Google Is Under Pressure Because Brands Are Pulling Adverts Over Hate Speech Fears

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Google has issued a public apology after a series of high-profile brands and the UK government pulled adverts from appearing on Google and its video site YouTube.

It follows an investigation by The Times that found adverts had appeared alongside hate speech and content uploaded by terrorists, sparking fears that UK companies may have been inadvertently funding terrorism.

On Monday, Marks & Spencer became the latest company to freeze ad spend with the global giant to “ensure brand safety” while the “matter is worked through”.

It followed similar moves by companies including Sainsbury's, HSBC, Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland, McDonald&039;s, and L&039;Oreal. The UK government has also suspended advertising “pending reassurances from Google that government messages can be delivered in a safe and appropriate way”.

In a statement on Monday, Matt Brittin, head of Google for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, apologised. He said: “I would like to apologise to our partners and advertisers who might have been affected by their ads appearing on controversial content. We take our responsibilities to these industry issues very seriously.”

The company was, he added, “making improvements” to its advertising policies and “increasing investment in enforcement to act faster”.

Each minute hundreds of hours of content are uploaded to YouTube. Google only reviews content that has been flagged as inappropriate by its users, rather than proactively monitoring for content that falls outside its terms of use.

The internet giant, which controls 35% of the digital advertising market, has faced growing criticism in recent months for allowing hate content on the site and will be under pressure to offer a solution.

Last week, during a bruising two-hour examination of executives from Google, Facebook, and Twitter, MPs accused the companies of not doing enough to stop hateful material being shared on their platforms.

Quelle: <a href="Google Is Under Pressure Because Brands Are Pulling Adverts Over Hate Speech Fears“>BuzzFeed

Laptops And Electronics Banned On Flights From Some Middle Eastern Countries

A Saudia airlines crew arrives at Washington Dulles International Airport on February 6, 2017.

Brendan Smialowski / AFP / Getty Images

At least two Middle Eastern airlines are telling passengers that laptops, tablet computers and other electronic devices are no longer allowed as carry-on items in flights headed to the US, citing orders from US authorities.

A representative of Saudi Arabian Airlines, based at JFK International Airport in New York, told BuzzFeed News that the ban begins immediately, and covers all electronic devices, excluding cellphones. They said it applies on flights headed to the US, but not on Saudi-bound flights.

The representative declined to answer further questions and said inquiries should be directed to the TSA. The Saudi daily newspaper Al Riyadh quoted the country&#039;s civil aviation authority as saying the ban applies to all US-bound flights from Saudi Arabia.

Details of the ban will be announced on Tuesday, NBC News reported, saying such changes to security rules “are made periodically in response to threat intelligence, and laptop computers have long been the source of concern.” The Guardian reported that the ban will apply to flights from 13 countries, and was announced to airlines on Monday via a confidential advisory from the TSA.

“There is a security concern regarding passengers boarding non-stop flights to the U.S. from some specific countries,” CNN reported, citing an unnamed US official. “The directive is to ensure enhanced security measures at select airports for a limited duration.”

The Transportation Security Administration referred inquiries to the Department of Homeland Security. A Homeland Security spokesperson told BuzzFeed News: “We have no comment on potential security precautions, but will provide an update when appropriate.”

Royal Jordanian Airlines informed passengers of a ban coming into effect on Tuesday. “Following instructions from the concerned US departments,” it said in a tweet, all electronics are banned on US-bound flights, with an exception for cellphones and medical devices.

That tweet has since been deleted. In a response to inquiries from BuzzFeed News, a representative said “further updates will be announced soon.”

Here’s the original, deleted Royal Jordanian tweet.

JFK-based representatives of Dubai&039;s Emirates Airline and Doha-based Qatar Airways said they had not heard of any changes. BuzzFeed News has reached out to other Middle Eastern and African airlines, and will update this article as responses come in.

Quelle: <a href="Laptops And Electronics Banned On Flights From Some Middle Eastern Countries“>BuzzFeed

DoorDash Will Start Delivering Food Via Robots In California This Thursday

This Thursday, the on-demand delivery company DoorDash&#039;s human couriers will begin working alongside a new type of coworker: robots.

DoorDash is putting a small fleet of six-wheeled delivery robots into action for the first time in Redwood City, California following weeks of tests. The robots, built by a company called Starship Technologies, are about the size of a golden retriever and roll around sidewalks with relative ease. They&039;ll be used to lug food from restaurants to customers on short-distance orders, spanning anywhere from one to two miles.

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Automation has emerged as a critical issue in the US following a 2016 election that focused largely on jobs and plans to save them. Though a significant amount of attention has been directed towards autonomous driving as a potential job killer, specifically for long haul trucking, delivery robots appear poised to go mainstream much sooner.

Asked whether robots would replace human “Dashers,” DoorDash co-founder and chief product officer Stanley Tang told BuzzFeed News that the company sees the &039;bots as a compliment, not replacement. “We’ve found that the robots are better suited to the smaller, short-distance orders that Dashers often avoid, thereby freeing up Dashers to fulfill the bigger and more complex deliveries that often result in more money for them,” he said.

DoorDash is putting six delivery robots into action in California with plans to expand elsewhere in the US. The company recently started testing the robots in Washington DC. And robot-maker Starship Technologies is currently working with Postmates, another on-demand delivery company, to add robot deliveries to its service too.

Quelle: <a href="DoorDash Will Start Delivering Food Via Robots In California This Thursday“>BuzzFeed

Uber President Quits As Company Deals With Sexism, Management

Seth Wenig / AP

Uber president Jeff Jones is leaving the ride-hailing company as it continues to face issues of sexism and leadership.

Jones, previously an executive with retailer Target, joined Uber six months ago as its president of ride-sharing.

“The beliefs and approach to leadership that have guided my career are inconsistent with what I saw and experienced at Uber, and I can no longer continue as president of the ride sharing business,” Jones said in a statement to Recode. “There are thousands of amazing people at the company, and I truly wish everyone well.”

Uber confirmed Jones&#039; departure in a statement.

“We want to thank Jeff for his six months at the company and wish him all the best,” the statement said.

The company recently made headlines after former engineer Susan Fowler Rigetti wrote about rampant sexual harassment and inequality. Management was regularly in chaos as employees pursued their own interests, and human resources did nothing when complaints were reported, she said.

More than 100 other women engineers in the company agreed there was a systemic problem.

In response, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick ordered an internal investigation and held an emotional meeting, where he apologized.

The revelations about company culture come after deleteUber swept social media — a social media response to the company&039;s suspension of surge pricing in New York while taxi drivers were striking to protest President Trump&039;s travel ban, a move that was perceived as undermining the strike.

LINK: Uber Women To CEO Travis Kalanick: We Have A Systemic Problem

Quelle: <a href="Uber President Quits As Company Deals With Sexism, Management“>BuzzFeed

Here's Jeff Bezos In A Giant Robot Exoskeleton Because 2017 Isn't A Dystopia At All

Here&#039;s Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, evolving into his final form as a giant robot.

Bezos tried on the robot exoskeleton at at Amazon&039;s annual MARS conference, which covers machine learning, home automation, robotics, and space exploration.

Hankook Mirae Technology, which created the 13-foot, 1.6-ton Method-2 roboexoskeleton that Bezos is piloting, is a South Korean robotics company. The equipment resembles several iconic robots from science fiction movies and more advanced versions could theoretically be used for interplanetary or intergalactic human exploration. Bezos is particularly interested in space science and has invested $500 million into his space exploration company Blue Origin as of July 2016.

Here’s the suit in action without Jeff Bezos.

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And here&039;s the iconic battle between Sigourney Weaver and the monster in the original Alien film.

The comparison wasn&039;t lost on Bezos, who asked at the conference crowd, “Why do I feel so much like Sigourney Weaver?” They chuckled nervously in response.

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The Method-2 bears the same human-encased-in-glass-with-giant-robo-limbs design of the robot suits in Avatar:

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Vitaly Bulgarov, one of the designers working with Hankook Mirae on Method-2, designed robots for the film Ghost in the Shell and the 2018 anime adaptation Battle Angel Alita.

He&039;s a co-founder of Kiln, a weapons company creating “innovative and custom gun parts,” according to his website. Bulgarov&039;s Instagram looks less than an engineer&039;s account and more like it belongs to the general of the robot army that will soon enslave the world.

“Here is the robot that will separate you from your loved ones very soon&#033;” —Vitaly Bulgarov, probably.

Instagram: @vitalybulgarov

“This one will round up the lawmakers&033;&033;” —Vitaly Bulgarov, maybe.

Instagram: @vitalybulgarov

Enjoy the fresh air while it lasts&033;

Quelle: <a href="Here&039;s Jeff Bezos In A Giant Robot Exoskeleton Because 2017 Isn&039;t A Dystopia At All“>BuzzFeed