indian internet has an over-the-top question to settle

Proposal to regulate services offered directly via the internet may hurt net neutrality

Thousands of fake Facebook accounts created to polarise US election: Meta

Someone in China created thousands of fake social media accounts designed to appear to be from Americans and used them to spread polarizing political content in an apparent effort to divide the US ahead of next year's elections, Meta said Thursday. The network of nearly 4,800 fake accounts was attempting to build an audience when it was identified and eliminated by the tech company, which owns Facebook and Instagram. The accounts sported fake photos, names and locations as a way to appear like everyday American Facebook users weighing in on political issues. Instead of spreading fake content as other networks have done, the accounts were used to reshare posts from X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that were created by politicians, news outlets and others. The interconnected accounts pulled content from both liberal and conservative sources, an indication that its goal was not to support one side or the other but to exaggerate partisan divisions and further inflame ...

OpenAI unlikely to offer board seat to Microsoft, other investors: Report

Microsoft, which has invested more than $10 billion in OpenAI, is one of the biggest backers of OpenAI that operates ChatGPT, its viral generative AI chatbot

Generative AI, data analytics driving online retail momentum, say experts

Technologies like Generative AI, machine learning and big data analytics are transforming the e-commerce and retail landscape in India, improving and personalising consumer experiences, according to industry leaders who also believe that social commerce momentum is here to stay. Industry's top leaders, including Tata CLiQ CEO Gopal Asthana, Snapdeal CEO Himanshu Chakrawarti, Zivame COO Lavanya Pachisia, and DHL Supply Chain India MD Vikas Anand, were speaking in a panel discussion at the 'DATE with Tech' event here. The panel discussion on 'Navigating Online Offline Retail Convergence: Strategies for Success' deliberated on various aspects like market opportunity, the outlook for 2024, omnichannel retail strategies and the role of new and emerging technologies in driving consumers' shopping experiences. Panelists were of the view that the increasing popularity of social media platforms, particularly among younger shoppers, is set to drive social commerce going forward. "Social ...

OneWeb gets regulatory approval to launch satellite broadband services

OneWeb India is the first organisation to be granted this authorisation. Eutelsat OneWeb, the low earth orbit operator, is part of Eutelsat Group

Microsoft hires ousted CEO Sam Altman, OpenAI stares at mass exodus

He, along with Brockman, to lead a new AI research team; 500 OpenAI staffers threaten to quit unless board resigns

SMEs utilising digital technologies for various business functions: Report

Small and Medium enterprises (SMEs) have been utilising digital technology for various functions, with 60 per cent of them using it for human resources, 51 per cent for sales and marketing, and 48 per cent for finance, according to a report by industry body FICCI. The report also revealed that the accounting software (such as Tally/ Vyapar/ Busy, etc.) and business applications like ERP and CRM were reported to be the most used digital tools by SMEs. According to the report, most of the firms have experienced improvements in productivity and reductions in operational costs as a result of incorporating digital technology into their business functions. Approximately 35 per cent of respondents reported a reduction in their annual operational costs by 11-20 per cent as a result of digitalisation, the report said, adding that another 30 per cent of respondents indicated that their annual operational costs had decreased by more than 20 per cent. It said amongst the enterprises that repor

Signature campaign 'Save the internet' based on falsehood: COAI to Trai

Recent signature campaign "Save the internet" against the proposal of network usage fee, that was signed by several startups, is based on "falsehood and misinformation", telecom industry body COAI said in a letter to regulator Trai. Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said the proposal of "fair share charge" will put the onus on large global entities, who are profiting from India, but not contributing to its economy or infrastructure development. The industry body, whose members include Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea etc, said the people and companies are being misguided by propagating unfounded fears and supposed scenarios by certain entities with vested interests. Meanwhile, calling for signatures of startups, a note from "Save The Internet" campaign members mentioned that the letter meant for submission to Trai is to oppose network usage fees proposed by telecom operators, and against the idea of imposing telecom licensing on online services. The note said that Airtel, Ji

Manipur govt reprimands Airtel over availability of mobile internet service

The Manipur government has served a show cause notice to a private telecom company over the availability "of internet data services in mobile phones in some areas of Churachandpur and adjoining Bishnupur district on September 20" while the suspension of mobile data service is still in force, an official said. Commissioner (Home) T Ranjit Singh, in a letter to Ashish Bansal, Chief Technical Officer, Airtel, Imphal on Thursday remarked it is "a serious lapse on the part of service provider and this lapse might have led to the dissemination of inflammatory and provocative clips and messages in various social media platforms leading to communal tension, hatred and rumours," the official said. The letter said, "Considering the very sensitive and volatile law and order situation currently prevailing in the state, the aforesaid lapses have been viewed very seriously by the state government, and this amounts to violation of the government orders." The state government has asked Airtel to gi

Govt asks SpaceX-owned Starlink to share info on data storage and transfer

The Home Ministry is also evaluating the application for security-related checks, and a meeting has been scheduled this week, which is expected to see the participation of Starlink executives

How tech and affordable internet helped make India a chess powerhouse

From watching a game on a smartphone to playing a favourite chess opening using a database, modern tech and affordable internet have helped India produce one chess prodigy after another

World Wide Web Day 2023: Date, History, Importance and Celebration

On August 1, 1991, the World Wide Web was first made available to the public. The day acknowledges and celebrates the ingenuity of the founder of the Internet, Tim Berners-Lee