Big business and politics are mass-mining everyday data — from Facebook ‘likes’ to online subscriptions – for profit and power, according to a Netflix documentary released on Wednesday.”The Great Hack” says personal data has surpassed oil as the world’s most valuable asset, and warns viewers that companies and governments are …

Facebook has agreed to a $5 billion settlement over allegations that the social media company mishandled user’s personal data.The settlement, announced in a statement Wednesday by the Federal Trade Commission, is the largest reached with a tech company over user privacy.As a result of the agreement with the government, Facebook …

Fifty years ago, the first humans landed on the moon.  Could longer space flights to Mars and beyond happen 50 years in the future? What new technologies are needed for future space missions?An aerospace engineer at Texas A&M University has been working on a space habitat for long-term space travel.  …

The U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday it was opening a broad investigation of major digital technology firms into whether they engage in anticompetitive practices, the strongest sign the Trump administration is stepping up its scrutiny of Big Tech.The review will look into “whether and how market-leading online platforms have …

Virtual reality, or VR, is not just a medium for software engineers who can code. Artists and filmmakers are exploring the stories they can tell with VR. A collection of such experiences are now a part of an art show called Robot Remix. The art show challenges visitors to rethink …

The Trump administration plans to handle applications from tech companies seeking waivers over Huawei Technologies Co Ltd’s blacklisting within the next few weeks, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Bloomberg Television on Tuesday.”We will deal with them very promptly,” Ross said in an interview. “There are 50-some-odd applications from 35 …

U.S. Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday that increased encryption of data on phones and computers and encrypted messaging apps are putting American security at risk.Barr’s comments at a cybersecurity conference mark a continuing effort by the Justice Department to push tech companies to provide law enforcement with access to …

A Facebook-style social network was launched in Vietnam on Tuesday, Gapo, a mobile app that lets users create personal profiles and share posts to a Facebook style “news feed”, has received 500 billion dong ($21.55 million) in funding from tech corporation G-Group, its chief executive, Ha Trung Kien, said.”Vietnamese users …

A foundation that specializes in journalism is pledging nearly $50 million for research in how social media and technology impacts democracy.The grants announced Monday by the Miami-based Knight Foundation partly respond to the manipulation of tech giants like Facebook and Twitter during the 2016 election. Eleven universities and research institutions …

The size of a person’s waistline may be linked to mobile phones, tablets and laptops, according to a recent study led by Rice University in Houston.Scientists noticed a trend that correlates with the rise of technology in society. As digital devices became more prevalent, people got fatter. Obesity around the …

Equifax will pay up to $700 million to settle with the Federal Trade Commission and others over a 2017 data breach that exposed Social Security numbers and other private information of nearly 150 million people.The proposed settlement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, if approved by the federal district court …

Facebook says it plans to appeal German authorities’ decision to fine it 2 million euros ($2.3 million) under a law designed to combat hate speech.The Federal Office for Justice said July 2 Facebook failed to meet transparency requirements for handling hate speech complaints, and contended the company’s report for the …

U.S. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer called on the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission to conduct a national security and privacy investigation into FaceApp, a face-editing photo app developed in Russia, in a letter sent on Wednesday.The viral smartphone application, which has seen a new surge of popularity due …

Virtual reality or VR is no longer just for entertainment.  It is starting to appear in some children’s hospitals as an experimental tool to help young patients through terrifying and painful experiences.  One hospital near San Francisco uses VR as a part of its regular clinical care for children six …

Apple and Google are rolling out dozens of new emojis that of course include cute critters, but the tech giants also continue to push the boundaries of inclusion and diversity. The announcement coincides with Wednesday’s World Emoji Day.   Apple Inc. is releasing new variants of its holding hands emoji that …

The U.S. Justice Department asked a federal appeals court to pause the enforcement of a sweeping antitrust ruling against mobile chip supplier Qualcomm on Tuesday, citing support from the Energy Department and Defense Department.”For DoD, Qualcomm is a key player both in terms of its trusted supply chain and as …

British sports car maker Lotus revealed its pure electric “hypercar” on Tuesday, the first completely new vehicle to be launched under the stewardship of Chinese firm Geely which acquired a majority stake in 2017.The Evija, to be produced at the firm’s factory in Hethel, eastern England, will have a limited …

U.S. President Donald Trump is warning his administration may launch a probe into Google over accusations the U.S. technology giant has been infiltrated by the Chinese government.The warning came after staunch Trump supporter and billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel said earlier this week the CIA and the FBI should investigate …

Bulgarian officials said Tuesday that unidentified hackers have stolen the personal details of millions of people from Bulgaria’s national revenue agency and noted a possible Russian link in the case.Prime Minister Boyko Borissov called an emergency meeting of all law enforcement services to consider the potential harm to the country’s …

U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff on Monday pressed major social media companies on how they plan to handle the threat of deepfake images and videos on their platforms ahead of the 2020 elections.The Democratic congressman wrote letters to the chief executives of Facebook, Twitter and Google, …

Pearson, the world’s biggest education company, will release all its titles for the United States college market in digital form first, in a break from the traditional and more expensive textbook publishing model.The British provider of textbooks, courseware and testing has been hit in recent years by changes in the …

The U.S. may approve licenses for companies to restart new sales to Huawei in as little as two weeks, according to a senior U.S. official, in a sign President Donald Trump’s recent effort to ease restrictions on the Chinese company could move forward quickly.Huawei, the world’s largest telecommunications equipment maker, …

In the early hours of Monday, India is set to launch a mission to an uncharted area of the moon, marking a significant milestone in its steadily expanding ambitions in space.If successful, India would become the fourth country to land a probe on the moon after the United States, Russia …

Tall buildings made of wood are beginning to pop up around the world, from the United States and Canada to Norway and soon England. Builders say wood may well be the construction material of the future. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports.   …

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose one of the biggest threats to global health, according to the World Health Organization. Some researchers say they may have discovered a way to fight this type of bacteria without the microorganisms ever becoming resistant to treatment. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has more from Rice University in Houston. …