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A new investigation from The Markup claims the parent company of Tinder, Hinge, OKCupid and other dating apps turns a blind eye to allegedly abusive users on its platforms. The 18-month investigation found instances in which users who were repeatedly reported for drugging or assaulting their dates remained on the apps. One such case involves a Colorado-based cardiologist named Stephen Matthews. Over several years, multiple women on Match's platforms reported him for drugging or raping them. Despite these reports, his Tinder profile was at one point given Standout status, reserved for popular profiles and often requiring in-app currency to interact with. Matthews wasn't removed from the platform until two months after one survivor went to the police. Match Group subsequently dragged its feet when Hinge received a search warrant, complying after seven months. He was eventually sentenced to 158 years to life in prison. How was something like this allowed to happen? According to internal company documents cited in the investigation, since 2016, Match Group has been aware of which users were reported for assaulting, drugging or raping their dates. In 2019, Match Group's central database, Sentinel, began recording each user reported for either assault or rape on any of its apps. Company insiders reported that, three years later, the system registered hundreds of incidents weekly. But the system was reportedly ineffective and easy to game. Not only could users easily evade bans by signing up with different contact information, but "internal company documents show information on IP addresses, photos, and birthdate were not used to ban a user if they appear on another Match dating app." A Tinder user banned for reports of rape could simply jump ship to Hinge without issue. There are reportedly many tutorials online for methods to evade bans on Match-owned apps requiring little to no technical expertise, and The Markup was able to validate three of them. But it wasn't just a poorly designed technical system that's to blame. In 2020, Match Group stated it would release a transparency report to demonstrate harm conducted in relation to its platforms that report has still not been released. That same year, 11 members of congress requested information about Match Group's process after receiving sexual violence reports. Three years later, two representatives followed up after being promoted by this report's researchers still no data has been provided. In 2021, Match Group made public promises about increasing safety but company insiders told the researchers that it hasn't improved. That same year, the report claims a presentation shown to employees on multiple occasions asked questions such as, "Do we publish only where we are required by law?" and "Do we push back on how much we are required to reveal, or do we try to go beyond what is required?" By 2022 Match group entered a major partnership with background check company Garbo; the very next year that partnership dissolved, with Garbo writing publicly that "Its become clear that most online platforms arent legitimately committed to trust and safety for their users. In 2024, Match Group cut its remaining central trust-and-safety team Match Group employees, outsourcing the positions overseas who the company's former head of safety described as working under strenuous quotas and with little training. The report claims that at least one employee at the time was worried about the potential dangers of focusing too much on metrics. They asked their bosses: "How much would you personally pay to stop just one person being sexually assaulted by a date, one child being trafficked or one vulnerable person being driven to suicide by a predator? I feel that if I asked members of our staff that question individually, they would put a high value of their own money on it But as a group nobody is ready to hear that yet." We recognize our role in fostering safer communities and promoting authentic and respectful connections worldwide, Kayla Whaling, senior director of communications at Match, said in a statement to The Markup. We will always work to invest in and improve our systems, and search for ways to help our users stay safe, both online and when they connect in real life. The company did not dispute the investigation's findings.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/investigation-finds-match-group-failed-to-act-on-reports-of-sexual-assault-151556608.html?src=rss
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Apple will use Alibaba's generative AI to power artificial intelligence features for iPhones meant for sale in the Chinese market. Joe Tsai, Alibaba Group's Chairman, has confirmed the companies' partnership at the World Governments Summit in Dubai. He revealed that Apple talked to a number of other companies in China for a potential partnership, but it decided to team up with Alibaba in the end. Apple Intelligence features are not accessible in China at the moment, and even those who purchased their iPhones outside the country will not be able to use those features once they change their region to mainland China. As CNBC explains, the country has strict regulations surrounding AI, including requiring large language models to get approval for commercial use. Companies providing generative AI technologies in the region are also responsible for taking down illegal content. The Information reported about the partnership between Alibaba and Apple before Tsai confirmed it. The publication said that the companies had already submitted the AI features Apple plans to roll out to the country's regulators for approval. A previous report said that Apple tried to work with Baidu for its AI needs last year, but the models for Apple Intelligence that the Chinese company was developing were unable to meet its standards. Apple also reportedly talked to other Chinese companies, including Tencent and DeepSeek, but Apple deemed the latter to be lacking in experience and manpower to be able to handle a massive customer base. The DeepSeek AI assistant, if you'll recall, recently went viral and became the top free iPhone app in the US. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-will-use-alibabas-generative-ai-for-its-iphones-in-china-150008901.html?src=rss
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After announcing initial plans two years ago, Formula E is finally ready to deploy its fast-charging pit stops in an official race. At the Jeddah E-Prix in Saudi Arabia this weekend, the all-electric series will debut Pit Boost, a mandatory 34-second stop what will add 10 percent additional energy (3.85kWh) via a 30-second charge. No more than two crew members can work on the car during this process, with a third dedicated to stopping and releasing the car with visual cues to the driver. Pit Boost is independent of Attack Mode, an in-race power increase which Formula E has been using in races for years to heighten the strategic aspects of its events. Attack Mode is currently deployed twice during each E-Prix when a driver activates the added energy by driving over a certain area of the track. This area is typically off the main racing line, so drivers usually sacrifice position in favor of Attack Mode. There's no doubt Pit Boost will give teams yet another major race element to manage. Plus, teams can only bring in one car at a time as the Formula 1-style "double stack" is against the regulations laid out by Formula E and the series' governing body, the FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile). And not only is there the process of making pit stop to manage, but teams also have to account for the fact that it takes 34 seconds. That's an eternity in auto racing, especially when you compare with a sub-three-second stops in F1. Formula E says the FIA will determine the Pit Boost window for each event, and that info will be shared with teams 21 days before the race. DS Penske's Maximilian Gunther walks down the pit lane lined with Pit Boost chargers during practice at the Mexico E-Prix in January.Joe Portlock/Getty Images Formula E hasn't had pit stops in seven years. Back in those days, drivers had to swap cars during races to make it to the end of an E-Prix. EV battery technology advanced to the point that awkward change was no longer needed. In the seasons since, a mid-race pit stop was only done to change a flat tire or fix damage to the body work. It typically doomed any chance of a decent finishing position. This season was the debut of the Gen3 Evo car for the series, an updated racer with more power and all-wheel drive. The new EV has already made for more entertaining E-Prix, including Jaguar's Mitch Evans winning from the back of the grid in Sao Paulo. As The Race reports, Formula E first started planning energy-boosting pit stops in 2019 during the development of the Gen3 car. When it came time for the Gen3 cars to hit the track in 2023, it was immediately apparent that the quick-charging technology wasn't even close to being ready for race action. Pit Boost was then pushed to the 2024 season, but even with the delay, Formula E and its suppliers couldn't remedy every fault in the hardware and its deployment. There's a two-race double-header in Jeddah this weekend, but Formula E only plans to use Pit Boost in Friday's E-Prix. If all goes well, the series hopes to do the same at other double-header events this season. Those are scheduled for Monaco, Tokyo, Shanghai, Berlin and London. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/formula-e-will-finally-debut-its-fast-charging-pit-stops-this-weekend-144235800.html?src=rss
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