TikTok is Set to Invest 12 Billion Euros to Start Working on European Data Centers

TikTok recently announced that it is going to invest a whopping 12 billion euros to win over European regulators. TikTok claims that it has established its own Norwegian data center and all of the TikTok data of Europeans is being regulated there. TikTok is the world’s top social media application that is being used and liked by millions of people. The app was launched by ByteDance in China in 2016. In the last few years, critics have been saying that TikTok shares its users’ data with the Chinese company but TikTok tried many times to convince law makers that the app isn’t completely bound to ByteDance. These reassurances didn’t work because a news broke that the Chinese employees of TikTok have access to data of USA and European users.

But TikTok is looking out for the concerns of its users. So, it has decided to launch Project Clover, which will open many data centers all over the Norwegian region to regulate and protect users' data. This project is partnered by Europe’s Digital Services Act (DSA) that will help TikTok control the data transmission in Europe. The 10 billion euro investment is for the next 10 years and TikTok will make 3 data centers from the investment money. A third-party security company called NCC Group will also help TikTok as the company will give audits on data and its transmission.

TikTok was kind of slow in shifting its data centers in Europe. When the first TikTok data center was built in Ireland in September, TikTok started to shift Europeans there as it was the most convenient at that time. Now, the European data in Ireland data center isn’t entirely shifted but the process is said to be complete in 2024. Second data center in Ireland has also been announced, followed by a third one in Norway (Hamar Region). The data center in Norway will operate on renewable energy sources entirely.

TikTok says that it has held over these 3 buildings entirely and the data transferring work of the European data center will get completed sometime in 2024. The European users will have their data transferred to their own European data centers. That will take away any doubt they have of their data getting to Chinese through TikTok headquarters.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Top Politicians Accused Of Using Extreme Weather Events To Promote Climate Change Misinformation, New Study Reveals

Climate change has been a subject of debate for years and the fact that many tech giants have been called out for not doing enough to curb misinformation regarding it cannot be denied either.

But keeping that same theme in mind, a new study is accusing some of the world’s leading politicians and their respective followers of passing out misinformation whenever serious natural disasters strike.

The report in question comes with alarming figures and is worth mentioning because of the fact that close to a million individuals situated in places like Latin America and even the Caribbean region were forced to leave their homes in 2021 after getting displaced due to the worst form of climate change imaginable.

Seeing not enough attention being generated on the matter was even more disheartening as a lack of policies surrounding the subject led to greater chaos and misery and can even cause bigger displacement, the study added that was published last week.

In terms of the bigger picture, misinformation on the topic is peaking in various locations around the globe after so many weather events took center stage. So many top-of-the-line researchers looked at the extreme weather events in Latin America for instance and compared it to what was seen this year and the destruction from the previous one.

The latest report was launched on Wednesday where experts took into consideration nearly 14 extreme weather-related catastrophes like cyclones leading to flooding in Rio Grande where casualties included 40 people, not to mention major damage to the area.

Without giving the matter a second thought, top lawmakers and influencers in the country blamed the matter of flooding on poor infrastructure such as irreparable dams, and that false matter spread at the speed of light in no time.

They did not even provide evidence and since they’re big names in the industry, people did not even blink an eye before believing everything they had to say. Then we heard about wildfires hitting Chile during that time as well and again, the blame game began where accusations headed in the direction of arson instead of massive drought that really led to the destruction of forest fires.

Authorities were hence seen arresting individuals that they felt were involved in the crime, accusing them of carrying out fire-related crimes but top research experts proved how there was more than meets the eye, citing climate change and its associated drought that caused wildfires to arise.

So as this study proved, climate change and the world of politics go together so well that it’s scary to assume how such a serious topic is pushing curbs without ever thinking about the consequences it is having on the world.

Many have gone as far as calling the act out as weaponizing climate change events to try and launch an attack against people having opposite political views. And nothing can be worse than it arising at the cost of humanity.

Brazil is one of the leading nations of Latin America and it’s all set to play a key role with its attendance at COP28 where the president’s major objectives involve environmental policies that serve as cornerstones for his terms as a leader of the country.

The scheduled conference will arise in Dubai and seeing him be one of the top advocates for the need to do more to assist with the hazards of climate change is proof of how there are people that do exist and wish to find a solution instead of turning a blind matter to the matter.

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

ChatGPT Celebrates Its First Anniversary With A Bang As Revenue Hits $30M With 110M Mobile App Downloads

As the tech world gears up to wrap up 2023, OpenAI is celebrating its one-year anniversary for its revolutionizing ChatGPT technology.

We’re celebrating a happy first year of ChatGPT. Here’s hoping for many more! 🥳🎂 pic.twitter.com/qtwqQQ3HTy

— ChatGPT (@ChatGPTapp) November 30, 2023

The incredible offering has really caused a storm in today’s modern world and seeing it achieve nothing but massive success over such a short period is a wakeup call for many regarding no plans of stopping.

ChatGPT is turning 1! 🥳🎂

Today we’re celebrating our users around the world who are doing amazing things. pic.twitter.com/4kqqMaigTw

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) November 30, 2023

The anniversary is also a huge deal because ChatGPT is celebrating more milestones as we speak as revenue for the service reached $30 million recently while the figure for mobile app downloads attained a massive 110 million since the launch.

Now if that’s not what you call fabulous then we’re not quite sure what is, experts recall.

What the firm may have rolled out as a preview for research turned out to be a popular sensation for everyday use and seeing AI technology entering into the realms of mainstream usage signals big things.

A huge part of such efforts has to do with the fact that ChatGPT is now up for grabs through a click of a button on mobile phones. So you download it and make the most of it. Remember, the leading mobile app was first rolled out for iPhone users in May and the response blew the company’s mind.

So many more users had greater access to the service, not to mention the huge rollout in July for Android devices too. To celebrate the mega one-year anniversary of the incredible technology, the latest stats on this front prove how nothing can be better than seeing consumer spending at its peak as per DataAI’s recent mobile intelligence study.

The firm’s mobile apps are really making big bucks, especially after the rollout of ChatGPT Plus whose subscription through in-app purchases is another milestone altogether. For nearly $20, users get a wide array of perks that entail major access at peak moments, not to mention quicker replies when on the go, and immediate access to the latest list of features and enhancements.

But it was not just locally that the uproar was heard. We saw it go international too in February of this year and people all praised OpenAI’s efforts in this regard. But we have to remind many that it’s not as cheap as your everyday in-app buy.

It actually is worth so much more than any kind of music or streaming service found today. But the fact that so many people have great interest in services like ChatGPS Plus continues to remind many that they might be doing something right.

The apps from ChatGPT have surpassed the $28 million mark in terms of people spending across their smartphones but so many more people were seemingly likely to be spending through the internet.

Some could have attained subscriptions via AI chatbot platforms while a majority would be inclined in terms of making use of the company’s API. For instance, we’ve seen demand peak for Poe which enables users with ChatGPT and other types of similar chatbots to play using a single interface. So that’s what we call convenience at its best.

The data might fluctuate as we speak but that still does not remove the fact that it's one of the world’s best and biggest chatbots when you consider revenue. There’s tough competition as we just saw Ask AI edge ahead in mobile, putting out a long list of lower-costing options for exclusive features. It also has many price plans so users can benefit from something that better suits their interests and budgets.

Read next: ChatGPT's Journey In Stats — Key Achievements Since Its Inception
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Facebook And Instagram Users Allowed To Opt Out Of Data Tracking After New EU Privacy Challenge Heads In Meta’s Direction

Meta is not going to be happy to hear this next piece of news after the EU recently rolled out a new privacy challenge in the tech giant’s direction.

Consumer groups across Europe recently united and put out a complaint against Facebook’s parent firm and how its system was giving users a chance to step back from data tracking. And for those wondering, it’s the second challenge of this kind to arise in just a week.

The leading firm sells data belonging to its users to a wide range of advertisers but for so many years, it has simply failed at justifying the act as it does not fall in the data privacy domain.

The leading firm from Silicon Valley first gave users the chance to jet out around ten to thirteen Euros monthly to take a step back from sharing their data at the month’s start.

However, many consumer groups claimed such a decision failed to fall in the jurisdiction of their regulations, dubbing it unfair for obvious reasons. They similarly ordered it to stop as mentioned in a leading system from the BEUC.

Now, we know that close to 19 members rolled out a united complaint with the region’s consumer protection leaders relating to the network in Europe. They similarly mentioned how close to 19 members rolled out a complaint on the subject recently with the region’s authorities who handle such matters.

The BEUC’s head called out Meta for the act and even confirmed how it was a deceptive practice. Similarly, we saw how the privacy group in Austria mentioned that such complaints regarding data protection arising over a similar issue were at an all-time high in this part of the world as well.

And that’s why more complaints were launched in Vienna by such groups that were based in Austria.

We’ve seen the NOYB succeed when it came down to beating Meta at so many kinds of similarly themed legal cases, adding how the tech giant’s latest system was just wrong as it failed at providing people with the freedom to make their own decisions and opt out of data tracking as the only other option was to pay to gain their own privacy.

Read next: Excessive Social Media Usage Might Increase Risk Seeking Behaviors Among Children
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Excessive Social Media Usage Might Increase Risk Seeking Behaviors Among Children

A recent study conducted at the University of Glasgow has revealed a troubling link between social media usage that goes beyond a healthy amount and risk seeking behaviors. There seems to be a positive correlation between minors who use social media excessively and their propensity to engage in unsafe sexual practices, consume drugs and alcohol, as well as smoke and gamble with all things having been considered and taken into account.

For the purposes of this study, around 1.4 million children who were between the ages of 10 and 19 were analyzed. The research was conducted between 1997 and 2022, and it showed that alcohol advertisements in particular were a dangerous trigger for children because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up making them more likely to consume it than might have been the case otherwise.

These ads are geared towards adult audiences, but in spite of the fact that this is the case, they can have a very harmful effect when individuals with poor impulse control are exposed to them. Since children tend to have the least impulse control of all, it make sense that it would have a disproportionate impact on them.

Children that spent more than two hours on social media per day had a twice as high likelihood of consuming alcohol. Daily social media usage increased alcohol use by 48%, tobacco use by a whopping 85%, and there was also a 28% uptick in the use of drugs. This increase is compared to those children that don’t use social media all that often.

Sexual activities can also become riskier for children that use social media a bit too often, with a 77% increase in risky sexual behavior being noted which includes transactional sex and not using safe sexual practices such as using a condom. Antisocial behavior can also increase significantly due to social media, with researchers noting a 73% upswing in aggression and delinquent behavior as well as things like bullying.

One thing that bears mentioning is that risk taking and exploration are normal parts of teenage behavior, but social media is hijacking these tendencies and taking them to a whole new level which might make things far more dangerous for minors. Safeguards must be put in place to keep these influences in check.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Angry Elon Musk Openly Slams Advertisers For Leaving X And Accuses Them Of Killing The Company

A very visibly upset Elon Musk was seen blasting all the advertisers who have opted to leave the company.

The news comes after a recently published report slammed the platform for strategically aligning ads from top brands against controversial content. While the company vowed to investigate the matter, it just was not a good enough explanation for the act, causing them to suspend activity with immediate effect.

Musk has asked all those who chose to leave X to go and f**k themselves while accusing them of having ill intentions of killing his social media platform. After all, Musk and his line of top executives including the CEO have worked so hard to bring back advertisers.

But seeing them leave again seems to be the worst-case scenario and Musk is just tired, blurting out his words while attending the recently held DealBook conference by the New York Times.

Calling it one of the stupidest posts that he’s ever published on any app, Musk did not shy away from blasting top advertisers for planning to sabotage his company by halting ads. He similarly spoke about them trying to blackmail the tech billionaire with funds.

It’s been a torturous few weeks for Elon Musk who was called out for siding with anti-semitic posts regarding the Jews as the conflict in Gaza escalates. His app was also accused of not doing enough to control the ever-growing misinformation that keeps on peaking as we speak.

And now seeing this would make anyone in charge upset, and Musk is clearly no exception.



Musk’s posts drew criticism from plenty of individuals across the board including the White House, causing mega backlash for the outspoken personality. But this time around, Musk does realize that he might have said too much and did apologize which in itself is major news.

To be more specific, Musk slammed the head of Disney, Robert Iger who he calls Bob for putting an end to ads on the app, causing huge losses for his company. Other brands that followed included the likes of Universal, IBM, Apple, and more.

Just recently, we saw Musk being in the headlines for possibly providing Starlink access for humanitarian purposes in Gaza. But that again drew criticism from Israel, who slammed the firm and threatened to cut ties if it was done. This led the Tesla and SpaceX owners to issue a statement, clarifying how that was just speculation and nothing would be done without obtaining permission from Israel and the US.

Meanwhile, Musk was invited by Hamas two days back to come forward and witness the destruction in the Gaza Strip but he declined the offer, citing major security concerns, as the place was too dangerous and risky to visit at this moment in time.

For now, Musk just wants people to relax and not pass judgment about him based on what he says but actually on what he does. He reiterated how X has proved to many through its actions how committed it is to providing them the best means of free speech for all.

He has therefore mentioned time and time again how the main reason why he has such leading powers is because of the fact that he executes well and walks the walk, not just talk the talk,

The future for Elon Musk’s X certainly seems dark for now as there are no signs of leading advertisers ever wanting to come back.

Read next: More Misery For Elon Musk As X Predicted To Lose Nearly $75 Million With Top Advertisers Walking Out
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

83% of Games Struggle to Maintain Success Beyond Three Years

The mobile gaming industry has become a veritable juggernaut, creating countless opportunities for developers to enter a burgeoning and highly profitable market with all things having been considered and taken into account. In spite of the fact that this is the case, it appears that as many as 43% of mobile gaming apps never make it past the development stage. This data comes from a recent report published by SuperScale, a UK based consultancy focused on helping developers grow, and it’s based on the survey of 500 game developers in both the UK as well as the US.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that getting past development and launching in the market is not going to guarantee long term success either. Based on the findings presented within this report, 83% of mobile games that got released stopped receiving updates and suspended all services within the span of just 3 years.

Such a trend is a serious issue because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up making it harder for developers to enter the competitive market than might have been the case otherwise. Many developers also want to start working on their next big project, but they usually can’t do that without putting their careers at risk since around 62% of highly profitable games rely on round the clock player engagement and a nonstop supply of updates.

• Also read: European Tech Funding Falls by 45% Year Over Year

As a result, 32% of developers were forced to downsize their staff, 40% had to rely on outside assistance particularly for niches like hypercasual games and collectable card games, and 25% of developers came to the brink of having to shut down their operations in 2023. The volatility of this industry may be a cause for alarm, since it indicates a widespread level of economic turmoil that could make future growth unlikely or at the very least unsustainable.

With increased competition, challenges presented by App Tracking Transparency and economic downturns creating a hostile environment, it will be interesting to see how developers overcome these hurdles. This could potentially force the industry to adapt to the new normal, and we may begin to see fewer new titles released on a regular basis since developers would prefer to get as much revenue as possible from a single release.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World