(This article is part of Today’s Cache, The Hindu’s newsletter on emerging themes at the intersection of technology, innovation and policy. To get it in your inbox, subscribe here.)
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EU probes X over Israel-Hamas response
In a sign of how strictly the European Union plans to enforce the new Digital Services Act (DSA), EU industry chief Thierry Breton is probing X (formerly Twitter) over its response to the Israel-Hamas conflict, amidst thousands of accounts spreading false, gory, or misleading posts about the ongoing violence. X owner Elon Musk called for Breton to publicly list out X’s offences while X CEO Linda Yaccarino opted for a more tactful approach and published a letter explaining that internal teams were focusing on the conflict. She confirmed that thousands of Community Notes had been rolled out to provide additional context and fight misinformation, while thousands of posts had been removed for spreading hateful or violent content. Yaccarino also said that X has removed accounts affiliated with Hamas.
X was not the only social media company to face international criticism over its response to the war, as Breton also called on TikTok to take action on violent videos from the conflict being shown to child users. A similar letter was sent to Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg, though its tone was less severe and noted some existing mechanisms the company had in place to fight misinformation during global events.
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Sony reveals controller for gamers with disabilities
Sony will be launching a new PlayStation controller called Access, which was designed in consultation with gamers who have disabilities. The product is slated for release in December and will be around $90 in the U.S. Gamers who cannot use the standard PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo controllers have long called for a more inclusive option. The nonprofit AbleGamers helped both Microsoft and Sony release accessible controllers. The Sony Access controller is designed in such a way that it can be customised and re-configured by its users with the help of accessories in a kit so that they can use the gaming key caps which best fit their needs, in combination with other tools such as modified desks or wheelchairs.
Durability was a priority when designing the Sony Access, with the makers intending that it should be able to sit flat on a desk and a wheelchair tray. It should also be able to withstand being dropped or mistakenly run over by a wheelchair.
India claims Vivo breached regulations
India’s second biggest smartphone company, the Chinese-origin Vivo, is in more legal hot water as India’s Enforcement Directorate claimed that Chinese workers did not divulge their employer was Vivo when applying for Indian visas, and also visited “sensitive” areas such as Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
At least 30 Chinese nationals who came into the country with business visas have been implicated, but the court filing which contains the accusations was not made public. Vivo executive Guangwen Kuang was also arrested as part of a money laundering investigation. A recent court filing said that Vivo sent billions of dollars outside India to trading companies controlled by its Chinese parent. Chinese electronics companies in India have been investigated by legal authorities even as they captured large shares of the Indian smartphone market in recent years, thanks to their many budget-friendly offerings.