FTC requests information on the handling of user data from Facebook & Co The US authority for competition law and consumer protection Federal As part of an extensive investigation, Trade Commission asked a total of nine well-known social networks and video streaming companies to provide information on their business practices in connection with the use of user data. Companies include Amazon, Facebook, Reddit, Snap as the parent company of Snapchat, Twitter, Google parent Alphabet, YouTube, Discord, and Bytedance as the TikTok owner. In detail, the FTC is interested in user tracking and the extent to which personal data and demographic information are used for advertising purposes.

Automated AI decisions should be contestable In view of the increasing influence of algorithms on business, society and politics, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights FRA has spoken out in favor of stricter regulation of systems for artificial intelligence. “AI is not infallible,” said the agency’s director Michael O’Flaherty. It is made by people – and this mistake also happened. Therefore, citizens should know “when AI is used, how it works and how automated decisions can be challenged”.

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Airlines prepare for a new start The outgoing General Director of the global airline association IATA, Alexandre de Juniac, has once again put huge pressure on to restart the aviation industry in to accelerate the coming months with the help of mass corona rapid tests. The pandemic took the airlines with it almost last year, but so far only a few have gone under. Only if the corona vaccines, which are about to receive European approval, are distributed quickly and significantly more passengers are allowed to travel with the help of negative rapid tests, the IATA expects by the middle of the year 2021 a recovery in ticket demand.

ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer should 2017 Fly to the ISS with SpaceX Matthias Maurer should 2021 to be flown by SpaceX to the International Space Station as the second ESA astronaut. The German will then live for six months on the outpost of humanity and carry out scientific experiments, said the European Space Agency. Maurer was 2015 accepted into the ESA astronaut corps and has been since 2017 officially part of the team. He is the only one in the group – to which Alexander Gerst also belongs – who has not yet been in space.

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