Discord has begun automatically sorting users into age groups using account signals like account age, activity patterns, and connected servers, rather than requiring ID or selfie verification. Users estimated to be 13-17 will get added safety restrictions, while those judged 18+ see no account changes; anyone misclassified can manually verify age through account settings. The rollout follows a February pause of Discord's prior ID-based verification system after a third-party vendor breach exposed users' scanned identification documents.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-23
Heretic is a new tool designed to remove safety restrictions and refusal behaviors from language models, allowing them to follow user instructions without the typical content filters. It targets the alignment layers that model developers add to prevent certain outputs, effectively 'uncensoring' these systems for users who run them.
heretic-project.org
· 2026-09-21
A viral video shows a large data center in Denver's Elyria-Swansea neighborhood running sprinklers heavily on its grounds while residents face stage-one drought restrictions limiting lawn watering to two days a week. The facility is believed to be an 18-megawatt, 170,000-square-foot site owned by cloud provider CoreSite, though the tenants using the space haven't been confirmed.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-07
A Denver resident filmed a newly built AI data center running its lawn sprinklers heavily enough to create standing puddles, even as Denver Water's Stage 1 drought restrictions limit residential and commercial lawn watering to twice a week through September, with a full ban starting October 1. The footage went viral and fueled anger, though it remains unclear whether the facility violated the rules, since the timing of the video, use of recycled non-potable water, or a special variance could all justify the watering.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-09-04
Google published a memo detailing enforcement of new per-app memory limits introduced with Android 17, first rolling out on Pixel devices. Apps that exceed the thresholds will be slowed down or terminated, and starting in February 2027, non-compliant apps could face reduced visibility and publishing restrictions on the Play Store.
theverge.com
· 2026-08-27
Meta has settled requirements forcing Instagram and Facebook to add new teen safeguards, including a non-personalized feed option, stricter age verification, a combined two-hour daily usage cap across both apps, and recurring prompts urging teens to stop scrolling. The changes must roll out within four months and apply across alternate accounts Meta detects belonging to the same teen user.
theverge.com
· 2026-08-26
X Corp has sent cease-and-desist letters demanding the permanent shutdown of Nitter, the open-source tool that let users read tweets without logging into X, and its repository. Nitter's main site, Nitter.net, has gone offline while creator Zedeus seeks legal counsel, and other Nitter-based sites like XCancel reportedly received similar letters. This follows a 2024 attempt by X to disable Nitter through API restrictions.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-08-25
GoKawiil