With files from Samira Balsara
Facebook is the subject of a new FTC probe, Chinese students are suing Apple for not providing a charger with the sale of an iPhone and Google has rolled out a new safety feature for people under 18.
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It’s all the tech news that’s trending right now, welcome to Hashtag Trending! It’s Thursday October 28, and I’m your host, Jori Negin-Shecter.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a probe into whether Facebook broke a major settlement agreement with the agency. According to sources, The Wall Street Journal reported that the probe was prompted by internal documents leaked by Frances Haugen, the Facebook whistleblower. One source said that the FTC was looking into whether internal research documents revealed the company violated a record-breaking $5 billion settlement it reached with the agency in 2019 regarding user privacy. The Wall Street Journal reported that the FTC has been in contact with Haugen’s team.
A group of students in China have filed a lawsuit against Apple asking the company to provide a charger for an iPhone they purchased. According to a Vice article, since 2020, Apple has stopped shipping new iPhones with earphones or power adaptors. Apple said this change would help reduce carbon emissions and the use of precious materials since consumers probably own multiple adaptors already. However, the students sought to challenge the argument in court, accusing Apple of using it as an excuse to cut down on overheads. They demanded Apple provide a wall charger for an iPhone 12 Pro Max purchased by one student along with paying 100 yuan for breach of contract and to cover legal fees. The student argued that the USB-C to Lightning cable that came in the iPhone 12 box was not compatible with other chargers in the market. Because of this, they were not able to charge the phone as advertised by Apple.
Lastly, Google has rolled out a new safety feature that allows people under 18 to request the removal of images of themselves found via Google search. According to The Verge, the feature, first introduced in August, is now widely available. Applicants will need to share a number of details in order to have the images removed. These include sharing the Image URLs, search results, search terms that reveal those images, the name and age of the minor, and the name and relationship of the individual that may be acting on their behalf such as a parent or guardian. Notably, the guidelines of a rule like this can be a bit hard to track. Google says it will remove any images of minors except in cases of “compelling public interest or newsworthiness.”
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home daily briefing. Make sure to sign up for our Daily IT Wire Newsletter to get all the news that matters directly in your inbox every day. If you have a suggestion or tip, please drop us a line in the comments or via email. Thanks for listening, I’m Jori Negin-Shecter.