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In the recent legal war between Apple Inc and 'Fortnite' creator Epic Games, a federal judge has ruled against Apple's move to block Fortnite from Apple Store.

The ruling, that came out late on Monday, has safeguarded Epic Games' computer graphics software Unreal Engine, questioning Apple's commission fee.

“Epic Games and Apple are at liberty to litigate against each other, but their dispute should not create havoc to bystanders,” Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers wrote in the ruling.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/apple-says-fortnite-maker-wanted-side-letter-to-create-own-game-store-322405">Also read|&nbsp;Apple says 'Fortnite' maker wanted 'side letter' to create own game store</a>

The legal and social batlle started when Apple Inc blocked Fortnite from the App Store, and the distribution of Unreal Engine claiming accusing Epic Games of not following the regulations set by Apple regarding the in-game purchases. The gaming company was accused as it allegedly used its own method of&nbsp;in-game purchases in the new update of teh popular "Fortnite" game, instead of stickng to the Apple's system of charging commission, through which Apple charges 15-30 per cent.

Epic Games had asked Apple, through legal actions and social media campaigns,&nbsp;to reverse its actions and unblock the game and the Unreal Engine. Apple was accused of engaging in anticompetitive behaviour and abusing the tech giant's dominance in the market.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/one-bad-apple-freefortnite-tournament-takes-a-dig-at-apple-322317">Also read|&nbsp;'One bad apple': #FreeFortnite tournament takes a dig at Apple</a>

The federal judge, too, raised a similar question on the set commission fee. “The question is, without competition, where does the 30% (App Store commission) come from? Why isn’t it 10? 20? How is the consumer benefiting?” she asked.

However,&nbsp;Apple counsel Richard Doren used&nbsp;Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook's argument and explained that the consumers have a choice of buying an Android or an iOS phone and therefore it is “the competition is in the foremarket."

Rogers continued the argument stting that there was “plenty of economic theory” to show that switching brands imposed costs on consumers. However, Diren, who was at one point muted by the Judge, said he can prove that&nbsp;“people switch all the time”.

The two companies have been at each other's hit-list for the last few months now due to the commission war. Fortnite has appealed to its users through social media posts, YouTube videos and a champiosnhip with hashtag og #FreeFortnite.

In the recent legal war between Apple Inc and 'Fortnite' creator Epic Games, a federal judge has ruled against Apple's move to block Fortnite from Apple Store. The ruling, that came out late on Monday, has safeguarded Epic Games' computer graphics software Unreal Engine, questioning Apple's commission fee.

In the recent legal war between Apple Inc and 'Fortnite' creator Epic Games, a federal judge has ruled against Apple's move to block Fortnite from Apple Store. The ruling, that came out late on Monday, has safeguarded Epic Games' computer graphics software Unreal Engine, questioning Apple's commission fee. “Epic Games and Apple are at liberty to litigate against each other, but their dispute should not create havoc to bystanders,” Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers wrote in the ruling. Also read| Apple says 'Fortnite' maker wanted 'side letter' to create own game store The legal and social batlle started when Apple Inc blocked Fortnite from the App Store, and the distribution of Unreal Engine claiming accusing Epic Games of not following the regulations set by Apple regarding the in-game purchases. The gaming company was accused as it allegedly used its own method of in-game purchases in the new update of teh popular "Fortnite" game, instead of stickng to the Apple's system of charging commission, through which Apple charges 15-30 per cent. Epic Games had asked Apple, through legal actions and social media campaigns, to reverse its actions and unblock the game and the Unreal Engine. Apple was accused of engaging in anticompetitive behaviour and abusing the tech giant's dominance in the market. Also read| 'One bad apple': #FreeFortnite tournament takes a dig at Apple The federal judge, too, raised a similar question on the set commission fee. “The question is, without competition, where does the 30% (App Store commission) come from? Why isn’t it 10? 20? How is the consumer benefiting?” she asked. However, Apple counsel Richard Doren used Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook's argument and explained that the consumers have a choice of buying an Android or an iOS phone and therefore it is “the competition is in the foremarket." Rogers continued the argument stting that there was “plenty of economic theory” to show that switching brands imposed costs on consumers. However, Diren, who was at one point muted by the Judge, said he can prove that “people switch all the time”. The two companies have been at each other's hit-list for the last few months now due to the commission war. Fortnite has appealed to its users through social media posts, YouTube videos and a champiosnhip with hashtag og #FreeFortnite.

Judge rules against Apple's decision to block Epic's Unreal Engine

Facebook&nbsp;blocked access within Thailand to a group with 1 million members that has criticised the country's king, but said it was planning a legal challenge to the government's demand that it block the group.

The move comes amid near daily youth-led protests against the government led by the former military junta chief and unprecedented calls for reforms of the monarchy.

The "Royalist Marketplace" group was created in April by Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a self-exiled academic and critic of the monarchy.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/down-with-the-dictatorship-thailand-witness-biggest-anti-government-protest-in-years-321005">'Down with the dictatorship': Thailand witness biggest anti-government protest in years</a>

On Monday night, the group's page brought up a message: "Access to this group has been restricted within Thailand pursuant to a legal request from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society."

Pavin, who lives in Japan, said&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;had bowed to the military-dominated government's pressure.

"Our group is part of a democratisation process, it is a space for freedom of expression. By doing this,&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;is cooperating with the authoritarian regime to obstruct democracy and cultivating authoritarianism in Thailand."

Pavin's new group of the same name already had over 455,000 members on Tuesday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hamster-hero-how-a-japanese-cartoon-became-thai-youth-protesters-symbol-317486">Hamster hero? How a Japanese cartoon became Thai youth protesters' symbol</a>

Facebook&nbsp;said on Tuesday it was planning to legally challenge the Thai government after being "compelled" to block access to the group.

"Requests like this are severe, contravene international human rights law, and have a chilling effect on people's ability to express themselves," a&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;spokesperson said.

"We work to protect and defend the rights of all internet users and are preparing to legally challenge this request."

Thailand's lese majeste laws, which forbid defaming the king, with penalties of up to 15 years in prison, is often the basis for such requests to block or remove content on social media platforms.

Earlier this month, Thailand's digital minister accused&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;of not complying with requests to restrict content, including insults to the monarchy.

On August 10, he gave&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;15 days to comply with court takedown orders or face charges under the local Computer Crime Act, which carries a fine of up to $6,368&nbsp;(200,000 baht) and an additional $160 (5,000 baht) per day until each order is observed.

Digital ministry spokesman Putchapong Nodthaisong said on Monday that&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;cooperated before the deadline because it understood the context of Thai society.

Putchapong did not comment on&nbsp;Facebook's plan for legal action when asked by Reuters on Tuesday.

The ministry last week filed a separate cybercrime complaint against Pavin for creating the group.

Facebook blocked access within Thailand to a group with 1 million members that has criticised the country's king, but said it was planning a legal challenge to the government's demand that it block the group.

Facebook blocked access within Thailand to a group with 1 million members that has criticised the country's king, but said it was planning a legal challenge to the government's demand that it block the group. The move comes amid near daily youth-led protests against the government led by the former military junta chief and unprecedented calls for reforms of the monarchy. The "Royalist Marketplace" group was created in April by Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a self-exiled academic and critic of the monarchy. Also see: 'Down with the dictatorship': Thailand witness biggest anti-government protest in years On Monday night, the group's page brought up a message: "Access to this group has been restricted within Thailand pursuant to a legal request from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society." Pavin, who lives in Japan, said Facebook had bowed to the military-dominated government's pressure. "Our group is part of a democratisation process, it is a space for freedom of expression. By doing this, Facebook is cooperating with the authoritarian regime to obstruct democracy and cultivating authoritarianism in Thailand." Pavin's new group of the same name already had over 455,000 members on Tuesday. Also read: Hamster hero? How a Japanese cartoon became Thai youth protesters' symbol Facebook said on Tuesday it was planning to legally challenge the Thai government after being "compelled" to block access to the group. "Requests like this are severe, contravene international human rights law, and have a chilling effect on people's ability to express themselves," a Facebook spokesperson said. "We work to protect and defend the rights of all internet users and are preparing to legally challenge this request." Thailand's lese majeste laws, which forbid defaming the king, with penalties of up to 15 years in prison, is often the basis for such requests to block or remove content on social media platforms. Earlier this month, Thailand's digital minister accused Facebook of not complying with requests to restrict content, including insults to the monarchy. On August 10, he gave Facebook 15 days to comply with court takedown orders or face charges under the local Computer Crime Act, which carries a fine of up to $6,368 (200,000 baht) and an additional $160 (5,000 baht) per day until each order is observed. Digital ministry spokesman Putchapong Nodthaisong said on Monday that Facebook cooperated before the deadline because it understood the context of Thai society. Putchapong did not comment on Facebook's plan for legal action when asked by Reuters on Tuesday. The ministry last week filed a separate cybercrime complaint against Pavin for creating the group.

Facebook planning to challenge Thai government's demand to block group critical of monarchy

Singapore is set to open its third Apple store, but it will be regarded as one of its kind as the new store will float on water.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/indian-satellite-astrosat-detects-uv-light-from-galaxy-93-billion-light-years-away-from-earth-322936" hreflang="en">Indian satellite AstroSat detects UV light from galaxy 9.3 billion light-years away from Earth</a>

According to TODAY's report, the new outlet will open at Marina Bay Sands, making it the world's first apple store that sits on the water.&nbsp;

The sphere floating on Marina Bay was previously occupied by the nightclub Avalon from 2011 to 2016.&nbsp;

"We will soon open the doors to our new store by the Bay,” said Apple in a teaser on its website.

"Apple Marina Bay Sands will be at the heart of creativity, a place we’ve made for you to capture your ideas and passions.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/one-bad-apple-freefortnite-tournament-takes-a-dig-at-apple-322317" hreflang="en">'One bad apple': #FreeFortnite tournament takes a dig at Apple</a>

"It will be a space for you to explore, connect and create something new."

The tech giant opened its first store in Singapore in 2017 at the Knightsbridge building along Orchard Road. Apple opened its second store in July 2019 at Jewel Changi Airport.&nbsp;

Earlier, Apple Inc became the first publicly traded US company to reach $2 trillion in market value due to strong demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Singapore is set to open its third Apple store, but it will be regarded as one of its kind as the new store will float on water. Also read: Indian satellite AstroSat detects UV light from galaxy 9.

Singapore is set to open its third Apple store, but it will be regarded as one of its kind as the new store will float on water. Also read: Indian satellite AstroSat detects UV light from galaxy 9.3 billion light-years away from Earth According to TODAY's report, the new outlet will open at Marina Bay Sands, making it the world's first apple store that sits on the water. The sphere floating on Marina Bay was previously occupied by the nightclub Avalon from 2011 to 2016. "We will soon open the doors to our new store by the Bay,” said Apple in a teaser on its website. "Apple Marina Bay Sands will be at the heart of creativity, a place we’ve made for you to capture your ideas and passions. Also read: 'One bad apple': #FreeFortnite tournament takes a dig at Apple "It will be a space for you to explore, connect and create something new." The tech giant opened its first store in Singapore in 2017 at the Knightsbridge building along Orchard Road. Apple opened its second store in July 2019 at Jewel Changi Airport. Earlier, Apple Inc became the first publicly traded US company to reach $2 trillion in market value due to strong demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

'Explore, connect and create': World's first floating Apple store to open in Singapore

Facebook's French subsidiary has agreed to pay $125 million&nbsp;(106 million euros)&nbsp;in back taxes and penalties following persistent government efforts to get online giants to pay more taxes where they make their money.

The agreement came after French tax authorities carried out an extensive audit of a decade of Facebook's operations in the country, from 2009-2018, a company spokesperson said Monday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-transparent-non-partisan-says-india-head-amid-political-controversy-322267" hreflang="en">Facebook 'transparent, non-partisan', says India head amid political controversy</a>

The&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;spokesman did not elaborate further on the details of the agreement. France's tax administration also did not give more details.

Facebook's spokesman also said that since 2018 the company had decided to include its advertising sales in France in its annual accounts covering France.

As a result,&nbsp;Facebook's total net revenue almost doubled in 2019 from a year earlier to 747 million euros, according to a copy of the company's 2019 annual accounts, filed with France's companies registry.

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Facebook&nbsp;France, which employs 208 people, refers to the French tax audit report in its 2019 annual accounts, saying it amounted to a tax adjustment of about 105 million euros. This includes a penalty of about 22 million, the annual accounts showed.

France, which is pushing hard to overhaul international tax rules on digital companies such as&nbsp;Facebook, Alphabet's Google, Apple and Amazon, has said the big tech groups pay too little tax in the country where they have significant sales.

Current international tax rules legally allow companies to funnel sales generated in local markets in Europe to their regional headquarters. Some of the tech companies, including&nbsp;Facebook, have European or international headquarters based in countries with comparatively low corporate tax rates, such as Ireland.

Facebook's French subsidiary has agreed to pay $125 million (106 million euros) in back taxes and penalties following persistent government efforts to get online giants to pay more taxes where they make their money.

Facebook's French subsidiary has agreed to pay $125 million (106 million euros) in back taxes and penalties following persistent government efforts to get online giants to pay more taxes where they make their money. The agreement came after French tax authorities carried out an extensive audit of a decade of Facebook's operations in the country, from 2009-2018, a company spokesperson said Monday. Also read: Facebook 'transparent, non-partisan', says India head amid political controversy The Facebook spokesman did not elaborate further on the details of the agreement. France's tax administration also did not give more details. Facebook's spokesman also said that since 2018 the company had decided to include its advertising sales in France in its annual accounts covering France. As a result, Facebook's total net revenue almost doubled in 2019 from a year earlier to 747 million euros, according to a copy of the company's 2019 annual accounts, filed with France's companies registry. Facebook France, which employs 208 people, refers to the French tax audit report in its 2019 annual accounts, saying it amounted to a tax adjustment of about 105 million euros. This includes a penalty of about 22 million, the annual accounts showed. France, which is pushing hard to overhaul international tax rules on digital companies such as Facebook, Alphabet's Google, Apple and Amazon, has said the big tech groups pay too little tax in the country where they have significant sales. Current international tax rules legally allow companies to funnel sales generated in local markets in Europe to their regional headquarters. Some of the tech companies, including Facebook, have European or international headquarters based in countries with comparatively low corporate tax rates, such as Ireland.

Facebook to pay $125 million in back taxes to France

Denouncing "hate and bigotry", Facebook India on Friday said the platform is "open, transparent and non-partisan" where people are allowed to "express themselves freely".

The statement from Facebook India chief Ajit Mohan comes amid a massive controversy in the country, post a Wall Street Journal report that claimed that the social media giant's content policies favoured India's ruling party.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/india-parliamentary-panel-to-question-facebook-on-content-controversy-source-322130">India parliamentary panel to question Facebook on content controversy: Source</a>

"Facebook is and always has been an open, transparent and non-partisan platform where people can express themselves freely. Over the last few days, we have been accused of bias in the way we enforce our policies," Facebook India Vice President and Managing Director Ajit Mohan said in a blog post.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-says-its-fielding-questions-by-us-regulators-322034">Facebook says it's fielding questions by US regulators</a>

"We take allegations of bias incredibly seriously, and want to make it clear that we denounce hate and bigotry in any form."&nbsp;

Mohan also said that Facebook follows an impartial approach in dealing with content and is strongly dictated by Community Standards that outline what is allowed in the platform.&nbsp;

"Our Community Standards define what stays on our platform and are enforced globally... We enforce these policies globally without regard to anyone's political position, party affiliation or religious and cultural belief. We have removed and will continue to remove content posted by public figures in India when it violates our Community Standards," he wrote.

Mohan also stressed Facebook's commitment to India is unwavering, adding that the platform aims to be an ally for "India" where it can preserve the "pluralistic character of a democracy by offering the freedom for people to express themselves and for entrepreneurs to build new things while also protecting society from broader harm". 
&nbsp;

Denouncing "hate and bigotry", Facebook India on Friday said the platform is "open, transparent and non-partisan" where people are allowed to "express themselves freely".

Denouncing "hate and bigotry", Facebook India on Friday said the platform is "open, transparent and non-partisan" where people are allowed to "express themselves freely". The statement from Facebook India chief Ajit Mohan comes amid a massive controversy in the country, post a Wall Street Journal report that claimed that the social media giant's content policies favoured India's ruling party. Also read | India parliamentary panel to question Facebook on content controversy: Source "Facebook is and always has been an open, transparent and non-partisan platform where people can express themselves freely. Over the last few days, we have been accused of bias in the way we enforce our policies," Facebook India Vice President and Managing Director Ajit Mohan said in a blog post. Also read | Facebook says it's fielding questions by US regulators "We take allegations of bias incredibly seriously, and want to make it clear that we denounce hate and bigotry in any form." Mohan also said that Facebook follows an impartial approach in dealing with content and is strongly dictated by Community Standards that outline what is allowed in the platform. "Our Community Standards define what stays on our platform and are enforced globally... We enforce these policies globally without regard to anyone's political position, party affiliation or religious and cultural belief. We have removed and will continue to remove content posted by public figures in India when it violates our Community Standards," he wrote. Mohan also stressed Facebook's commitment to India is unwavering, adding that the platform aims to be an ally for "India" where it can preserve the "pluralistic character of a democracy by offering the freedom for people to express themselves and for entrepreneurs to build new things while also protecting society from broader harm".

Facebook 'transparent, non-partisan', says India head amid political controversy

The battle between Fortnite and Apple seems to be on a rise, and in the form of a word play. Epic Games has started a "FreeFortnite Cup" and has decided to take a dig at Apple in a clever way.

Epic Games has been advertising the FreeFortnite championship with the slogan of&nbsp;"All of your friends. Awesome prizes. And one bad apple".&nbsp;The tournament is free to enter and the winner gets a virtual "Tart Tycoon" outfit that takes a dig at Apple yet again, as it features an apple head wearing sunglasses but has a frown on its face.

Not njust this, Epic Games has decided to follow the 'word of mouth' promotion for their battle as the top scorers of each game's 20,000 regions around the world will be given a cap with a twist of Apple's logo along with the slogan of "Free Fortnite", a popular hashtag on Twitter.

<img alt="FreeFortnite caps" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="48b10cb0-a292-4686-9620-0e1f0686024a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Fortnite%20%283%29.jpg" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/fortnite-makers-to-sue-apple-inc-as-freefortnite-trends-with-remake-of-1984-video-320327">Also read:&nbsp;'Fortnite' makers to sue Apple Inc as #FreeFortnite trends with remake of 1984 video</a>

The battle has been strengthening since Apple decided to ban Fortnite from its App Store which will also result in blocking of Wpic Games' new software update for Fortnite which is set for a launch on August 27.

"These are the final days of the entire Fortnite community's ability to play together," Epic said.

The parent company of Fortnite filed a lawsuit&nbsp;against Apple last week after the tech giant Appl&nbsp;took Fortnite off its App Store for releasing an update that dodges revenue sharing which hinders Apple from collecting its usual 30 per cent cut.

While Epic demanded that Fortnite stays on the App Store till the court rules out a verdict, Apple has slammed back at Epic by saying that the gaming giant has to bear the results of a "self-inflicted wound".

"Having decided that it would rather enjoy the benefits of the App Store without paying for them, Epic has breached its contracts with Apple, using its own customers and Apple's users as leverage," a statement from Apple read.

The decision is poending on the legal case filed against Apple. Till then, it looks like, Epic has decided to not let the popularity die with the help of videos and catchy slogans.

The battle between Fortnite and Apple seems to be on a rise, and in the form of a word play. Epic Games has started a "FreeFortnite Cup" and has decided to take a dig at Apple in a clever way.

The battle between Fortnite and Apple seems to be on a rise, and in the form of a word play. Epic Games has started a "FreeFortnite Cup" and has decided to take a dig at Apple in a clever way. Epic Games has been advertising the FreeFortnite championship with the slogan of "All of your friends. Awesome prizes. And one bad apple". The tournament is free to enter and the winner gets a virtual "Tart Tycoon" outfit that takes a dig at Apple yet again, as it features an apple head wearing sunglasses but has a frown on its face. Not njust this, Epic Games has decided to follow the 'word of mouth' promotion for their battle as the top scorers of each game's 20,000 regions around the world will be given a cap with a twist of Apple's logo along with the slogan of "Free Fortnite", a popular hashtag on Twitter. Also read: 'Fortnite' makers to sue Apple Inc as #FreeFortnite trends with remake of 1984 video The battle has been strengthening since Apple decided to ban Fortnite from its App Store which will also result in blocking of Wpic Games' new software update for Fortnite which is set for a launch on August 27. "These are the final days of the entire Fortnite community's ability to play together," Epic said. The parent company of Fortnite filed a lawsuit against Apple last week after the tech giant Appl took Fortnite off its App Store for releasing an update that dodges revenue sharing which hinders Apple from collecting its usual 30 per cent cut. While Epic demanded that Fortnite stays on the App Store till the court rules out a verdict, Apple has slammed back at Epic by saying that the gaming giant has to bear the results of a "self-inflicted wound". "Having decided that it would rather enjoy the benefits of the App Store without paying for them, Epic has breached its contracts with Apple, using its own customers and Apple's users as leverage," a statement from Apple read. The decision is poending on the legal case filed against Apple. Till then, it looks like, Epic has decided to not let the popularity die with the help of videos and catchy slogans.

'One bad apple': #FreeFortnite tournament takes a dig at Apple

Apple Inc&nbsp;on Friday alleged that Epic Games'&nbsp;chief executive had asked it for a "side letter" to create its own game store within the iPhone maker's App Store, which Apple said would have upended the store`s commission-based business model.

The disclosure came in a court filing on Friday in which Apple asked a federal judge in California to deny a request by "Fortnite" maker Epic Games to be kept in the iPhone maker's App Store as a dispute between the two over Apple's in-app payment rules plays out.

Epic did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/one-bad-apple-freefortnite-tournament-takes-a-dig-at-apple-322317" hreflang="en">'One bad apple': #FreeFortnite tournament takes a dig at Apple</a>

Apple removed the popular game earlier this month after Epic rolled out its own method of making purchases within the game, which Apple said violated its App Store rules. Those rules require games and other apps to use Apple's in-app payment system, which charges commissions of between 15 per cent&nbsp;and 30 per cent.

Epic sued Apple over the removal, claiming the App Store rules violate antitrust laws. Epic also launched a public relations campaign, with a #FreeFortnite social media push and a parody of Apple`s famous "1984" ad.

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In the filing before US&nbsp;District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, Apple aimed to frame the dispute as part of a broader business disagreement, alleging that Epic CEO Tim Sweeney asked for an exception to its rules to create an "Epic Games Store" inside the App Store. After it rejected the request, Sweeney criticized how it runs the store, Apple said.

Apple said that Sweeney sent Phil Schiller, Apple's App Store chief, an email at 2 a.m. saying Epic would no longer comply with the payment rules, and rolled out its own payment system hours later.

Epic has asked the court to issue an order blocking Apple's removal of "Fortnite" from the store, saying that the move - along with Apple`s threat to terminate the company`s developer account - would cause irreparable harm to Epic and should be put on hold while the case plays out.&nbsp;

Epic said the termination of its developer account could also hamper its ability to offer a product called Unreal Engine, a software tool for computer graphics that hundreds of other games and other apps use to power their offerings.

In Friday's filing, Apple called the removal of "Fortnite" from the App Store a "self-inflicted wound" and argued that Rogers should not grant Epic's request.

"Epic knew full well that, in circumventing Apple’s processes and breaching its contracts, it was putting its entire relationship with Apple,&nbsp;including its Unreal Engine and other projects,&nbsp;at serious risk," Apple wrote in its filing.

"Epic made the calculated decision to breach anyway, and then run to this Court to argue that its customers were being damaged."

Apple Inc on Friday alleged that Epic Games' chief executive had asked it for a "side letter" to create its own game store within the iPhone maker's App Store, which Apple said would have upended the store`s commission-based business model.

Apple Inc on Friday alleged that Epic Games' chief executive had asked it for a "side letter" to create its own game store within the iPhone maker's App Store, which Apple said would have upended the store`s commission-based business model. The disclosure came in a court filing on Friday in which Apple asked a federal judge in California to deny a request by "Fortnite" maker Epic Games to be kept in the iPhone maker's App Store as a dispute between the two over Apple's in-app payment rules plays out. Epic did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Also read: 'One bad apple': #FreeFortnite tournament takes a dig at Apple Apple removed the popular game earlier this month after Epic rolled out its own method of making purchases within the game, which Apple said violated its App Store rules. Those rules require games and other apps to use Apple's in-app payment system, which charges commissions of between 15 per cent and 30 per cent. Epic sued Apple over the removal, claiming the App Store rules violate antitrust laws. Epic also launched a public relations campaign, with a #FreeFortnite social media push and a parody of Apple`s famous "1984" ad. Also read: Tesla seeks approval for sensor that could detect child left in hot cars In the filing before US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, Apple aimed to frame the dispute as part of a broader business disagreement, alleging that Epic CEO Tim Sweeney asked for an exception to its rules to create an "Epic Games Store" inside the App Store. After it rejected the request, Sweeney criticized how it runs the store, Apple said. Apple said that Sweeney sent Phil Schiller, Apple's App Store chief, an email at 2 a.m. saying Epic would no longer comply with the payment rules, and rolled out its own payment system hours later. Epic has asked the court to issue an order blocking Apple's removal of "Fortnite" from the store, saying that the move - along with Apple`s threat to terminate the company`s developer account - would cause irreparable harm to Epic and should be put on hold while the case plays out. Epic said the termination of its developer account could also hamper its ability to offer a product called Unreal Engine, a software tool for computer graphics that hundreds of other games and other apps use to power their offerings. In Friday's filing, Apple called the removal of "Fortnite" from the App Store a "self-inflicted wound" and argued that Rogers should not grant Epic's request. "Epic knew full well that, in circumventing Apple’s processes and breaching its contracts, it was putting its entire relationship with Apple, including its Unreal Engine and other projects, at serious risk," Apple wrote in its filing. "Epic made the calculated decision to breach anyway, and then run to this Court to argue that its customers were being damaged."

Apple says 'Fortnite' maker wanted 'side letter' to create own game store

Major news publishers are seeking more favorable terms from Apple Inc (AAPL.O) on commissions the iPhone maker collects from them on payments made through its app store, according to a letter posted by a trade body on Thursday.

Digital Content Next (DCN), which represents New York Times Co (NYT.N), the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and other publishers, posted the letter, addressed to Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, on its website.

Apple, which usually takes a cut that ranges between 15% and 30% from news publishers for first-time subscriptions made through apps on the store, has a reduced rate for Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O).

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/apple-becomes-first-us-firm-to-reach-2-trillion-market-cap-321948">Also watch: Apple becomes first U.S firm to reach $2 trillion market cap</a>

In a House Judiciary Committee hearing last month, Cook said the reduced rate was available to any developer who met certain conditions.

News publishers should qualify for the same terms offered to Amazon for its Prime Video app on Apple's app store, DCN Chief Executive Officer Jason Kint suggested in Thursday's letter to Cook.

“I ask that you clearly define the conditions that Amazon satisfied for its arrangement so that DCN’s member companies meeting those conditions can be offered the same agreement.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/apple-helped-us-build-a-top-secret-ipod-claims-former-engineer-321806">Also read:&nbsp;Apple helped US build a 'top secret' iPod, claims former engineer</a>

The letter cited communication between Apple veteran Eddy Cue and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos where the two companies agreed on a 15% revenue-sharing deal for new customer sign-ups for Prime Video through app store. The email emerged during the Committee hearing on July 29.

The latest missive comes days after Apple removed Epic Games’ “Fortnite” from its app store for violating in-app payment guidelines, prompting Epic to file federal lawsuits challenging the rule.

Apple and Amazon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Major news publishers are seeking more favorable terms from Apple Inc (AAPL.O) on commissions the iPhone maker collects from them on payments made through its app store, according to a letter posted by a trade body on Thursday.

Major news publishers are seeking more favorable terms from Apple Inc (AAPL.O) on commissions the iPhone maker collects from them on payments made through its app store, according to a letter posted by a trade body on Thursday. Digital Content Next (DCN), which represents New York Times Co (NYT.N), the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and other publishers, posted the letter, addressed to Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, on its website. Apple, which usually takes a cut that ranges between 15% and 30% from news publishers for first-time subscriptions made through apps on the store, has a reduced rate for Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O). Also watch: Apple becomes first U.S firm to reach $2 trillion market cap In a House Judiciary Committee hearing last month, Cook said the reduced rate was available to any developer who met certain conditions. News publishers should qualify for the same terms offered to Amazon for its Prime Video app on Apple's app store, DCN Chief Executive Officer Jason Kint suggested in Thursday's letter to Cook. “I ask that you clearly define the conditions that Amazon satisfied for its arrangement so that DCN’s member companies meeting those conditions can be offered the same agreement.” Also read: Apple helped US build a 'top secret' iPod, claims former engineer The letter cited communication between Apple veteran Eddy Cue and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos where the two companies agreed on a 15% revenue-sharing deal for new customer sign-ups for Prime Video through app store. The email emerged during the Committee hearing on July 29. The latest missive comes days after Apple removed Epic Games’ “Fortnite” from its app store for violating in-app payment guidelines, prompting Epic to file federal lawsuits challenging the rule. Apple and Amazon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

News publishers push back against Apple over app store terms

Facebook's executives are fielding questions from the US Federal Trade Commission on an antitrust fact-finding mission. CEO Mark Zuckerberg answered FTC queries under oath remotely over the course of two days this week, news website Politico reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the case.

"We are committed to cooperating with the US Federal Trade Commission's inquiry and answering the questions the agency may have," a Facebook spokesperson said, declining to confirm whether Zuckerberg gave testimony, on Thursday.

FTC investigations do no always lead to lawsuits.

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Last month Zuckerberg plus CEOs Tim Cook of Apple, Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Sundar Pichai of Google were grilled for more than five hours in an unprecedented joint appearance -- by video -- before a House of Representatives panel investigating market dominance.

The head of a US congressional antitrust committee contended that the companies are too powerful and will likely emerge from the coronavirus pandemic even stronger.

Whether it's through self-preferencing, predatory pricing, or requiring users to buy additional products, the dominant platforms have wielded their power in destructive, harmful ways in order to expand, he said.

Facebook's executives are fielding questions from the US Federal Trade Commission on an antitrust fact-finding mission. CEO Mark Zuckerberg answered FTC queries under oath remotely over the course of two days this week, news website Politico reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the case.

Facebook's executives are fielding questions from the US Federal Trade Commission on an antitrust fact-finding mission. CEO Mark Zuckerberg answered FTC queries under oath remotely over the course of two days this week, news website Politico reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the case. "We are committed to cooperating with the US Federal Trade Commission's inquiry and answering the questions the agency may have," a Facebook spokesperson said, declining to confirm whether Zuckerberg gave testimony, on Thursday. FTC investigations do no always lead to lawsuits. × Last month Zuckerberg plus CEOs Tim Cook of Apple, Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Sundar Pichai of Google were grilled for more than five hours in an unprecedented joint appearance -- by video -- before a House of Representatives panel investigating market dominance. The head of a US congressional antitrust committee contended that the companies are too powerful and will likely emerge from the coronavirus pandemic even stronger. Whether it's through self-preferencing, predatory pricing, or requiring users to buy additional products, the dominant platforms have wielded their power in destructive, harmful ways in order to expand, he said.

Facebook says it's fielding questions by US regulators

Tesla Inc. asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for approval to market a short-range interactive motion-sensing device that could help prevent children from being left behind in hot cars and boost theft-prevention systems.

The California automaker wants permission to use unlicensed millimeter-wave sensors that would operate at higher power levels than allowed under existing rules.

Tesla’s device would utilize four transmit and three receive antennas driven by a radar front-end unit. Tesla says millimeter wave radar technology has advantages over other sensing systems like camera-based or in-seat occupant detection systems.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/egypt-invites-elon-musk-after-aliens-built-pyramids-tweet-318124">Also read:&nbsp;Egypt invites Elon Musk after 'aliens built pyramids' tweet</a>

The radar-based system “provides depth perception and can ‘see’ through soft materials, such as a blanket covering a child in a child restraint.”

Tesla added it “can differentiate between a child and an object left on the seat, reducing the likelihood of false alarms” and can detect “micromovements like breathing patterns and heart rates, neither of which can be captured by cameras or in-seat sensors alone.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/elon-musks-upcoming-neuralink-will-let-you-beam-music-directly-into-the-brain-314879">Also read:&nbsp;Elon Musk's upcoming 'Neuralink' will let you beam music directly into the brain</a>

Radar imaging, Tesla adds, can assess body size to optimize airbag deployment in a crash depending on whether an adult or child is seated, which it says would be more effective than existing weight-based, in-seat sensor systems.

It would also more accurately determine when to engage seat belt reminders.

The FCC is seeking public comment on Tesla’s request through September 21.

Tesla notes the FCC in 2018 granted a similar request for a device of Alphabet Inc’s Google that works under identical operating parameters.

Valeo North America submitted a request in March to the FCC for its in-vehicle safety-related monitoring device that would also detect children in cars. The request is pending.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says more than 50 children died when left behind in hot cars in both 2019 and 2018. Of those incidents, 54% occurred because someone forgot a child.

Tesla Inc. asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for approval to market a short-range interactive motion-sensing device that could help prevent children from being left behind in hot cars and boost theft-prevention systems.

Tesla Inc. asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for approval to market a short-range interactive motion-sensing device that could help prevent children from being left behind in hot cars and boost theft-prevention systems. The California automaker wants permission to use unlicensed millimeter-wave sensors that would operate at higher power levels than allowed under existing rules. Tesla’s device would utilize four transmit and three receive antennas driven by a radar front-end unit. Tesla says millimeter wave radar technology has advantages over other sensing systems like camera-based or in-seat occupant detection systems. Also read: Egypt invites Elon Musk after 'aliens built pyramids' tweet The radar-based system “provides depth perception and can ‘see’ through soft materials, such as a blanket covering a child in a child restraint.” Tesla added it “can differentiate between a child and an object left on the seat, reducing the likelihood of false alarms” and can detect “micromovements like breathing patterns and heart rates, neither of which can be captured by cameras or in-seat sensors alone.” Also read: Elon Musk's upcoming 'Neuralink' will let you beam music directly into the brain Radar imaging, Tesla adds, can assess body size to optimize airbag deployment in a crash depending on whether an adult or child is seated, which it says would be more effective than existing weight-based, in-seat sensor systems. It would also more accurately determine when to engage seat belt reminders. The FCC is seeking public comment on Tesla’s request through September 21. Tesla notes the FCC in 2018 granted a similar request for a device of Alphabet Inc’s Google that works under identical operating parameters. Valeo North America submitted a request in March to the FCC for its in-vehicle safety-related monitoring device that would also detect children in cars. The request is pending. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says more than 50 children died when left behind in hot cars in both 2019 and 2018. Of those incidents, 54% occurred because someone forgot a child.

Tesla seeks approval for sensor that could detect child left in hot cars

An Indian parliamentary committee will question Facebook executives on how the social media giant regulates political content in the country, a panel member told Reuters on Friday, following controversy about its practices.

Facebook and its top lobbying executive in India, Ankhi Das, are facing criticism after a news report said she opposed applying hate-speech rules to a politician from India’s ruling party.

Facebook has been summoned to appear on Sept. 2 before the information technology panel, which considers issues like social media abuse. The discussion with Facebook will last for 30 minutes, according to a notice published late on Thursday.

“The subject is serious because of Facebook’s extensive reach in India ... and the potential for hate speech to incite violence and other unlawful behaviour,” said the panel member, who declined to be identified.

“How worrying this is, is to be determined after a hearing process is concluded.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/facebook-director-receives-death-threats-for-favouring-bjp-321138">Also read:&nbsp;Facebook Director receives death threats for 'favouring' BJP</a>

Facebook - which has more than 300 million users in India, its biggest market - did not respond to a request for comment.

Facebook has long faced criticism for high-profile content moderation issues.

The Wall Street Journal reported recently that Das told staff that applying hate-speech rules to politicians close to India’s ruling party “would damage the company’s business prospects in the country”.

Facebook has been battling political fallout in India since.

The opposition Congress Party criticised Facebook for its policies, while some ruling-party lawmakers have accused it of censoring nationalist voices.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-says-its-fielding-questions-by-us-regulators-322034">Also read:&nbsp;Facebook says it's fielding questions by US regulators</a>

Separately, Reuters this week reported that some Facebook employees in the United States and beyond have raised questions in internal forums about whether adequate content regulation practices are being followed by the India team and demanded some changes.

Facebook’s soon-to-be-operational content Oversight Board, which some have dubbed the company’s “Supreme Court”, said it was committed to protecting users.&nbsp;

“How Facebook treats posts from public figures that may violate the Community Standards are within the scope of the Board,” the board told Reuters in a statement.

“We won’t shy away from the tough cases and holding Facebook accountable,” said the board, which has powers to overturn decisions by the company and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on whether individual pieces of content should be allowed or not.

An Indian parliamentary committee will question Facebook executives on how the social media giant regulates political content in the country, a panel member told Reuters on Friday, following controversy about its practices.

An Indian parliamentary committee will question Facebook executives on how the social media giant regulates political content in the country, a panel member told Reuters on Friday, following controversy about its practices. Facebook and its top lobbying executive in India, Ankhi Das, are facing criticism after a news report said she opposed applying hate-speech rules to a politician from India’s ruling party. Facebook has been summoned to appear on Sept. 2 before the information technology panel, which considers issues like social media abuse. The discussion with Facebook will last for 30 minutes, according to a notice published late on Thursday. “The subject is serious because of Facebook’s extensive reach in India ... and the potential for hate speech to incite violence and other unlawful behaviour,” said the panel member, who declined to be identified. “How worrying this is, is to be determined after a hearing process is concluded.” Also read: Facebook Director receives death threats for 'favouring' BJP Facebook - which has more than 300 million users in India, its biggest market - did not respond to a request for comment. Facebook has long faced criticism for high-profile content moderation issues. The Wall Street Journal reported recently that Das told staff that applying hate-speech rules to politicians close to India’s ruling party “would damage the company’s business prospects in the country”. Facebook has been battling political fallout in India since. The opposition Congress Party criticised Facebook for its policies, while some ruling-party lawmakers have accused it of censoring nationalist voices. Also read: Facebook says it's fielding questions by US regulators Separately, Reuters this week reported that some Facebook employees in the United States and beyond have raised questions in internal forums about whether adequate content regulation practices are being followed by the India team and demanded some changes. Facebook’s soon-to-be-operational content Oversight Board, which some have dubbed the company’s “Supreme Court”, said it was committed to protecting users. “How Facebook treats posts from public figures that may violate the Community Standards are within the scope of the Board,” the board told Reuters in a statement. “We won’t shy away from the tough cases and holding Facebook accountable,” said the board, which has powers to overturn decisions by the company and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on whether individual pieces of content should be allowed or not.

India parliamentary panel to question Facebook on content controversy: Source

Tech giant Facebook has won preliminary approval from a federal court on Wednesday for settlement of a lawsuit that claimed it illegally collected and stored biometric data of millions of users without their consent.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-removes-hundreds-of-qanon-groups-citing-public-safety-risks-321797">Facebook removes hundreds of QAnon groups, citing public safety risks</a>

In July, Facebook Inc raised its settlement offer by $100 million to $650 million concerning their lawsuit that involved Illinois users accusing them of violating the US state's Biometric Information Privacy Act.&nbsp;

According to Judge James Donato's order filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, the revised settlement agreement resolved the court's concerns, leading to the preliminary approval of the class action settlement.

"Preliminary approval of the amended stipulation of class action settlement, Dkt. No. 468, is granted, and a final approval hearing is set for January 7, 2021," the judge said in the eight-page order.

The social media giant allegedly violated the state's law through its "Tag Suggestions" feature, which began in 2015. This feature allowed users to recognize their Facebook friends from previously uploaded photos, according to the lawsuit.

(Inputs from Agencies)

Tech giant Facebook has won preliminary approval from a federal court on Wednesday for settlement of a lawsuit that claimed it illegally collected and stored biometric data of millions of users without their consent.

Tech giant Facebook has won preliminary approval from a federal court on Wednesday for settlement of a lawsuit that claimed it illegally collected and stored biometric data of millions of users without their consent. Also read: Facebook removes hundreds of QAnon groups, citing public safety risks In July, Facebook Inc raised its settlement offer by $100 million to $650 million concerning their lawsuit that involved Illinois users accusing them of violating the US state's Biometric Information Privacy Act. According to Judge James Donato's order filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, the revised settlement agreement resolved the court's concerns, leading to the preliminary approval of the class action settlement. "Preliminary approval of the amended stipulation of class action settlement, Dkt. No. 468, is granted, and a final approval hearing is set for January 7, 2021," the judge said in the eight-page order. The social media giant allegedly violated the state's law through its "Tag Suggestions" feature, which began in 2015. This feature allowed users to recognize their Facebook friends from previously uploaded photos, according to the lawsuit. (Inputs from Agencies)

Facebook wins preliminary approval to settle facial recognition lawsuit

Apple&nbsp;Inc&nbsp;became the first publicly listed U.S. company with a $2 trillion stock market value on Wednesday, as Wall Street investors put aside challenges to its iPhone ecosystem in favor of bets it will only prosper more in the post-coronavirus world.

Shares in the company have surged since blowout quarterly results in July that saw the iPhone maker eclipse Saudi Aramco as the world's most valuable listed company, up about 57% in value so far in 2020.

The moves reflect growing investor confidence in&nbsp;Apple's shift towards relying less on sales of iPhones and other gadgets and more on services for its users, as well as a broad shift by big institutional investors during the coronavirus crisis.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/technology/apple-denied-our-request-to-waive-off-30-commission-fee-facebook-inc-320716" hreflang="en">Apple denied our request to waive off 30% commission fee: Facebook Inc</a>

With Amazon, Microsoft&nbsp;and Google-owner Alphabet, all now worth around $1 trillion or more, the big U.S. tech companies are together worth more than $6 trillion.

Cupertino, California-based&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;surprised Wall Street as it was able to get loyal shoppers buy iPhones, iPads and Macs online even as several brick-and-mortar stores remained closed due to the coronavirus lockdowns.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/entertainment/apples-famous-1984-video-parodied-by-fortnite-game-maker-320378" hreflang="en">Apple's famous '1984' video parodied by Fortnite game maker</a>

Apple's revenue grew across every category and all of its geographical regions in the June quarter, even as the coronavirus crisis caused the U.S. economy to collapse at its worst rate since the Great Depression.

Started in the garage of co-founder Steve Jobs in 1976,&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;has pushed its revenue beyond the economic outputs of Portugal, Peru and other countries.

Apple's shares rose as much as 1.4% at $468.63 on Wednesday.

Apple Inc became the first publicly listed U.S. company with a $2 trillion stock market value on Wednesday, as Wall Street investors put aside challenges to its iPhone ecosystem in favor of bets it will only prosper more in the post-coronavirus world.

Apple Inc became the first publicly listed U.S. company with a $2 trillion stock market value on Wednesday, as Wall Street investors put aside challenges to its iPhone ecosystem in favor of bets it will only prosper more in the post-coronavirus world. Shares in the company have surged since blowout quarterly results in July that saw the iPhone maker eclipse Saudi Aramco as the world's most valuable listed company, up about 57% in value so far in 2020. The moves reflect growing investor confidence in Apple's shift towards relying less on sales of iPhones and other gadgets and more on services for its users, as well as a broad shift by big institutional investors during the coronavirus crisis. Also read: Apple denied our request to waive off 30% commission fee: Facebook Inc With Amazon, Microsoft and Google-owner Alphabet, all now worth around $1 trillion or more, the big U.S. tech companies are together worth more than $6 trillion. Cupertino, California-based Apple surprised Wall Street as it was able to get loyal shoppers buy iPhones, iPads and Macs online even as several brick-and-mortar stores remained closed due to the coronavirus lockdowns. Also read: Apple's famous '1984' video parodied by Fortnite game maker Apple's revenue grew across every category and all of its geographical regions in the June quarter, even as the coronavirus crisis caused the U.S. economy to collapse at its worst rate since the Great Depression. Started in the garage of co-founder Steve Jobs in 1976, Apple has pushed its revenue beyond the economic outputs of Portugal, Peru and other countries. Apple's shares rose as much as 1.4% at $468.63 on Wednesday.

Apple becomes first US company to hit $2 trillion in market value

Software giant&nbsp;Oracle&nbsp;is weighing a bid to join Microsoft in the race to acquire part of TikTok, Bloomberg reported on&nbsp;Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

It has preliminarily approached companies including Sequoia Capital to join a bid for the app's operations in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the report said.

The move would represent a strategic departure for Oracle, which caters mostly to corporate customers and generates the bulk of its sales from cloud offerings and software licensing.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump said&nbsp;that Oracle Corp is a good company and could take over popular Chinese-owned social media app TikTok in the United States, after he issued an order mandating its sale in 90 days.

Oracle's co-founder and Chairman Larry Ellison is one of the few top technology executive to openly support Trump, who has ordered ByteDance to divest&nbsp;TikTok&nbsp;amid concerns over the safety of the personal data of US&nbsp;consumers.

Oracle is working with some of ByteDance's investors, including General Atlantic and Sequoia Capital, on making an offer for the&nbsp;TikTok&nbsp;assets that would challenge a rival bid from Microsoft Corp, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/microsoft-to-bid-goodbye-to-internet-explorer-and-legacy-edge-after-25-years-321569">Microsoft to bid goodbye to Internet Explorer and legacy edge after 25 years</a>

TikTok has stepped up its defense against US accusations that the popular video app is a national security threat, denouncing what it called "rumors and misinformation" about its links to the Chinese government.

As tensions soar between the world's two biggest economies, Trump has claimed TikTok could be used by China to track the locations of federal employees, build dossiers on people for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/setting-the-record-straight-tiktok-denies-trumps-accusations-321440">Setting the record straight: TikTok denies Trump's accusations</a>

The US leader early this month also ordered a ban on the messaging app WeChat, which is used extensively in China.

On Friday, Trump signed a separate executive order for ByteDance to sell its interest in Musical.ly, the app it bought and merged with TikTok in 2017, citing national security.

TikTok said the US action "risks undermining global businesses' trust in the United States' commitment to the rule of law, which has served as a magnet for investment and spurred decades of American economic growth."

TikTok also repeated its intention to "pursue all remedies available to us in order to ensure that the rule of law is not discarded."

China meanwhile on Monday slammed Washington for using "digital gunboat diplomacy" in the TikTok case.

Software giant Oracle is weighing a bid to join Microsoft in the race to acquire part of TikTok, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Software giant Oracle is weighing a bid to join Microsoft in the race to acquire part of TikTok, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. It has preliminarily approached companies including Sequoia Capital to join a bid for the app's operations in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the report said. The move would represent a strategic departure for Oracle, which caters mostly to corporate customers and generates the bulk of its sales from cloud offerings and software licensing. US President Donald Trump said that Oracle Corp is a good company and could take over popular Chinese-owned social media app TikTok in the United States, after he issued an order mandating its sale in 90 days. Oracle's co-founder and Chairman Larry Ellison is one of the few top technology executive to openly support Trump, who has ordered ByteDance to divest TikTok amid concerns over the safety of the personal data of US consumers. Oracle is working with some of ByteDance's investors, including General Atlantic and Sequoia Capital, on making an offer for the TikTok assets that would challenge a rival bid from Microsoft Corp, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Also read: Microsoft to bid goodbye to Internet Explorer and legacy edge after 25 years TikTok has stepped up its defense against US accusations that the popular video app is a national security threat, denouncing what it called "rumors and misinformation" about its links to the Chinese government. As tensions soar between the world's two biggest economies, Trump has claimed TikTok could be used by China to track the locations of federal employees, build dossiers on people for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage. Also read: Setting the record straight: TikTok denies Trump's accusations The US leader early this month also ordered a ban on the messaging app WeChat, which is used extensively in China. On Friday, Trump signed a separate executive order for ByteDance to sell its interest in Musical.ly, the app it bought and merged with TikTok in 2017, citing national security. TikTok said the US action "risks undermining global businesses' trust in the United States' commitment to the rule of law, which has served as a magnet for investment and spurred decades of American economic growth." TikTok also repeated its intention to "pursue all remedies available to us in order to ensure that the rule of law is not discarded." China meanwhile on Monday slammed Washington for using "digital gunboat diplomacy" in the TikTok case.

Oracle joins bid to acquire TikTok's US operations: Report

Google has urged YouTubers around the world to complain to Australian authorities as it ratchets up its campaign against a plan to force digital giants to pay for news content.

Alongside pop-ups warning "the way Aussies use Google is at risk", which began appearing for Australian Google users on Monday, the tech titan also urged YouTube creators worldwide to complain to the nation's consumer watchdog.

"The YouTube you know and love is at risk in Australia," the company tweeted from its YouTube Creators account on Monday, also encouraging those outside of Australia to email their concerns to the body behind the plan.

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The YouTube you know and love is at risk in Australia. A proposed new law, The News Media Bargaining Code, could have a significant, negative impact on creators in Australia. Your voice matters.→ <a href="https://t.co/gR5Hf81DIH">https://t.co/gR5Hf81DIH</a> <a href="https://t.co/oPnC6fi3If">pic.twitter.com/oPnC6fi3If</a>
— YouTube Creators (@ytcreators) <a href="https://twitter.com/ytcreators/status/1295148502285258753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The landmark measures would include fines worth millions of dollars for non-compliance and would force transparency around the closely guarded algorithms which tech firms use to rank content.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-warns-australia-could-lose-free-search-services-321099">Also read:&nbsp;Google warns Australia could lose free search services</a>

YouTube's boss in the region Gautam Anand, following a similar letter from the managing director of Google in Australia, wrote a message to the platform's creators and artists.

"My primary focus is supporting you and your work to build a thriving creator ecosystem," Anand said.

The proposal would create an "uneven playing field" and allow big news businesses to demand larger shares of money from the platform — taking funds away from smaller creators, he warned.

"The imbalances created by this proposed law could potentially affect all types of Australian creators, far beyond those who focus on news: from vloggers, to educational creators, to music artists and beyond."

The legislation will initially focus on Facebook and Google — two of the world's richest and most powerful companies -- but could eventually apply to any digital platform.

Virus crisis 
Australia's proposals are being closely watched around the world, as regulators increasingly train their focus on the rapidly changing sector.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thai-government-threatens-legal-action-against-facebook-over-posts-criticising-monarchy-320249">Also read:&nbsp;Thai government threatens legal action against Facebook over posts criticising monarchy</a>

News media worldwide have suffered in the digital economy, where big tech firms overwhelmingly capture advertising revenue.

The crisis has been exacerbated by the coronavirus-triggered economic collapse, with dozens of Australian newspapers closed and hundreds of journalists sacked in recent months.

Unlike other countries' so-far unsuccessful efforts to force the platforms to pay for news, the Australian initiative relies on competition law rather than copyright regulations.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which is drafting the government's code of conduct, hit back at Google's open letter saying it "contains misinformation".

The consumer watchdog said the digital giant would "not be required" to share additional user data with the news media or charge Australians to use its free services "unless it chooses to do so".

"The draft code will allow Australian news businesses to negotiate for fair payment for their journalists' work that is included on Google services," it said in a statement.

It has strong support from local media outlets and is expected to be introduced this year.

Google has urged YouTubers around the world to complain to Australian authorities as it ratchets up its campaign against a plan to force digital giants to pay for news content.

Google has urged YouTubers around the world to complain to Australian authorities as it ratchets up its campaign against a plan to force digital giants to pay for news content. Alongside pop-ups warning "the way Aussies use Google is at risk", which began appearing for Australian Google users on Monday, the tech titan also urged YouTube creators worldwide to complain to the nation's consumer watchdog. "The YouTube you know and love is at risk in Australia," the company tweeted from its YouTube Creators account on Monday, also encouraging those outside of Australia to email their concerns to the body behind the plan. The YouTube you know and love is at risk in Australia. A proposed new law, The News Media Bargaining Code, could have a significant, negative impact on creators in Australia. Your voice matters.→ https://t.co/gR5Hf81DIH pic.twitter.com/oPnC6fi3If — YouTube Creators (@ytcreators) August 17, 2020 × The landmark measures would include fines worth millions of dollars for non-compliance and would force transparency around the closely guarded algorithms which tech firms use to rank content. Also read: Google warns Australia could lose free search services YouTube's boss in the region Gautam Anand, following a similar letter from the managing director of Google in Australia, wrote a message to the platform's creators and artists. "My primary focus is supporting you and your work to build a thriving creator ecosystem," Anand said. The proposal would create an "uneven playing field" and allow big news businesses to demand larger shares of money from the platform — taking funds away from smaller creators, he warned. "The imbalances created by this proposed law could potentially affect all types of Australian creators, far beyond those who focus on news: from vloggers, to educational creators, to music artists and beyond." The legislation will initially focus on Facebook and Google — two of the world's richest and most powerful companies -- but could eventually apply to any digital platform. Virus crisis Australia's proposals are being closely watched around the world, as regulators increasingly train their focus on the rapidly changing sector. Also read: Thai government threatens legal action against Facebook over posts criticising monarchy News media worldwide have suffered in the digital economy, where big tech firms overwhelmingly capture advertising revenue. The crisis has been exacerbated by the coronavirus-triggered economic collapse, with dozens of Australian newspapers closed and hundreds of journalists sacked in recent months. Unlike other countries' so-far unsuccessful efforts to force the platforms to pay for news, the Australian initiative relies on competition law rather than copyright regulations. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which is drafting the government's code of conduct, hit back at Google's open letter saying it "contains misinformation". The consumer watchdog said the digital giant would "not be required" to share additional user data with the news media or charge Australians to use its free services "unless it chooses to do so". "The draft code will allow Australian news businesses to negotiate for fair payment for their journalists' work that is included on Google services," it said in a statement. It has strong support from local media outlets and is expected to be introduced this year.

Google rallies YouTubers against Australian news payment plan

“Data is the new gold”;&nbsp;these words are echoed commonly in contemporary times, and aptly so.

Turns out, the United States law enforcement agencies have been buying data which includes one’s phone location, effectively terminating&nbsp;the need to issue a warrant to obtain such sensitive user details.

"Locate X"

A document recently released by Secret Service shows that the Secret Service purchased “Locate X” from Babel Street, a social media surveillance company.&nbsp;The details were divulged after “Motherboard” filed a request under the US Freedom of Information Act.

Locate X is a sophisticated tool which can effectively track a user’s locations and its real-time movements. The data which is collected by various apps on one’s phones is used by Locate X to ascertain a user’s location.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/technology/google-sued-over-tracking-in-apps-even-when-users-opted-out-313354" hreflang="en">Google sued over tracking in apps even when users opted out</a>

Locate X allows government agencies to trace the movement of users not only in real time, but in any specific team period. In essence, it is a repository of all user data corresponding to the places they have visited and their movement patterns.

In fact, using Locate X, the Secret Service could track a user’s movement months before or after a certain event which they want to investigate.&nbsp;Reportedly, an internal document has revealed how the Secret Service paid $36,000 for a year-long subscription to the Locate X service, from September 27, 2017 upto the same date in 2018.&nbsp;This was part of a bigger $2 million deal with Babel Street to conduct surveillance on social media.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/apple-and-google-decide-to-ban-location-tracking-in-their-contact-tracing-apps-296868" hreflang="en">Apple and Google decide to ban location tracking in their contact tracing apps</a>

Earlier in March, “Protocol” had reported that Locate X was being used by US Customs and Border Patrol.&nbsp;

“Mashable” reported that the existence of Locate X is “confidential information”, implying it became public knowledge only after the request under the Act.

Law of land?

In an ideal situation in conjunction with law of land, law enforcement agencies in the US would require a warrant or at least a court order to track somebody’s movements so brazenly. If the information divulged after a request made under the Act is true, it means that authorities simply discarded protocol by buying a surveillance product.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/technology/facebook-agrees-to-pay-650m-to-settle-facial-recognition-lawsuit-317458" hreflang="en">Facebook agrees to pay $650M to settle facial recognition lawsuit</a>

Many applications that don’t need access to one’s location demand it and store it. Most of this data is sold to third party companies to use as they please. Big companies like Facebook, Twitter claim that such data is used to provide a personalised advertising experience on their apps.

All this comes in the middle of US government openly accusing Chinese app TikTok of sharing data with the Chinese government. The company had hit back at the US saying local American companies like Facebook store more data than any Chinese company, implying the dangers enmeshed in such vast data collection.

“Data is the new gold”; these words are echoed commonly in contemporary times, and aptly so. Turns out, the United States law enforcement agencies have been buying data which includes one’s phone location, effectively terminating the need to issue a warrant to obtain such sensitive user details.

“Data is the new gold”; these words are echoed commonly in contemporary times, and aptly so. Turns out, the United States law enforcement agencies have been buying data which includes one’s phone location, effectively terminating the need to issue a warrant to obtain such sensitive user details. "Locate X" A document recently released by Secret Service shows that the Secret Service purchased “Locate X” from Babel Street, a social media surveillance company. The details were divulged after “Motherboard” filed a request under the US Freedom of Information Act. Locate X is a sophisticated tool which can effectively track a user’s locations and its real-time movements. The data which is collected by various apps on one’s phones is used by Locate X to ascertain a user’s location. Also read: Google sued over tracking in apps even when users opted out Locate X allows government agencies to trace the movement of users not only in real time, but in any specific team period. In essence, it is a repository of all user data corresponding to the places they have visited and their movement patterns. In fact, using Locate X, the Secret Service could track a user’s movement months before or after a certain event which they want to investigate. Reportedly, an internal document has revealed how the Secret Service paid $36,000 for a year-long subscription to the Locate X service, from September 27, 2017 upto the same date in 2018. This was part of a bigger $2 million deal with Babel Street to conduct surveillance on social media. Also read: Apple and Google decide to ban location tracking in their contact tracing apps Earlier in March, “Protocol” had reported that Locate X was being used by US Customs and Border Patrol. “Mashable” reported that the existence of Locate X is “confidential information”, implying it became public knowledge only after the request under the Act. Law of land? In an ideal situation in conjunction with law of land, law enforcement agencies in the US would require a warrant or at least a court order to track somebody’s movements so brazenly. If the information divulged after a request made under the Act is true, it means that authorities simply discarded protocol by buying a surveillance product. Also read: Facebook agrees to pay $650M to settle facial recognition lawsuit Many applications that don’t need access to one’s location demand it and store it. Most of this data is sold to third party companies to use as they please. Big companies like Facebook, Twitter claim that such data is used to provide a personalised advertising experience on their apps. All this comes in the middle of US government openly accusing Chinese app TikTok of sharing data with the Chinese government. The company had hit back at the US saying local American companies like Facebook store more data than any Chinese company, implying the dangers enmeshed in such vast data collection.

US law enforcement bought 'Locate X' to track user's phone location data without permit

Facebook has reportedly started merging Instagram and Messenger chats -- in a bid to allow cross-messaging among its family of apps.

The update comes with the message: "There's a New Way to Message on Instagram". It's available&nbsp;for both iOS and Android devices.

Once you hit the update, the regular DM icon in the top right of Instagram is replaced by the Facebook Messenger logo. Currently, the functionality to message Facebook users from Instagram is not possible.

Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 for $19 billion.

Facebook has also integrated Messenger rooms with WhatsApp on the Web. People can now access Messenger Rooms which allow group video calls of up to 50 people with no time limit via WhatsApp on the desktop.

The Messenger Rooms integration is yet to arrive on WhatsApp on mobile.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had earlier revealed his plans to integrate its chat services to let billions of users message one another across platforms. More than the commercial benefits of the chat integration between the apps, he said he was concerned about data encryption.

Facebook has reportedly started merging Instagram and Messenger chats -- in a bid to allow cross-messaging among its family of apps. The update comes with the message: "There's a New Way to Message on Instagram".

Facebook has reportedly started merging Instagram and Messenger chats -- in a bid to allow cross-messaging among its family of apps. The update comes with the message: "There's a New Way to Message on Instagram". It's available for both iOS and Android devices. Once you hit the update, the regular DM icon in the top right of Instagram is replaced by the Facebook Messenger logo. Currently, the functionality to message Facebook users from Instagram is not possible. Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 for $19 billion. Facebook has also integrated Messenger rooms with WhatsApp on the Web. People can now access Messenger Rooms which allow group video calls of up to 50 people with no time limit via WhatsApp on the desktop. The Messenger Rooms integration is yet to arrive on WhatsApp on mobile. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had earlier revealed his plans to integrate its chat services to let billions of users message one another across platforms. More than the commercial benefits of the chat integration between the apps, he said he was concerned about data encryption.

Facebook begins merging Instagram, Messenger chats, says report

The cold war between two of the biggest tech companies is only escalating with every passing day. Facebook Inc (FB.O) and Apple Inc&nbsp;(AAPL.O) have against locked horns —&nbsp; this time the topic is commission fee.

Facebook announced that Apple has&nbsp;now declined its request to waive a 30 per cent commission fee the iPhone maker charges apps listed on iOS devices. Facebook claims it made the request so that the small businesses do not have to pay Apple's cut&nbsp;for a new paid online 'events' product that Facebook&nbsp;is launching on its core platform.

Apple, much like Google, charges a commission fee between 15 to 30 per cent for app&nbsp;subscriptions and payments made inside apps, except for them companies that already&nbsp;have a credit card on file for iPhone customers. This practice by tech company has been criticised earlier too by various developers.

Recently, 'Fortnite' developer Epic Games also got into a legal and social war with Apple over similar issues.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/fortnite-makers-to-sue-apple-inc-as-freefortnite-trends-with-remake-of-1984-video-320327">Also read:&nbsp;'Fortnite' makers to sue Apple Inc as #FreeFortnite trends with remake of 1984 video</a>

The issue came to light after a mock up of the new feature of Facebook on iPhone showed that the company planned to tell users that Apple would take 30 per cent of the purchase.

While the same process is followed by Google, it is not clear if Google would walk the oath of Apple in this case, or let go of the fee for a greater cause.

Google and Facebook declined to reveal their arrangement, though.

Fidji Simo, head of&nbsp;the core Facebook app, announced the tool in a media conference call featuring small business owners who praised it as a way to reach customers and earn revenue online during the coronavirus pandemic.

She said Facebook considered it “important to be transparent, when people are supporting small businesses,” as users might not be aware that part of their payments could be “going to an almost $2 trillion company.”

Apple has not yet responded to the controversy.

The cold war between two of the biggest tech companies is only escalating with every passing day. Facebook Inc (FB.O) and Apple Inc (AAPL.O) have against locked horns — this time the topic is commission fee.

The cold war between two of the biggest tech companies is only escalating with every passing day. Facebook Inc (FB.O) and Apple Inc (AAPL.O) have against locked horns — this time the topic is commission fee. Facebook announced that Apple has now declined its request to waive a 30 per cent commission fee the iPhone maker charges apps listed on iOS devices. Facebook claims it made the request so that the small businesses do not have to pay Apple's cut for a new paid online 'events' product that Facebook is launching on its core platform. Apple, much like Google, charges a commission fee between 15 to 30 per cent for app subscriptions and payments made inside apps, except for them companies that already have a credit card on file for iPhone customers. This practice by tech company has been criticised earlier too by various developers. Recently, 'Fortnite' developer Epic Games also got into a legal and social war with Apple over similar issues. Also read: 'Fortnite' makers to sue Apple Inc as #FreeFortnite trends with remake of 1984 video The issue came to light after a mock up of the new feature of Facebook on iPhone showed that the company planned to tell users that Apple would take 30 per cent of the purchase. While the same process is followed by Google, it is not clear if Google would walk the oath of Apple in this case, or let go of the fee for a greater cause. Google and Facebook declined to reveal their arrangement, though. Fidji Simo, head of the core Facebook app, announced the tool in a media conference call featuring small business owners who praised it as a way to reach customers and earn revenue online during the coronavirus pandemic. She said Facebook considered it “important to be transparent, when people are supporting small businesses,” as users might not be aware that part of their payments could be “going to an almost $2 trillion company.” Apple has not yet responded to the controversy.

Apple denied our request to waive off 30% commission fee: Facebook Inc

Israel&nbsp;and the United States are&nbsp;nearing a&nbsp;deal&nbsp;whereby&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;would commit not to use Chinese technology for its next generation&nbsp;5G&nbsp;mobile telecoms&nbsp;networks, a&nbsp;US&nbsp;official&nbsp;said.

The&nbsp;official&nbsp;told Reuters on Friday that a memorandum of understanding would likely be signed "within weeks" and confirmed quotes in an earlier Jerusalem Post report.

The newspaper quoted an unnamed&nbsp;US&nbsp;official&nbsp;as saying that the United States was "optimistic that&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;will ... choose to only allow trusted vendors in its&nbsp;5G&nbsp;networks".

Washington has been alarmed by Beijing's dominance in the&nbsp;5G&nbsp;infrastructure market and has pressed its allies to&nbsp;exclude&nbsp;kit made by Huawei Technologies&nbsp;from&nbsp;their&nbsp;networks.

This is partly being done through the&nbsp;US&nbsp;State Department's Clean Network initiative, which says it seeks to eliminate the "long-term threat to data privacy, security, and human rights posed to the free world&nbsp;from&nbsp;authoritarian malign actors, such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)".

Last month, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered Huawei equipment to be purged completely&nbsp;from&nbsp;Britain's&nbsp;5G&nbsp;network by the end of 2027, risking the ire of&nbsp;China&nbsp;by signalling that the world's biggest telecoms equipment maker is not welcome in the West.

Israel, Australia, Canada, Japan, Taiwan and European nations are among Washington's partners in The Clean Network initiative, according to the State Department's website.

Israel's communications ministry on Thursday concluded a tender to award frequencies to operate&nbsp;5G&nbsp;networks&nbsp;in the country, with licences awarded to several domestic mobile phone operators.

Israel and the United States are nearing a deal whereby Israel would commit not to use Chinese technology for its next generation 5G mobile telecoms networks, a US official said.

Israel and the United States are nearing a deal whereby Israel would commit not to use Chinese technology for its next generation 5G mobile telecoms networks, a US official said. The official told Reuters on Friday that a memorandum of understanding would likely be signed "within weeks" and confirmed quotes in an earlier Jerusalem Post report. The newspaper quoted an unnamed US official as saying that the United States was "optimistic that Israel will ... choose to only allow trusted vendors in its 5G networks". Washington has been alarmed by Beijing's dominance in the 5G infrastructure market and has pressed its allies to exclude kit made by Huawei Technologies from their networks. This is partly being done through the US State Department's Clean Network initiative, which says it seeks to eliminate the "long-term threat to data privacy, security, and human rights posed to the free world from authoritarian malign actors, such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)". Last month, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered Huawei equipment to be purged completely from Britain's 5G network by the end of 2027, risking the ire of China by signalling that the world's biggest telecoms equipment maker is not welcome in the West. Israel, Australia, Canada, Japan, Taiwan and European nations are among Washington's partners in The Clean Network initiative, according to the State Department's website. Israel's communications ministry on Thursday concluded a tender to award frequencies to operate 5G networks in the country, with licences awarded to several domestic mobile phone operators.

Israel, US near deal to exclude China from Israeli 5G networks

Apple Inc has been on a blocking rampage for the last few weeks now. After blocking games from Facebook, Microsoft and Google, Apple Inc has now blocked the famous "Fortnite" from its App Store.

Apple Inc has claimed "Fortnite" was violating in-app purchases policy of its App Store, due to which the company had to block the game. Epic Games, game developer, has now decided to retaliate in more than one way.

Epic Games has first filed a lawsuit against Apple Inc asking for no monetary compensation, but urging it to end its in-app purchases policy, and accusing it to block competition — an accusation which has been made against the tech giant earlier too.&nbsp;"Apple has become what it once railed against: the behemoth seeking to control markets, block competition, and stifle innovation. Apple is bigger, more powerful, more entrenched, and more pernicious than the monopolists of yesteryear," Epic said in its lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California.

This was Epic's legal way of handling the block. In addition to this, Epic Games took to social media to rally an online army against this block. Fortnite made a parody of Apple's 1984 introduction video and rolled out a video in which an Apple-shaped character is seen talking about the "anniversary of&nbsp;of the platform unification directives." The speech is interrupted when a woman fighter hurls a unicorn-head stick at the screen.

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The text at the end of the video reads, "Epic Games has defied the App Store monopoly. In retaliation, Apple is blocking Fortnite from a billion devices. Join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming 1984." which is followed by "#FreeFortnite" — a hashtag which has started trending on Twitter too.

Apple, on the other hand, claims a direct payment feature rolled out on the Fortnite app earlier on Thursday as the violation.

"The fact that their (Epic) business interests now lead them to push for a special arrangement does not change the fact that these guidelines create a level playing field for all developers and make the store safe for all users," Apple said in a statement.

Apple believes Epic Games launched the payment feature in Fortnite&nbsp;with the "express intent of violating the App Store guidelines" after having had apps in the store for a decade.

Spotify, the music-streaming app, was the first one to come to Epic's support.&nbsp;"Apple`s unfair practices have disadvantaged competitors and deprived consumers for far too long," Spotify saidin a statement. "The stakes for consumers and app developers large and small couldn`t be higher and ensuring that the iOS platform operates competitively and fairly is an urgent task with far-reaching implications."

Apple Inc has been on a blocking rampage for the last few weeks now. After blocking games from Facebook, Microsoft and Google, Apple Inc has now blocked the famous "Fortnite" from its App Store.

Apple Inc has been on a blocking rampage for the last few weeks now. After blocking games from Facebook, Microsoft and Google, Apple Inc has now blocked the famous "Fortnite" from its App Store. Apple Inc has claimed "Fortnite" was violating in-app purchases policy of its App Store, due to which the company had to block the game. Epic Games, game developer, has now decided to retaliate in more than one way. Epic Games has first filed a lawsuit against Apple Inc asking for no monetary compensation, but urging it to end its in-app purchases policy, and accusing it to block competition — an accusation which has been made against the tech giant earlier too. "Apple has become what it once railed against: the behemoth seeking to control markets, block competition, and stifle innovation. Apple is bigger, more powerful, more entrenched, and more pernicious than the monopolists of yesteryear," Epic said in its lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California. This was Epic's legal way of handling the block. In addition to this, Epic Games took to social media to rally an online army against this block. Fortnite made a parody of Apple's 1984 introduction video and rolled out a video in which an Apple-shaped character is seen talking about the "anniversary of of the platform unification directives." The speech is interrupted when a woman fighter hurls a unicorn-head stick at the screen. × The text at the end of the video reads, "Epic Games has defied the App Store monopoly. In retaliation, Apple is blocking Fortnite from a billion devices. Join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming 1984." which is followed by "#FreeFortnite" — a hashtag which has started trending on Twitter too. Apple, on the other hand, claims a direct payment feature rolled out on the Fortnite app earlier on Thursday as the violation. "The fact that their (Epic) business interests now lead them to push for a special arrangement does not change the fact that these guidelines create a level playing field for all developers and make the store safe for all users," Apple said in a statement. Apple believes Epic Games launched the payment feature in Fortnite with the "express intent of violating the App Store guidelines" after having had apps in the store for a decade. Spotify, the music-streaming app, was the first one to come to Epic's support. "Apple`s unfair practices have disadvantaged competitors and deprived consumers for far too long," Spotify saidin a statement. "The stakes for consumers and app developers large and small couldn`t be higher and ensuring that the iOS platform operates competitively and fairly is an urgent task with far-reaching implications."

'Fortnite' makers to sue Apple Inc as #FreeFortnite trends with remake of 1984 video

Twitter said late on Wednesday it plans to expand its rules against misinformation regarding mail-in ballots and early voting in the US&nbsp;elections this year.

The move, reported earlier by Politico and confirmed by a Twitter executive, will involve coming up with new policies "that emphasise accurate information about all available options to vote, including by mail and early voting."

"Ahead of the 2020 US&nbsp;Election, we're focused on empowering every eligible person to register and vote through partnerships, tools and new policies," Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, Twitter's vice president for public policy in the Americas, told Reuters in an email.

The social media platform also said it would roll out measures on new tools, policies, and voting resources in the next month.

Twitter said it is exploring how to expand its "civic integrity policies" to address mischaracterizations of mail-in voting and other procedures, including registration. The finer details of the step are still being finalised.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed without evidence that voting by mail, which is expected to increase dramatically this fall due to coronavirus outbreak, is susceptible to large-scale fraud.

Voting by mail is not new in the United States — nearly one in four voters cast 2016 presidential ballots that way.

Routine methods and the decentralized nature of U.S. elections make it very hard to interfere with mailed ballots, experts say.

Late last month, Facebook Inc placed a "voting info" label on a post by Trump that said mail-in voting would lead to a "CORRUPT ELECTION."&nbsp;

Twitter said late on Wednesday it plans to expand its rules against misinformation regarding mail-in ballots and early voting in the US elections this year. The move, reported earlier by Politico and confirmed by a Twitter executive, will involve coming up with new policies "that emphasise accurate information about all available options to vote, including by mail and early voting.

Twitter said late on Wednesday it plans to expand its rules against misinformation regarding mail-in ballots and early voting in the US elections this year. The move, reported earlier by Politico and confirmed by a Twitter executive, will involve coming up with new policies "that emphasise accurate information about all available options to vote, including by mail and early voting." "Ahead of the 2020 US Election, we're focused on empowering every eligible person to register and vote through partnerships, tools and new policies," Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, Twitter's vice president for public policy in the Americas, told Reuters in an email. The social media platform also said it would roll out measures on new tools, policies, and voting resources in the next month. Twitter said it is exploring how to expand its "civic integrity policies" to address mischaracterizations of mail-in voting and other procedures, including registration. The finer details of the step are still being finalised. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed without evidence that voting by mail, which is expected to increase dramatically this fall due to coronavirus outbreak, is susceptible to large-scale fraud. Voting by mail is not new in the United States — nearly one in four voters cast 2016 presidential ballots that way. Routine methods and the decentralized nature of U.S. elections make it very hard to interfere with mailed ballots, experts say. Late last month, Facebook Inc placed a "voting info" label on a post by Trump that said mail-in voting would lead to a "CORRUPT ELECTION."

Twitter to expand rules against misinformation on mail-in ballots, early voting

China's Tencent said on Wednesday it did not believe a US&nbsp;move to ban transactions on its international messaging to payments&nbsp;WeChat&nbsp;app would apply to its domestic Weixin platform, potentially limiting fallout from the move.

Tencent is the latest Chinese tech giant caught in the crosshairs of an escalated Sino-US&nbsp;cyber war after President Trump said last week the United States would ban&nbsp;WeChat-related transactions in the country.

In a call after reporting a 37% rise in second-quarter net profit, executives tried to soothe market sentiment and said the company was in the process of seeking further clarification from relevant parties.

Chief financial officer John Lo said Tencent's initial reading was that the US&nbsp;executive order was focused on&nbsp;WeChat&nbsp;in the United States and it did not believe its other businesses there would be affected.

The US&nbsp;accounts for less than 2 per cent&nbsp;of Tencent's total revenue, said James Mitchell, chief strategy officer, and likely less than 1% of total advertising revenue.

"If you look at the executive orders from May 2019 and then obviously the executive order a couple of days ago, they specify very clearly they cover US&nbsp;jurisdiction, and consequently we don't see any impact on companies advertising on our platform in China," he said.

Revenue from online games, which accounts for one-third of total sales, jumped 40% in the second quarter, primarily driven by smart phone games including Peacekeeper Elite and Honour of Kings, as the coronavirus put a dent in other entertainment options.

However, the company postponed a blockbuster release of "Dungeon and Fighter Mobile" game, planned for August&nbsp;12, citing upgrades needed to the game's addiction prevention system. It did not indicate a new release date.

Social networks, fintech and business services, and social advertising revenues all grew by nearly 30%.

Media advertising revenues fell by 25&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;however, amid a "challenging macro environment" and delayed content production and releases.

The world's largest gaming firm by revenue booked $4.8 billion&nbsp;profit for the three months through June, ahead of an average analysts' estimate of 27.56 billion yuan, according to data from Refinitiv.

Revenue rose 29&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;to 114.88 billion yuan, versus market expectations of 112.76 billion yuan.

China's Tencent said on Wednesday it did not believe a US move to ban transactions on its international messaging to payments WeChat app would apply to its domestic Weixin platform, potentially limiting fallout from the move.

China's Tencent said on Wednesday it did not believe a US move to ban transactions on its international messaging to payments WeChat app would apply to its domestic Weixin platform, potentially limiting fallout from the move. Tencent is the latest Chinese tech giant caught in the crosshairs of an escalated Sino-US cyber war after President Trump said last week the United States would ban WeChat-related transactions in the country. In a call after reporting a 37% rise in second-quarter net profit, executives tried to soothe market sentiment and said the company was in the process of seeking further clarification from relevant parties. Chief financial officer John Lo said Tencent's initial reading was that the US executive order was focused on WeChat in the United States and it did not believe its other businesses there would be affected. The US accounts for less than 2 per cent of Tencent's total revenue, said James Mitchell, chief strategy officer, and likely less than 1% of total advertising revenue. "If you look at the executive orders from May 2019 and then obviously the executive order a couple of days ago, they specify very clearly they cover US jurisdiction, and consequently we don't see any impact on companies advertising on our platform in China," he said. Revenue from online games, which accounts for one-third of total sales, jumped 40% in the second quarter, primarily driven by smart phone games including Peacekeeper Elite and Honour of Kings, as the coronavirus put a dent in other entertainment options. However, the company postponed a blockbuster release of "Dungeon and Fighter Mobile" game, planned for August 12, citing upgrades needed to the game's addiction prevention system. It did not indicate a new release date. Social networks, fintech and business services, and social advertising revenues all grew by nearly 30%. Media advertising revenues fell by 25 per cent however, amid a "challenging macro environment" and delayed content production and releases. The world's largest gaming firm by revenue booked $4.8 billion profit for the three months through June, ahead of an average analysts' estimate of 27.56 billion yuan, according to data from Refinitiv. Revenue rose 29 per cent to 114.88 billion yuan, versus market expectations of 112.76 billion yuan.

WeChat-owner tries to soothe concerns about Trump's proposed US ban

Social&nbsp;media platform Instagram, owned by tech giant Facebook, is&nbsp;facing a&nbsp;fresh lawsuit over illegal harvesting of biometrics.

The company is accused of collecting, storing and profiting from the biometric data of more than 100 million Instagram users, without their knowledge or consent in a&nbsp;new lawsuit, filed&nbsp;in state court in Redwood City, California.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/amazon-facebook-and-50-others-file-lawsuit-against-trumps-ban-of-h1b-visa-319640" hreflang="en">Amazon, Facebook and 50 others file lawsuit against Trump's ban of H1B visa</a>

According to the&nbsp;Illinois privacy law,&nbsp;unauthorised collection of biometric data is barred.&nbsp;Under the law, a company can be forced to pay $1,000 per violation, or $5,000 if it was found to have acted recklessly or intentionally.

Facebook started informing Instagram users at the beginning of this year that it was collecting the biometric data, according to the suit.

Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment, made after regular business hours.

Last month, the social media company offered to pay $650 million&nbsp;to settle a lawsuit in which it was accused of illegally collecting biometric data through a photo-tagging tool provided to Facebook users.

Social media platform Instagram, owned by tech giant Facebook, is facing a fresh lawsuit over illegal harvesting of biometrics. The company is accused of collecting, storing and profiting from the biometric data of more than 100 million Instagram users, without their knowledge or consent in a new lawsuit, filed in state court in Redwood City, California.

Social media platform Instagram, owned by tech giant Facebook, is facing a fresh lawsuit over illegal harvesting of biometrics. The company is accused of collecting, storing and profiting from the biometric data of more than 100 million Instagram users, without their knowledge or consent in a new lawsuit, filed in state court in Redwood City, California. Also read: Amazon, Facebook and 50 others file lawsuit against Trump's ban of H1B visa According to the Illinois privacy law, unauthorised collection of biometric data is barred. Under the law, a company can be forced to pay $1,000 per violation, or $5,000 if it was found to have acted recklessly or intentionally. Facebook started informing Instagram users at the beginning of this year that it was collecting the biometric data, according to the suit. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment, made after regular business hours. Last month, the social media company offered to pay $650 million to settle a lawsuit in which it was accused of illegally collecting biometric data through a photo-tagging tool provided to Facebook users.

Instagram faces fresh lawsuit over illegal harvesting of biometrics

Tech giants such as Amazon Inc and Facebook Inc have taken a stand against ban on entry of foreign workers in the US, announced by Donald Trump.

The US President Donald Trump announced a Presidential proclamation announcing a temporary ban on the entry of certain foreign workers in the United States. Workers entering the country on H-1B visas and managers and specialised workers being transferred within a company on L visas — both visa types used by tech companies — will be the ones affected by it. Seasonal workers, who enter the country on H2B visas will also face the ban.

Trump defended his decision by saying that this will help preserve jobs for Americans after the economy has been badly hit by the pandemic.

However, this decision was not well received by tech-giants who feel this will restrict the functioning and growth of several Multi-National Companies (MNCs), based in the US.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-signs-executive-order-against-hiring-h1b-visa-holders-for-federal-contracts-318023">Also read:&nbsp;Trump signs executive order against hiring H1B visa holders for federal contracts</a>

Amazon Inc and Facebook Inc, on Monday,&nbsp;filed a legal brief backing a challenge against Trump on this issue. The lawsuit has been brought in California by few of the major US business associations.&nbsp;

In the brief, the companies argued that the visa restrictions will hurt American businesses, lead employers to hire workers outside the United States, and further damage the already struggling US economy.

The group of companies has alleged Trump of causing an irreparable damage to the US economy and workforce, on an assumption rather than facts.

“Global competitors in Canada, China, and India, among others, are pouncing at the opportunity to attract well-trained, innovative individuals,” the brief reads. “And American businesses are scrambling to adjust, hiring needed talent to work in locations outside our nation’s borders.”

Apple (AAPL.O), Microsoft (MSFT.O), Netflix (NFLX.O) and Twitter (TWTR.N) were among 52 companies that signed the brief, which was filed in a lawsuit brought by the National Association of Manufacturers, which represents 14,000 member companies, as well as in a similar lawsuit brought in Washington, D.C.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Tech giants such as Amazon Inc and Facebook Inc have taken a stand against ban on entry of foreign workers in the US, announced by Donald Trump. The US President Donald Trump announced a Presidential proclamation announcing a temporary ban on the entry of certain foreign workers in the United States.

Tech giants such as Amazon Inc and Facebook Inc have taken a stand against ban on entry of foreign workers in the US, announced by Donald Trump. The US President Donald Trump announced a Presidential proclamation announcing a temporary ban on the entry of certain foreign workers in the United States. Workers entering the country on H-1B visas and managers and specialised workers being transferred within a company on L visas — both visa types used by tech companies — will be the ones affected by it. Seasonal workers, who enter the country on H2B visas will also face the ban. Trump defended his decision by saying that this will help preserve jobs for Americans after the economy has been badly hit by the pandemic. However, this decision was not well received by tech-giants who feel this will restrict the functioning and growth of several Multi-National Companies (MNCs), based in the US. Also read: Trump signs executive order against hiring H1B visa holders for federal contracts Amazon Inc and Facebook Inc, on Monday, filed a legal brief backing a challenge against Trump on this issue. The lawsuit has been brought in California by few of the major US business associations. In the brief, the companies argued that the visa restrictions will hurt American businesses, lead employers to hire workers outside the United States, and further damage the already struggling US economy. The group of companies has alleged Trump of causing an irreparable damage to the US economy and workforce, on an assumption rather than facts. “Global competitors in Canada, China, and India, among others, are pouncing at the opportunity to attract well-trained, innovative individuals,” the brief reads. “And American businesses are scrambling to adjust, hiring needed talent to work in locations outside our nation’s borders.” Apple (AAPL.O), Microsoft (MSFT.O), Netflix (NFLX.O) and Twitter (TWTR.N) were among 52 companies that signed the brief, which was filed in a lawsuit brought by the National Association of Manufacturers, which represents 14,000 member companies, as well as in a similar lawsuit brought in Washington, D.C. (With inputs from Reuters)

Amazon, Facebook and 50 others file lawsuit against Trump's ban of H1B visa

Huawei Technologies Co, which has been facing boycott globally for its alleged links with the Chinese government and the world growing wary of products coming out of China, might soon be unable to keep making chipsets in the face of pressure.

US at the forefront

US had been at the forefront of the anti-Huawei sentiment in terms of 5G connectivity, but in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and anti-China sentiment running strong, countries like the UK have also banned Huawei’s role in 5G networks and will work to phase out usage of company components over the next decade.

Due to this backlash, Huawei will halt the production of its flagship Kirin chipsets starting September 2020, first reported by magazine Caixin.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/amid-tensions-over-huawei-chinese-court-sentences-canadian-national-to-death-318573" hreflang="en">Amid tensions over Huawei, Chinese court sentences Canadian national to death</a>

With all eyes on China, Huawei’s suppliers are unable to keep up the production of chipsets, which is an important component of every smartphone. Richard Yu, the CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Unit revealed this news during the launch of the company’s new mobile called Mate 40.

US is pressurising governments across the world to boycott Huawei, claiming the company is handing out user data to the Chinese government, a claim which has staunchly denied by the company.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://wionews.com/videos/wion-fineprint-will-eu-help-united-states-win-war-against-huawei-313524/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

A trajectory of boycott

Similarly, the Chinese app TikTok has been placed under a lot of scrutiny. India became the first country to officially ban Chinese apps including TikTok and CamScanner after a border skirmish. The trend has been picked up by countries around the globe, who feel China needs to sidelined for hiding information about COVID-19 in its early stages, which could have prevented its transmission across the globe.

The US has upped the ante against the company, demanding the extradition of the company’s chief financial officer - Meng Wanzhou from Canada on charges of bank fraud.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/technology/chinas-huawei-overtakes-samsung-as-top-smartphone-seller-316933" hreflang="en">China's Huawei overtakes Samsung as top smartphone seller</a>

In May 2020, US had issued orders to its software and manufacturing equipment suppliers to stop all business with the company, unless a license was first obtained.

"From September 15 onward, our flagship Kirin processors cannot be produced… Our AI-powered chips also cannot be processed. This is a huge loss for us”, the company chief announced, according to Caixin.

Huawei Technologies Co, which has been facing boycott globally for its alleged links with the Chinese government and the world growing wary of products coming out of China, might soon be unable to keep making chipsets in the face of pressure.

Huawei Technologies Co, which has been facing boycott globally for its alleged links with the Chinese government and the world growing wary of products coming out of China, might soon be unable to keep making chipsets in the face of pressure. US at the forefront US had been at the forefront of the anti-Huawei sentiment in terms of 5G connectivity, but in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and anti-China sentiment running strong, countries like the UK have also banned Huawei’s role in 5G networks and will work to phase out usage of company components over the next decade. Due to this backlash, Huawei will halt the production of its flagship Kirin chipsets starting September 2020, first reported by magazine Caixin. Also read: Amid tensions over Huawei, Chinese court sentences Canadian national to death With all eyes on China, Huawei’s suppliers are unable to keep up the production of chipsets, which is an important component of every smartphone. Richard Yu, the CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Unit revealed this news during the launch of the company’s new mobile called Mate 40. US is pressurising governments across the world to boycott Huawei, claiming the company is handing out user data to the Chinese government, a claim which has staunchly denied by the company. A trajectory of boycott Similarly, the Chinese app TikTok has been placed under a lot of scrutiny. India became the first country to officially ban Chinese apps including TikTok and CamScanner after a border skirmish. The trend has been picked up by countries around the globe, who feel China needs to sidelined for hiding information about COVID-19 in its early stages, which could have prevented its transmission across the globe. The US has upped the ante against the company, demanding the extradition of the company’s chief financial officer - Meng Wanzhou from Canada on charges of bank fraud. Also read: China's Huawei overtakes Samsung as top smartphone seller In May 2020, US had issued orders to its software and manufacturing equipment suppliers to stop all business with the company, unless a license was first obtained. "From September 15 onward, our flagship Kirin processors cannot be produced… Our AI-powered chips also cannot be processed. This is a huge loss for us”, the company chief announced, according to Caixin.

Huawei to halt production of flagship chipsets in September as pressure against company mounts

Twitter has been working on a new feature with which the users will be able to view retweets with quotes (formerly known as retweets with comments) on each of their posts.

The 'quote retweets' will now appear as "Quotes" under tweets, with their own counter. It will be similar to how the number of retweets and likes are displayed. The social network is currently testing this new feature.

"A few months ago, we made Retweets with Comments more visible when you tap to see Retweets on a Tweet," a Twitter spokesperson said.

"This is available to everyone. Now, we're testing making Retweets with Comments accessible directly on the Tweet and new language (Quotes) to see if this makes them easier to access and more understandable."

The column will be separate from the current retweets counter but would be live in the same line underneath the post. This feature would list all the retweets one gets and separates those with comments from those without, making it easy to check if there's somebody you can interact with.

Twitter is also working on a key feature that will let both Android and iOS users schedule a tweet to be released on a specific date and time.

Scheduling seems to be currently available only to some users on Twitter for desktop and will be available for all soon.

The micro-blogging feature is also experimenting with giving users a second opportunity to self-edit their tweets and replies if they contain harmful, abusive and hate content, before they post it on the platform.

Twitter has been working on a new feature with which the users will be able to view retweets with quotes (formerly known as retweets with comments) on each of their posts.

Twitter has been working on a new feature with which the users will be able to view retweets with quotes (formerly known as retweets with comments) on each of their posts. The 'quote retweets' will now appear as "Quotes" under tweets, with their own counter. It will be similar to how the number of retweets and likes are displayed. The social network is currently testing this new feature. "A few months ago, we made Retweets with Comments more visible when you tap to see Retweets on a Tweet," a Twitter spokesperson said. "This is available to everyone. Now, we're testing making Retweets with Comments accessible directly on the Tweet and new language (Quotes) to see if this makes them easier to access and more understandable." The column will be separate from the current retweets counter but would be live in the same line underneath the post. This feature would list all the retweets one gets and separates those with comments from those without, making it easy to check if there's somebody you can interact with. Twitter is also working on a key feature that will let both Android and iOS users schedule a tweet to be released on a specific date and time. Scheduling seems to be currently available only to some users on Twitter for desktop and will be available for all soon. The micro-blogging feature is also experimenting with giving users a second opportunity to self-edit their tweets and replies if they contain harmful, abusive and hate content, before they post it on the platform.

Twitter working on new tool to help users view 'quote retweets'

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