Boeing has efficiently examined the parachute system of its Starliner spacecraft beneath excessive circumstances, the aerospace large revealed on Monday, June 29.

Like SpaceXs Crew Dragon capsule, the Starliner is designed to move astronauts to the Worldwide House Station (ISS), however not like the Crew Dragon, its but to take action.

Thats primarily right down to delays brought on by a failed take a look at flight in December 2019 when a software program concern prevented an uncrewed Starliner from reaching the area station.

Whereas it really works on fixing the software program, Boeing can be specializing in the protection of the spacecrafts parachute system. Carried out above White Sands House Harbor in New Mexico, final weeks parachute take a look at was geared toward validating the parachutes efficiency in dynamic abort circumstances.

With astronauts anticipated to trip aboard the spacecraft, NASA and Boeing should be completely sure that if an abort had been to happen early right into a launch, the parachutes in Starliners touchdown sequence would inflate within the correct means regardless of needing to deploy in very totally different flight circumstances in comparison with a traditional touchdown.

Parachutes like clear air circulate, Jim More durable, Boeings flight conductor, said in a report concerning the take a look at on Boeings web site. They inflate predictably beneath a variety of circumstances, however in sure ascent aborts, youre deploying these parachutes into extra unsteady air the place correct inflation turns into much less predictable. We needed to check the inflation traits at low dynamic strain so we might be utterly assured within the system we developed.

Dropped by a high-altitude balloon, the spacecrafts small parachutes designed to elevate away the Starliners ahead warmth defend deployed efficiently. Ten seconds later, the spacecrafts two drogue parachutes additionally opened as anticipated, inflating completely regardless of the low dynamic strain.

To push the Starliner to the restrict, the group prepped the take a look at in order that one in every of its three foremost parachutes would fail to open on descent. Regardless of the engineered fault, the spacecraft was in a position to land safely a short time later.

Boeing stated the info from the parachute take a look at will probably be analyzed to enhance the reliability of the system forward of crewed flights, the primary of which may happen subsequent 12 months following an uncrewed take a look at flight within the fall.

Boeing is a part of NASAs Business Crew Program, a public-private partnership combining NASAs expertise with new know-how created by non-public firms with the goal of accelerating the supply of area journey. This system has already succeeded in returning human spaceflight launches to U.S. soil through the present SpaceX mission to the ISS, with upcoming crewed missions to the moon, and even Mars, additionally on the horizon.

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Reddit bans r/The_Donald and 2000 other hateful subreddits because it was about time - Best gaming pro

The UK must ban the import of goods from illegal settlements in the West Bank if the Israeli government presses ahead with annexation plans this week, Lisa Nandy, the shadow foreign secretary, has said.

The move would be a major step and require courage that so far ministers have not been willing to show, she told the Observer. But such a blatant breach of international law must have consequences.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has said Israel will apply sovereignty to up to 30% of the occupied West Bank as early as Wednesday, despite mounting international opposition and warnings that annexation would kill off a future Palestinian state.

Boris Johnson told MPs earlier this month that the UK government strongly objected to the plan and restated support for the two-state solution. But the government is coming under increasing pressure to take concrete action if Netanyahus annexation proposals are implemented.

Nandy said: The proposal to unilaterally annex nearly a third of the West Bank is an illegal act which will undermine the prospect of a peaceful two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, and has serious implications for the stability of the Middle East.

It is a shameful proposition to which the UK cannot be a silent witness. Across the world concern is growing So far the UK government has been conspicuously absent from this global response.

This is now urgent. The government must be clear with the Israeli coalition government that concrete action will follow, including a ban on goods entering Britain from the illegal settlements in the West Bank. This is a major step, but such a blatant breach of international law must have consequences. It will take a level of courage that so far ministers have not been willing to show.

Nandys proposal, backed by Keir Starmer, is a significant toughening of Labours policy on Israel. In the 2019 manifesto, the party merely called for a diplomatic solution.

The Trump administrations support for Netanyahus plan might discourage UK action for fear of jeopardising a UK-US trade deal, she added. But Britain had a unique moral responsibility and must step up. Should we fail to do so, the world will pay the price for a long time to come.

Last week, more than 1,000 European parliamentarians signed a letter opposing annexation, saying acquisition of territory by force must have commensurate consequences and calling on European leaders to act decisively.

Among the 240 UK signatories were Michael Howard, a former Conservative party leader; Chris Patten, former Conservative party chairman and governor of Hong Kong; Pauline Neville-Jones, former chair of the British joint intelligence committee; and George Robertson, former Nato secretary general.

In a statement to be issuedon Monday, a coalition of UK-based humanitarian, development, human rights and faith organisations will demand the government outlines clearly and publicly, what actual, meaningful consequences will result if Israel proceeds with its illegal annexation plans.

William Bell of Christian Aid, which is a member of the coalition, said the UK should formally recognise the state of Palestine and end all trade with illegal settlements in response to annexation.

Sir Vincent Fean, a former British consul-general to Jerusalem, also called on the UK government to recognise the state of Palestine alongside Israel on pre-1967 borders.

He said the consequences of annexation for Israel should include banning the importation of goods produced in illegal settlements and sanctions similar to those imposed on Russia after its illegal takeover of the Crimea in 2014.

Crispin Blunt, a Conservative MP and former chair of the foreign affairs select committee, said the UK government should have made clear [to Israel] there is going to be a price for the annexation plan, with trade agreements between the two countries ended or curtailed.

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Lisa Nandy urges ban on imports of West Bank goods - The Guardian

Surveillance is the watchword at the seaside this summer, with Spanish beaches using drones, cameras and colored tape to ensure safety for tourists holidaying in the shadow of the virus.

Although the pandemic is now well under control, Spanish resorts are gearing up for a summer with a difference, with a host of precautions to keep beachgoers safe.

Over the curve of the bay in the northeastern resort of Lloret de Mar, a drone lazily flies overhead, the eye in the sky keeping a close watch to ensure there's no overcrowding.

The aim, says mayor Jaume Dulset, is to "find the balance between people being comfortable and relaxing while ensuring a safe environment."

At this resort some 70 kilometers up the coast from Barcelona, the town hall has drawn up plans to reassure tourists in the wake of the pandemic which in Spain has claimed more than 28,300 lives.

Always full in summer, its beaches are being partitioned off, with cameras and sensors transmitting real-time information to potential visitors via an app.

With more municipal staff to flag up any non-compliance, they are also using drones that can play recorded messages about social distancing should they spot overcrowding.

There's also a scheme for reserving areas on the sand -- which would be easier to manage than a free-for-all -- but for now, that won't be activated at this resort which is popular with British and French tourists for its family-friendly atmosphere and vibrant night-life.

Read also: Booking apps and electronic tags? Italy's beaches seek to salvage summer

Saving the summer

For now, only a handful of beachgoers are setting out towels and adjusting sunloungers on this kilometre-long (half-mile) beach which can accommodate up to 15,000 people.

"Normally we would be full by this point but for now, there are very few people so it's easy to respect the security distance," explains 78-year-old Jose Mara Quicio.

He and his wife Olga, 81, have set up folding chairs a few metres from the shore inside a red cordon roping off space for those over 70.

"This is our area," say his wife after coming back from a dip in the sea.

"It makes you feel safer, it's good, better than before."

About 50 metres away, a lifeguard sits on his watchtower, wearing sunglasses and a fabric mask.

As well as his normal duties, he must also watch for anyone flouting the distancing norms as well as disinfect the toilets and the first aid posts.

"Our first priority is ensuring no one drowns. But from now, we're also helping out with the rest," explains lifeguard coordinator Joel da Silva.

The town hall's plan involved training 8,500 workers in how to ensure health and safety in such places as well as in restaurants, hotels and nightclubs.

"There's a lot of uncertainty but we've done our homework, we are ready for the tourists to arrive and we're waiting for them with open arms," says Dulset.

"We're hoping we can save the season."

Read also: Spain to allow Britons to visit from Sunday without quarantine

Sectioning-off the sand

Like Lloret, many resorts have developed strategies for avoiding a surfeit of sunbathers along Spain's 8,000 kilometers of shoreline -- a refuge for millions of tourists from Spain and beyond.

And the measures are manifold: from sensor-controlled access which can be shut off when capacity is reached, to sections parcelled-off for groups, to banning games taking up too much space or involving a lot of people.

And there's the job of disinfecting sunloungers and parasols.

"The way we go to the beach this year has changed but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy it," says a promotional video for Benidorm, a southeastern resort hugely popular with British tourists.

Its two main beaches have been divided into lots measuring four square meters which beachgoers can reserve through an app.

But the system hasn't yet been used given the lack of visitors to this town that last year counted 16 million overnight stays.

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Drones and CCTV: Surveillance for safety on the sand in Spain - The Jakarta Post - Jakarta Post

TikTok user Gems bio reads the revolution will be TikTokdand theyre certainly not alone in that belief or intention given that TikTok activism is, well, a thing. Recently, a number of TikTok users claimed to register for tickets to President Donald Trumps rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, without having any intention to attend. The effect was a silent protest of sorts, with the rally attendance numbers falling dramatically shorter than what was predicted.

Furthermore, the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag on TikTok has garnered more than 12 billion views, and many users of the social media platform have deemed the short vide clips it supports their medium of choice for striking effective change. Which, as a reminder, can take shape in a number of ways, including disrupting, storytelling, and guiding.

Gem and a host of other Black Lives Matter activists are leading the charge of using TikTok as a medium for striking change, and allies to the Black community would benefit from following them, stat. Take note of what each of the following five TikTok activists has to say about issues like defunding the police, shadowbanning on TikTok, and white fragility. Then use your own voice to amplify their worthy messages conveyed via TikTok activism.

Gems videos are poignant callouts of white privilege, white fragility, and white centering. In the video above, they focus on the fact that, although many white liberals are pro-abolition, they often still hold some hypocrisy if they believe in the existing prison and police system. Also be sure to watch Gems videos on self-congratulatory allyship and distinguishing between the terms Black and POC.

Joyola Dokun uses her vocal talents to lyricize about oppression, white guilt, and the Black experience in America. More of her videos to watch include signature songs dedicated to the Black community.

Naomi Brook is all about celebrating and taking pride in Black culture. Shes also about calling out negative comments directed at her that are laced with racismand the internet is better off for it.

Jailyns lightning-fast TikTok videos cram a ton of useful, timely information about the Black Lives Matter movement into short (often funny) videos. The one above, for example, uses an extended garden metaphor to explain what it means to defund the police. Watch her four-part TikTok videos series about what to do instead of calling the cops.

User Pastrami On Rai has actively called out TikToks shadowbanning of Black voices in late Maythe practice of blocking a users content on social media without the user readily knowingand shes only continued to call out both macro and microaggressions on TikTok and beyond. Check out her videos about Juneteenthand police use of LRADs weapons.

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Meet the Next Generation of Black Lives Matter Activists Who Are Using TikTok To Create Change - Well+Good

The Trump administration, home to some of the most prominent voices that cry wolf about supposed politically biased censorship online, is calling on some of the biggest names in tech and social media to crack down on how users post about ongoing racial-justice protests.

As first reported by the Washington Post, this week the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, sent letters to the CEOs of Facebook, Twitter, Snap, Apple, and Googles parent company, Alphabet, demanding that they take action against posts that encourage protestors to commit violence, break curfews, or tear down statues representing white supremacy.

In a copy of one of these letters shared by the Verge, Wolf condemns platforms for their lack of censorship on this kind of content (of which he cites zero examples). He argues that while the Constitutions First Amendment protects free speech, the power of social media can also serve as a weapon to perpetuate criminal activity and the inaction of Facebook, Twitter, and the like has helped facilitate burglary, arson, aggravated assault, rioting, looting, and defacing public property amid nationwide protests.

Of course, its unclear exactly what posts Wolfs referring to here because, again, his letter doesnt reference any. One of the more prominent subjects of online censorship in recent weeks has been the so-called boogaloo movement, a loosely coordinated group of far-right extremists based around the idea that America is headed into a second Civil War. After several posts in boogaloo groups pushed members to grab their guns and crash otherwise peaceful protests, Facebook purged nearly 200 accounts associated with the movement and stopped promoting Facebook groups tied to such violent calls for action as well.

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But something tells me thats not what Wolf was referring to, since the idea of violent right-wing extremists causing trouble doesnt fit the narrative of the antifa boogeyman spun up by conservative media and, by extension, President Donald Trump himself.

In the wake of George Floyds death, America faced an unprecedented threat from violent extremists seeking to co-opt the tragedy of his death for illicit purposes, he continued. At the Department of Homeland Security, we are committed to safeguarding the American people, our homeland, and our values, which includes protecting our First Amendment rights while keeping our citizens, law enforcement officers, and property safe.

It should be noted that Wolf makes no mention in these letters of Trumps own controversial post in which he encouraged a violent military response to protestors by proclaiming when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Ironically, that post did run afoul of Twitters policies against glorifying violence and was quickly flagged with a warning.

Facebooks decision to keep the presidents post up for the sake of public interest prompted a wave of criticism, including from within the company itself, that led several advertisers to pull their business (in part, at least) from the platform. The company has since back-pedaledheavily, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg saying Friday that Facebook will begin affixing labels or taking down posts from public figures that violate its rules moving forward.

Since these letters are a general call to action rather than an announcement of any official legal proceedings, its uncertain whatif anyaction these platforms might take in response. Though it does mark the latest escalation of the administrations attempt to curb speech online that the president doesnt care for, all while simultaneously ranting about how social media platforms silence right-wing voices. At the end of May, Trump signed an executive order tasking the Federal Communications Commission with investigating whether tech companies are censoring, harassing, and shadow banning conservatives even though previous investigations have found insufficient evidence to support this conspiracy theory.

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Trump Administration: Social Media Platforms Need to Police Calls for Violence That Aren't the President's - Gizmodo

Some of the most popular cryptocurrency-related channels on YouTube indicated that the giant video platform is shadowbanning Bitcoin videos. Several YouTubers complained that the new practice began two days ago, which coincides with a recent core update from Google.

The most widely used video-sharing platform has a continuous quarrel with cryptocurrency content creators. The so-called Crypto Purge popped initially late 2019, when YouTube began issuing warnings, removing crypto-related videos, and even deleting channels related to digital assets.

It appears that now the Google-owned platform is taking another drastic action towards silencing the Bitcoin community. Popular crypto YouTubers outlined that YouTube is shadowbanning videos related to the ecosystem. Meaning, such content is removed from the feed of most users.

Alex Saunders, the person behind the Nuggets News Au channel, said that even subscribers with turned-on show all option settings are not able to locate his videos.

Carl Eric Martin, operating the popular channel The Moon that recently crossed the 100,000 subscribers, told CryptoPotato earlier today that he witnessed a change since yesterday (Monday). Since then, all Bitcoin-related videos uploaded to the platform start with the usual boost of views, but in a matter of a few hours, the numbers decrease significantly.

This can be seen on the following screenshots, which were taken today from YouTube Analytics of two different affected videos:

YouTube has shadowbanned my videos about Bitcoin. Three hours after uploading my videos, the views completely drop off and no longer show up in the search results on YouTube. This is yet another attack against Bitcoin YouTubers. The Moon added.

Martin also confirmed that some other leading cryptocurrency YouTubers were affected, and he called it a coordinated ban against videos talking about Bitcoin.

Chris from the MMCrypto channel told CryptoPotato that the Purge has evolved into something even more dangerous.

Especially during these times, of reckless fiat currency printing and the financial crisis it is crucial for us to educate our audience about how to protect their wealth and whats going wrong in the economy.

Shortly after the start of the Crypto Purge at the beginning of this year, YouTube insisted that it was a mistake and restored most of the crypto content. However, the suspension and strikes kept happening occasionally, and it seemed that the platform had issues identifying if cryptocurrency videos are legitimate content or scams.

Now, though, the situation could be different. Approximately at the same time when the reports on the shadowbanning began, Google, the parent company of YouTube, introduced a broad core algorithm update. Such huge updates are taking place once every couple of months.

According to Google, after this update, some of the previously high rated content could be lowered in rankings. However, it reassured that theres nothing in a core update that targets specific pages or sites.

Pages that drop after a core update dont have anything wrong to fix. This said we understand those who do less well after a core update change may still feel they need to do something. We suggest focusing on ensuring youre offering the best content you can.

Additionally, Google said that its automated systems use a mix of many different signals to rank great content. Those included aligning what human beings would agree is great content as they would assess it according to our Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T) criteria.

While searching on YouTube for Bitcoin, we do notice changes and removal of some of the most well-known crypto channels that are missing from the top results. However, as Google said, core updates take up to two weeks to settle if thats the case.

With that being said, its unclear yet if this update is the primary reason; however, suppressing some legitimate videos could harm each YouTuber. Consequently, such events could push cryptocurrency content creators to search for an alternative.

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Core Update? YouTube Is Shadow-banning Bitcoin Related Videos, According To Popular Crypto Channels - CryptoPotato

Parler CEO John Matze

EpochTimes

Jim Jordan, Elise Stefanik and Nikki Haley all have something in common, other than a strong affection towards President Trump.

The three Republican politicians joined social media app Parler this week, adding their profiles to a site that's emerged as the new digital stomping ground for anti-Twitter conservatives. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas arrived earlier this month and Rep. Devin Nunes of California started in February, while Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has been a member since 2018, the year the app launched.

"It's about time y'all joined me on @parler_app," Paul tweeted on Wednesday. "What's taking the rest of you so long?!"

To be fair, Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale has also been on Parler since 2018. Eric Trump, the president's son, and his wife, Lara, joined on the same day last month.Like Twitter, the app lets users share comments, photos and news stories with their followers.

The catalyst for the latest growth surge was a story from The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, which said that the Trump administration was looking for alternatives to Facebook and Twitter over concern that more content is going to be blocked as the election campaign heats up. The Journal named Parler as a possible alternative.

Two days later, Parler was the top-ranked iPhone app in the news category, ahead of Twitter and Reddit, and 24th overall, just behind Venmo and WhatsApp, according to App Annie.User growth surged to 1.5 million from 1 million over the course of about a week, said John Matze, Parler's 27-year-old founder and CEO.

"We're a community town square, an open town square, with no censorship," Matze said in an interview on Thursday, from his home in Las Vegas. "If you can say it on the street of New York, you can say it on Parler."

Parler is playing into the hands of conservatives, who have become more vocal in their criticism of Twitter since the site started flagging Trump's tweets for promoting violence or abusive behavior or making false claims that could confuse voters. Trump supporters have long argued that the dominant Silicon Valley platforms have been out to censor conservative voices, even as those very same people continue to post on those sites and rack up followers by the thousands.

Rep. Jordan of Ohio told his 1.4 million Twitter followers on Friday to come over to Parler, where they "don't censor or shadow ban," referring to the practice of banning users in a way that's not apparent to them. By late afternoon he had about 3,100 followers on Parler.

Twitter regularly denies treating people differently based on their political views.Liz Kelley, a Twitter spokeswoman, told CNBC in a statement that, "We enforce the Twitter Rules impartially for everyone, regardless of their background or political affiliation."

When Nunes joined in February, he told his Twitter fans, which number 1.1 million, to join him on Parler if they're "tired of left wing censorship of big tech." Nunes has an infamous relationship with Twitter, after attempting to sue the company for defamation and negligence and naming as defendants two anonymous parody accounts, "Devin Nunes' Mom" and "Devin Nunes' Cow."

"With Devin Nunes came a whole pack of haters," said Matze. He said that parody accounts are fine and even welcome, but Parler draws a line when it comes to spammers. "You can't spam people's comment sections with unrelated content," he said.

That's not the only no-no on Parler, which has a fairly thorough set of community guidelines. The app doesn't allow terrorist organizations or support for terrorism, the sharing of false rumors, violent language (what the site describes as "fighting words") toward others, blackmail or pornography.

For verification, Parler awards a gold badge to public figures to distinguish them from parody accounts, which get a purple badge.

Matze, a computer scientist who founded the company in 2018, is grateful for the growth even if all the new verifications are creating a lot of extra work for his 30-person team.

But Matze doesn't want the app to be just an echo chamber for conservative voices. Personally, he says he doesn't like either political party and he wants to see more healthy debate. He's so intent on getting some liberals onto the platform that he's offering a $20,000 "progressive bounty" for an openly liberal pundit with 50,000 followers on Twitter or Facebook to start a Parler account.

The company will judge the best one, based on engagement with the community, and pay that person the reward. Matze said there's been such little response that he increased the original proposed payment from $10,000 to $20,000.

"The whole company was never intended to be a pro-Trump thing," Matze said. "A lot of the audience is pro-Trump. I don't care. I'm not judging them either way."

Brad Parscale, manager of U.S. President Donald Trump's re-election campaign, speaks during a rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020.

Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Where Matze is in full agreement with the Parler audience is in his opinion of Twitter. He thinks the company is targeting conservatives with censorship.

"I don't see why you need to censor the president's tweets," he said. "If you don't like what he has to say, vote him out of office."

Matze expects Parler to become a more attractive site for a more diverse audience over time because he sees Twitter continuing down a path of alienating right-wing voices, and "no one is going to want to stay on Twitter if the conservatives are gone."

But he recognizes that the political tone of his platform will probably make it hard for him to raise money from investors in Silicon Valley, which leans Democratic and is decidedly anti-Trump. Thus far, he's funded the company with angel money and said he'll soon be looking to raise a first institutional round of financing.

"I can only speculate that they wouldn't be interested unless they're ideological," he said, referring to traditional venture investors.

His bigger challenge, and one that venture capitalists know well, is the difficulty in turning a big audience into a massive audience and turning that into a business. Few ad-supported companies have managed that feat. Matze said the site has a nascent ad business, but that revenue has not been a focus of the company. One model he's considering is a revenue share, so that users can monetize their own fanbase without all of the benefits going to the company.

There's much more to do first, though, on the product side. For example, sharing content isn't as easy as on other networks. If you share a post with a friend via a text message, the other person can't view it without being logged in. Matze says he's "fully intent on opening the platform" but user growth has gotten in the way of building it out.

For the Trump campaign, that appears to be a significant hurdle. Parscale, who has 159,000 followers on Parler, compared to almost 700,000 on Twitter, made a number of suggestions to the company last month, like recommending that it spend money to lure more media members and hire a designer.

With just a few months until the election and Trump sinking in the polls, he's not hiding his ultimate goal.

"It must be buttoned up," he wrote on May 29. "I want to love it. I want to use it, I want to help. However, more than anything I want to win in November."

WATCH: Trump to sign executive order aimed at cracking down on Facebook, Twitter

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Trump fans are flocking to the social media app Parler its CEO is begging liberals to join them - CNBC

A new bipartisan Senate bill is taking aim at the liability protections enjoyed by internet platforms like Facebook and YouTube.

The Platform Accountability and Consumer Transparency (PACT) Act, introduced by Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and John Thune (R-SD) on Wednesday, would require online platforms like Facebook and Google to reveal their content moderation practices through a range of mandatory disclosures. The bill would also create a new avenue for holding these companies responsible for hosting illegal content by making changes to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

The bill is a combination of measures that encourage platforms to remove bad content and measures that keep those moderation systems in check, hoping to draw support from both sides of the ongoing debate over platform regulation.

If approved, the bill would force large tech platforms to explain how they moderate content in a way that is easily accessible to users and release quarterly reports including disaggregated statistics on what content has been removed, demonetized, or had its reach algorithmically limited. Platforms would then be required to roll out a formal complaint system for users that processes reports and explains their moderation decisions within 14 days. Users would then be allowed to appeal those moderation decisions within a companys internal reporting systems, something that already exists on platforms like Facebook.

Other bills aimed at Section 230 would allow users to report certain content moderation decisions to the government, primarily the Federal Trade Commission. The PACT Act is in direct opposition to those proposals and allows for moderation reports to remain internal. Over the last year, both Republicans and Democrats have taken aim at 230 as a means of addressing misinformation or what conservatives believe to be bias or shadowbanning of right-leaning posts. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month that would pare back 230 protections. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has called for 230 to be repealed entirely.

Our approach is a scalpel, rather than a jackhammer, Schatz said in a call with reporters Wednesday.

On top of formalizing moderation behavior, the bill amends Section 230 in a way that requires large platforms to remove court-ordered illegal content within 24 hours. It also opens them up to civil lawsuits from federal regulators, which are currently limited by Section 230. State attorneys general would also be empowered with the ability to enforce federal civil law against platforms. The likely result would be a flood of new lawsuits against large tech companies, with unpredictable consequences.

There is a bipartisan consensus that Section 230, which governs certain internet use, is ripe for reform, Thune said in a statement Wednesday. The internet has thrived because of the light touch approach by which its been governed in its relatively short history. By using that same approach when it comes to Section 230 reform, we can ensure platform users are protected, while also holding companies accountable.

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The PACT Act would force platforms to disclose shadowbans and demonetizations - The Verge

Surveillance is the watchword at the seaside this summer, with Spanish beaches using drones, cameras and coloured tape to ensure safety for tourists holidaying in the shadow of the virus.

Although the pandemic is now well under control, Spanish resorts are gearing up for a summer with a difference, with a host of precautions to keep beachgoers safe.

Over the curve of the bay in the northeastern resort of Lloret de Mar, a drone lazily flies overhead, the eye in the sky keeping a close watch to ensure there's no overcrowding.

The aim, says mayor Jaume Dulset, is to "find the balance between people being comfortable and relaxing while ensuring a safe environment."

At this resort some 70 kilometres (45 miles) up the coast from Barcelona, the town hall has drawn up plans to reassure tourists in the wake of the pandemic which in Spain has claimed more than 28,300 lives.

Always full in summer, its beaches are being partitioned off, with cameras and sensors transmitting real-time information to potential visitors via an app.

With more municipal staff to flag up any non-compliance, they are also using drones that can play recorded messages about social distancing should they spot overcrowding.

There's also a scheme for reserving areas on the sand -- which would be easier to manage than a free-for-all -- but for now, that won't be activated at this resort which is popular with British and French tourists for its family-friendly atmosphere and vibrant night-life.

For now, only a handful of beachgoers are setting out towels and adjusting sunloungers on this kilometre-long (half-mile) beach which can accommodate up to 15,000 people.

"Normally we would be full by this point but for now, there are very few people so it's easy to respect the security distance," explains 78-year-old Jose Mara Quicio.

He and his wife Olga, 81, have set up folding chairs a few metres from the shore inside a red cordon roping off space for those over 70.

"This is our area," say his wife after coming back from a dip in the sea.

"It makes you feel safer, it's good, better than before."

About 50 metres away, a lifeguard sits on his watchtower, wearing sunglasses and a fabric mask.

As well as his normal duties, he must also watch for anyone flouting the distancing norms as well as disinfect the toilets and the first aid posts.

"Our first priority is ensuring no one drowns. But from now, we're also helping out with the rest," explains lifeguard coordinator Joel da Silva.

The town hall's plan involved training 8,500 workers in how to ensure health and safety in such places as well as in restaurants, hotels and nightclubs.

"There's a lot of uncertainty but we've done our homework, we are ready for the tourists to arrive and we're waiting for them with open arms," says Dulset.

"We're hoping we can save the season."

Like Lloret, many resorts have developed strategies for avoiding a surfeit of sunbathers along Spain's 8,000 kilometres (5,000 miles) of shoreline -- a refuge for millions of tourists from Spain and beyond.

And the measures are manifold: from sensor-controlled access which can be shut off when capacity is reached, to sections parcelled-off for groups, to banning games taking up too much space or involving a lot of people.

And there's the job of disinfecting sunloungers and parasols.

"The way we go to the beach this year has changed but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy it," says a promotional video for Benidorm, a southeastern resort hugely popular with British tourists.

Its two main beaches have been divided into lots measuring four square metres (43 square foot) which beachgoers can reserve through an app.

But the system hasn't yet been used given the lack of visitors to this town that last year counted 16 million overnight stays.

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Summer in virus shadow: Drones and CCTV: surveillance for safety on the sand in Spain - RTL Today

The Trump administration, home to some of the most prominent voices that cry wolf about supposed politically biased censorship online, is calling on some of the biggest names in tech and social media to crack down on how users post about ongoing racial-justice protests.

As first reported by the Washington Post, this week the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, sent letters to the CEOs of Facebook, Twitter, Snap, Apple, and Googles parent company, Alphabet, demanding that they take action against posts that encourage protestors to commit violence, break curfews, or tear down statues representing white supremacy.

In a copy of one of these letters shared by the Verge, Wolf condemns platforms for their lack of censorship on this kind of content (of which he cites zero examples). He argues that while the Constitutions First Amendment protects free speech, the power of social media can also serve as a weapon to perpetuate criminal activity and the inaction of Facebook, Twitter, and the like has helped facilitate burglary, arson, aggravated assault, rioting, looting, and defacing public property amid nationwide protests.

Of course, its unclear exactly what posts Wolfs referring to here because, again, his letter doesnt reference any. One of the more prominent subjects of online censorship in recent weeks has been the so-called boogaloo movement, a loosely coordinated group of far-right extremists based around the idea that America is headed into a second Civil War. After several posts in boogaloo groups pushed members to grab their guns and crash otherwise peaceful protests, Facebook purged nearly 200 accounts associated with the movement and stopped promoting Facebook groups tied to such violent calls for action as well.

But something tells me thats not what Wolf was referring to, since the idea of violent right-wing extremists causing trouble doesnt fit the narrative of the antifa boogeyman spun up by conservative media and, by extension, President Donald Trump himself.

In the wake of George Floyds death, America faced an unprecedented threat from violent extremists seeking to co-opt the tragedy of his death for illicit purposes, he continued. At the Department of Homeland Security, we are committed to safeguarding the American people, our homeland, and our values, which includes protecting our First Amendment rights while keeping our citizens, law enforcement officers, and property safe.

It should be noted that Wolf makes no mention in these letters of Trumps own controversial post in which he encouraged a violent military response to protestors by proclaiming when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Ironically, that post did run afoul of Twitters policies against glorifying violence and was quickly flagged with a warning.

Facebooks decision to keep the presidents post up for the sake of public interest prompted a wave of criticism, including from within the company itself, that led several advertisers to pull their business (in part, at least) from the platform. The company has since back-pedaledheavily, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg saying Friday that Facebook will begin affixing labels or taking down posts from public figures that violate its rules moving forward.

Since these letters are a general call to action rather than an announcement of any official legal proceedings, its uncertain what if any action these platforms might take in response. Though it does mark the latest escalation of the administrations attempt to curb speech online that the president doesnt care for, all while simultaneously ranting about how social media platforms silence right-wing voices. At the end of May, Trump signed an executive order tasking the Federal Communications Commission with investigating whether tech companies are censoring, harassing, and shadow banning conservatives even though previous investigations have found insufficient evidence to support this conspiracy theory.

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Trump Administration: Social Media Platforms Need to Police Calls for Violence That Arent the Presidents - Gizmodo Australia