Latest news with #usersafety
TechCrunch
2 days ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
Bluesky rolls out massive revamp to policies and Community Guidelines
Two years after launching, social network Bluesky is revising its Community Guidelines and other policies, and asking for feedback from its users on some of the changes. The startup, a competitor to X, Threads, and open networks like Mastodon, says its new policies are meant to offer improved clarity and more detail around its user safety procedures and the appeals process. Many of the changes are being driven by new global regulations, including the UK Online Safety Act (OSA), the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), and the US TAKE IT DOWN Act. Some of the changes represent an effort by Bluesky to purposefully shape its community and the behavior of its users, nudging them to be nicer and more respectful of others. This comes after a series of complaints and media articles suggesting the community has a tendency towards self-seriousness, bad-news sharing, and a lack of humor and diversity of thought. For regulatory compliance, Bluesky's Terms of Service have been updated to comply with online safety laws and regulations, and to require age assurance where required. For instance, in July, the UK's Online Safety Act began requiring that platforms with adult content to implement age verification, which means Bluesky users in the country have to either scan their face, upload their ID, or enter a payment card to use the site. The process for complaints and appeals is also now more detailed. One notable update references an 'informal dispute resolution process,' where Bluesky agrees to talk on the phone with a user about their dispute before any formal dispute process takes place. 'We think most disputes can be resolved informally,' Bluesky notes. That's quite different from what's taking place at larger social networks, like Facebook and Instagram, where users are being banned without any understanding of what they did wrong and no way to get in touch with the company to complain. 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San Francisco | REGISTER NOW Bluesky also says it will allow users to resolve certain claims of harm in court, instead of through arbitration. This is also somewhat unusual for tech companies that often prefer to mediate disputes outside the courts. However, Bluesky users may be more interested in the proposed changes to the Community Guidelines, which they're invited to offer feedback about. (The changes go into effect Oct. 15, 2025 after the feedback period completes). These revised guidelines are organized around four principles: Safety First, Respect Others, Be Authentic, and Follow the Rules. These general principles are meant to guide Bluesky's moderation decisions around whether content should be labeled or removed, if the company can suspend or ban your account, or, in some cases, report you to law enforcement. Bluesky's rules include many common-sense policies around not promoting violence or harm (including self-harm and animal abuse), not posting content that's illegal, that which sexualizes minors (including in roleplay), and disallowing harmful actions like doxxing and other non-consensual personal data-sharing, or posting spam or malicious content, among other things. It carves out provisions for journalism, parody, and satire. For instance, journalists engaged in 'factual reporting' can post about criminal acts and violence, mental health, online safety, and other topics, like warnings of online viral challenges that may be harmful. Where Bluesky may get into trouble is with the nuances of what's considered a 'threat,' 'harm,' or 'abuse.' The policy states that users should 'respect others' by not posting, promoting, or encouraging 'hate, harassment, or bullying.' As an example, the policy bans exploitive deepfakes and content that 'incites discrimination or hatred,' meaning posts that attack individuals or groups based on 'race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected traits.' This is an area where Bluesky has faltered before, when, in earlier days, its moderation decisions strained its relationship with the Black community, and, in another case, when its failure to moderate angered the trans community. More recently, the company has been facing backlash that it's become too left-leaning, where users were quick to criticize, post hateful replies, and where the community generally lacked humor. The original idea behind Bluesky was to provide users with tools to create the community they want, including not only blocking and reporting tools, but others, like subscribable block lists or opt-in moderation services that align with your values. However, Bluesky users have still shown a preference for the app itself to handle much of the moderation, railing against its trust and safety department when it made decisions they disagreed with. In addition, Bluesky's Privacy Policy and Copyright Policy were also rewritten to comply with global laws around user rights, data transfer, retention and deletion, takedown procedures, transparency reporting, and more. These both go into effect on September 15, 2025, and there is no feedback period for either.
The Sun
07-08-2025
- The Sun
Popular mobile discontinued just weeks after controversial phone model linked to ‘overheating and fires'
A POPULAR mobile has been discontinued just weeks after the controversial model was linked to overheating and catching fire. The device has been facing multiple battery issues lately with many users complaining about the increasing heating problems. 2 Google has been rolling out a battery reduction update over the past month for its Pixel 6a in the interest of user safety. An issue with the batteries inside some of the devices has been leading to some units overheating. There have been several incidents where the phone has randomly caught fire or burst into flames while being charged. Google has now quietly removed the Pixel 6a refurbished unit from its official store as a result. Battery update issues As a precautionary measure, Google recently rolled out a mandatory software update that cuts battery capacity and charging speeds for affected devices. This was in an effort to ensure that the battery temperature stays under the limit and the potential issues are avoided. However, despite installing the update, many have still reported concerns. If you are an owner of the Pixel 6a, the only way to stay safe from the potentially dangerous issue is to get a new battery or replace the device entirely. A Pixel 6a user in Australia recently said their device suddenly caught fire and melted beside them as they slept. This is despite installing Google's recent mandatory battery performance update. Inside Google's new AI button and chatbot trick for holidays Removed from the store The Google Store sells a handful of discounted, refurbished Pixel phones including the Pixel 6 series and Pixel 7 series. They are available for hundreds off their original retail price and the Pixel 6a was included until very recently. While it's not known exactly when the change was made, the refurbished Pixel 6a was still available on July 22. The Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 7a and Pixel 7 Pro all remain for sale at unchanged prices. This is only the second update Google has made to its refurbished Pixel lineup since introducing it in 2024. It is expected the Pixel 8 devices will be joining the list as Pixel 10 approaches. The news of Google's battery issues comes as a woman won £150,000 after her phone went up in flames after she left it on charge overnight. A laptop and two mobile phones, a Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG K8, were left charging on a couch before Denise and Robert Parks retired for the night. Denise has successfully sued former phone manufacturer LG for nearly £150,000 after one of its devices sparked a fire in her home in North Lanarkshire.
