Google Cloud suspended customer's account three times, for three different reasons
Google Cloud suspended customer's account three times, for three different reasons
: Experience leads company boss to decide 'I cannot rely on having a Google account for production use cases'Simon Sharwood (The Register)
Trump embarrassed on world stage as Chinese leader delivers fact-check to his face
In a post from July, Trump proclaimed: "I am pleased to announce that, after the involvement of President Donald J. Trump, both Countries have reached a CEASEFIRE and PEACE. Congratulations to all! By ending this War, we have saved thousands of lives."
However, the reality was starkly different. Two weeks after Trump's initial celebration, artillery exchanges resulted in a significant death toll, with widespread injuries and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians.
Trump embarrassed on world stage as Chinese leader delivers fact-check to his face
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a diplomatic rebuke to President Donald Trump during their bilateral meeting in South Korea, dismantling Trump's claims about resolving the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.Adam Nichols (Raw Story)
Lebanese president orders army to confront Israeli incursions after deadly raid
Lebanese state media identified the slain man as Ibrahim Salameh, an employee of the Blida municipality, a village near the border with Israel. The Israeli military confirmed the raid and said it was attacking Hezbollah infrastructure when it fired at a “suspect”. It said the incident was under review.
The killing led to widespread anger in Lebanon over repeated violations of Lebanese sovereignty. In the hours after the raid, Israel carried out airstrikes in Labouneh, in south-west Lebanon, and Israeli drones could be heard flying low over Beirut.
The Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, condemned the raid and ordered the Lebanese army to confront Israeli soldiers in any future incursions on Lebanese territory. In a statement, Aoun instructed the army to “confront any Israeli incursion into liberated southern territory, in defence of Lebanese territory and the safety of citizens”.
Lebanese president orders army to confront Israeli incursions after deadly raid
IDF says it was attacking Hezbollah infrastructure when it fired at a ‘suspect’ and the incident is under reviewWilliam Christou (The Guardian)
like this
International Criminal Court to ditch Microsoft Office for European open source alternative
like this
a German-developed softwarea [...] software
\sigh
That's like requesting 1 happiness or 11 lovely.
Good
Fuck making children grow up just to die
Yeah Ukraine deserves independence, but human beings deserve a shot at life instead of being ammunition.
Hurricane Melissa leaves humanitarian disaster and recovery challenge for Caribbean after more than 30 killed
Hurricane Melissa leaves recovery challenge for Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba after more than 30 killed
The storm was making its way to the Bahamas and Bermuda Thursday morning after killing at least seven in Jamaica and 27 more across the Caribbean this week.Patrick Smith (NBC News)
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Then don't fucking parrot their nonsense.
"jokes" are fun until it is indistinguishable from the same bullshit the people raping humanity are saying. At every step of the way, call them out on their shit.
Cruise passenger, 80, found dead after being abandoned on Great Barrier Reef island - ABC News
Cruise passenger, 80, found dead after being abandoned on Great Barrier Reef island
An 80-year-old cruise passenger has been found dead on a Great Barrier Reef island after being accidentally left behind by the ship's crewROD MCGUIRK Associated Press (ABC News)
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She appeared to have fallen from a cliff or slope
This sounds a bit weird but I hope she died from the fall rather than from having been left there ...
That seems the most likely:
"Mum felt ill on the hill climb. She was asked to head down, unescorted. Then the ship left"
She fell on the trail headed back. Sending an 80 year old, who felt ill, back unescorted was a failure in duty and comprehension.
In fact, take the age out of it, sending anyone who feels ill back unescorted is a failure in duty and comprehension.
like this
Extremism. Somehow people like that think they're better when they spread such callous indifference.
Like I get it, cruises aren't good for the environment at all but acting like someone deserved to die for it? They want to save humanity without bothering to preserve humanity.
Mamdani wins New York City mayor’s race
Zohran Mamdani has won the race for New York City mayor, according to Decision Desk HQ, ushering in a new era of progressive politics in the city and reigniting the debate over the Democratic Party’s future.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, is poised to become the first millennial and first Muslim to lead New York City, after a campaign that pulled off one of the most stunning political upsets in recent memory. He defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who mounted a long-shot independent bid after losing to Mamdani in the Democratic primary, and Republican Curtis Sliwa in his bid to succeed Mayor Eric Adams.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5588198-mamdani-progressive-politics-nyc/
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Tempo (fork) v3.17.14 android subsonic client
Hi All,
my first post over here on lemmy. Thought I'd share my forked tempo release.
Some new fixes for October. v3.17.14
What's Changed
fix: General build warning and playback issues
fix: persist album sort preference
Fix album parse empty date field
fix: Include shuffle/repeat controls in f-droid build's media notific…
fix: limits image size to prevent widget crash note
app-tempo* <- The github release with all the android auto/chromecast featuresapp-notquitemy* <- The f-droid release that goes without any of the google stuff.
Full Changelog: github.com/eddyizm/tempo/compa…
As usual, any dev contributions appreciated as I am not actually a java/mobile dev, so my progress is significantly slower than those who do this on the daily.
In particular, any android dev is familiar with changing the name/icon in order get this app published in app stores.
Release v3.17.14 · eddyizm/tempus
What's Changed fix: General build warning and playback issues by @le-firehawk in #167 fix: persist album sort preference by @eddyizm in #168 Fix album parse empty date field by @eddyizm in #171 fi...GitHub
China Home Sales Slump to Deepen As New Risks to Beijing’s Growth Strategy Emerge, Experts Say
cross-posted from: lemmy.sdf.org/post/44894840
cross-posted from: lemmy.sdf.org/post/44894752
ArchivedChina’s multi-year property crisis is set to drag on in 2026 and further weigh on banks’ asset quality, even after the government stepped up its stimulus push to boost demand, according to Fitch Ratings.
The country’s new home sales by area may decline 15 to 20 per cent from their current level before the sector stabilises, Lulu Shi, a director at Fitch, said at a briefing in Shanghai on Wednesday (Oct 29).
Transactions by value may drop another 7 to 10 per cent next year, she added.“China’s trickling stimulus measures did not pull the residential sector from a further slowdown,” Shi said. “A meaningful property recovery will only come after the job market stabilises and household income rebounds, which would require a basket of policies and a long period of time.”
[...]
The dim outlook for the domestic home market also means banks’ bad debt in the property segment will likely remain “elevated” next year, Vivian Xue, director for financial institutions at Fitch, said at the same briefing. That, coupled with households’ weakened ability to repay mortgages and other personal loans, means that banks’ asset quality could deteriorate next year, she added.
[...]
Fixed income-specialist Pimco has identified new risks to China’s growth strategy.
In response to China’s aggressive price discounting, many Emerging Markets economies have erected higher tariff and trade barriers on Chinese goods imports, it writes in a report.
Europe has initiated investigations into Chinese product dumping and may increase the use of quotas. The U.S. has raised tariffs on all trading partners, but especially on Chinese goods, which has limited the ability of Chinese producers to access the U.S. market at lower tariff rates through “connector” countries for final stages of production. Although markets have shown signs of optimism for U.S.–China trade negotiations ahead of the countries’ presidents meeting this week, the relationship between these two major economies will likely remain volatile.
[...]
Looking ahead, inventories can’t keep piling up forever if China wants to counter deflationary trends and maintain a stable economy. China’s policymakers have recently emphasized an “anti-involution” campaign: a nuanced approach to counter the intense competition that shrunk profit margins and to emphasize higher-quality growth and greater profitability, with a goal of reducing deflationary pressures.
However, unless Chinese policymakers are willing to more forcefully stimulate domestic demand, or tolerate slower production growth, Chinese products would need to continue to be exported at further price discounts to clear the inventory levels, Pimco says.
[...]
China’s Growth Engine Faces Fresh Challenges
Macro Signposts highlights weekly takeaways from the data analysis conducted by our team of economists and other experts.Tiffany Wilding (Pacific Investment Management Company LLC)
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Poland Says Intercepted Russian Spy Plane Over Baltic Sea
cross-posted from: lemmy.sdf.org/post/44896261
ArchivedPoland’s armed forces said Wednesday that two of its fighter jets had intercepted and escorted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft flying over the Baltic Sea one day prior.
The Polish operational command said the Russian Il-20 surveillance aircraft was flying in international airspace without filing a flight plan and with its transponder turned off, making it invisible to civilian radar.
“The aircraft did not violate Polish airspace,” the command said in a statement on social media.
It added that two Polish MiG-29 fighter jets visually identified and escorted the Russian aircraft out of the area.
Operational command spokesman Jacek Goryszewski told Polish media, “Our pilots could have taken further actions if the Russian pilots took steps that we wouldn’t want, like violating our airspace or performing other dangerous maneuvers.”
[...]
The interception comes amid rising alert levels across NATO’s eastern flank, where several member states have reported increased Russian air activity near their borders.
In September, three Russian military jets violated Estonia’s airspace for about 12 minutes and Poland reported more than 20 Russian drones crossing into its territory. The Kremlin denied the border incursions.
Poland is a staunch ally of Ukraine and has been a key transit point for Western arms heading to the embattled country since Russia invaded it in 2022.
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What's gluetun?
Occasionally I see people mention gluetun.
- What's gluetun? Seems like it's a VPN client? What's special about it?
- How do you use it in your setup?
- Do I need to know about this if I use Tailscale on the host for connecting to my VPN?
- Would gluetun allow me to use an additional VPN provider for certain apps without messing with the host Tailscale?
GitHub - qdm12/gluetun: VPN client in a thin Docker container for multiple VPN providers, written in Go, and using OpenVPN or Wireguard, DNS over TLS, with a few proxy servers built-in.
VPN client in a thin Docker container for multiple VPN providers, written in Go, and using OpenVPN or Wireguard, DNS over TLS, with a few proxy servers built-in. - qdm12/gluetunGitHub
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I use gluetun to connect specific docker containers to a VPN without interfering with other networking, since it's all self contained. It also has lots of providers built in which is convenient so you can just set the provider, your password, and your preferred region instead of needing to manually enter connection details manage lists of servers (it automatically updates it's own cached server list from your provider, through the VPN connection itself)
Another nice feature is that it supports scripts for port forwarding, which works out of the box for some providers. So it can automatically get the forwarded port and then execute a custom script to set that port in your torrent client, soulseek, or whatever.
I could just use a wireguard or openvpn container, but this also makes it easy to hop between vpn providers just by swapping the connection details regardless of whether the providers only support wg or openvpn. Just makes it a little more universal.
Suspects arrested over Louvre heist 'partially admit involvement' - as officials address inside job theory
Suspects arrested over Louvre heist 'partially admit involvement' - as officials address inside job theory
Paris police have acknowledged gaps in the Louvre's security systems following an audacious robbery at the world-famous museum.Sky News
Malaysia says it does not recognise China's South China Sea claims | New Straits Times
The South China Sea has long been a source of tension, with several nations laying overlapping claims to its islands, reefs and surrounding waters. The sea is one of the world's busiest trade routes and is believed to hold vast reserves of oil, gas and other natural resources.China claims almost the entire waterway under its "nine-dash line", asserting historical rights that extend deep into areas also claimed by Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan.
In 2016, an international tribunal in The Hague ruled that China's claims had no legal basis under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, a decision Beijing rejected.
Malaysia says it does not recognise China's South China Sea claims
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has reaffirmed its firm and consistent stance on the South China Sea, rejecting any foreign claims of sovereignty, sovereign rights or jurisdiction over its maritime features and areas as defined in the nation’s 1979 New Map.Zaf Seraj (New Straits Times)
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Hey Malaysia, nice sino funded mega projects you have there... Would be a shame if things sort of dried up, y'know... A real shame...
Source: Malaysian
Tens of thousands killed in two days in Sudan city, analysts believe
Tens of thousands killed in two days in Sudan city, analysts believe
Sky News is not able to independently verify the claims, but stains and shapes resembling blood and corpses can be seen from space in satellite images.Yousra Elbagir (Sky News)
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I just read about this here:
france24.com/en/africa/2025102…
And here's the actual paper produced by Yale Humanitarian Research Lab, showing the satellite images. It's pretty damning: files-profile.medicine.yale.ed…
Genocide warnings 'flashing red' after RSF takeover of Sudan's El-Fasher
Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have seized the western city of El-Fasher amid reports of extreme violence and mass killings.Joanna YORK (FRANCE 24)
Trump uses fake Indian accent to impersonate India’s leader in rambling speech to Korean delegation
Trump uses fake Indian accent to impersonate India’s leader in rambling speech to Korean delegation
Donald Trump mimics Narendra Modi as he attempts to take credit for ending May’s India-Pakistan war at APEC summit in South KoreaJoe Sommerlad (The Independent)
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D.F.L.P.: ‘The U.S. plan may stop the war in Gaza […] but it will not create peace.’
The U.S. plan announced by President Trump, under the pretext of halting the aggression and creating conditions for a comprehensive settlement, was in reality a response to mounting global pressure — not a result of genuine conviction on the part of Israel and its partner, the United States, to end the humanitarian catastrophe.Although the plan appears outwardly as an initiative to cease fire, its actual content reproduces the same Israeli standards that reduce the Palestinian cause to a mere “security issue” and ignore the root causes of the conflict — occupation, settlement expansion, displacement and the denial of the Palestinian people’s national rights.
[…]
The U.S. plan seeks to end the war in Gaza according to Israeli terms — but it does not aim to create lasting or genuine peace in the region.
The nations of the world, especially those supporting Israel, must avoid repeating past mistakes by ignoring the real cause of the conflict: the Israeli occupation.
Stability in the region can only be achieved through principles that have become clear to all nations, organizations and international bodies — foremost among them:
– Clear and explicit recognition of the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people, as stipulated in international resolutions.
– Restoration of the territorial unity of the State of Palestine between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and rejection of any separation between them.
– The departure of the occupation and its settlers and the dismantling of all settlements.
– The establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, on a unified and contiguous territory free of barriers or obstacles.
‘The U.S. plan may stop the war in Gaza … but it will not create peace.’
The Department of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine issued the following statement on Nov. 1, 2025. A message from the “Department of International Relations of the D.F.L.Workers World
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Pennsylvania voters retain three state Supreme Court justices, preserving Democrats' 5-2 majority
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Just treat whatever "advice" these things "give" as given by the person who made the decision to host them.
Should be simple.
Instead they are already being treated as some magic, not a tool inseparable from the owner, or as a living thing. It's idiotic.
Jeremy Scahill on Gaza “Ceasefire,” Talking to Hamas & Israel’s Doctrine of Dehumanizing Palestinians
Oct 27, 2025
Jeremy Scahill on Gaza “Ceasefire,” Talking to Hamas & Israel’s Doctrine of Dehumanizing Palestinians
Israel has carried out repeated attacks in Gaza and killed about 100 Palestinians over the past two weeks since the U.S.-backed ceasefire deal with Hamas came into effect.Democracy Now!
Jeremy Scahill on Gaza “Ceasefire,” Talking to Hamas & Israel’s Doctrine of Dehumanizing Palestinians
cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/38241015
interview and transcript from Democracy Now!
Oct 27, 2025
Jeremy Scahill on Gaza “Ceasefire,” Talking to Hamas & Israel’s Doctrine of Dehumanizing Palestinians
interview and transcript from Democracy Now!
Oct 27, 2025Jeremy Scahill on Gaza “Ceasefire,” Talking to Hamas & Israel’s Doctrine of Dehumanizing Palestinians
Israel has carried out repeated attacks in Gaza and killed about 100 Palestinians over the past two weeks since the U.S.-backed ceasefire deal with Hamas came into effect.Democracy Now!
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IDF releases full video of Hamas staging fake hostage remains recovery
The IDF publishes the full, 15-minute uncut drone video showing Hamas terror operatives staging the recovery of the remains of a hostage it returned to Israel last night, in front of the Red Cross.
The remains were identified as belonging to Ofir Tzarfati, whose body was recovered by the IDF in the Gaza Strip in December 2023, less than two months after his abduction during the Hamas onslaught.
“Contrary to Hamas’s claims of difficulties locating the bodies of the deceased hostages, yesterday Hamas operatives were documented removing body remains from a structure that had been prepared in advance and burying them nearby,” the IDF says.
“Shortly thereafter, the Hamas terror organization summoned representatives of the Red Cross and staged a false display of discovering a deceased hostage’s body,” it says.
How to set up a decentralized game/chat server
I've been kicking around the idea of running a server for games and chat woth some of my friends, but worry about everyone getting cut off when there's a disruption.
I've started looking into kubernetes out of curiosity, and it seems like we could potentially set up a cluster with master nodes at 3+ locations to hose whatever game server or chat server that we want with 100% uptime, solving my concerns.
Am I misunderstanding the kubernetes documentation, and this is just a terrible idea? Or am I on the right track?
Try it out. You can try element and jitsi its free. Just test some matrix server with element web client and try out jitsi at their site.
For the self hosted instance yes I think you need a domain and subdomains.
Hamas, diminished but not destroyed, reasserts itself in Gaza
Hamas has violently sought to reassert its authority over the Gaza Strip in the wake of the Israel military’s partial withdrawal, but questions remain over the group’s future and efforts to rebuild.
Since the ceasefire came into effect a week ago, the militant group has deployed armed police officers on streets from where Israeli forces have withdrawn, clashed with rival clans, directly fired upon and killed Israeli troops in multiple incidents, and staged at least one public execution of suspected collaborators.
As Hamas continues to demonstrate its presence, Israeli security officials and experts on Gaza agree it has been badly diminished but not thoroughly destroyed, and will count with new recruits propelled to join after tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians were killed by Israeli fire.
Hamas, diminished but not destroyed, reasserts itself in Gaza
TEL AVIV — Hamas has violently sought to reassert its authority over the Gaza Strip in the wake of the Israel military’s partial withdrawal, but questions remain over the group’s future and efforts to rebuildMatt Bradley (NBC News)
Anti-foreigner sentiments are on the rise as Japan faces a population crisis
Outside a train station near Tokyo, hundreds of people cheer as Sohei Kamiya, head of the surging nationalist party Sanseito, criticizes Japan’s rapidly growing foreign population.As opponents, separated by uniformed police and bodyguards, accuse him of racism, Kamiya shouts back, saying he is only talking common sense.
Sanseito, while still a minor party, made big gains in July’s parliamentary election, and Kamiya's “Japanese First” platform of anti-globalism, anti-immigration and anti-liberalism is gaining broader traction ahead of a ruling party vote Saturday that will choose the likely next prime minister.
How to keep track of system temps and hardware health indicators via dashboard with a proxmox installation?
Recently I added a new HDD to my proxmox system, and I started to realize the HDD was running warm. Was thinking for a second, and having a dashboard with temps and general hardware health would be useful for the server, but I do not find a solution from within proxmox to do this.
Does anyone here added this kind of dashboarding in a proxmox installation? And if so, how or what did you use?
I did know about zabbix before, and I actually did try to install it before using the proxmox helper scripts page. Somehow, by the end I got a blank page. Hence I made this post to see more alternatives.
I do know zabbix is super recognized in this area. I just did not install it successfuly on my previous attempt
Tbh, I have given up on Proxmox Helper Scripts for more demanding things recently as I had similar issues.
You can use the fully packed VM appliance or iso as well. Or Docker.
Or,tbh,try the manual install,it's somewhat straight forward. If you need help let me know.
Abigail Spanberger elected Virginia governor in a historic first that boosts Democrats ahead of 2026
Democrat Abigail Spanberger won the Virginia governor’s race Tuesday, defeating Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears to give Democrats a key victory heading into the 2026 midterm elections and make history as the first woman ever to lead the commonwealth.
Spanberger’s victory will flip partisan control of the governor’s office when she succeeds outgoing Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Also Tuesday, Democrat Ghazala F. Hashmi won the lieutenant governor’s race and will succeed Earle-Sears. Hashmi is the first Muslim woman to win a statewide office in the U.S.
Spanberger, a former congresswoman and CIA case officer, won with a campaign emphasizing economic issues, a strategy that may serve as a model for other Democrats in next year’s elections as they try to break Donald Trump’s and Republicans’ hold on power in Washington and gain ground in statehouses.
adhocfungus likes this.
How Israel repeatedly violated Gaza truce before strikes killed 100 Palestinians
By MEE staff
Published date: 29 October 2025 13:05
GMT
Meanwhile, Israel has violated multiple aspects of the agreement, including maintaining restrictions on aid, keeping the Rafah crossing closed and carrying out repeated air strikes.
In just under three weeks, Israeli forces have killed 211 people since the ceasefire began.
Medical supplies, fuel and other essential goods remain severely limited in the Palestinian enclave.
How Israel repeatedly violated Gaza truce before strikes killed 100 Palestinians
Israel unleashed a deadly wave of air strikes on Wednesday in Gaza, killing over 100 Palestinians, nearly half of them children, in the most significant breach of the ceasefire to date.MEE staff (Middle East Eye)
How Israel repeatedly violated Gaza truce before strikes killed 100 Palestinians
cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/38234808
By MEE staff
Published date: 29 October 2025 13:05
GMTMeanwhile, Israel has violated multiple aspects of the agreement, including maintaining restrictions on aid, keeping the Rafah crossing closed and carrying out repeated air strikes.
In just under three weeks, Israeli forces have killed 211 people since the ceasefire began.
Medical supplies, fuel and other essential goods remain severely limited in the Palestinian enclave.
How Israel repeatedly violated Gaza truce before strikes killed 100 Palestinians
By MEE staff
Published date: 29 October 2025 13:05
GMTMeanwhile, Israel has violated multiple aspects of the agreement, including maintaining restrictions on aid, keeping the Rafah crossing closed and carrying out repeated air strikes.
In just under three weeks, Israeli forces have killed 211 people since the ceasefire began.
Medical supplies, fuel and other essential goods remain severely limited in the Palestinian enclave.
How Israel repeatedly violated Gaza truce before strikes killed 100 Palestinians
Israel unleashed a deadly wave of air strikes on Wednesday in Gaza, killing over 100 Palestinians, nearly half of them children, in the most significant breach of the ceasefire to date.MEE staff (Middle East Eye)
France demonstrates ostentatious modernization
France formally puts into service a new version of the M51.3 sea-based ballistic missile. The official press release of the development company ArianeGroup reports the completion of ten years of work and the successful passage of tests.
However, behind this official picture lies a less confident reality. The long ten-year cycle of creating a missile, comparable to the service life of an entire generation of equipment, raises questions about the pace of modernization. Statements about "improving reliability" rather indicate the elimination of shortcomings of previous models than breakthrough capabilities.
The mention that the equipping of submarines will begin only “as new missiles become available” indicates a delayed and protracted process. This gives the impression that the project is still more on paper and in the form of individual units than in the form of a fully deployed combat force.
The official press release from the development company, ArianeGroup, announces the completion of ten years of work and the successful completion of tests.
However, behind this official picture lies a less confident reality. The long ten-year cycle of rocket development, which is comparable to the lifespan of an entire generation of technology, raises questions about the pace of modernization. The claims of "increased reliability" are more about addressing the shortcomings of previous models than about achieving breakthrough capabilities.
The mention that the equipping of submarines will begin only “as new missiles become available” indicates a delayed and protracted process. This gives the impression that the project is still more on paper and in the form of individual units than in the form of a fully deployed combat force.
Therefore, the announced adoption appears more as a demonstration of intent to maintain the image of a nuclear power than as a significant improvement in France's strategic capabilities.
On January 1st of 2026, Texas will be required to give ID to download apps from the app stores. It doesn't matter if it's NSFW or not.
cross-posted from: lemmy.world/post/37439450
S.B. No. 2420AN ACT
relating to the regulation of platforms for the sale and
distribution of software applications for mobile devices.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 5, Business & Commerce Code, is
amended by adding Chapter 121 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 121. SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS
SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 121.001. SHORT TITLE. This chapter may be cited as the
App Store Accountability Act.
Sec. 121.002. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Age category" means information collected by the
owner of an app store to designate a user based on the age
categories described by Section 121.021(b).
(2) "App store" means a publicly available Internet
website, software application, or other electronic service that
distributes software applications from the owner or developer of a
software application to the user of a mobile device.
(3) "Minor" means a child who is younger than 18 years
of age who has not had the disabilities of minority removed for
general purposes.
(4) "Mobile device" means a portable, wireless
electronic device, including a tablet or smartphone, capable of
transmitting, receiving, processing, and storing information
wirelessly that runs an operating system designed to manage
hardware resources and perform common services for software
applications on handheld electronic devices.
(5) "Personal data" means any information, including
sensitive data, that is linked or reasonably linkable to an
identified or identifiable individual. The term includes
pseudonymous data when the data is used by a person who processes or
determines the purpose and means of processing the data in
conjunction with additional information that reasonably links the
data to an identified or identifiable individual. The term does not
include deidentified data or publicly available information.
SUBCHAPTER B. DUTIES OF APP STORES
Sec. 121.021. DUTY TO VERIFY AGE OF USER; AGE CATEGORIES.
(a) When an individual in this state creates an account with an app
store, the owner of the app store shall use a commercially
reasonable method of verification to verify the individual's age
category under Subsection (b).
(b) The owner of an app store shall use the following age
categories for assigning a designation:
(1) an individual who is younger than 13 years of age
is considered a "child";
(2) an individual who is at least 13 years of age but
younger than 16 years of age is considered a "younger teenager";
(3) an individual who is at least 16 years of age but
younger than 18 years of age is considered an "older teenager"; and
(4) an individual who is at least 18 years of age is
considered an "adult."
Sec. 121.022. PARENTAL CONSENT REQUIRED. (a) If the owner
of the app store determines under Section 121.021 that an
individual is a minor who belongs to an age category that is not
"adult," the owner shall require that the minor's account be
affiliated with a parent account belonging to the minor's parent or
guardian.
(b) For an account to be affiliated with a minor's account
as a parent account, the owner of an app store must use a
commercially reasonable method to verify that the account belongs
to an individual who:
(1) the owner of the app store has verified belongs to
the age category of "adult" under Section 121.021; and
(2) has legal authority to make a decision on behalf of
the minor with whose account the individual is seeking affiliation.
(c) A parent account may be affiliated with multiple minors'
accounts.
(d) Except as provided by this section, the owner of an app
store must obtain consent from the minor's parent or guardian
through the parent account affiliated with the minor's account
before allowing the minor to:
(1) download a software application;
(2) purchase a software application; or
(3) make a purchase in or using a software
application.
(e) The owner of an app store must:
(1) obtain consent for each individual download or
purchase sought by the minor; and
(2) notify the developer of each applicable software
application if a minor's parent or guardian revokes consent through
a parent account.
(f) To obtain consent from a minor's parent or guardian
under Subsection (d), the owner of an app store may use any
reasonable means to:
(1) disclose to the parent or guardian:
(A) the specific software application or
purchase for which consent is sought;
(B) the rating under Section 121.052 assigned to
the software application or purchase;
(C) the specific content or other elements that
led to the rating assigned under Section 121.052;
(D) the nature of any collection, use, or
distribution of personal data that would occur because of the
software application or purchase; and
(E) any measures taken by the developer of the
software application or purchase to protect the personal data of
users;
(2) give the parent or guardian a clear choice to give
or withhold consent for the download or purchase; and
(3) ensure that the consent is given:
(A) by the parent or guardian; and
(B) through the account affiliated with a minor's
account under Subsection (a).
(g) If a software developer provides the owner of an app
store with notice of a change under Section 121.053, the owner of
the app store shall:
(1) notify any individual who has given consent under
this section for a minor's use or purchase relating to a previous
version of the changed software application; and
(2) obtain consent from the individual for the minor's
continued use or purchase of the software application.
(h) The owner of an app store is not required to obtain
consent from a minor's parent or guardian for:
(1) the download of a software application that:
(A) provides a user with direct access to
emergency services, including:
(i) 9-1-1 emergency services;
(ii) a crisis hotline; or
(iii) an emergency assistance service that
is legally available to a minor;
(B) limits data collection to information:
(i) collected in compliance with the
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (15 U.S.C. Section
6501 et seq.); and
(ii) necessary for the provision of
emergency services;
(C) allows a user to access and use the software
application without requiring the user to create an account with
the software application; and
(D) is operated by or in partnership with:
(i) a governmental entity;
(ii) a nonprofit organization; or
(iii) an authorized emergency service
provider; or
(2) the purchase or download of a software application
that is operated by or in partnership with a nonprofit organization
that:
(A) develops, sponsors, or administers a
standardized test used for purposes of admission to or class
placement in a postsecondary educational institution or a program
within a postsecondary educational institution; and
(B) is subject to Subchapter D, Chapter 32,
Education Code.
Sec. 121.023. DISPLAY OF AGE RATING FOR SOFTWARE
APPLICATION. (a) If the owner of an app store that operates in this
state has a mechanism for displaying an age rating or other content
notice, the owner shall:
(1) make available to users an explanation of the
mechanism; and
(2) display for each software application available
for download and purchase on the app store the age rating and other
content notice.
(b) If the owner of an app store that operates in this state
does not have a mechanism for displaying an age rating or other
content notice, the owner shall display for each software
application available for download and purchase on the app store:
(1) the rating under Section 121.052 assigned to the
software application; and
(2) the specific content or other elements that led to
the rating assigned under Section 121.052.
(c) The information displayed under this section must be
clear, accurate, and conspicuous.
Sec. 121.024. INFORMATION FOR SOFTWARE APPLICATION
DEVELOPERS. The owner of an app store that operates in this state
shall, using a commercially available method, allow the developer
of a software application to access current information related to:
(1) the age category assigned to each user under
Section 121.021(b); and
(2) whether consent has been obtained for each minor
user under Section 121.022.
Sec. 121.025. PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA. The owner of an
app store that operates in this state shall protect the personal
data of users by:
(1) limiting the collection and processing of personal
data to the minimum amount necessary for:
(A) verifying the age of an individual;
(B) obtaining consent under Section 121.022; and
(C) maintaining compliance records; and
(2) transmitting personal data using
industry-standard encryption protocols that ensure data integrity
and confidentiality.
Sec. 121.026. VIOLATION. (a) The owner of an app store
that operates in this state violates this subchapter if the owner:
(1) enforces a contract or a provision of a terms of
service agreement against a minor that the minor entered into or
agreed to without consent under Section 121.022;
(2) knowingly misrepresents information disclosed
under Section 121.022(f)(1);
(3) obtains a blanket consent to authorize multiple
downloads or purchases; or
(4) shares or discloses personal data obtained for
purposes of Section 121.021, except as required by Section 121.024
or other law.
(b) The owner of an app store is not liable for a violation
of Section 121.021 or 121.022 if the owner of the app store:
(1) uses widely adopted industry standards to:
(A) verify the age of each user as required by
Section 121.021; and
(B) obtain parental consent as required by
Section 121.022; and
(2) applies those standards consistently and in good
faith.
Sec. 121.027. CONSTRUCTION OF SUBCHAPTER. Nothing in this
subchapter may be construed to:
(1) prevent the owner of an app store that operates in
this state from taking reasonable measures to block, detect, or
prevent the distribution of:
(A) obscene material, as that term is defined by
Section 43.21, Penal Code; or
(B) other material that may be harmful to minors;
(2) require the owner of an app store that operates in
this state to disclose a user's personal data to the developer of a
software application except as provided by this subchapter;
(3) allow the owner of an app store that operates in
this state to use a measure required by this chapter in a manner
that is arbitrary, capricious, anticompetitive, or unlawful;
(4) block or filter spam;
(5) prevent criminal activity; or
(6) protect the security of an app store or software
application.
SUBCHAPTER C. DUTIES OF SOFTWARE APPLICATION DEVELOPERS
Sec. 121.051. APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. This subchapter
applies only to the developer of a software application that the
developer makes available to users in this state through an app
store.
Sec. 121.052. DESIGNATION OF AGE RATING. (a) The developer
of a software application shall assign to each software application
and to each purchase that can be made through the software
application an age rating based on the age categories described by
Section 121.021(b).
(b) The developer of a software application shall provide to
each app store through which the developer makes the software
application available:
(1) each rating assigned under Subsection (a); and
(2) the specific content or other elements that led to
each rating provided under Subdivision (1).
Sec. 121.053. CHANGES TO SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS. (a) The
developer of a software application shall provide notice to each
app store through which the developer makes the software
application available before making any significant change to the
terms of service or privacy policy of the software application.
(b) For purposes of this section, a change is significant if
it:
(1) changes the type or category of personal data
collected, stored, or shared by the developer;
(2) affects or changes the rating assigned to the
software application under Section 121.052 or the content or
elements that led to that rating;
(3) adds new monetization features to the software
application, including:
(A) new opportunities to make a purchase in or
using the software application; or
(B) new advertisements in the software
application; or
(4) materially changes the functionality or user
experience of the software application.
Sec. 121.054. AGE VERIFICATION. (a) The developer of a
software application shall create and implement a system to use
information received under Section 121.024 to verify:
(1) for each user of the software application, the age
category assigned to that user under Section 121.021(b); and
(2) for each minor user of the software application,
whether consent has been obtained under Section 121.022.
(b) The developer of a software application shall use
information received from the owner of an app store under Section
121.024 to perform the verification required by this section.
Sec. 121.055. USE OF PERSONAL DATA. (a) The developer of a
software application may use personal data provided to the
developer under Section 121.024 only to:
(1) enforce restrictions and protections on the
software application related to age;
(2) ensure compliance with applicable laws and
regulations; and
(3) implement safety-related features and default
settings.
(b) The developer of a software application shall delete
personal data provided by the owner of an app store under Section
121.024 on completion of the verification required by Section
121.054.
(c) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), nothing in this chapter
relieves a social media platform from doing age verification as
required by law.
Sec. 121.056. VIOLATION. (a) Except as provided by this
section, the developer of a software application violates this
subchapter if the developer:
(1) enforces a contract or a provision of a terms of
service agreement against a minor that the minor entered into or
agreed to without consent under Section 121.054;
(2) knowingly misrepresents an age rating or reason
for that rating under Section 121.052; or
(3) shares or discloses the personal data of a user
that was acquired under this subchapter.
(b) The developer of a software application is not liable
for a violation of Section 121.052 if the software developer:
(1) uses widely adopted industry standards to
determine the rating and specific content required by this section;
and
(2) applies those standards consistently and in good
faith.
(c) The developer of a software application is not liable
for a violation of Section 121.054 if the software developer:
(1) relied in good faith on age category and consent
information received from the owner of an app store; and
(2) otherwise complied with the requirements of this
section.
SUBCHAPTER D. ENFORCEMENT
Sec. 121.101. DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICE. A violation of
this chapter constitutes a deceptive trade practice in addition to
the practices described by Subchapter E, Chapter 17, and is
actionable under that subchapter.
Sec. 121.102. CUMULATIVE REMEDIES. The remedies provided
by this chapter are not exclusive and are in addition to any other
action or remedy provided by law.
SECTION 2. It is the intent of the legislature that every
provision, section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or word
in this Act, and every application of the provisions in this Act to
every person, group of persons, or circumstances, is severable from
each other. If any application of any provision in this Act to any
person, group of persons, or circumstances is found by a court to be
invalid for any reason, the remaining applications of that
provision to all other persons and circumstances shall be severed
and may not be affected.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect January 1, 2026.______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the HouseI hereby certify that S.B. No. 2420 passed the Senate on
April 16, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1; and that
the Senate concurred in House amendments on May 14, 2025, by the
following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1.______________________________
Secretary of the SenateI hereby certify that S.B. No. 2420 passed the House, with
amendments, on May 9, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 120,
Nays 9, three present not voting.______________________________
Chief Clerk of the HouseApproved:
______________________________
Date______________________________
Governor
Attention developers: stop making apps. If you want profit, make a subscription to an account with a web app. Want to keep people happy? Subscription only charges them once. Bonus, the web app you write once works on everything, including those niche Linux phones.
Government moves to censor websites? Darknets aren’t just for criminals and conspiracy theorists anymore. Whitelist sites? We move to mesh networks like reticulum.
We nerds can move faster than a government can, especially this one.
Best thing about this is that moves like this totally destroy the profit-centric internet of today, flinging us back to a simpler, weirder, better classical internet we grew up with.
crypto bullshit
Boom! Thats what I was going for. Lemmy seems so anti-crypto when it has real use cases like this. Even here stumbling into where it’s useful you call it bullshit, why?
But those requirements are at odds with wider adoption. Most people are stupid.
Remember George Carlin’s words: Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
Uncle Sam wants to scan your iris and collect your DNA, citizen or not
cross-posted from: lemmy.bestiver.se/post/719234
Comments
Uncle Sam wants to scan your iris and collect your DNA, citizen or not
: DHS rule would expand biometric collection to immigrants and some citizens linked to themBrandon Vigliarolo (The Register)
copymyjalopy likes this.
Azure is having issues
vegeta
in reply to spaghettiwestern • • •