Google is testing ‘IP Protection’, a feature for Chrome that sends third-party traffic for a set of domains through proxies to mask their IP addresses, thereby boosting privacy by fighting IP-based covert tracking.

IP Addresses 

An IP address can be explained as being like a home address for your computer or device on a network. It’s a unique numerical identifier that helps in sending and receiving information correctly over the internet or local networks. Each device on a network has a unique IP address, which helps in identifying it among all the other devices. For example, just as the post office needs a physical address to deliver your post to the right house, computers use IP addresses to send and receive information to and from the right devices. Typically, your IP address is the one given to your router and is given by your ISP and although not permanently assigned, it tends to stay the same until you disconnect or turn the router off.

What’s The Problem With IP Addresses? 

As useful as an IP address can be in acting as your identifier on the network, it can also be misused when used as an identifier for anyone who wants to covertly track you across multiple websites. For example, because your IP address is unique to your internet connection at that moment, when you visit a website, it sees your IP address and can remember it. If you go to another website, that site can also see your IP address. If both websites share data (like through ads or tracking services), they can ‘connect the dots’ and realise that the same person visited both sites.

User Profile Built Over Time 

Over time, as you visit more and more websites, a ‘persistent user profile’ gets built up and although those tracking may not know your name, they know what the barcode equivalent of you is – your IP address. By looking at the websites you visit, trackers can figure out your interests, habits, and maybe even your location and by combining this information with other semi-permanent information from your browser, a fairly accurate ‘fingerprint’ of you can be built up.

Who? 

Advertisers and marketers may use cookies, pixels, and other tracking technologies embedded in websites to track IP address to understand user behaviour, preferences, and demographics for targeted advertising and personalised content.

Other trackers of IP address may include websites and online services (e.g. to analyse traffic, understand user engagement, and improve the user experience) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) for network management, troubleshooting, to ensure the security and integrity of their network, plus (perhaps) for law enforcement purposes. Other tracking entities can include government and law enforcement, cybersecurity professionals (monitoring for and respond to security threats), content providers and streaming services, and research and analytics companies tracking IP addresses.

It’s also important to remember that cyber criminals track IP addresses to find vulnerable devices or networks.

No Direct Way To Evade Tracking 

The key point is that although IP addresses are necessary and useful for routing traffic, preventing fraud and abuse, and for performing other important functions for network operators and domains, they can pose privacy concerns but, unlike third-party cookies, users currently don’t have a direct way to avoid being covertly tracked. An effective solution, which Google believes could be its IP Protection, needs to strike the right balance between retaining user privacy and not having too much of a negative impact on the normal running of the Internet and the online economy.

VPNs, Proxy Servers, and Secure Browsers 

Many people must resort to use a proxy server or a VPN to hide their IP address, both of which mask a user’s IP address with one of their own. There are also many private browsers available which use third-party ad blockers, onion routing, and other security features. These include Brave, DuckDuckGo, and the Tor Browser, among others.

Google’s IP Protection 

Google’s IP Protection feature, which it is currently testing with a view to rolling it out in multiple phases, sends third-party traffic for a set of domains through proxies, thereby protecting the user by masking their IP address from those domains.

Test 

The first testing phase is reported to be to ensure that the feature will work without impacting third-party companies, e.g. Google’s own Ad Services.  Google says this test will involve a single Google-owned proxy, will only proxy requests to domains owned by Google, and will allow to test its infrastructure while preventing impact to other companies, and gives it more time to refine the list of domains that will be proxied.

Google says that IP Protection changes how stable a client’s IP address is but “does not otherwise cause a breaking change for existing sites.” 

Opt-In 

Google says that IP Protection will be opt-in initially to make sure there is “user control over privacy decisions” and that Google can monitor behaviours at lower volumes.

List Based Approach 

It’s understood that a list based approach is to be used by Google and only domains on the list in a third-party context will be impacted, and the focus will be on scripts and domains that are considered to be tracking users so as not to disrupt legitimate use of IP tracking.

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

IP addresses play a vital and legitimate role in the functioning of the web and its economy.

However, user privacy is important and despite browser vendors trying to give users additional privacy, covert cross-site IP tracking enabled by IP addresses is a problem and is a threat to privacy. Most web users aren’t happy with the idea that their web activities can be secretly tracked and a profile of them compiled which is stored and used by faceless companies to target them with ads and offers – it feels like an invasion of privacy and a risk to user security.

Until now, users haven’t had a direct way to avoid being covertly tracked and have needed to proactively opt for measures like using VPNs and proxy servers. Google IP Protection (opt-in at first) could therefore provide a much more direct and effective background privacy-protection solution for users that could, along with ecosystem changes, expand over time to be effective at protecting users’ privacy from cross-site tracking. For companies, organisations, marketers, and advertisers that use IP tracking, however, this could represent a real threat to their operations. Indeed, it could represent a threat to Google’s own domains and ad operation if it doesn’t work properly (hence the testing). IP Protection, therefore, looks promising and the hope is that it will be able to strike the right balance between user privacy and the safety and protecting functionality of the web.

After ceasing operations earlier this year when it lost its core funding grant, start-up network Tech Nation has announced it will be relaunching its brand with a £10bn investment.

Tech Nation 

Originally established in 2010 as ‘Tech City UK’, focusing on nurturing the tech ecosystem in East London, the non-profit ‘Tech Nation’ grew to become one of the most prominent start-up networks in the UK, supporting the growth of the digital tech sector across the country. Tech Nation is reported to have supported more than 5,000 companies in their efforts to scale-up as well as 48 growth programmes to help accelerate over 1,200 start-ups.

Core Funding Lost – Ceased Operations

However, back in February, it was announced that Tech Nation would be winding down and operations would cease at the end of March 2023 due to its core grant funding from the UK government being awarded to a programme run by Barclays Bank. At the time, Gerard Grech, founding CEO of Tech Nation, highlighted how important Tech Nation had been to the UK’s tech sector, saying: “Many of Britain’s most successful tech companies, from Monzo to Deliveroo, and from Skyscanner to Darktrace, have passed through one or more of Tech Nation’s growth programmes” and that “we have helped spread digital growth and jobs nation-wide. For every pound invested in Tech Nation, we have returned £15.” 

Some Criticism 

Although Tech Nation was broadly praised for what it had achieved, criticism that came out of a report about its grant funding by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology was that it failed to implement some recommendations from a 2019 review (better recording of outcome data), and that, in its last period, around half of the participants in Tech Nation growth programmes were based in London (perhaps not a wide enough scope).

Along Came The Founders Forum Group 

After announcing that it was “actively seeking” interested parties to acquire its portfolio of its assets, Tech Nation was acquired in April by the Founders Forum Group, owned by UK entrepreneur, investor, and founder of LastMinute.com, Brent Hoberman CBE.

On acquiring Tech Nation, Mr Hoberman said: “By recognising and fostering remarkable digital talent and accelerating startup success nation-wide, Tech Nation has positioned the UK as a world-class innovation hub. We’re honoured to be inheriting this important mission and marrying our objectives with those of Tech Nation to preserve and expand the UK tech ecosystem.” 

Relaunch 

Now, with HSBC Innovation Banking as a funding partner, Tech Nation has announced its relaunch (at Birmingham Tech Week – TechWM), saying in a LinkedIn post: “We are returning with a bold pledge to facilitate £10bn investment into the tech ecosystem and a commitment to ensuring half of Tech Nation’s UK startup network is based outside the capital.” 

Tech Nation has also announced that, in partnership with Motability Operations, it will be launching ‘Creo’ which is a community of disabled founders and those building technologies for the disabled community.

Doing What?

Tech Nation describes itself as the “leading platform for tech insights, connections, collaboration and talent.”  The kinds of services that Tech Nation offers to UK startups include:

– Fostering connections among tech entrepreneurs, startups, scale-ups, and established companies (creating a supportive community).

– Offering training, workshops, and resources to entrepreneurs and startups to help them acquire the skills and knowledge to grow.

– Mentorship – providing access to experienced entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and mentors who can offer guidance and advice.

– Helping startups to connect with potential investors and navigate the funding landscape.

– Publishing reports and insights on the state of the tech industry in the UK, which can help inform policy and investment decisions.

– Advocacy. Representing the interests of the UK’s digital tech sector to policymakers and government bodies, thereby (hopefully) helping to shape a more favourable regulatory environment.

– Helping companies to scale their operations internationally.

– Organising events, meetups, and networking sessions that provide opportunities for startups and tech entrepreneurs to connect.

Challenging Environment 

Although the UK government wants to turn the UK into a science and technology superpower, and the return (re-launch) of Tech Nation will be seen by many as one important contribution towards achieving that, recent economic conditions have proven to be challenging for tech companies. For example, a tech skills gap, very high interest rates, the UK on the verge of a recession, a slow recovery from the pandemic, Brexit complications, tech firm layoffs, and a drying up of venture capital last year, and more have all created a less than favourable environment for tech startup growth.

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

In the previous year of Tech Nation, prior to losing its funding earlier this year, it had proved to be instrumental in the growth of the UK’s tech landscape, bringing it to a valuation of $1 trillion today, compared to $60 billion in 2013, and helping create 4.8 million jobs and 135 ‘tech unicorns’ (privately held startups with a value of over $1 billion).

The return of Tech Nation, therefore, backed by investment and the support of the Founders Forum Group, could be a pivotal moment for the UK tech sector and startups in terms of providing much needed support in challenging economic times, offering resources, connectivity, and a wealth of opportunities to rejuvenate the startup ecosystem.

Tech Nation and its many services (such as mentorship, training, and networking) being back up to full speed could bring faster growth and smoother scaling. Additionally, if its network really does extend far enough beyond London, Tech Nation could democratise access to its resources, ensuring businesses across the UK can benefit. This approach could foster a balanced and (hopefully) resilient tech ecosystem nationwide.

The hope now is that Tech Nation’s impactful return could also stimulate job creation, skill development, and economic growth in the UK, aligning with the goal of establishing the UK as a science and technology superpower.

In these times of venture capital uncertainty, Tech Nation’s role in connecting startups with potential investors could become even more crucial, and Tech Nation could help provide UK tech businesses with expect guidance through the funding landscape, opening up new opportunities for growth.

It’s also good to see that Tech Nation’s relaunch includes ‘Creo’ which signals a dedication to building a more inclusive tech community, ensuring that opportunities for innovation and impact are accessible to all.

Tech Nation’s relaunch, therefore, could be a significant boon for the UK tech sector, promising renewed support, nationwide opportunities, and a bolstered economy. For businesses, this could equate to a supportive environment, increased funding access, and a commitment to inclusive growth, setting the stage for a brighter, more innovative future.

Following trials, Microsoft’s AI assistant ‘Copilot’, which can even attend meetings for you, will be generally available to all Microsoft 365 Enterprise customers from 1 November.

Copilot

First introduced in March 2023 and rolled out as part free update to Windows 11, Copilot is an AI assistant that’s embedded within Microsoft 365 apps and services to help users save time, increase productivity, increase creativity, and essentially upskill themselves.

Everyday Companion

Created using ChatGPT version 4 and Microsoft Graph (an API developer platform that connects multiple services and devices), Copilot is natural language conversational (generative AI) chatbot that’s designed to give human-like responses (like ChatGPT) to questions and link aspects of all the 365 apps together in a new and more productive way. Microsoft summarises the purpose and benefits of this “everyday companion” as something that “Combs across your entire universe of data at work, including emails, meetings, chats, documents and more, plus the web” and “like an assistant, it has a deep understanding of you, your job, your priorities and your organisation.” Microsoft say it “goes far beyond simple questions and answers to give you a head start on some of your most complex or tedious tasks” and that you can “ask for what you want in natural language and the technology is smart enough to answer, create it or take action”.

Attends Meetings For You?

One of the features of Copilot that has been widely reported in the media is that it can essentially attend meetings for you by summarising meetings held in Teams for anyone who’s unable to attend. Microsoft says that using Copilot, you can “Follow a Teams meeting that you could not attend live, directly from Outlook on your own time”.

Copilot can make a summary of key discussion points of meetings, including who said what, where people are aligned and also where they disagree. It can suggest action items as well, all in real-time during a meeting. It can also recap meetings for you and send you the notes afterwards.

Many Other Capabilities

With Copilot embedded in all the 365 popular apps, some of its many other capabilities include summarising email threads, drafting emails, drafting documents (e.g. contracts and letters), creating presentations, and generating reports using data from different apps and sources, scheduling meetings, and managing project timelines, analysing, and sorting through data in excel (with Python), and much more. In short, it can both take away the donkey work of some tasks and save time, but it has the capacity to dramatically improve productivity and creativity, plus provide valuable new business insights, and improve competitiveness.

Challenges

However, the fact that Copilot can carry out so many tasks (so well) on behalf of human users does present some challenges and has led to criticism from some commentators. For example:

– Businesses could become dangerously reliant on AI-powered assistance. For instance, what if there are disruptive technical problems with it or what if it’s hacked? Also, businesses may lose touch with some aspects of business and may put too much trust in a technology that is in its early stages and is known to make things up / get things wrong (e.g. AI ‘hallucinations’).

– Security and privacy concerns. Questions are being asked such as whether any data shared with it is secure/stored securely and/or used to train the AI model (Microsoft says it won’t be used to train). Microsoft says, however, that Copilot “includes enterprise-grade security, privacy, compliance, and responsible AI to ensure all data processing happens inside your Microsoft 365 tenant”.

– Its capabilities and widescale use could disrupt admin-based jobs.

– Its potential to lead to legal issues for business users, e.g. copyright infringement issues (even though AI companies have said they’ll cover the risk). For Microsoft, for example, it could fall foul of aspects of new AI laws (the EU AI Act) if it’s not compliant, such as if it’s not obvious or clear whether content has been created by humans or AI.

– If Copilot can attend meetings and provide a summary for users, this could affect company discipline and communication, e.g. people may simply not bother to attend when they should.

How Much?

Copilot for Enterprise customers will be priced at $30 / £25 per month.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

Microsoft’s going ‘all out’ with their AI and Copilot. After many announcements, it will be finally available to Microsoft 365 Enterprise customers from 1 November.

Those who have already used AI natural language chatbots (like ChatGPT) will know their value in saving time and boosting productivity in a user-friendly way so with Copilot embedded in 365’s apps, businesses will have an instant, flexible, and effective way to boost productivity, upskill staff in IT and get much more out the most popular apps in Microsoft 365. For those worried about how to get the best out of it (and with the time and inclination to learn about prompts), Microsoft will soon be integrating Copilot Lab, which teaches users how to make good prompts, into Copilot.

Although Copilot can carry out all manner of tasks for businesses, some critics have pointed out that an over-reliance on it could be risky and that the widescale use of AI like tools like Copilot could disrupt admin-based jobs. For Microsoft (which has invested heavily in in the development of AI), Copilot is a way to compete, stay ahead in the market, and provide a way to link all its apps together in an innovative and value-adding way. Microsoft’s 365 Copilot could be a potentially valuable tool for any business but as with any tool, if it’s not used effectively, businesses won’t get the value from it, therefore it’s going to be a case of experimenting to learn.

For Microsoft and other AI companies, new regulations for their AI tools lie ahead with the hope that Copilot and other AI tools provide adequate protection for users and businesses as well as delivering productivity benefits.

Amazon has announced that it will be expanding its ultra-fast Prime Air drone delivery operations to the UK, Italy and also to an as yet unnamed US city by the end of 2024.

Prime Air Drone Delivery

Amazon Prime Air is a service is intended to (safely) deliver packages to customers in 30 minutes or less using unmanned aerial drones. The unmanned (UAV) delivery drones, which fly at altitudes below 400 feet, use advanced sense-and-avoid technology to safely navigate the airspace and deliver the package to the intended location. As well as being convenient and fast, particularly in areas of road congestion, using these electric drones is also one way that Amazon hopes to reduce the carbon footprint of its package delivery and contribute to its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Using Drones For More Than A Year 

Amazon’s Jeff Bezos first revealed his plans for a drone delivery service back in 2013 and Amazon Prime Air completed its first fully autonomous drone delivery as far back as December 2016. In 2020, Amazon received approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate its fleet of Prime Air delivery drones, and Amazon says that it’s been using drones in the US to safely deliver customer packages weighing up to five pounds in one hour or less, for almost a year.

The company says the new locations (i.e. the UK, Italy, and a third city in the US) will add to its existing opt-in drone delivery operations, and that Amazon’s goal is to deliver 500 million packages on autonomous aircraft by 2030.

Regulators 

However, in order to expand its drone network, Amazon will need to satisfy the European regulator which it has found a challenge in the US, such as satisfying the FAA that the drones can operate an autonomous safety-critical system over densely populated environments within the busy US national airspace. As such, and with several test crashes, it was reported that by May this year, Amazon had only completed 100 deliveries in two small U.S. markets compared to Walmart backed DroneUp which reportedly made more than 110,000 deliveries in the US. Therefore, Amazon will need hundreds of incident-free flights to satisfy regulators and expand its services. Also, in the US, there have been some reports of low signups to drone delivery services.

For its new UK, Italian, and expanded US drone service, Amazon says it’s been working closely with national regulators and international regulators, has committed the right resources and has the right technology and infrastructure in place to make its service scalable, convenient, and safe.

Better Drones 

Amazon has announced that its UK and Italy Prime Air delivery service will be undertaken using its new MK30 drone design, which it says is “quieter, smaller, and lighter, than previous models” and can fly twice as far as previous Prime Air drone models, thereby reaching customers further from fulfilment networks. The MK30 drone features ‘best of both worlds’ design as its tiltrotor system means it can take off like a helicopter and transition into horizontal wing-borne flight once in the air.

Other Improvements 

Crucially, for UK flights, Amazon says the MK30 can “fly in more diverse weather conditions” with the package held inside the drone to protect it. Also key to this operation is that the MK30 is equipped with “sense and avoid technology” so it can avoid obstacles in the delivery area. Some of the problems with Amazon’s previous drone models were that they required site surveys to find landing spots with trimmed grass, requiring people, pets and objects needing to be 5 metres away. The hope is that the new MK30 drone (regulations allowing) will be able to operate more safely in tighter and more varied spaces.

Humanoid Robot Announcement 

In addition to announcing its new drone services, Amazon has also announced that it will be testing Agility’s bipedal robot ‘Digit’ (a humanoid robot with arms, legs, and a head) in its warehouse facilities. This marks a substantial change from its many wheeled and robot-arm style robots. Amazon already has a staggering 750,000 autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) deployed across the company’s warehouse network, but a walking humanoid design is a first. It is thought that humanoid-style robots will be well suited to workspaces built for humans (shelves and stairs), and that it could have wider scope than just being used for parcel-picking, thereby expanding future possibilities.

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

Amazon’s wealth, power, scale, and scope as a business has allowed (and perhaps required) it to experiment more with automation that improves both its productivity and efficiency (i.e. robots) and its delivery service (the drones). In addition to improving these aspects of its business, its drones and robots have been a way for Amazon to put more pressure on the competition, open up new future opportunities, offer more choice to customers (opt-in drone deliveries), learn and build alliances and partnerships, move further towards meeting its green targets (zero emission technology), and continue to grow and expand.

In the UK, parcel delivery drones flying overhead would be a new and novel development but would offer potential opportunities for businesses trying to offer customers speedy (at least same-day), secure deliveries even to difficult-to-reach locations at a time when our roads are often congested, particularly in urban areas (if the price were right).

There are regulatory hurdles to overcome, nevertheless Amazon has made the effort to create a safer and more suitable drone to meet specifications and match environmental conditions. The advantages of drones (speed, directness, cleanliness) could be appreciated and used as way to add value and provide a competitive edge to all kinds of businesses and organisations in the UK that need to deliver goods and other items very quickly.

November 2, 1936 : BBC Basics

“Gentlemen, you have now invented the biggest time-waster of all time. Use it well.”, said Isaac Shoenberg, head of the EMI research team that developed the first fully electronic television system to be used in regular broadcasting.

On the second of November 1936, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) transmitted the first-ever scheduled television programmes. They were in “High Definition” (at the time) and started airing at 3pm and finishing at 4pm. Then again with more content at 9pm until 10pm.

Programming featured brief impromptu performances by musicians. The duration was restricted because early viewers (referred to as “lookers in”) reported eye strain from watching the small screens of the time.

The BBC (namely the world’s oldest national broadcasting organisation, established in 1922), is unusual in that they don’t broadcast adverts on their (domestic) channels because it’s primarily funded by the TV licence fee paid by UK households. This means that it remains independent of commercial interests (as far as we know) and they’re unbiased (supposedly) and a beacon of free-world hope, recognised for its independent reporting throughout the world. In fact, although the primary audience speaks English, the BBC broadcasts in dozens of languages worldwide, from major ones like Arabic, Chinese, and Russian to regional languages like Hausa, Kyrgyz, and Tok Pisin.

In the 1980s, the BBC was involved in a project to promote computer literacy. This led to the creation of the BBC Micro, a series of microcomputers co-developed with Acorn Computers. It was widely used in schools across the UK and was part of a wave of pioneering home-computers originating at the time that kicked-off the careers of many computer programmers and entire industries related to home-computing. Later on in 2015, in a bid to help foster a new generation of computer users, the BBC, in partnership with other organisations, released the Micro Bit, a tiny programmable computer for kids.

As an institution you can either Love it or hate it, nevertheless there’s no denying that the BBC in no small part helped shape the current IT landscape in the UK via an entire generation of people that started their IT career from those early BBC computers and who watched inspiring BBC programmes such as “Tomorrow’s World”.

It’s been reported that following a hack of online travel agency Booking.com’s email system, customers have been receiving phishing emails asking for their bank card details to avoid cancellation of their hotel booking.

The emails, which have been reported to come from a standard booking.com email address, appear to be targeting customers who have checked-in or are due to check in, and although they vary slightly in content, give customers a limited time (4 to 12 hours) to provide their card details following the fraudulent payment request.

It’s been reported that booking.com denies having its email hacked and blames the breach on partner hotels’ email systems being hacked following phishing attacks. The advice for those who have received the emails and are suspicious is to contact Booking.com’s customer service team, contact the hotel directly, or if payment has been made, to contact their bank.

Independent energy thinktank Ember’s Global Electricity Review 2023 reports that fossil fuel power generation has peaked for the half the world and that clean energy sources now account for nearly 40 per cent of the world’s electricity supply.

Five Years Ago 

Ember’s review report, which analyses electricity data from 78 countries representing 93 percent of global electricity demand, says that 2022 marked the peak for power sector emissions, the largest worldwide source of planet-warming carbon dioxide (CO2). According to Ember’s figures, this means that the world experienced its first ever annual drop in the use of coal, oil, and gas to generate electricity (other than when in global recession or during the pandemic).

Wind And Solar Up 

One of major changes highlighted in the review which has contributed to a fall in power sector emissions is the rise of solar and wind as power sources. For example, following Solar’s share rising by 24 per cent on 2021 and wind power’s share rising by 17 per cent, they now represent a record 12 per cent of global electricity generation last year, up 10 per cent from 2021.

Renewable energy sources and nuclear power combined represented a 39 per cent share of global generation last year, with Solar’s share rising by 24 per cent (enough to meet the demand of South Africa) and wind by 17 per cent from the previous year.

The growth in wind and solar in 2022 met 80 per cent of the rise in global electricity demand.

Other Influences 

Ember suggests that another influence on the now general downward trajectory of fossil fuel power generation may be the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. For example, spiking fossil fuel prices and security concerns about relying on fossil fuel imports may have made governments look to other energy sources, and may have accelerated electrification, e.g. more heat pumps, electric vehicles and electrolysers. Ember says these will drive reductions in emissions for other sectors, leading to more pressure to build clean power more quickly.

Carbon Emissions Rose As Rising Demand Met From Less Clean Sources 

Despite fewer warming gases being produced and the electricity produced last year being the cleanest ever, a rise in global electricity demand and some countries meeting that demand with less clean sources led to a rise in carbon emissions. For example, some old coal-fired power stations were brought back into service to meet demand, causing coal generation to grow by 1.1 per cent.

It also worth noting here that the UK government appears to be planning to meet demand in some less clean ways with the first new coalmine for three decades getting the go-ahead last December, and in July, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attracting criticism by granting hundreds of new North Sea oil and gas licenses.

Other Problems 

Ember’s review also noted that although, if taken together with nuclear and hydropower, clean sources produced an impressive 39 per cent of global electricity in 2022, nuclear and hydro electricity’s contribution was hampered by (for example) many French reactors being offline, and Europe’s rivers too low (in many places) for hydro generation.

China Promising

With China emitting 27 percent of global carbon dioxide and a third of the world’s greenhouse gases, one promising aspect of Ember’s review was that although China is the world’s biggest user of coal power, it also produced 40 per cent of the world’s new solar power and 50 per cent of new wind power last year (and 20 per cent of all solar panels installed worldwide). This could indicate that it may achieve that peak in coal generation earlier than 2025 and move towards cleaner sources.

What Does This Mean For Your Organisation? 

Ember’s findings of a transformation occurring from last year in the global power sector is promising and marks a pivotal moment, heralding a shift away from fossil fuels towards cleaner, more sustainable energy sources. The findings of Ember’s review, appear to show that world is moving in the right direction, with fossil fuel use for energy generation appearing to have reached its peak.

This appears to be testament to the growing adoption of renewable energy sources, with solar and wind power leading the way. The clean energy sector accounting for nearly 40 per cent of of the world’s electricity supply is a major milestone in our journey towards a more sustainable future but this transition is not without its challenges. The decline in fossil fuel generation, while promising, is just the first step in a long journey towards a net-zero power sector by 2040 and a net-zero global economy by 2050, and some would say that this journey needs to happen a lot faster.

The task ahead requires not just the continued growth of clean energy sources, but also addressing complexities like grid stability (if it’s relying mostly on solar, wind etc), financing in underdeveloped economies, supply chain capacities, and political resistance from affected regions. These may be critical factors that need urgent attention and innovative solutions to ensure a smooth and equitable transition.

There’s certainly plenty of optimism in Ember’s review (i.e. that fossil fuel generation will decline by 0.3 per cent  this year) with bigger falls in subsequent years (as more wind and solar comes online). However, a European Commission report released this month was much less optimistic, saying that the EU area must cut its carbon emissions three times faster to meet its targets. Therefore, it may depend upon which report you read and which part of the world you’re in at this crucial time of transition as to how well things are going with emissions targets.

If you’d like to protect your privacy and prevent yourself from being tracked by websites other than the one you are currently visiting, there’s a way to automatically block third-party cookies in Google Chrome. Here’s how:

– In Chrome, click on the three dots (top right) and click on ‘Settings’.

– Click on ‘Privacy and security’.

– Click on ‘Third-party cookies’.

– Select ‘Block third-party cookies’.

Microsoft has announced the launch of Azure AI Content Safety, a new content moderation service that uses AI to detect and filter out offensive, harmful, or inappropriate user and AI-generated text or image content.

What Kind of Harmful Content?

The type of content Microsoft’s developed Azure AI Content Safety to filter out includes anything that’s offensive, risky, or undesirable, e.g. “profanity, adult content, gore, violence, hate speech” and more. Azure is Microsoft’s cloud computing platform, where the new Content Safety moderation filter will be deployed (ChatGPT is available in the Azure OpenAI Service).

What’s The Problem? 

Microsoft says that the impact of harmful content on platforms goes beyond user dissatisfaction and can damage a brand’s image, erode user trust, undermine long-term financial stability, and even expose the platform to potential legal liabilities.  As well as the problem of user-generated content, the new feature uses AI to filter out the growing problem of AI-generated harmful content, which includes inaccurate content (misinformation – perhaps generated by AI ‘hallucinations’).

A Sophisticated AI Moderation Tool 

Although Microsoft’s AI Content Safety Filtering feature sounds as though it’s primarily designed to protect private users, it’s actually primarily designed to protect companies and their brands from the risks and challenges of moderation and of the rub-off associations and legal problems of having harmful content and misinformation or disinformation published on their platforms (a moderation tool), with users being the secondary beneficiaries – if it’s filtered out, they won’t see it (a win-win).

With Microsoft being a major investor in AI (i.e. OpenAI) it also appears to have a wider purpose that utilises this and shows that AI can have a really positive purpose, countering the fear stories of AI running away with itself and wiping out humanity.

In a nutshell, Microsoft says its new Azure AI Content Safety Filtering feature ensures “accuracy, reliability, and absence of harmful or inappropriate materials in AI-generated outputs” and “protects users from misinformation and potential harm but also upholds ethical standards and builds trust in AI technologies” which Microsoft says will help “create a safer digital environment that promotes responsible use of AI and safeguards the well-being of individuals and society as a whole”. 

How Does It Work and What Can It Do? 

The types of detection and filtering possible and the capabilities of AI Content Safety includes:

– Offering moderation of visual and text content.

– A ‘Severity’ metric,’ which (on scale of 0 to 7) gives an indication of the severity of specific content (safe 0-1, low 2-3, medium 4-5, and high 6-7) which enables businesses to assess the level of threat posed by certain content, make informed decisions, and take proactive measures. A severity level of 7 (the highest), for example, covers content that “endorses, glorifies, or promotes extreme forms of harmful instruction and activity towards Identity Groups”.

– The multi-category filtering of harmful content across the domains of Hate, Violence, Self-Harm, and Sex.

– The use of AI algorithms to scan, analyse, and moderate visual content because Microsoft says digital communication also relies heavily on visuals.

– Moderation across multiple languages.

How? 

Businesses can choose to operate and use the new filtering system either via API/SDK integration (for automated content analysis) or by using the more hands-on ‘Content Safety Studio’ dashboard-style, web-based interface.

AWS 

Amazon also has a similar content moderation service for its AWS called ‘Amazon Rekognition.’ It also uses a hierarchical taxonomy to label categories of inappropriate or offensive content and has “DetectModerationLabels” in operation to detect inappropriate or offensive content in images.

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

As any social media platform or larger company will be able to testify, moderation of content posts is a major task and human moderators alone can’t really scale efficiently to meet these the demands quickly or well enough, so companies need a more intelligent, cost-effective, reliable, and scalable solution.

The costs of not tackling offensive and inappropriate content don’t just relate to poor user experiences but can lead to expensive legal issues, loss of brand reputation, and more. Whereas before generative AI arrived on the scene, it was bad enough trying to moderate just the human-generated content, with the addition of AI-generated content, moderation of offensive content has become exponentially harder. It makes sense, therefore, for Microsoft to leverage the power of its own considerable AI investment to offer an intelligent system to businesses that covers both images and texts, uses an ordered and understandable system of categorisation, and offers businesses the choice of an automated or more hands-on dashboard version.

AI offers a level of reliability, scalability, and affordability that wasn’t available before, thereby reducing risk and worry for businesses. The recent events of the conflict in Israel and Gaza (plus the posting of horrific images and videos which have prompted the deletion of social media apps for children) illustrates just how bad some content posts can be, although images of self-harm, violence, hate speech, and more have long been a source of concern for all web users.

Microsoft’s AI Content Safety system therefore gives businesses a way to ensure that their own platform is free of offensive and damaging content. Furthermore, in protecting themselves, it follows that customers and other web users and viewers are also spared and protected from the bad experience and effects that some content can cause.

It’s been reported that some schools, in the UK (as well as Israel and the US) have advised Jewish parents to delete social media apps from their children’s phones over fears that they may see distressing hostage videos or videos of civilians being killed in the Israel-Hamas-Gaza conflict.

In Israel 

In Israel, schools and parents are reported to have been asking children to delete their social media apps over fears that they may see images and videos, made and posted online by Hamas, showing Israeli citizens being shot (e.g. at the Tribe of Nova Festival near the Gaza-Israel border), children being abducted, and captives of Hamas pleading for their lives. The fear is that children could be subjected to psychological terror and long-lasting psychological damage by witnessing the videos and images, which it’s been reported have been shared on Instagram, ‘X’ (Twitter), and TikTok, and forwarded on WhatsApp.

In the US 

In the US, it’s been reported that a New Jersey school emailed parents, asking them to tell their children to delete their social media apps, and that another New York school advised parents to monitor their children’s social media usage, and to talk to them about what action to take if/when they encounter such images or videos.

In The UK

A similar approach is being taken in the UK with Jewish schools asking parents to ask their children to delete social media apps and/or talk to their children about the kind of content they are seeing.

Social Media 

Social media’s role generally over the Israel-Gaza conflict is now under the spotlight, particularly over how it has been used to spread misinformation (false or incorrect information shared without harmful intent), disinformation (false information shared with the specific intent to deceive), and confusion, and to fan hatred. For example:

– A misleading video was shared across platforms, wrongly connecting a 2015 Guatemala event to Hamas (a video of a girl being set on fire by a mob).

– A Hamas leader recently reacted to a fake news story from an Israeli TV channel.

– False claims that Qatar had threatened to cut off gas exports.

– Allegations that Hamas “beheaded babies” which was even published on tabloid front pages, and was referenced by President Joe Biden in a speech.

With factors like mistrust of mainstream media allowing falsehoods to be spread instantly by social media, a surge in the amount of falsehoods being spread, challenges in verifying and fact checking, a lack of moderation guardrails on some platforms, intense emotions about the conflict, and third-party agendas, social media is playing a part not just in shaping opinion, but also perhaps affecting the thinking, attitudes, and decisions of key players in the war.

Facing Criticism and Investigations 

Examples of how the social media platforms and secure apps are facing scrutiny in relation to the conflict include:

– X, Telegram, and TikTok being criticised by regulators for not doing enough to stop the deluge of misleading information being spread via their platforms.

– The EU launching an investigation into ‘X’ (Twitter) over the spread of disinformation and violent content relating to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

– The Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab reporting that Telegram is the primary means of communication for disseminating statements by Hamas to its supporters.

– The UK’s technology secretary (Michelle Donelan) holding a virtual meeting with bosses at Google, Meta, X, TikTok, and Snapchat and asking the platforms to clearly set out what action they were taking to remove illegal material that breaches their terms and conditions.

What Are The Social Media Platforms Doing To Help? 

Examples of what some of the main things social media platforms are doing, e.g. to tackle distressing videos and images from the conflict, misinformation, and disinformation being posted on their platforms include:

– X (Twitter) has emphasised its commitment to tackling misinformation and has implemented stricter rules about misleading information. X says it’s using a combination of technology and human review to flag and, if necessary, remove false or misleading content about the Israel-Gaza conflict, and they’re adding warning labels to potentially distressing or graphic content and offer users the choice to view or skip such posts.

– It’s been reported that Meta has established a special operations centre (with experts, including fluent Hebrew and Arabic) dedicated to the Israel-Gaza situation, focusing on detecting and removing harmful content more rapidly, and leveraging third-party fact-checkers to assess the accuracy of potentially misleading posts. Meta has also enhanced its measures to reduce the spread of graphic videos and images of the conflict and has introduced “sensitivity screens” which blur out potentially distressing content until a user chooses to view it.

– TikTok has reinforced its community guidelines that prohibit content promoting hate or misinformation and is reported to be working with experts and fact-checkers to identify and combat false narratives about the conflict. Although the platform has (since Musk took ownership) very much touted its ‘free speech’ approach, it’s now reported to have implemented a stronger content moderation system to quickly detect and restrict the spread of graphic videos related to the conflict. X is also reported to be using warning labels and restricting the reach of videos that may not violate their policies but could be distressing to some users.

– Although Snapchat focuses on content from trusted news outlets through its ‘Discover’ feature, it’s reported to have enhanced its moderation guidelines for user-generated content regarding the conflict, especially content that is graphic in nature. Snapchat uses both automated systems and human reviewers to monitor and, when necessary, remove certain such content and labels have been introduced for stories or snaps that may contain distressing imagery.

What Does This Mean For Your Business? 

With Hamas reportedly using Telegram as their main means of communication with supporters and with anyone on any side able to upload and share videos and images on social media platforms, plus use encrypted apps like WhatsApp to share content, this conflict is a moderation nightmare for social media companies and a source of real concern for parents and schools.

Even though social media platforms are facing investigations and questions and have introduced some measures to help, as the advice from schools shows, perhaps the only sure and trusted way to protect children is to delete social medias apps together.

This story highlights how in conflicts such as Russia’s war on Ukraine and now the conflict in Gaza, social media channels are not just sources of information but can be used as a tool in information warfare and as a tool to deliberately terrorise and horrify people. Being vulnerable and inquisitive, alongside not having the capacity to cope with the many images of war, children are particularly at risk of distress and psychological damage.

It’s not surprising therefore, that schools and parents are seeking to take time to talk to children about what’s happening and their feelings and questions about it, plus reason with them about parental monitoring of what children are looking at and of the advantages of deleting their much-valued social media apps.

This story also highlights why many feel that social media platforms still have such a long way to go in protecting people (particularly their youngest users) from online threats and perhaps provides some vindication to governments and critics who have called for (and supported the introduction of) protective laws, e.g. the Online Safety Bill, and how these may force social media companies to be more socially responsible.

For the social media companies, issues that arrive in conflicts are a reminder of the difficulties of maintaining a balance between free speech and preventing harm and influence from bad actors. With a ground invasion by Israel apparently imminent, the situation for those directly affected in the Middle East only looks like getting worse, as do the worries for parents and the challenges for social media companies.