YouTube’s recommendation algorithm drives 70% of what people watch on the platform. That algorithm shapes the information billions of people consume, and YouTube has controls that purport to allow people to adjust what it shows them. But, a new study finds, those tools don’t do much. Instead, users have little power to keep unwanted videos—including…
Monthly Archives: September 2022
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Even when users tell YouTube they aren’t interested in certain types of videos, similar recommendations keep coming, a new study by Mozilla found. Using video recommendations data from more than 20,000 YouTube users, Mozilla researchers found that buttons like “not interested,” “dislike,” “stop recommending channel,” and “remove from…
Web Summit, one of the world’s largest events centered around technology startups, is to launch a brand new venture capital vehicle consisting of two new funds, TechCrunch understands. The move follows an acrimonious fall-out between Web Summit’s co-founders, who first started the now-defunct Amaranthine VC fund in 2018, in part to join the ballooning investment…
Last week, we got a glimpse of how SoftBank is pulling away from some of its more exuberant investing of the past years, when news broke that it had sold its entire stake in edtech startup Kahoot, at a loss. This week, we’re getting a look at what SoftBank is doing to diversify how it…
Changes are incoming to draft online safety legislation in the UK which continues to attract controversy over the impact on free speech. The draft Online Safety Bill has already been years in the making but new prime minister Liz Truss signalled earlier this month that she wants “tweaks” to ensure it does not harm freedom…
We’re expecting Google to finally get around to launching the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro next month, having confirmed their existence back in May – but we now have news of a smaller Pixel variant that could also be arriving in the not-too-distant future. This comes from Digital Chat Station, a tipster with…
Former President Donald Trump speaks at CPAC in Dallas, Tex., on August 6, 2022. Brandon Bell/Getty Images Trump’s lawyers are running into a roadblock with special master Raymond Dearie.Dearie asked Trump’s team to hand over specific information about files he claims he declassified.His team is now arguing that doing so would compromise any defense Trump…
If you’ve ever felt like it’s difficult to “un-train” YouTube’s algorithm from suggesting a certain type of video once it slips into your recommendations, you’re not alone. In fact, it may be even more difficult than you think to get YouTube to accurately understand your preferences. One major issue, according to new research conducted by…
Sony traditionally redesigns its consoles throughout their respective lifespans and the PlayStation 5 is unlikely to be an exception. In fact, a rumour suggests a new model could be coming as soon as next summer, with an “overhaul” tipped for the “middle of FY2023”. Sources have reportedly revealed that the new model will sport a…
There are a number of great features built into the WhatsApp messaging platform, including Disappearing Messages, the ability to hide your online status and profile picture from specific contacts and the ability to delete a message once you have sent it. There is one feature still missing though – the ability to edit messages. You…