By Rebecca Stewart Google has changed the way torrenting sites like The Pirate Bay and Rarbg appear in its search results. Until recently, users searching for phrases like ‘best torrent sites’ or ‘torrent sites’ were presented with a carousel of suggestions below the search bar – but the internet behemoth has now amended the way this is presented by making some tweaks to its algorithm. The company confirmed to change to Next Web, saying its carousel display was never intended to be used in this way. The firm said all results were “generated algorithmically” and did not “reflect what [the company] had Read full story › Source: The Drum...
Read MoreBy Rebecca Stewart Apple has removed software which allows users in China to bypass censorship rules from its App Store in the region. Several VPN apps, which let internet users circumvent the country’s strict censorship system, are no longer available for download on the platform. One firm, ExpressVPN, published a blog containing a letter allegedly from Apple which explained that the software had been removed from the store on the basis it included content that is illegal on the mainland. Another provider, Star VPN, said on Twitter that its app had also been removed, calling the move a “dangerous precedent”. <p dir="ltr" lang="en" Read full story › Source: The Drum...
Read MoreBy Rebecca Stewart BT has submitted a proposal to the government offering to provide the infrastructure to bring high-speed broadband to 99% of UK premises by 2020. The plan would help 1.4 million homes in rural areas gain access to broadband with a minimum speed of 10Mb by 2020. BT’s offer has the potential to disrupt government-imposed rules which allow those living in remote areas to demand broadband. The universal service obligation (USO) was designed to help remote households get fast broadband more quickly, but if the government presses on with BT’s £600m proposal then it would be rendered unnecessary. About 1.4 million Read full story › Source: The Drum...
Read MoreBy Rebecca Stewart BT has submitted a proposal to the government offering to provide the infrastructure to bring high-speed broadband to 99% of UK premises by 2020. The plan would help 1.4 million homes in rural areas gain access to broadband with a minimum speed of 10Mb by 2020. BT’s offer has the potential to disrupt government-imposed rules which allow those living in remote areas to demand broadband. The universal service obligation (USO) was designed to help remote households get fast broadband more quickly, but if the government presses on with BT’s £600m proposal then it would be rendered unnecessary. About 1.4 million Read full story › Source: The Drum...
Read MoreBy Rebecca Stewart Facebook’s chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg has responded to the suggestion that messaging apps and social networks should remove end-to-end encryption – implying such a move would be a step backwards for governments looking to monitor extremism online. The executive tackled the issue on Sunday’s edition of Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4. She said that if Facebook-owned WhatsApp was to ditch encryption, which prevents authorities from seeing the messages users are sending to each other, then people would turn to alternative encrypted platforms; leaving governments with even less information as a result. “The goal for Read full story › Source: The Drum...
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