Hasta La Gadget!

In November, Google said it would conduct a “test” in eight European countries that would omit results from EU-based news publishers for a small percentage of users. The results are in, and the survey says the news has no meaningful monetary value for the company. But the “public experiment” was hardly done for scientific curiosity. European copyright law says the company must pay publishers for using snippets from articles, and Google will likely use the data to try to kneecap news outlets’ negotiating leverage.

“During our negotiations to comply with the European Copyright Directive (EUCD), we’ve seen a number of inaccurate reports that vastly overestimate the value of news content to Google,” the company bluntly wrote in its blog post explaining the experiment’s results. “The results have now come in: European news content in Search has no measurable impact on ad revenue for Google.”

Google Economics Director Paul Liu said that when the company removed news content from one percent of users in Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain, it saw no change in ad revenue and only a 0.8 percent drop in usage. (It initially included France, but a court warned the company that it would break a previous agreement and face fines, so it backed out.) Liu concludes that “any lost usage was from queries that generated minimal or no revenue.”

Google

TechCrunch notes that Google is walking a fine line here. It’s already faced antitrust fines in France over news content, and Germany is ratcheting up pressure on the company’s news licensing tactics. Neither country was ultimately included in the “experiment.”

The company has a long history of using the potential withdrawal of visibility as a negotiating stick in similar situations (with success in some cases), including tests in Canada, California and Australia. In the latter case, Aussie grit prevailed: After Google threatened to remove its entire search engine from the country, then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, “Let me be clear. Australia makes our rules for things you can do in Australia.” The bill was passed and enacted, and Google struck deals with Australian media companies to license content. And yes, Google search is still available Down Under.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-says-its-european-experiment-shows-news-is-worthless-to-its-ad-business-161103352.html?src=rss

SpaceX could soon have greater control over the recreational activities of South Texas residents. The Houston Chronicle (via Gizmodo) and San Antonio Express-News report that a pair of state senate bills introduced earlier this month would give officials at the likely Starbase city the authority to decide when a nearby beach shuts down for weekday launch activities. Meanwhile, a third bill floated on Wednesday would take the company’s control a step further, making it a criminal offense for people on the beach not to comply with SpaceX’s evacuation orders.

The bills are possible because of an upcoming election that will almost certainly give SpaceX officials control of the area. On May 3, voters will decide if Starbase becomes a Texas city, something Elon Musk first proposed in 2021. Given that the area near the rocket site is populated mainly by SpaceX employees (after previous homeowners in Boca Chica Village moved, often after being bought out by the company), let’s just say the election’s outcome won’t likely be a toss-up.

Republican state senator Adam Hinojosa’s first bill, SB 2188, would let Starbase city officials (assuming the municipality establishment bill passes) decide when Boca Chica Beach is closed for weekday rocket tests and flights. An identical bill, HB 4660, was introduced in the state house by Republican Janie Lopez. Cameron County officials, who control the closures now, would maintain control on Friday afternoons and weekends.

Campaign for Adam Hinojosa

Meanwhile, Hinojosa’s second senate bill (SB 2230) would make it a Class B misdemeanor for people on the beach not to comply with Starbase’s evacuation orders. The freshman state senator said the bill would give the commercial spaceport “real teeth” to “compel people to do the right thing.” (Fittingly, Hinojosa’s election website touts his belief that “we don’t need more government in business — we need more business in government.”)

The Houston Chronicle reports that the FAA’s Environmental Assessment shows that SpaceX has moved much of its testing to a site that doesn’t require the closure of State Highway 4. A SpaceX flight test in April 2023 closed the road for over 24 hours, while another shuttered it for nearly eight hours last June. The company can close State Highway 4 for up to 500 hours each year for standard operations and up to 300 more hours to address incidents like an exploding rocket.

On the other hand, environmental groups have argued that SpaceX’s activities are damaging the area. Last year, the Center for Biological Diversity, American Bird Conservancy and other groups sued the FAA for allegedly rushing SpaceX’s permitting process without a full environmental review. And the Environmental Protection Agency fined the company for allegedly dumping pollutants into Texas wetlands adjacent to the Rio Grande River. 

Craig Nazor, conservation chair for the Sierra Club’s Lone Star chapter, testified to the state senate on Wednesday that SB 2188 would “put beach closures directly in the hands of SpaceX.” He also expressed concern that the second senate bill could put folks who are unaware of an upcoming launch into legal trouble. “[SB 2230] could potentially make a criminal out of someone who’s out there and lost track of exactly what may be going on at the launch pad,” he said.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/spacex-could-soon-have-more-control-over-texas-public-road-and-beach-closures-184526421.html?src=rss

Earlier this year, with a TikTok ban looming, Perplexity AI threw its hat into the increasingly crowded ring to take over the embattled social media company. Now, the maker of the AI search engine is outlining its vision for TikTok if its bid were to win out.

In a blog post, the company made a lengthy pitch for “rebuilding TikTok in America,” an effort that would see the AI company rebuild the app’s signature algorithm, add Community Notes, and integrate the shortform videos into its search engine.

Of the many potential buyers, it’s not clear how seriously Perplexity’s bid is being considered. On Friday, the Financial Times reported that ByteDance’s existing US investors are “exploring a deal alongside software giant Oracle” in an effort to “appease” President Donald Trump. The story also notes that ByteDance “strongly prefers” this arrangement.

Still, Perplexity is making the case that it is best suited to own the platform.

Perplexity is singularly positioned to rebuild the TikTok algorithm without creating a monopoly, combining world-class technical capabilities with Little Tech independence. Any acquisition by a consortium of investors could in effect keep ByteDance in control of the algorithm, while any acquisition by a competitor would likely create a monopoly in the short form video and information space. All of society benefits when content feeds are liberated from the manipulations of foreign governments and globalist monopolists.

The AI company also says it would rebuild TikTok’s “black box” recommendation algorithm from scratch and would make the “For You” feed open source. Perplexity also suggests it would add “Community Notes features” as well as the citations used by its own search engine in an effort “to turn TikTok into the most neutral and trusted platform in the world.” That would be a significant departure from TikTok’s current fact-checking program, which relies on international media organizations.

This is the first time Perplexity has publicly discussed its vision for TikTok in detail. It’s also notable that some of its plans — like open-sourcing the “For You” feed and adding Community Notes — feel ripped straight from Elon Musk’s playbook for X. In any case, the White House will likely need to make a decision about TikTok’s future soon. Trump’s executive order that temporarily saved the app from a ban is set to expire April 5, although the president has indicated he would “probably” extend it if necessary.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/perplexity-ai-says-it-would-rebuild-tiktoks-algorithm-and-add-community-notes-features-200449390.html?src=rss

Amazon is suing the Consumer Product Safety Commission over its decision to hold the company legally responsible for faulty products on its platform, The Associated Press reports. Amazon’s suit demands that the shipping giant be considered a “third-party logistics provider” instead of a distributor and also calls the CPSC “unconstitutionally constructed.”

The origins of the legal fight can be traced back to 2021, when the CPSC sued Amazon to force it to recall faulty carbon monoxide detectors, unsafe hair dryers and flammable children’s sleepwear. At the time, Amazon had already taken some steps to address the issue, like informing customers who purchased the products that they were hazardous and offering store credit, but the CPSC wanted the company to go further.

The CPSC move to classify Amazon as a distributor in 2024 made the company responsible for issuing recalls and refunds for products sold through its Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) program. FBA lets sellers send their products to Amazon warehouses, where Amazon then handles picking, packing and shipping those products to customers, along with things like customer service and returns. Amazon takes issue with its classification as a distributor because it doesn’t own or make the faulty products the CPSC is concerned with — it sees itself as more of a hands-on FedEx.

Besides wanting to be reclassified and not held responsible for issuing more refunds, Amazon also has problems with the CPSC itself. The CPSC’s commissioners are appointed by the President, approved by the Senate and serve for seven years, unless they’re removed for “neglect of duty or malfeasance in office.” Amazon feels the commission’s relative invulnerability is unconstitutional and makes them “judge, jury, and prosecutor” in proceedings.

Amazon’s made similar claims about the National Labor Review Board, the organization in charge of protecting workers’ right to unionize. The timing of these complaints is key. The Trump administration is not particularly interested in maintaining any government organization empowered to regulate business, and it seems likely it will side with Amazon in disempowering the CPSC, one way or another.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-wants-the-consumer-product-safety-commission-deemed-unconstitutional-211037804.html?src=rss

Meta is exploring new ways to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into social media interactions, particularly by allowing users to generate AI-powered comments. While AI-generated responses are not new—Facebook already suggests comments on profile pictures and other images—Meta is now looking to expand this feature to Instagram.

The new functionality, discovered by social media tester Jonah Manzano, aims to improve engagement in Instagram’s comment sections by assisting users in writing relevant and interactive responses. According to Manzano, Instagram is testing a feature labeled “Write with Meta AI” within the comment section of posts, allowing users to receive AI-generated comment suggestions.

Users who have access to this new tool will notice a small pencil icon within the text bar under an Instagram post. Clicking on it activates Meta AI, which then analyzes the image and generates up to three suggested comments based on its content. If users are not satisfied with the initial suggestions, they can request alternative options.

Short video how it works pic.twitter.com/WdVOxcumZa

— Jonah Manzano (@jonah_manzano) March 15, 2025

A Meta spokesperson confirmed the testing phase, emphasizing that AI is being integrated into multiple aspects of the platform beyond just direct messaging. According to the company, AI-powered features are also being tested in comments, feeds, groups, and searches to enhance the overall user experience.

“We regularly test new ways for users to engage with Meta AI across our apps. Beyond DMs, you’ll find Meta AI assisting in comments, feeds, groups, and search to make your experiences more engaging and useful.”

This move aligns with Meta’s broader strategy to integrate AI across its social media ecosystem, ensuring users have a more interactive and seamless experience. By leveraging AI to suggest meaningful responses, the company hopes to foster better engagement and encourage more dynamic conversations in comment sections.

The feature could also benefit brands, influencers, and casual users by streamlining responses, saving time, and reducing the effort needed to craft engaging comments. However, it remains to be seen how the AI-generated responses will be received by users and whether they will enhance or diminish the authenticity of social media interactions.

Meta has not yet announced when or if this feature will be widely available, but the testing phase suggests a growing focus on AI-powered enhancements across its platforms.

Meta Tests AI-Generated Comments To Enhance User Interaction On Instagram

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