Flickr adds image theft protection with Pixsy
Flickr now offers protection to its users in the form of image theft detection. The site has partnered with Pixsy and uses reverse image search technology and AI to monitor for unauthorized use of photographers' images.
The service is only available to Pro subscribers, and is being billed as one of the "Pro Perks". Flickr says that when a copyright infringement is detected, users will "get access to a variety of tools and services that will help you deal with the unauthorized use of your work".
Apple no longer charges for transferring data to a new Mac
Apple is now offering data migration services free of charge when you get a new Mac.
Previously, the company charged customers $99 to transfer data from an old Mac to a new one, or when data transfer was needed as part of a repair. While not the most taxing of tasks, the dropping of fees means more people are likely to leave the process to Apple rather than undertaking it themselves.
Beta and nightly builds of Firefox now protect against fingerprinting and cryptomining
Mozilla has added new protective features to the nightly and beta versions of Firefox. Through a partnership with Disconnect, the browser is now able to block cryptocurrency mining and fingerprinting scripts.
The new features mean that users are protected against scripts that can be used to track them online, as well as those that use CPU cycles to mine for cryptocurrency. Mozilla says it is part of its mission to protect people from "threats and annoyances on the web".
Facebook updates its terms and conditions in Europe to clarify personal data usage
Facebook has faced numerous battles and controversies around the world, but the social networking giant has come under particular fire from Europe. Today, in response to concerns raised by the European Commission, Facebook has agreed to update its terms and conditions in the EU to make it clear to users how their personal data is used.
The new terms clarify how user data is shared with third parties, and how it can be used to target advertising. They also explain how users can close their accounts if they want, and detail reasons for which accounts can be disabled.
How to enable dark mode in new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge
There has been talk of a Chromium-based version of Microsoft Edge for a while, and now Microsoft has finally released the browser to those willing to take part in the Insider program.
While it's early days for this new version of Edge, there is already the Microsoft Edge Insider Addons website to investigate, but you may also want to experiment with settings. One such setting is dark mode -- something which has proved very popular in all sorts of apps. Here's how to enable it.
Microsoft Edge Insider Addons website launched
The first official builds of Chromium-based version of Microsoft Edge are now available to download, and Microsoft has also launched the Microsoft Edge Insider Addons website.
Anyone using the standard, non-Insider version of the browser is probably familiar with the addons and extensions that are available from the Microsoft Store for Edge. But with the new Chromium version of Edge, the new website gives an easy way to extend the capabilities of the Dev and Canary builds.
Twitter slashes the number of users you can follow each day
In an attempt to cut down on bots and spam activity, Twitter is dramatically reducing the number of accounts it is possible to follow each day.
The previous limit meant users could follow up to 1,000 new accounts on a daily basis, but this has been abused by spammers and bots to quickly grow their networks. The new limit is less than half of this -- just 400 -- and is an update to Twitter's policies against "aggressive following or follower churn" and "bulk or aggressive activity".
Mozilla is launching curated Recommended Extensions program this summer
However much you love your chosen web browser, you have probably enhanced its capabilities through the use of add-ons. Finding decent, reliable add-ons can be tricky, and this is why Mozilla is launching the Recommended Extensions program.
This editor-curated program will surface the very best vetted extensions for Firefox, and it is due to roll out in stages later this summer.
Viber users in the US, UK and Canada can now buy a Viber Local Number for calls and texts
Viber has launched a new option called Viber Local Number which lets users in the US, UK and Canada buy a local phone number to associate with their account and use it to receive calls and texts with non-Viber users.
Viber Local Number (VLN) has been in closed beta testing for a little while, but it is now available to anyone from the supported countries that is interested. It is a similar system to that found in Skype, and will cost subscribers $4.99 per month.
Huawei's 'shoddy' security could mean it is banned from sensitive parts of the UK's 5G network
Concerns about Huawei's "very, very shoddy" security could mean that the Chinese company's technology is barred from key parts of the UK's 5G mobile network.
A UK watchdog has already said that Huawei poses a national security risk, but a statement from the technical director of GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre has stepped things up. Dr Ian Levy says that "the security in Huawei is like nothing else -- it's engineering like it's back in the year 2000 -- it's very, very shoddy".
GDPR rules could be used by the UK to fine tech firms for 'harmful content'
The UK is looking at hitting technology companies with financial penalties if they fail to do enough to counter "harmful content" on their platforms.
Jeremy Wright, the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) secretary, says that tech firms need to be made to "sit up and take notice" when it comes to dealing with problematic content. While clearly aimed more at social media companies, the proposals would encompass other technology firms as well. The plans also suggest that search engines should remove links to offending websites, and that some sites could even be blocked completely.
Emsisoft Decrypter for Planetary gets your ransomware-riddled files back for free
Emsisoft has released a free decrypter tool for anyone who has been struck by the Planetary Ransomware, eliminating the need to pay a fee to the attackers.
Before using the tool you are advised to ensure that you have removed the malware from your computer -- something you can do with the free version of Emsisoft Anti-Malware. You also need to ensure that you don't delete the ransom note ("!!!READ_IT!!!.txt") or the decrypter won't work.
/r/Piracy is going on a massive deletion spree to avoid a Reddit ban
Reddit has never been much of a stranger to controversy, and the site has faced mounting pressure from copyright-holders to do something about piracy.
Moderators have been fighting a losing battle to keep illegal content in check, but with complaints still flooding in, the /r/piracy subreddit is taking drastic action. Having spoken to the community about initiating "The Nuclear Option", the decision was taken to delete nearly a decade's worth of content.
With Windows 10 1809, Microsoft drops safe removal of USB drives as the default option
To safely remove or not to safely remove? That is the question... although another one might reasonably be, "well, what difference does it really make?". Since the arrival of USB drives, we have been warned that they need to be "safely removed" using the correct method in Windows, rather than just being yanked out -- but now this changes.
With Windows 10 1809, Microsoft is changing the default setting that's applied to USB drives and other removable media. The change means that the default policy applied to removable storage devices is Quick Removal rather than Better Performance -- so you can now just pull it out without a second thought.
Competition and Markets Authority investigates Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo's online gaming subscriptions
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into the business practices of Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo, partly in relation to the companies' online gaming subscription services.
The CMA has voiced concern about what it says is the unfair practice of automatic renewing Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox subscriptions. There are also concerns about the associated cancellation and refund policies, and terms and conditions.
Sofia Elizabella's Bio
Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson is a queer, transgender journalist based in Poland. She has been writing about technology for more than two decades, and after years working for magazines, her writing moved online. She is fueled by literature, music, nature, and vegetables. You can find her on Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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