Month: December 2021

Tesla is to recall more than 475,000 cars in the US, according to documents filed with the US safety regulator.

The electric vehicle firm announced it was recalling 356,309 vehicles because of potential rear-view camera issues affecting 2017-2020 Model 3 Teslas.

A further 119,009 Model S vehicles will also be recalled because of potential problems with the front trunk, or boot.

The total recall figure is almost equivalent to the 500,000 cars Tesla delivered last year, Reuters reports.

The BBC has approached Tesla for comment.

A safety report, submitted this month, estimates that around 1% of recalled Model 3s may have a defective rear-view camera.

Over time “repeated opening and closing of the trunk lid” may cause excessive wear to a cable that provides the rear-view camera feed, says a Safety Recall report submitted by Tesla to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US on the 21 December.

If the wear causes the core of the cable to separate “the rear-view camera feed is not visible on the centre display”, the report notes.

The loss of the review camera display may “increase the risk of collision”, it adds.

The Model S recall involves vehicles manufactured between 2014-2021, some of which may have a problem with a “secondary latch” on the front trunk, or boot.

In another Safety Recall report, also filed on 21 December, Tesla notes the fault could mean, if the primary latch is inadvertently released, the front trunk “may open without warning and obstruct the driver’s visibility, increasing the risk of a crash”.

Around 14% of recalled Model S’s may have the defect, the report notes.

In both cases, the reports state that “Tesla is not aware of any crashes, injuries, or deaths” relating to the potential faults.

Passenger play
The latest recall is not the first safety issue to have prompted action from the electric vehicle firm.

Last week Tesla agreed to make changes to its Passenger Play feature, which allows games to be played on its touchscreen while the car is in motion.

It took action after an investigation was launched by the NHTSA.

The feature will now be locked and unusable while the car is moving.

Elon Musk has rejected claims that his Starlink satellite internet project is taking up too much room in space.

“Tens of billions” of satellites can be accommodated in orbits close to Earth, he told the Financial Times.

His comments come after a claim by the head of the European Space Agency (ESA) that Mr Musk was “making the rules” for the emerging commercial space industry.

This week, China complained that its space station was forced to avoid collisions with Starlink satellites.

“Space is just extremely enormous, and satellites are very tiny,” Mr Musk said in the interview.

Mr Musk pushed back at suggestions that his Starlink Internet Services project was effectively obstructing the entry of competitors to the satellite industry, saying that there is ample room in the Earth’s orbit for satellites.

“This is not some situation where we’re effectively blocking others in any way. We’ve not blocked anyone from doing anything, nor do we expect to,” he said.

“A couple of thousand satellites is nothing. It’s like, hey, here’s a couple of thousand of cars on Earth, it’s nothing,” he added.

Musk criticised after China space complaint to UN
SpaceX’s Starlink venture granted Isle of Man base
Elon Musk sets out Starlink goals
This month, Josef Aschbacher, the director general of ESA, warned that the thousands of communications satellites launched by Starlink would result in there being far less space for competitors.

Other experts have said that much larger distances are needed between spacecraft to avoid collisions than Mr Musk has suggested.

Scientists have also previously voiced concerns about the risks of collisions in space and called on world governments to share information about the estimated 30,000 satellites and other space debris that are orbiting Earth.

Mr Musk made headlines this week as he faced a social media backlash after China complained that its space station was forced to avoid collisions with satellites launched by his Starlink project.

The country’s space station had two “close encounters” with Starlink satellites this year, Beijing claimed.

The incidents occurred on 1 July and 21 October, according to a document submitted by China this month to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.

“For safety reasons, the China Space Station implemented preventive collision avoidance control,” Beijing said in the document published on the agency’s website.

The incidents behind the complaints, lodged with the UN’s space agency, have not yet been independently verified.

China also accused the US of putting astronauts in danger by ignoring obligations under outer space treaties.

Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China was urging the US to act responsibly.

SpaceX has already launched almost 1,900 satellites as part of the Starlink network, and plans to deploy thousands more.

Riot Games, the studio best known for League of Legends, has agreed to pay $100m (£74.3m) to settle a 2018 class-action gender discrimination case.

The settlement will “remedy violations against approximately 1,065 women employees and 1,300 women contract workers”, California’s Department of Fair Employment & Housing (DFEH) wrote.

DFEH said the firm engaged in “systemic sex discrimination and harassment”.

Riot Games said it must “take responsibility for the past”.

The company will pay $80m (£59m) to members of the class action suit and about $20m (£15m) will cover legal costs.

The 2018 case followed investigations by the Los Angeles Times and the news website Kotaku.

According to the original complaint against the company, Riot was accused of fostering a “bro culture” and faced a range of allegations.

These included that women had been sexually objectified, with an email chain that rated the company’s “hottest women employees”, and that unsolicited images of male genitalia had been shown to workers by their bosses and colleagues.

Industry problem
As part of the settlement, Riot agreed to workplace reforms, independent expert analysis of its pay, hiring, and promotion practices, and to be monitored for instances of sexual harassment and “retaliation” at its California offices for three years.

The company must also set aside $18m (13.2m) to fund diversity, equity and inclusion programmes and create 40 full-time positions in engineering, quality assurance or art-design roles for its former contract workers.

DFEH Director Kevin Kish wrote that, if accepted by the court, the settlement would lead to lasting change at Riot Games and “send the message that all industries in California, including the gaming industry, must provide equal pay and workplaces free from discrimination and harassment”.

Riot had initially agreed to settle the case for $10m in 2019, but the DFEH and another agency had blocked the deal arguing that the amount to which victims were entitled was much higher.

The company said it had to face the fact that it hadn’t always lived up to its values, telling the Washington Post: “While we’re proud of how far we’ve come since 2018, we must also take responsibility for the past”.

“We hope that this settlement properly acknowledges those who had negative experiences at Riot.”

In a letter to staff, published online, Riot’s executive team said the settlement was, “the right thing to do, for both the company and those whose experiences at Riot fell short of our standards and values”.

The company told the BBC that since 2018 it had made improvements across the workplace, including hiring its first chief people officer and its first chief diversity officer, rewriting its values, mandating new training programmes and enlarging its diversity and inclusion team.

Riot Games is not the only prominent games firm to face questions about workplace culture.

The DFEH is also taking action against Activision Blizzard, the company behind the games World of Warcraft, Overwatch and Call of Duty.

Activision Blizzard recently reached an $18m (£13.2m) settlement with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) over claims of sexual discrimination and harassment.

Elon Musk is facing a social media backlash after China complained that its space station was forced to avoid collisions with satellites launched by his Starlink Internet Services project.

The country’s space station had two “close encounters” with Starlink satellites, Beijing claimed.

China’s complaints, lodged with the UN’s space agency, have not yet been independently verified.

Starlink is a satellite internet network operated by Mr Musk’s SpaceX.

Mr Musk is well known in China even as his electric carmaker Tesla comes under growing scrutiny from regulators.

The incidents occurred on 1 July and 21 October, according to a document submitted by China this month to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.

“For safety reasons, the China Space Station implemented preventive collision avoidance control,” Beijing said in the document published on the agency’s website.

SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the BBC.

After the complaint was made public, Mr Musk, Starlink and the US were heavily criticised on China’s Twitter-like Weibo microblogging platform.

One user described Starlink’s satellites as “just a pile of space junk”.

The satellites are “American space warfare weapons” and “Musk is a new ‘weapon’ created by the US government and military”, others said.

Another posted: “The risks of Starlink are being gradually exposed, the whole human race will pay for their business activities.”

Scientists have voiced concerns about the risks of collisions in space and called on world governments to share information about the estimated 30,000 satellites and other space debris that are orbiting earth.

SpaceX has already launched almost 1,900 satellites as part of the Starlink network, and plans to deploy thousands more.

Last month, the US space agency NASA abruptly postponed a spacewalk from the International Space Station over concerns about space debris.

The prime minister is due to be briefed on the latest Covid data as he weighs whether to impose additional measures in England before the new year.

After two days without published figures, Boris Johnson will hear the impact on the NHS of record infections.

The PM has so far resisted new restrictions, but the other UK nations imposed tighter rules from Boxing Day.

Scotland and Northern Ireland have tightened up for a second day, with new restrictions for pubs and restaurants.

Downing Street said no decisions have been taken yet on whether extra measures to control the Omicron variant will be introduced in England, but it previously said it would not hesitate to act after Christmas if necessary.

The Covid rules coming in after Christmas
Omicron: Good news, bad news and what it all means
Ministers welcomed early findings last week that people infected with the fast-spreading Omicron variant were less likely to be admitted to hospital, although the BBC understands a range of factors will be examined when looking at the case for restrictions.

Infections surged by 48.2% in the seven days before Christmas, hitting a record 122,186 confirmed cases on Friday, the last day figures were published.
ADVERTISEMENT

But the number of people admitted to hospital and deaths following a positive test have risen much more slowly so far.

The briefing by government scientists on Monday is a one of a regular series of updates given to the prime minister and he has not yet called a cabinet meeting or announced a recall of Parliament.

MPs have been promised a vote if it is decided fresh legal measures are needed, after Mr Johnson suffered the largest rebellion since he became PM over the introduction of Covid passes earlier this month.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have gone ahead with reintroducing legal restrictions on gatherings, large events and the hospitality industry, with the latter two nations spreading the changes over two days.

The most recent change will see Northern Ireland pubs, cafes and restaurants have to provide table service only, while no more than six people from different households are allowed to sit together.

In Scotland:

Pubs, restaurants, theatres, cinemas and gyms have to ensure a one-metre distance between groups of people
Groups of people meeting are now be limited to three households
Table service is required in hospitality venues offering alcohol
Rules introduced a day earlier limiting the attendance of public events meant that Boxing Day football matches in Scotland were played before a maximum of 500 fans, while Hogmanay street parties have already been cancelled.

Nightclubs in Northern Ireland and Wales closed on Boxing Day while Wales also introduced restrictions on the number of people meeting in pubs, cinemas and restaurants, brought back two-metre social distancing in offices and public places, and capped attendance at events.

A Moscow court has fined Google 7.2bn roubles ($98m; £73m) for repeated failure to delete content deemed illegal in Russia.

Details of the offending content were not specified in the announcement by the court’s press service.

This is the first time in Russia that a technology giant has been hit with a fine based on their annual turnover.

Google told AFP news agency that it would study the court ruling before deciding on further steps.

Russian authorities have increased pressure on tech firms this year, accusing them of not moderating their content properly, and interfering in the country’s internal affairs.

Hours after the Google verdict was announced, a 2bn rouble fine was handed to Meta, the parent company of Facebook, for similar content-related offences.

Earlier this week, Twitter was also handed a 3m rouble fine for similar charges.

This is not Google’s first brush with Russian authorities over content laws. In May, Russia’s media watchdog threatened to slow down the speed of Google if it failed to delete 26,000 instances of unlawful content, which it said related to drugs, violence and extremism.

President Vladimir Putin has pushed for development of a so-called sovereign internet, which would give the government more control over what its citizens can access.

Critics have accused Russia of using the campaign to clamp down on free speech and online dissent.

The country’s media regulator has blocked dozens of websites linked to jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, whose campaign groups have been labelled “extremist”.

Google and Apple were also forced to remove an app dedicated to Navalny’s “Smart Voting” campaign, which gave users advice on tactical voting to unseat Kremlin-aligned politicians.

Websites like LinkedIn and Dailymotion have already been blocked for refusing to co-operate with authorities, and six major providers of Virtual Personal Networks (VPNs) – which help users to conceal their online activities – have been banned.

Earlier this year, Russia also introduced a new law requiring all new smartphones, computers and smart devices sold in the country to be pre-installed with Russian-made software and apps.

The government said the move would help Russian tech firms compete with foreign rivals.

US microchip maker Intel has apologised following a backlash over its letter urging suppliers not to source products or labour from China’s Xinjiang region.

The company’s letter sparked criticism in China, with calls for a boycott.

The letter said Intel had been “required to ensure” its supply chain did not use labour or source goods from Xinjiang, following restrictions imposed by “multiple governments”.

China has been accused of human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

The region is home to many of country’s Muslim Uyghur population and there have been allegations of forced labour and possibly genocide.

In December last year, the BBC published an investigation based on new research showing China was forcing hundreds of thousands of minorities, including Uyghurs, into manual labour in Xinjiang’s cotton fields.

Beijing has repeatedly denied the claims.

Who are the Uyghurs and why is China being accused of genocide?
Can Western brands recover in China after backlash?
Western states sanction China for Uighur ‘abuses’
In a Chinese-language statement on its official WeChat and Weibo accounts, Intel said that its commitment to avoid supply chains from Xinjiang was an expression of compliance with US law, rather than a statement of its position on the issue.

“We apologise for the trouble caused to our respected Chinese customers, partners and the public. Intel is committed to becoming a trusted technology partner and accelerating joint development with China,” the firm said.

The White House said President Joe Biden signed into a law a bill that requires companies to prove that goods imported from China’s Xinjiang region have not been produced with forced labour.

The bill was passed by Congress last week with the aim of stopping US companies from benefitting from forced labour, something which China denies is the case.

Many Weibo users derided Intel’s apology as an attempt at protecting sales in China, with one saying: “A mistake is a mistake! Retract the statement about Xinjiang!”

Meanwhile, the hashtag “Is Intel’s apology sincere?” was trending on Weibo on Thursday, Reuters reported.

Singer Karry Wang said he would no longer serve as brand ambassador for Intel, adding in a statement that “national interests exceed everything”.

Intel is not the first company to come under pressure over aims to comply with sanctions related to Xinjiang while continuing to operate in China.

‘Sensitive issue’
Retail giants Nike and H&M faced a backlash earlier this year after they expressed concern about the alleged use of Uyghur forced labour in cotton production.

Intel, which has 10,000 employees in China, said in its apology that it respected “the sensitivity of the issue in China”.

Meanwhile, China’s foreign ministry said “accusations of forced labour in Xinjiang are lies concocted by anti-China American forces” aimed at destabilising China and hindering its development.

“We note the statement and hope the relevant company will respect facts and tell right from wrong,” said foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian.

Japanese conglomerate Sony’s Indian arm has finalised a deal with local rival Zee Entertainment to form the country’s second largest entertainment network.

The merged entity will include more than 75 television channels, film assets and two streaming platforms.

It is poised to become a major player in the country’s fast-growing entertainment industry, challenging rivals such as Walt Disney’s Hotstar.

India has more than 900 million TV viewers and some 800 channels.

These channels offer a variety of shows ranging from sports, melodramas to reality television.

As per the merger, which was announced on Tuesday, the combined entity will be nearly 51% owned by Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI). It will be headed by Zee’s Chief Executive Officer Punit Goenka after a 90-day due diligence period.

Mr Goenka called the deal a “significant milestone”.

“The combined company will create a comprehensive entertainment business, enabling us to serve our consumers with wider content choices across platforms,” he said, according to an official release.

Amazon and Netflix are changing comedy in India
The new wave of provocative Indian TV – BBC Culture
Both firms have operated in India for years and own streaming platforms ZEE5 and SonyLIV. They also have a vast TV following with popular channels such as Sony MAX and Zee TV.

“It’s a hugely complementary deal,” media and entertainment industry specialist Vanita Kohli Khandekar told the BBC.

“For example Sony does not have the pan-India, small town and regional reach that Zee has. And Zee does not have a kids or sports business like Sony.”

Ms Khandekar said the deal will also propel Zee onto an international stage. “The company has now been absorbed by Sony, a $82bn (£61bn) corporation. So, Zee now becomes a foreign company, which gives it a bigger platform.”

Although most Indians are still dependent on direct-to-home TV entertainment, the country is also a lucrative destination for streaming platforms that have been tapping into the vast internet market to target a young digital audience.

The past few years have seen a surge of competition from streaming platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hotstar as many users desert television for digital shows.

Experts say the merger between Sony and Zee is expected to further ratchet up this competition.

Bosses from the world’s two biggest plane makers have called on the US government to delay the rollout of new 5G phone services.

In a letter, top executives at Boeing and Airbus warned that the technology could have “an enormous negative impact on the aviation industry.”

Concerns have previously been raised that C-Band spectrum 5G wireless could interfere with aircraft electronics.

US telecoms giants AT&T and Verizon are due to deploy 5G services on 5 January.

“5G interference could adversely affect the ability of aircraft to safely operate,” said the bosses of Boeing and Airbus Americas, Dave Calhoun and Jeffrey Knittel, in a joint letter to US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

The letter cited research by trade group Airlines for America which found that if the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) 5G rules had been in effect in 2019, about 345,000 passenger flights and 5,400 cargo flights would have faced delays, diversions or cancellations.

The aviation industry and the FAA have raised concerns about potential interference of 5G with sensitive aircraft equipment like radio altitude meters.

“Airbus and Boeing have been working with other aviation industry stakeholders in the US to understand potential 5G interference with radio altimeters,” Airbus said in a statement.

“An Aviation Safety Proposal to mitigate potential risks has been submitted for consideration to the US Department of Transportation.”

5G mast arsonist had severe mental health issues
EE aims for 5G coverage everywhere in UK by 2028
This month, the FAA issued airworthiness directives warning 5G interference could result in flight diversions, saying it would provide more information before the 5 January rollout date.

In November, AT&T and Verizon delayed the commercial launch of C-band wireless service by a month until 5 January and adopted precautionary measures to limit interference.

Aviation industry groups have said the measures did not go far enough, with Boeing and Airbus saying they made a counterproposal that would limit cellular transmissions around airports and other critical areas.

Last week, United Airlines chief executive Scott Kirby said the FAA’s 5G directives would bar the use of radio altitude meters at about 40 of America’s biggest airports.

The US wireless industry group CTIA has said 5G is safe and accused the aviation industry of fearmongering and distorting facts.

“A delay will cause real harm. Pushing back deployment one year would subtract $50bn in economic growth, just as our nation recovers and rebuilds from the pandemic,” CTIA chief executive Meredith Attwell Baker said in a blog post last month.

Amazon-owned livestreaming site Twitch has banned an Amazon Prime Video channel after a presenter appeared to accidentally reveal her breast during a live show.

The official Spanish-language Prime Video channel was suspended from Twitch on Sunday, with no public reason given.

However, it followed a segment on the talk show Esto es un Late where the incident took place.

Twitch has strict rules around partial or full nudity on camera.

“For those who present as women, we ask that you cover your nipples. We do not permit exposed underbust,” the service’s community guidelines say.

It also does not permit “sexually suggestive content” such as a camera focus on “breasts, buttocks, or pelvic region”.

The Esto es un Late hosts were at the end of their weekend stream when one of them – comedian Henar Alvarez – lifted up her shirt partway, apparently joking that it was one way to end the hours-long broadcast.

“We’re about to be banned,” she said laughing. “Come on. They’re going to ban us!”

The stream then cut to a title card for a moment – but then returned to the live feed a split-second before Ms Alvarez’s breast vanished from view.

The stream quickly ended – but within a few hours, the channel was banned from Twitch.

Another of the co-hosts – Mister Jagger – tweeted afterwards that Esto es un Late is the “best programme in the world”.

Gamer loses work because of her Squid Game name
Twitch apologises for using ‘womxn’ after backlash
Twitch ‘hot tub streamer’ has ads pulled
Gaming news site Kotaku reports that it is the first time an Amazon-owned brand has been banned from Twitch.

It is not clear for how long Prime Video Espana’s suspension will last. Twitch does not, generally, make the details of disciplinary action public, and bans can vary in length.

The livestreaming giant also has an appeals process for those looking to have a ban lifted or shortened.

Twitch, which started as a video game streaming site but has transformed into an all-purpose platform, has had several problems over the years with sexually suggestive content.

In the past, women who dressed in a way that some considered suggestive were derisively referred to as “booby streamers” by critics. That led to a 2018 revision of the “dress code”.

More recently, the emergence of the “hot tub meta” – where streamers would broadcast in swimwear from an indoor hot tub – raised similar questions about what is and is not allowed.

Earlier this year, one of the biggest such streamers on Twitch, Amouranth, had advertising revenue pulled from her account – even though she argued she had not broken any rules.