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Here's the latest tech news from the last 24 hours:

🔒 Meta's privacy concerns delay Threads launch in EU
🤖 Google is training Bard on scraped data
💎 Huge Norwegian phosphate deposit can satisfy a century's worth of demand
🐦 Twitter quietly lifts login requirement for tweet viewing
⚖️ Judge imposes restrictions on Biden officials' contact with social media firms

🔒 Meta's privacy concerns delay Threads launch in EULINK

Meta has delayed the launch of its new social networking app, Threads, in the EU due to potential issues with regulators and EU privacy laws.

The decision comes after Meta faced a record-breaking €1.2bn fine for GDPR violations in the EU, handed out primarily by Ireland's Data Protection Commission.

While it's unclear whether Threads will be adapted to comply with EU data laws, the app is set to debut in over 100 other countries, including the US and the UK.

🤖 Google is training Bard on scraped dataLINK

Google has updated its privacy policy, allowing it to use public data to train and develop AI products and features, including Google Translate, Bard, and Cloud AI capabilities.

Despite initial skepticism, Google's AI chatbot Bard has improved significantly, and the company has announced plans for an AI-based search tool called the Search Generative Experience (SGE).

Although Google is proactively informing users about its future AI plans, concerns persist about privacy, intellectual property, and the impact of AI models on human labor and creativity, underscored by a class-action lawsuit against OpenAI and controversies surrounding ClearView AI's use of facial recognition.

💎 Huge Norwegian phosphate deposit can satisfy a century's worth of demandLINK

A vast deposit of high-grade phosphate rock, enough to meet global demand for fertilizer, solar panels, and electric vehicle batteries for a century, has been discovered in Norway by mining company Norge Mining.

The discovery is critical as the European Union is almost entirely dependent on phosphate rock imports and faces potential supply disruptions due to geopolitical issues and economic sanctions, such as those following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

While phosphate refining is a carbon-intensive process, Norway intends to use carbon capture and storage technology to create a more sustainable mineral industry.

🐦 Twitter quietly lifts login requirement for tweet viewingLINK

Twitter has silently removed the recent requirement for users to log in to view tweets, allowing open access via a browser without an account.

The change comes after temporary measures were implemented to prevent data scraping, which were said to be degrading the service for normal users.

In addition to the removed login requirement, Twitter also limited daily read counts for unverified and verified users to combat data scraping, with reported minimal effects on advertising.

⚖️ Judge imposes restrictions on Biden officials' contact with social media firmsLINK

A US federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction blocking key agencies in the Biden administration from communicating with social media platforms to encourage the removal of content containing protected free speech.

The ruling could interfere with the administration's efforts to combat misinformation about vaccines and elections, and is seen as a win for Republican attorneys general who allege overreach by the government in combating COVID-19 misinformation.

Exceptions in the ruling allow the government to warn platforms about national security threats, criminal activity or voter suppression, while the Biden administration maintains that its interactions with social media platforms are attempts to encourage responsible action to protect public health, safety, and security.

Other news you might like

Neko Health, co-founded by Spotify's Daniel Ek, raised $65 million in a Series A round for its preventative healthcare AI that detects serious conditions through full-body scans.LINK

Asia's major telecom company launched Jio Bharat, the world's cheapest 4G phone at $12, aiming to transition millions of Indian consumers from 2G to 4G.LINK

New York City now enforces its Automated Employment Decision Tool (AEDT) law, requiring annual independent bias audits for AI used in recruitment and employment decisions. LINK

New Jersey Judge Gary N. Wilcox is under investigation for posting inappropriate TikTok videos, filmed in his chambers and judicial robes, breaching judicial conduct standards.LINK

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