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Montana lawmakers vote to ban TikTok in US state

Lawmakers in Montana voted in favour of a total ban on TikTok due to accusations that the app is a tool of the Chinese Communist Party. The bill would require Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores and impose daily fines of US$10,000 for violations. The proposed ban would take effect in 2024 and faces almost certain legal challenges, given its unprecedented nature in the United States. This bill is the latest conflict in the ongoing feud between TikTok and several Western governments.

Elon Musk forms X.AI artificial intelligence company

Elon Musk has formed X.AI, an AI corporation in Nevada, despite calling for a pause in AI development. Musk has merged Twitter with an X shell company, which is reported to be an AI project. X.AI’s founding date was several weeks before Musk signed an open letter calling for a hiatus in AI development. Critics called the letter a “hot mess” of “AI hype” that misrepresented an academic paper. Big tech companies such as Google, Meta, and Microsoft have been working on AI systems for years.

Temus and AI Singapore partner to accelerate AI innovation in Singapore

Temus, a digital transformation services company, has partnered with AI Singapore (AISG) to accelerate AI innovation and adoption among companies in Singapore. The partnership aims to contribute to the National AI strategy and reinforce Singapore’s position as a global AI hub. Under the partnership, Temus and AISG will collaborate to promote AI adoption, develop new AI technologies, solutions, and applications for Singapore-based firms, and provide training, resources, and mentorship to nurture local AI talent. The collaboration will also encourage AI adoption and deployment among organizations under AISG’s flagship 100 Experiments program. The partnership will create new opportunities for businesses to harness the potential of AI and equip their leaders with the necessary tools to navigate the digital revolution.

QuaDream’s spyware operated from several Countries, including Singapore, and used against minority politicians and journalists, reports show

Recent reports from Microsoft and Citizen Lab have revealed that QuaDream, an Israeli spyware company, operated its hacking tools from several countries, including Singapore, and used them against minority-party politicians and journalists. Citizen Lab’s report identified at least five civil society victims of QuaDream’s spyware and exploits, including journalists, political opposition figures, and an NGO worker. The report also highlighted a suspected iOS 14 zero-click exploit used to deploy QuaDream’s spyware, which appears to make use of invisible iCloud calendar invitations sent from the spyware’s operator to victims.

Australian finance company refuses hackers’ ransom demand

Australian consumer lending company, Latitude Financial, announced that it will not pay a ransom to hackers who stole millions of records of around 14 million Australian and New Zealand customers. The company received a ransom threat from the group behind the cyber attack but ignored it in line with government advice. The stolen data includes 7.9 million Australian and New Zealand driving licenses and 53,000 passport numbers, as well as other personal information such as names, addresses, and telephone numbers. The Australian government has warned that paying a ransom only encourages further extortion attempts.

After backlash, Twitter now calls NPR — and BBC — ‘government-funded’

Twitter has reversed its decision to label US radio network NPR as “state-affiliated media” after complaints that the term was inaccurate and disparaging. Instead, the social media giant has now labelled the organization “government-funded.” Elon Musk’s social media network also applied the same label to the BBC, leading the British broadcaster to seek clarification from Twitter. The decisions will limit the reach of tweets from both organizations, according to Twitter policy.

China calls for WTO review of US-led chip export restrictions

Beijing demanded that the US, Japan, and the Netherlands confirm an alleged agreement to limit semiconductor exports to China during a regular meeting at the World Trade Organization. China has been seeking self-reliance in the semiconductor industry, while the US has been attempting to cut Chinese companies out of supply chains that provide access to advanced chip technology.

Canada opens investigation into AI firm behind ChatGPT

Canada’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner has launched an investigation into OpenAI, the US-based software firm behind ChatGPT, following a complaint alleging unauthorized collection, use, and disclosure of personal information. ChatGPT, known for its ability to generate content from brief prompts, has raised concerns about data privacy and security. This move comes amidst growing calls for increased scrutiny of AI-powered technologies, including a recent call by Elon Musk and global experts for a pause in research on more powerful AI systems due to risks to society. Italy has also blocked ChatGPT over data use concerns, and Europol has warned about potential criminal exploitation of conversational bots.

TikTok fined US$15.9 million in UK for flouting under-13 age limit

TikTok has been fined £12.7m (US$15.9m) by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office for violating its own rules by allowing up to 1.4 million children under 13 to use its social media platform without the consent of their parents or guardians. The platform’s terms of service do not permit children under 13 to set up accounts.

Cryptocurrency surges as Musk changes Twitter logo to ‘meme dog’

Elon Musk changed the Twitter logo to a Shiba Inu dog associated with the meme-inspired cryptocurrency, Dogecoin, causing the price to surge over 20%. Despite being sued for promoting the volatile coin, Musk has used his 133 million followers to promote himself and humorously pump up the value of the cryptocurrency.