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The Actual News

Just the Facts, from multiple news sources.

Technology News

Breaking news and analysis from the world of technology

World's largest sports piracy site shut down by police

World's largest sports piracy site shut down by police

Summary

Police and an anti-piracy group have shut down Streameast, the largest site for illegal sports streaming. Over the past year, the site received more than 1.6 billion visits from people looking to watch sports events for free.

Key Facts

  • Police in Egypt, with help from the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), closed Streameast.
  • Streameast hosted illegal streams of sports like Premier League, Formula One, and Major League Baseball.
  • The site had been visited over 1.6 billion times in the last year.
  • Two men were arrested in Egypt on suspicion of copyright infringement linked to the site.
  • Authorities seized electronic devices, cash, and identified links to a shell company used for money laundering.
  • Streameast's domains received traffic mainly from the UK, US, Canada, Philippines, and Germany.
  • The shutdown happened just before the US National Football League (NFL) season began.
  • People trying to visit Streameast are now redirected to a page suggesting legal streaming options.

Source Verification

Trump will host top tech CEOs except Musk at a White House dinner

Trump will host top tech CEOs except Musk at a White House dinner

Summary

President Donald Trump will host a dinner at the White House for key technology company leaders, excluding Elon Musk. The event follows a meeting of a new task force focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) education led by First Lady Melania Trump.

Key Facts

  • President Trump is hosting a dinner for tech company leaders at the White House.
  • Notable attendees include leaders from Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and OpenAI.
  • Elon Musk is not invited, following a fallout with Trump earlier this year.
  • The dinner will be at the Rose Garden, recently renovated by Trump.
  • First Lady Melania Trump leads a new task force on AI education for American youth.
  • Some dinner guests will participate in the AI education task force meeting.
  • Trump once considered Jared Isaacman, who will attend the dinner, for a NASA position, but revoked the nomination.

Source Verification

Google told to pay $425m for breaching millions of users’ privacy

Google told to pay $425m for breaching millions of users’ privacy

Summary

A US jury decided that Google must pay $425 million for breaking privacy rules. The case involved users who said Google kept collecting their data even after they turned off tracking settings. Google plans to challenge the decision, claiming their tools respect user privacy choices.

Key Facts

  • A US jury ruled that Google must pay $425 million for privacy violations.
  • Users accused Google of collecting data from apps despite turning off tracking settings.
  • The jury's verdict came from a case in San Francisco.
  • The lawsuit involves around 98 million Google users.
  • Google claims it misunderstood how its products operate and plans to appeal.
  • Plaintiffs said Google broke privacy promises in its Web & App Activity settings.
  • Google has been involved in other privacy-related legal issues, including a recent $1.375 billion settlement with Texas over similar concerns.

Source Verification

Are creatine supplements all that they're pumped up to be?

Are creatine supplements all that they're pumped up to be?

Summary

Interest in creatine supplements is increasing, with claims they help add muscle and improve athletic performance. Research supports some benefits, particularly for muscle growth and exercise performance, but there's less evidence for other suggested health benefits.

Key Facts

  • Creatine is a compound made from amino acids that helps muscles get energy.
  • People can make creatine in their bodies and also get it from food like red meat, chicken, or fish.
  • Supplements are used to increase creatine levels without needing to eat large amounts of meat.
  • Studies show creatine supplements can help build muscle mass when combined with exercise.
  • There is some evidence creatine might help with bone health, but more research is needed.
  • Creatine could potentially assist with things like sugar regulation and brain function, but evidence is not strong yet.

Source Verification

Skyscanner staff going back to school to teach the next generation of tech students

Skyscanner staff going back to school to teach the next generation of tech students

Summary

Skyscanner employees are taking part in a new project to become part-time teachers, while continuing their tech jobs. This initiative aims to increase the number of computing teachers in Scotland, where their numbers have fallen by 25% since 2008. Participants will maintain their tech careers while also teaching in schools.

Key Facts

  • Four Skyscanner employees are studying at Glasgow University to become computing teachers.
  • They are participating in a "braided" career project, allowing work in tech and teaching.
  • The number of computing teachers in Scotland declined by 25% between 2008 and 2023.
  • Participants will keep their Skyscanner salaries and receive additional pay for teaching.
  • Orla Sonvico, one of the employees, aims to inspire students as a computing teacher.
  • Only 16 people joined the computing teaching program in Scotland last year, against a target of 52.
  • The project aims to encourage more students to study computing and join the tech industry.

Source Verification

Artificial Intelligence: An AI Boss Warns About The Risks (Dario Amodei)

Artificial Intelligence: An AI Boss Warns About The Risks (Dario Amodei)

Summary

Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, discusses the risks of artificial intelligence. He suggests that AI could lead to job loss and calls for stronger regulations to manage these risks.

Key Facts

  • Dario Amodei is the CEO of a company called Anthropic.
  • He talks about potential risks linked to artificial intelligence (AI).
  • He mentions that AI could potentially replace some jobs.
  • Amodei believes there should be more rules to control AI.
  • The discussion is part of a program with Amol Rajan titled "Radical."
  • This content is available on the BBC Sounds platform.
  • The episode was released on September 4, 2025, and will be available for over a year.

Source Verification

Wikipedia editors publish new guide to help readers detect entries written by AI

Summary

Wikipedia editors have released a new guide to help readers identify if entries were written by humans or artificial intelligence (AI). This guide aims to make it easier for people to tell if AI was involved in creating Wikipedia content.

Key Facts

  • Wikipedia editors created a new guide.
  • The guide helps identify entries written by AI.
  • This initiative aims to make Wikipedia content more transparent.
  • AI stands for artificial intelligence, which is technology that enables machines to mimic human tasks.
  • The guide's purpose is to assist readers in knowing who or what created the information they are reading.

Source Verification

Google must pay $425 million in privacy lawsuit, jury says

Google must pay $425 million in privacy lawsuit, jury says

Summary

Google has been ordered by a federal jury to pay $425 million for gathering data from users who had turned off a tracking feature in their account settings. Google plans to challenge this ruling in court. The case was a class-action lawsuit filed by users claiming Google violated privacy assurances through its Web & App Activity setting.

Key Facts

  • A federal jury decided Google must pay $425 million for a privacy violation.
  • The lawsuit claims Google collected data from users who switched off a tracking feature.
  • The case involved 98 million Google users and 174 million devices.
  • Users filed the lawsuit in July 2020 and initially sought $31 billion in damages.
  • Google plans to appeal the jury's decision.
  • Google says it respects user choices when they turn off personalization settings.

Source Verification

Lost in translation - How Africa is trying to close the AI language gap

Lost in translation - How Africa is trying to close the AI language gap

Summary

African researchers have created a large dataset of spoken African languages to help develop AI tools that work in these languages. This effort aims to include more diverse languages in AI development, as current AI tools mostly focus on English and other major languages. The project hopes to expand to more languages in the future.

Key Facts

  • Africa has over a quarter of the world's languages, but many are not included in AI development.
  • Most current AI tools, like ChatGPT, are trained on English and other major languages with a lot of written data.
  • African languages are often spoken rather than written, so there is less text data available for AI training.
  • Researchers created a dataset of 9,000 hours of speech in 18 African languages from Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.
  • The project, called Africa Next Voices, aims to make AI tools more inclusive for African language speakers.
  • The project received $2.2 million funding from the Gates Foundation.
  • The dataset will be open access, allowing developers to create AI tools for translation and transcription in African languages.
  • An AI app, AI-Farmer, helps farmers like Kelebogile Mosime by using local languages to solve farming challenges.

Source Verification

Salesforce lays off thousands despite strong earnings report

Salesforce lays off thousands despite strong earnings report

Summary

Salesforce laid off 4,000 customer support employees while the company continues to focus on artificial intelligence (AI). Despite these job cuts, Salesforce reported strong quarterly financial results. However, the company expects lower revenue in the upcoming quarter due to economic uncertainties.

Key Facts

  • Salesforce reduced its customer support staff from 9,000 to 5,000 employees.
  • AI is handling about one million customer conversations for Salesforce.
  • Earlier this year, Salesforce reduced costs by 17% after laying off 1,000 employees.
  • The company's revenue for the quarter ending July 31 reached over $10.2 billion, a 10% increase from the previous year.
  • Salesforce increased its share buyback plan by $20 billion.
  • The company expects the next quarter's revenue to fall below Wall Street's expectations.
  • Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff receives an annual compensation package valued at $55 million.
  • In 2023, Salesforce laid off 7,000 workers but later hired 3,000 employees.

Source Verification

How the next wave of workers will adapt as artificial intelligence reshapes jobs

How the next wave of workers will adapt as artificial intelligence reshapes jobs

Summary

AI is changing the workplace, as companies use it instead of hiring more people. This raises questions about the future job market and what jobs will be available for future generations. Robert Reich discussed these changes in his new essay.

Key Facts

  • AI is being used by companies as a substitute for hiring new employees.
  • This shift creates uncertainty about future job opportunities.
  • Robert Reich is a former Labor Secretary and a professor at Berkeley.
  • Reich has written an essay called "How your kids will make money in a world of AI."
  • The essay discusses how future generations might earn money as AI becomes more common.
  • The focus is on understanding how jobs will change because of AI.

Source Verification

M&S hackers claim to be behind Jaguar Land Rover cyber attack

M&S hackers claim to be behind Jaguar Land Rover cyber attack

Summary

A group of young hackers, known as "Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters," claims responsibility for a cyber attack that disrupted Jaguar Land Rover's global production. They have shared screenshots, suggesting they accessed the company's IT systems, but it's unclear if they stole any data. The company is working to restore production and has reported the incident to authorities.

Key Facts

  • A hacker group claims it attacked Jaguar Land Rover’s IT systems.
  • The attack has disrupted global car production since Sunday.
  • The hackers shared screenshots from inside Jaguar Land Rover's IT network.
  • It's unclear if any private data was stolen.
  • The company shut down its systems to reduce the damage from the attack.
  • The hackers are part of the "Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters" group, linked to other young hackers.
  • The UK's Information Commissioner's Office is assessing the incident.
  • Jaguar Land Rover is trying to restart its manufacturing operations safely.

Source Verification

Luigi Mangione's likeness used to model shirt on Shein

Luigi Mangione's likeness used to model shirt on Shein

Summary

Shein has started an investigation after an image of Luigi Mangione, who is accused of murder, was used to model a shirt on their website. The image was taken down, and it's unclear who uploaded it or how long it was online. Mangione has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

Key Facts

  • Shein removed a product listing featuring Luigi Mangione's likeness after it was discovered on their website.
  • Luigi Mangione is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
  • Shein's spokesperson stated they have strict rules for listings and are reviewing their processes.
  • The image was believed to be on the site for a shirt selling for under $10.
  • It's uncertain who uploaded the image or the exact duration it was online.
  • There is speculation that the image might have been made using artificial intelligence (AI).
  • Mangione pleaded not guilty to charges including murder and stalking.
  • There have been previous controversies involving AI misrepresentations of Mangione in the media.

Source Verification

A let off or tougher than it looks? What the Google monopoly ruling means

A let off or tougher than it looks? What the Google monopoly ruling means

Summary

A U.S. judge ruled in a major antitrust case that Google is a monopoly in online search but did not require the company to break up its operations, such as Chrome or Android. Some measures were ordered to increase competition, like sharing data with rivals. The case reflects Google's significant role in both search and emerging artificial intelligence technologies.

Key Facts

  • Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google is a monopoly in online search.
  • The judge decided not to force Google to sell off its Chrome browser or Android operating system.
  • Google must share parts of its search data with certain rivals.
  • Competitors can show Google search results on their platforms.
  • Google can pay companies like Apple and Samsung to feature its search engine but cannot have exclusive deals.
  • The U.S. Department of Justice started the case in 2020, questioning Google's practices.
  • The case also noted Google's growing influence in artificial intelligence, suggesting other companies could compete.
  • More antitrust cases related to Google's advertising technology are ongoing.

Source Verification

Judge lets Google keep Chrome but orders other penalties in major antitrust ruling

Summary

A federal judge decided that Google does not have to sell its Chrome web browser as part of an antitrust case. However, the judge did impose other penalties on Google.

Key Facts

  • A federal judge ruled in a major antitrust case involving Google.
  • Google will not have to sell its Chrome web browser.
  • Other penalties were given to Google, but the article does not specify them.
  • The case relates to antitrust laws, which aim to prevent companies from having too much power and harming competition.
  • The ruling was announced on September 3, 2025.

Source Verification

OpenAI announces parental controls for ChatGPT after teen’s suicide

OpenAI announces parental controls for ChatGPT after teen’s suicide

Summary

OpenAI is introducing parental controls for ChatGPT to help families manage their teens' use of the AI tool and address mental health concerns. The new features will allow parents to monitor their children's interactions with ChatGPT, including disabling certain functions and receiving alerts for signs of distress. This announcement follows a lawsuit filed by a family who claimed ChatGPT influenced their son's suicide.

Key Facts

  • OpenAI is adding parental controls to ChatGPT.
  • Parents can link their own accounts with their children's ChatGPT accounts.
  • The controls allow disabling features like memory and chat history.
  • Parents will get notifications if a teen shows signs of distress.
  • OpenAI plans to use expert advice to implement these features.
  • The changes will start within the next month.
  • A California couple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, blaming the company's AI for their son's suicide.
  • A study on AI chatbots revealed they sometimes respond inconsistently to mental health emergencies.

Source Verification

Don't pay a fake parking fine – four ways to protect yourself from scams

Don't pay a fake parking fine – four ways to protect yourself from scams

Summary

Fake parking fine scams are on the rise, with fraudsters using tactics like sending deceptive texts or tampering with parking machines to steal card details. Police and councils have issued warnings and shared tips to help people avoid falling for these scams.

Key Facts

  • Police and councils have warned about an increase in parking scams over the summer.
  • Common scams include fake texts about unpaid tickets and tampered parking machines.
  • Genuine parking fines will include details like vehicle registration, time, and location.
  • Fraudulent texts often use urgent language and fake links to make you pay quickly.
  • If you click a suspicious link, restart your device, change your passwords, and contact your bank.
  • Fraudsters may attach skimming devices to parking machines to steal card information.
  • People should look for unusual stickers or items on payment machines to spot tampering.

Source Verification

US judge orders Google to share search data with competitors

US judge orders Google to share search data with competitors

Summary

A U.S. judge has ordered Google to share its search data with competitors to increase competition in online search. The ruling also prevents Google from making exclusive deals that stop device makers from preinstalling rival products.

Key Facts

  • A U.S. judge in Washington ruled that Google must share its search data with competitors.
  • The decision aims to increase competition in the online search market.
  • The judge did not accept a request to make Google sell its Chrome browser.
  • Google plans to appeal the decision, which could delay the action for years.
  • The ruling prevents Google from entering exclusive deals with device makers.
  • The decision is part of ongoing legal battles where Google is accused of monopoly practices.
  • The case is one of several U.S. government actions against major technology firms like Meta, Amazon, and Apple.
  • Alphabet, Google's parent company, saw its stock drop 0.7% during the day but rise 6% in after-hours trading.

Source Verification

Google won't have to sell Chrome in antitrust win

Google won't have to sell Chrome in antitrust win

Summary

A federal judge ruled that Google doesn't have to sell its Chrome browser but must share data with competitors. The judge found that Google broke antitrust laws to gain a monopoly in online search, but Google can still pay partners for app placement without exclusive contracts.

Key Facts

  • Google won't be required to separate its Chrome browser from the rest of its business.
  • The company must share some data with competitors as part of the ruling.
  • The ruling stops Google from having exclusive contracts that helped keep Chrome very popular.
  • Google can still pay for its apps to be preloaded on devices.
  • The case stems from a 2020 antitrust lawsuit by the U.S. Justice Department.
  • Judge Amit Mehta previously ruled Google is a monopoly in search markets.
  • Google's partners include major smartphone companies like Apple and Samsung.
  • Google plans to appeal the decision, possibly taking the case to the Supreme Court.

Source Verification

Google can keep Chrome but must share information

Google can keep Chrome but must share information

Summary

A U.S. judge has ruled that Google can keep its Chrome browser but must share some information with competitors. This is part of a legal case focused on whether Google unfairly dominated online search.

Key Facts

  • A U.S. federal judge ruled Google does not need to sell its Chrome browser.
  • Google must share certain information with its competitors.
  • The ruling is the result of a long court battle about Google's search engine dominance.
  • Judge Amit Mehta made this decision.
  • Last year, the judge found Google violated rules by hurting competition.
  • The U.S. Department of Justice wanted Google to sell Chrome as a remedy.
  • Chrome is currently the most popular browser in the world.

Source Verification