Chicago Looking at ‘Vax Pass’ for Concerts and Other Events, Public Health Commissioner Says

Chicago Tribune on MSN News reported:

Chicago’s top public health official on Tuesday said she expects the city to debut a form of a vaccination passport requirement next month for access to events geared toward young adults.

Chicago public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady gave few details about the initiative, but said it will be dubbed “Vax Pass” and roll out in May as a means to encourage vaccination particularly in younger people in exchange for attendance at concerts or other events as the second pandemic summer begins.

“You get a vaccine, you’ll be able to get into a concert or get into an event,” Arwady said. “(We’re) really thinking, particularly for younger people, how can we make vaccine something that people are excited about getting?”

Connecticut Lawmakers Vote to Repeal Religious Exemptions to Vaccines, Health Freedom Advocates Vow Legal Challenge

The Defender reported:

Connecticut lawmakers Tuesday voted to repeal the religious exemption for vaccines for all Connecticut students, from daycare through higher education.

House Bill 6423, “An Act Concerning Immunization,” passed by a vote of 22 – 14 after about nine hours of debate. The bill passed almost along party lines, with all but two Democrats in favor of removing the exemption, and all Republicans against. Two lawmakers, both Democrats, abstained.

The bill includes an amendment which allows students who had exemptions on file prior to the bill passing to remain in school. However future Connecticut students of any age will now be required to be fully vaccinated per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommended schedule.

Mass Legal Action Against Google Would ‘Open the Floodgates,’ Supreme Court Told

Glasgow Times reported:

A billion-pound legal action against Google over claims it secretly tracked millions of iPhone users’ internet activity would “open the floodgates” to mass data protection claims if it is allowed to go ahead, the Supreme Court has heard.

Former Which? director Richard Lloyd, supported by campaign group Google You Owe Us, wants to bring a “representative action” against the US-based tech giant on behalf of around 4.4 million people in England and Wales.

He claims Google “illegally misused the data of millions of iPhone users”, through the “clandestine tracking and collation” of information about internet usage on iPhones’ Safari browser, known as the “Safari workaround.”

Your Tech Devices Want to Read Your Brain. What Could Go Wrong?

The Washington Post on MSN News reported:

As a PhD student at the University of Michigan in 2015, he developed a brain-computer interface that would allow people to control software and physical objects with their thoughts. Today, that interface is behind plans by a Boston-based start-up, Neurable, to begin shipping a set of brain-sensing headphones to let you know when you’re poised for peak productivity.

Using your thoughts to make things happen in the real world was once a thing of science fiction. Now, it’s moving into reality, and Neurable’s interface is just one of the products companies are trying to develop that would usher in a consumer revolution in electronics. 

Already, brain tech allows players to manipulate avatars in video games by concentrating on parts of the screen. And Facebook last month revealed plans to interpret your intent to move a finger to trigger digital commands.

Washington Post Quits Fact-Check Database 100 Days Into Biden Presidency

Washington Examiner reported:

The Washington Post is ending its presidential fact-check database just 100 days into President Joe Biden’s administration after four years of rigorously investigating former President Donald Trump.

“We’ve been comparing Biden (67 false or misleading claims) to Trump’s first 100 days (511 claims.)” Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler tweeted Tuesday. “But past is no prologue. In the last 100 days before the 2020 election, we counted 8,859 claims made by Trump. It was a wild ride.”

Google Owner Sees Record Profits as Lockdown Boom Continues

BBC News reported:

Google owner Alphabet saw its earnings soar in the first quarter as people stuck at home in the pandemic used more of its services.

Net profit jumped by 162% to a record $17.9bn in the three months to March as advertising revenue swelled by a third. 

It comes as the tech giant faces increased scrutiny over its power and the pandemic has people turning to the internet more than ever.

The firm credited “elevated consumer activity online” for its results.

Apple Fined $12M by Russian Regulator Over App Store Monopoly Abuse

The Verge reported:

Russia’s antitrust regulator, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), has fined Apple $12 million over complaints it unfairly cracked down on third-party parental control apps, the regulator has announced. The FAS started its investigation after receiving a complaint from Kaspersky Lab in March 2019, which claimed Apple had forced it to limit the functionality of its Safe Kids app shortly after Apple added the Screen Time feature to iOS 12.

The fine comes in the same week that EU regulators are expected to issue charges of their own against Apple. These come in response to a complaint from Spotify in March 2019 about the 30 percent cut Apple takes for in-app purchases, which it said gives Apple’s own services an unfair advantage. As well as Spotify, parental control apps Kidslox and Qustodio also complained to European regulators, The New York Times reported in April 2019.

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