checknow:-criticism-of-schufa-offer-for-data-usage-–-telefonica-ends-test

CheckNow: Criticism of Schufa offer for data usage – Telefónica ends test

An offer from Schufa to assess the solvency of consumers in the future based on their account statements is causing a stir. In cooperation with the cell phone company Telefónica / O2, the credit agency tested whether consumers are willing to have the account data relevant for the assessment stored by Schufa for twelve months. “There is currently no data flowing,” said Schufa board member Ole Schröder on Friday the German press agency. Consumer advocates and politicians criticized the project, which the group declared ended on Friday evening.

Let Schufa look at the account “Unfortunately, the results of this test did not meet our expectations,” said Telefónica / O2 to the dpa. “That is why Telefónica / O2 decided today to end the test and to no longer use the Schufa” CheckNow “procedure.”

During the test, possible new customers who, due to their poor rating would normally not get a mobile phone contract, let the Schufa look at their account. “Because at Telefónica there are a few potential customers whose contract request had to be rejected due to missing or inadequate or older negative credit information, although their current financial situation was completely unproblematic,” says the group.

“Account snooping” for scoring purposes Accordingly, approximately 100 people participate voluntarily. To do this, they had to expressly give the Schufa an order. The group emphasized: “Schufa offers the process to consumers under its own responsibility under data protection law.” The account information used had not been saved.

Klaus Müller, board member of the Federation of German Consumer Organizations, accused Schufa of “account snooping”. “Such a deep data analysis of the account movements for scoring purposes allows conclusions to be drawn about the personality, economic status and even political orientations of the customers and thus ultimately leads to a completely screened consumer.” Check legal steps in the event that the credit agency implements these plans.

Advantages in a Schufa credit rating Schufa board member Schröder emphasized: “Sensitive data such as the payment of a doctor’s bill are automatically filtered out and must not be processed.” According to the company, the stored account data is limited to relevant data for credit rating and fraud prevention.

With the voluntary data storage, the consumer can avoid further future account access by third parties and still use his data in an advantageous manner for him include a Schufa credit rating. The account analysis takes place only once at the Schufa. “The aim is that consumers can benefit from current, positive account information for future transactions and credit checks,” said Schröder. “This means that the data is more up-to-date, and we also meet the requirements of consumer advocates.”

“Schufa as a neutral authority” For consumers who have not given an order to view the account, the classic credit check remains, said Schröder. “If the evaluation according to the account data turns out negative, the consumer can revoke his consent.” The classic credit check then remains. “From our point of view, it is better for consumers that Schufa collects the data in trust as a neutral entity than companies that do business with it directly.”

Since the introduction of the Second EU Payment Services Directive (PSD2) it is possible that third-party providers such as financial start-ups can gain insight into accounts. The prerequisite is that the customer agrees to this. Schufa bought the Munich account information service Finapi GmbH at the end of December 2018.

“Current procedure” According to Schröder, the project is now a procedure that is now common in Europe and “which other credit agencies have been using for some time”. The Schufa is constantly in close coordination with the data protection authorities. “You were informed before the test, the data protection officers do not have to agree.”

A spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Justice said that this new business model raises legal questions. Therefore, the ministry, which has only now learned about it, will “look closely” at it. After all, this is about “particularly sensitive data” and consumers must always be able to understand what they are giving their consent for.

The power of Schufa The Green politicians Tabea Rößner and Konstantin von Notz criticized that Schufa already has access to extensive information about consumers, “which they still do not understand how and in what way this data is weighted for the personal score “.

The deputy FDP parliamentary group chairman Stephan Thomae said that it is alarming that the Schufa wants to screen bank statements of consumers. “Citizens should pay with their data for lower prices and more opportunities in legal traffic.” If citizens were ultimately only able to conclude a mobile phone or rental contract with the consent to this data processing by Schufa, they would in fact no longer have a free choice.

(bme)

onecoin:-billions-in-investment-fraud-charges-filed

Onecoin: Billions in investment fraud charges filed

In the processing of the billion dollar Onecoin investment fraud, a first criminal case in Germany is within reach. The public prosecutor’s office in Bielefeld has filed an indictment against three suspects, the Münster district court announced. Whether the indictment will be admitted is still open.

Onecoin was a fictitious cryptocurrency of a businesswoman from Bulgaria who grew up in southern Germany. From 2015 on, she promised rosy prospects for the competing product to Bitcoin and collected a lot of money, according to US investigators, it should total 4 billion US dollars (3, 35 billion euros). When appearing in front of large crowds, she was hailed as the new “crypto queen”. 2017 she went into hiding.

The investigations of the Bielefeld public prosecutor’s office, which began in the same year, concerned the fraud supposed to have played in Germany – it’s about Onecoin business partners in this country.

“Vulnerable legal situation” Two people are accused To have operated payment services without permission and to have transferred more than 300 million euros from investors to the Cayman Islands, among others. The prosecutors also accuse another person of willful money laundering and assistance with foreign transfers. The accused is said to have accepted that the alleged crypto-money was at the center of commercial fraud. The legal situation is prone to errors and complex, this should not be at the expense of his client, said lawyer Michael Heuchemer. His client only took part in Onecoin “after the concept had already been established for more than a year and a half; he believed in the seriousness of the undertaking, just as significant parts of the financial world did back then.” He stopped his contacts very quickly.

The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bafin) had 2017 accounts blocked in Germany for Onecoin Transactions had been used. According to Bafin, a financial institution active for Onecoin had around and December 2016 million euros assumed. When the accounts were blocked, there were still 29 million euros on it.

(anw)

heil-declares-war-on-cheap-wages-in-digital-platforms

Heil declares war on cheap wages in digital platforms

Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) wants to put a stop to low wages for food delivery services and other booming digital platforms. “I will not allow digitization to be confused with exploitation in the platform economy,” said Heil of the dpa in Berlin.

According to the key points of the Ministry of Labor, which are available to the dpa, self-employed platform workers should also enjoy social protection and appropriate working conditions in future.

In addition to food suppliers, this affects, for example, transport services and household services, but also platforms for text work, programming and creative activities. According to an EU survey, 2.7 million people in Germany either receive at least half of their income from platform work or work in this way for at least ten hours a week, as the ministry writes. Other studies would come to lower numbers.

Works councils undesirable “Platforms strive for market dominance,” said Heil. “We are now also experiencing this in the pandemic.” In the case of food delivery services, for example, there is now mainly one relevant provider. The complaints of restaurateurs about their dependence on the Lieferando ordering platform are well known. According to an ARD report, employees complain that the establishment of works councils is being made more difficult.

Heil said that market dominance leads to “prices and conditions being unilaterally dictated to suppliers and restaurants” . A framework for fair competition is necessary. “I want to further develop the culture of the social market economy in the platform economy.”

The Ministry of Labor proposes the following key points, among others:

“Social protection” – Solo self-employed platform workers should be included in the statutory pension insurance. The platform operator should pay for it. Contributions from the platforms for health insurance should also be checked. In the case of food suppliers or bicycle couriers, for example, it should also be checked whether operators have to pay accident insurance contributions.

“Burden of proof for self-employment”: If a platform worker provides evidence of the existence of an employment relationship, the operator must, in the case of a Differences of opinion prove the opposite.

“Organization of platform workers”: The ministry wants to enable collective organization for self-employed platform workers. They should be able to negotiate working conditions on an equal footing.

In addition, minimum notice periods should be stipulated depending on the length of the activity. Continued payment of wages in the event of illness and rules on maternity protection and vacation are also sought. Self-employed people should no longer have to accept contractual conditions that are detrimental to them.

Worst protection, lowest wages “Make digital platforms life easier, “said Heil. “New job opportunities arise.” But he wants to support employees who work on and for platforms – regardless of whether they are employed or self-employed. “Platform employees must be able to represent their interests effectively and, for example, to make collective agreements.” He wants a fair balance between producers, consumers and employees.

According to Heil, the topic is also on the agenda at the government’s digital summit on Monday and Tuesday. “There are platforms in which I by no means have the impression that precarious work predominates,” said Heil. For example with the craft platforms. But fair conditions are generally necessary. “Platforms are not allowed to compete with each other with the lowest wages and the worst protection.”

Heil recalled that Economics Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) was also planning an amendment to competition law. “There is only a market economy if there is competition. Where monopolies arise, there is no market economy,” said Heil. “It is not only important that the laws are amended, but that the cartel authorities also take a look.”

(kbe)

aws-outage-has-taken-down-a-big-chunk-of-the-internet

AWS outage has taken down a big chunk of the internet

Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon’s internet infrastructure service that is the backbone of many websites and apps, is experiencing a major outage affecting a large portion of the internet.

“Kinesis has been experiencing increased error rates this morning in our US-East-1 Region that’s impacted some other AWS services,” Amazon said in a statement to The Verge. “We are working toward resolution.” And, ironically, in a notice on the AWS Service Health Dashboard, Amazon said the issue has apparently “affected our ability to post updates” to that dashboard.

It seems the issue is fairly widespread, as a number of apps and services have posted on Twitter about how the AWS outage is affecting them, including Roku, Flickr, Adobe Spark, and Spotify-owned Anchor.

We are working to resolve this quickly. We are impacted by the widespread AWS outage and hope to get our customers up and running soon. Most streaming should work as expected during this time.

— Roku Support (@RokuSupport) November 25, 2020

[status] Identified: Members are receiving an “Oops, something went wrong” error when trying to log in or create an account due to a current AWS outage. We are monitoring the situation and will continue to share information here as it… https://t.co/drGhoVfYMv

— Flickr Help (@FlickrHelp) November 25, 2020

An Amazon AWS outage is currently impacting Adobe Spark so you may be having issues accessing/editing your projects. We are actively working with AWS and will report when the issue has subsided. https://t.co/uoHPf44HjL for current Spark status. We apologize for any inconvenience!

— Adobe Spark (@AdobeSpark) November 25, 2020

Hi there, yes Anchor is currently down due to a temporary AWS service outage. We are sorry for any inconvenience this is causing. Please know we are working on getting the website back up and running as soon as possible. We will make an announcement as soon as this is fixed.

— Anchor (@anchor) November 25, 2020

@RSS is one of the companies affected by the AWS system outage. Login and uploads not processing. Delivery and distribution of all episodes are unaffected. Public podcast pages are also available. New uploads will resume as soon as the issue is resolved.

— RSS Podcasting (@rss) November 25, 2020

Hello. We are currently unable to remove the A line service alert from our website and app because of the widespread Amazon AWS outage. A trains are no longer running local in Brooklyn. We will continue to post updates here as we have them.

— NYCT Subway. Wear a Mask. (@NYCTSubway) November 25, 2020

Unfortunately so. Our payment processor (Paddle) is currently experiencing issues (due to AWS, apparently). Hopefully we’ll be back online shortly.

— Rogue Amoeba (@RogueAmoeba) November 25, 2020

Downdetector.com is also showing spikes in user reports of problems with many Amazon services.

AWS is one of the most widely-used cloud computing services in the world, so any issues can have major ripple effects for other web services and apps. An outage in 2017 affected companies like Trello, Quora, and IFTTT, for example.

Developing…

apparent-ransomware-attack-closes-baltimore-county-public-schools

Apparent ransomware attack closes Baltimore County public schools

The Baltimore County Public School (BCPS) system has canceled classes after an apparent ransomware attack shut down internal networks. Described by officials as “a networking issue,” the outage is affecting the schools’ email and grading systems, among others.

BCPS chief of staff Mychael Dickerson confirmed on Twitter that the outage is believed to be the result of a ransomware attack. “We were the victim of a ransomware cyber attack,” he said. “Our BCPS technology team is working to address the situation.” Dickerson could only tweet the message since the BCPS website is currently down.

As a result of the outage, offices have been closed for the day and students have been given the day off. “We knew it wouldn’t be a quick fix,” Dickerson told The Baltimore Sun. “We just don’t want people standing by thinking we’ll get back up.”

Ransomware attacks have become a common tactic for cybercriminals, often targeting underfunded infrastructure like hospitals, schools, and municipal governments. A separate ransomware attack paralyzed Baltimore’s City government in May of last year, shutting down online systems for paying water bills and other services. Major companies like Honda, Garmin, and Canon have also been compromised by ransomware. In September, a ransomware attack on the Düsseldorf University Hospital was linked to the death of a female patient, the first death directly tied to a ransomware attack on medical facilities.

Ransomware attacks work by encrypting data on compromised networks and locking out the network operators. Criminals then ask for a ransom payment (typically in bitcoin) to restore functionality. Because the ransom is often lower than the cost of recovery, many victims simply pay the requested amount, making it an unfortunately profitable scheme. In February, a report by ID Ransomware estimated that US businesses paid more than $1.3 billion to resolve ransomware attacks in 2019.

google-pay’s-old-apps-and-website-to-lose-payment-features-in-january

Google Pay’s old apps and website to lose payment features in January

Google Pay’s old iOS app, Android app, and website are set to lose many of their payment features in January, the company has confirmed to The Verge. According to a Google support document the old apps will soon no longer be able to send or receive payments or withdraw money. Meanwhile, a notice on the Google Pay website says it’s also losing the ability to send and receive peer-to-peer payments. Google is also introducing a 1.5 percent fee when you transfer money out of Google Pay using a debit card, 9to5Google reports.

The changes follow the service’s massive relaunch last week, which includes a new app and new features like the option of automatically scanning your Gmail inbox and Google Photos account for receipts to import. The new service is set to expand further next year, when Google plans to partner with banks to offer full checking and savings accounts within Google Pay.

A notice on the website says it soon won’t support peer-to-peer payments.
Screenshot: pay.google.com

The relaunch also brings with it the introduction of a new fee for transferring out money using a debit card. A support page says that transferring money out using a debit card, a process which usually happens instantly, will now incur a fee of 1.5 percent or a minimum of $0.31. Transfers out to a linked bank account are still free, but can take between 1 and 3 business days. Google Pay originally had zero fees, 9to5Google reports.

Although its peer-to-peer payment features are disappearing, Google has confirmed that Google Pay’s web interface will stick around. In future it will be focused on managing payment methods, subscriptions, and account settings, the company says.

techstage-|-tablets-for-homeschooling-and-learning-portals

TechStage | Tablets for homeschooling and learning portals

Beginning What are… PC or tablet? Tablets for … Others … Tablet with … Conclusion Comments from Stefan // 24. 11. 2020 15: 30 Clock

Regardless of whether it is a sofa tutor, the online learning library or the school minator – learning portals can be a sensible alternative to traditional tutoring for school children of all ages. We show the best tablets for it.

If the child is weak at school, there are several alternatives. In addition to personal initiative, this primarily includes follow-up sessions in learning groups such as the study group or individual tutoring, as offered by many older pupils or students. However, especially in times of epidemics, contacts with strangers must be restricted as far as possible, so traditional tutoring is usually ruled out.

What are learning portals? In addition to homeschooling (Guide: PCs for homeschooling from 150 Euro) is also available for tuition digital solutions in the form of learning portals. Depending on the provider, they usually offer help for grades 5 to 10, which is usually available in text and video form for several subjects. Some companies go far beyond this and have offers for all classes and school types as well as most of the subjects offered at the different school types.

There are sometimes educational games and in most cases exercises to check what you have learned and consolidate. In addition, some portals also offer personal support via chat, help with homework or complete individual lessons via video chat.

Providers such as Lernwerk, Schulinator or Studyhelp even offer their services free of charge, most of them others request between 5 and Euro. Free test phases or even some videos published on Youtube offer first insights into the type and quality of the offer. Payment is usually made for several months in advance or in an annual subscription, and some providers even give a money-back guarantee in the event of a lack of learning success.

PC or tablet? A PC is not always necessary, especially for learning videos much cheaper Android tablet for it. However, some criteria should be met so that the tutoring is fun on the technical side. This is how we see tablets with a display size below 10 inches (approx. 25 cm) critical and also a display resolution of 1920 × 1080 Pixel should not be undercut for sufficiently sharp display. The devices should have at least a quad-core processor and 2, better 3 GB of RAM so that inputs can be implemented without waiting time and videos can be played smoothly. Internally is a memory size of 30 GByte or larger optimally, so that apps and videos can also find space in the memory and can thus be used without direct Internet access.

WLAN as Internet access should be sufficient in most cases, expensive LTE modules parents can therefore confidently leave it out. For young students, it may be worthwhile to use particularly robust, but hardly available, children’s or outdoor variants. Alternatively, protective covers or tablets for children can be used here. Amazon offers the kids edition of its Fire HD tablets for this purpose. Not only do they last longer, they also allow parents to access and block certain distracting factors such as the app store and in-app purchases. For certain subjects or advanced students, purchasing a tablet with pen control can also be helpful. This enables sketches or handwritten notes to be digitized quickly.

Tablets for children The kids editions from Samsung and Amazon offer special ones as mentioned Protective covers, which are supposed to protect the tablet even in rough handling, and also offer various parenting functions such as restricting the available apps. Unfortunately, the RAM is a bit tight at 2 GB. They are more aimed at children who are not yet in secondary schools. However, they are definitely sufficient for the use of normal learning portals. The Fire HD 10 in the Kids Edition (test report) we have already tested.

Other tablets For round 150 to 200 Euro get those interested with the current models Odys Space One 10 LTE , Lenovo Tab M 10 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 three 10 – Customs tablets that are up-to-date and meet the minimum requirements required by us. The Odys model not only offers a lot of memory (4 / 49 GByte), but also an LTE module. This allows learning sessions – a corresponding LTE contract (Article: Unlimited data volume from 20 Euro) provided – in good weather also in the park or at least in the garden. Android 10 are already available from the factory – this is far from normal with tablets.

That shows something like this Lenovo Tab M 10 Plus , which currently only offers Android 9 . The remaining specifications are marked with 4 / 64 GByte memory similar, only LTE does not exist. This is also the case with the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 so, also the memory is with 3 / 32 GByte a little smaller. There are advantages for the chipset: The other two tablets also offer 8 cores, but Samsung uses a Snapdragon 662, which not only delivers decent power, but also favors future updates and is less power-hungry. Accordingly, this model already has Android 10. With 10, 4 inches, the screen of the Samsung tablet is also the largest, this also applies to the battery with 7040 mAh.

We have other suitable tablets in our purchase advice: How many tablets do you need? sorted by price.

Tablet with pen Tablets with additional pen control are available in a handful, currently and reasonably cheap, but above all the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite . It not only offers advantages in terms of design and installation depth, but also a stylus with suitable software and more memory.

Conclusion It doesn’t always have to be a full-fledged PC, even comparatively cheap tablets can help to improve school success. In addition to the appropriate learning portal, parents should also keep an eye on the right hardware – if you set too low, you may buy a new one after a short time.

Should it be a new PC for homeschooling? Then we have the right tips and recommendations in this article.

Permalink: https://techstage.de/-4969716

Tags

Entry-level smartphone Home office Tablet

old-record-high-almost-reached:-bitcoin-over-19,000-us-dollars

Old record high almost reached: Bitcoin over 19,000 US dollars

With a rate of now over 19. 000 US dollar, Bitcoin is approaching its all-time high from the end in large steps 2017. At that time, the price of cryptocurrency reached values ​​around 20. 000 US dollars, followed by a sharp decline. The Coinmarketcap platform currently has an average price of 19. 188 US dollars.

Bitcoin has appreciated in value in the past few weeks. In March, the price had marked an annual low, since then it has increased with interruptions. Bitcoin has been climbing steeply again since the beginning of October, and the digital currency has since recorded an increase in value of around 75 percent. Only a week ago did the price climb above 17 for the first time. 000 US dollars.

Amateurs and professionals in coin fever? The pace of the price increase is reminiscent of the Bitcoin buying frenzy at the end of the year 2017, when the Bitcoin was also almost every day at 1000 rose dollars or more – and fell sharply again the following spring. Two factors in particular are seen as drivers of the current rally: PayPal’s step-by-step entry into the business of payments and trading via cryptocurrencies and the increasing interest of institutional investors.

For example, the crypto-money investment company Pantera Capital speaks of one real explosion in demand from PayPal users: within the four weeks since the payment service has been offering its customers crypto money trading, they would have a volume of around 70 Percent of the newly generated coins bought up during this time. In addition, there would be demand from other end-user apps such as Cash, operated by the payment service Square, which, like PayPal, enable users to crypto trading with low entry barriers. The result is a shortage of fresh coins, which drives up the price.

Also from the part of professional investors, more and more money seems to be flowing into the crypto market. The investment firm Grayscale prides itself on having achieved a $ 1 billion inflow of funds for its large investor cryptocurrency funds in the third quarter alone. At the same time, funds would be withdrawn from gold ETFs, reports the specialist service The Block, citing an analysis by the major bank JP Morgan. And just a few months ago, the large asset manager Fidelity launched a Bitcoin fund.

Ripple price more than doubled Other cryptocurrencies have also been able to celebrate a real price frenzy in the past few days: For example, Ripple has invested around 120 percent in the past seven days, according to Coinmarketcap Worth to. With a rate of around 0 66 US dollars, digital money, which is primarily intended for banks, is still from its previous high of 3 to 4 US dollars away. Ethereum, too, the big number two in the crypto world, which is still small compared to other financial markets, reached a price of over for the first time since the summer 2018 U.S. dollar. The all-time high in January 2018 was well above 1000 US dollars.

(axk)

edge-browser-searches-for-discount-codes-for-shopping-and-redeems-them-automatically

Edge Browser searches for discount codes for shopping and redeems them automatically

Microsoft wants to turn Edge into a shopping browser: When shopping, Edge searches for voucher codes and, if desired, inserts them into the payment process.

(Image: VDB Photos / Shutterstock.com)

US users of Microsoft’s Edge browser will in future receive information about discount vouchers when shopping online. During the payment process, the browser then checks all the coupons it finds and automatically redeems the one with the greatest discount. Microsoft announced this in a blog post.

The discount search is part of a larger Microsoft focus on shopping. In October, a price comparison was integrated into the browser, which informs users about cheaper providers. This function has so far only been available to American users at participating retailers. If the user has already found the cheapest offer, Edge also informs about it.

Criticism of price comparison Microsoft is repeatedly criticized for its price comparison. Competitors would be disadvantaged, especially comparison portals are critical of this. So far this has resulted in a competition penalty of 2, 42 billion euros.

(cbo)

online-courses-have-to-pay-a-commission-to-apple-–-from-summer-2021

Online courses have to pay a commission to Apple – from summer 2021

Apple has extended the grace period for providers of online events: Apps that sell digital courses for several participants do not have to use the iPhone Group’s payment interface (In-App Purchase – IAP) until July 2021 instead of – as originally planned – from December 2020. For in-app purchases via its own payment interface, Apple automatically retains up to 30 percent of sales as commission.

Corona drives online events The extension of the deadline should “more time for the development of In -App purchase solutions “, as the group writes in a message to developers. It is known that in view of the corona crisis it is a “top priority” to hold events that were previously held locally with participants now in digital form.

The The mandatory requirement for the integration of the payment interface only applies to courses that are aimed at more than one participant. Individual sessions are explicitly excluded; these may also be billed directly via other payment interfaces, as the group laid down in a rule supplement in September – one of the very few exceptions to Apple’s IAP requirement.

Apple wants commission on digital content The sale of digital content in iOS apps may otherwise only take place via Apple’s payment interface in order to ensure commission payment. Apple recently argued in court in a dispute with Epic Games that you have a right of ownership to in-app purchases.

Companies that turned their events into digital events due to Corona suddenly saw each other Apple’s commission demand faced – including corporations like Airbnb. Facebook, which itself operates a platform for digital courses and online events and waives a commission there, at least for the time being, criticized Apple’s demand for commission – the iPhone group is making a profit from the pandemic.

Facebook wanted in the own iPhone app under the purchase button for events originally displayed the note “Apple takes 30 percent of this purchase”, but Apple did that not allowed, users must not show any “irrelevant” information.

(lbe)

copyright-reform:-artists-run-storm-against-free-content-snippets

Copyright reform: Artists run storm against free content snippets

A group of 576 artists appeals to politicians not to “play off copyright against us”. Music up to 20 seconds, remixes, samples – “everything should be freely usable, without a license”, the alliance railed against the draft of the Federal Ministry of Justice on copyright reform. Above all, the proposed new exceptions to the exclusive exploitation rights are “so outrageously contrary to European law” that “we can only shake our heads”.

The signatories of the heise online letter to members of the government and members of the Bundestag include the bands and ensembles AnnenMayKantereit, Antilopen Gang, Beatsteaks, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Doctors, Die Toten Hosen, Feine Sahne Fischfilet and Kraftwerk. There are also musicians, singers and DJs such as Blixa Bargeld, Herbert Grönemeyer, Joy Denalane, Leslie Mandoki, Paul van Dyk and Tim Bendzko.

“No adequate remuneration” “The Corona crisis hit us hard,” write the artists. It is all the more painful that “we are still not receiving adequate remuneration for our works in the only non-restricted market” of online platforms. The EU Parliament had the courage to shift “the unequal power imbalance” a little towards a new balance with the controversial copyright directive and the resulting tightened liability regime.

They had another concern The alliance emphasizes that EU politicians have been picked up and “the power of disposal over our artistic work has been put back into our hands: we should no longer have to fish out every bit of video in the flood of platforms ourselves, in which, for example, new rights or conspiracy theorists Make use of the awareness of our works without being asked. ”

The musicians are therefore” horrified “at how little of this intention has remained in the ministry’s project: the guideline is being watered down, the position of creative people weakened in negotiations. “Instead of a harmonized European market for licenses, we are getting a German self-service shop where our works are given away to everyone who says ‘pastiche’.”

Bagatellschranke Above all, the proposed “minor barrier”, with which snippets of content such as memes in social media are to be made license-free and subject to payment, must be dropped, the authors demand. User rights in the area of ​​”User Generated Content” should not be extended across the board through the back door. The tried and tested notice-and-takedown procedure for removing content should be retained.

That the legislative proposal (LB 2985648: very is controversial) $ shows, in addition to the objections from other ministries that have already become public, the high number of over 100 statements to the justice department. The spectrum of interest representatives ranges from rights holders to associations of the IT industry and initiatives such as SaveTheInternet, which have long been campaigning against upload filters, to the churches. For example, the German bishops are campaigning for the ability to continue streaming church services beyond the corona pandemic with a flat fee via the collecting society Gema.

Against upload filters Raise your voice for the first time 30 Social media greats like PietSmiet, Gronkh, Le Floyd, Rewi, Rezo and Tilo Jung, who say they have around 88 million users on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Twitch and Reach TikTok. They complain that the initiative “draws a line between the owners of copyrights and users of upload platforms” that “does not correspond to actual practice”. As a “content creator” they are both and have “as creatives and as a company in the cultural industry” against the article at the time 13 (now 17) protested the directive.

“We reject automated systems, Check the uploads for copyright infringement, in principle, “emphasize the makers. They could not understand the content of uploaded works and are therefore not suitable for correctly detecting copyright violations. This would actually suppress legal content. The creators expressly rate the “provided exceptions for the public reproduction of a tiny excerpt” of copyrighted works for non-commercial purposes as positive.

User rights and copyrights The Federal Association of Consumer Organizations (vzbv) praises the fact that the Ministry of Justice has given the freedom to design articles 17 actively intended to use. It is clear, however, that upload filters would not be prevented by the present proposal. In this respect, the government is breaking the promise made in the coalition agreement. That is why it is crucial “that user rights are protected as best as possible”. This is not a necessary evil, but a prerequisite for being able to implement the EU requirements in accordance with fundamental rights at all.

Wikimedia Germany also calls on the government to do so to pay more attention to the needs of the users and to maintain the balance of legal permissions. Even if Wikipedia is excluded from the article : If filter algorithms are used widely, the entire process of creation suffers from free Knowledge of social media, forums and video portals is massive. The fact that automatic systems should check content in advance contradicts the tenor of the executive’s protocol declaration.

Shift of responsibility In contrast to the discussion draft, the revised paper no longer contains any “innovative solutions”, regrets Google. The justice department is now making service providers “responsible for problems within the ecosystem that are beyond their control”. The obligation to acquire licenses for typically uploaded content is impractical and incompatible with European law.

The group considers the extended ancillary copyright for press publishers to be unnecessary. It was only in October 2020 that he announced that he would be giving journalists and press publishers increased support through the “News Showcase” and paying license fees for selected high-quality articles. Snippets with up to 200 characters or 30 Words should definitely remain license-free. According to VG Media, which represents many publishers, the draft, despite corrections, “secures the business models of the providers of services that use press products intensively and extensively”.

Technical concerns about the “Pre -Flagging System “has Facebook. Comparing billions of uploads with millions of files from rights holders in real time using complex technology “is not possible in many cases”. German users could face longer and frustrating waiting times when trying to post content. This is likely to harm their right to freedom of expression.

(jk)

google-testing-a-new-app-called-‘task-mate’-to-crowdsource-business-information-and-voice-recordings

Google testing a new app called ‘Task Mate’ to crowdsource business information and voice recordings

As first reported by 9to5Google, a new app is being tested in a closed beta. The Google-made app is called “Task Mate” and it’s kind of like Google Opinion Rewards, but a bit more involved.

Basically, Google Opinion rewards will passively ask question based on recent purchases, or the use of recent Google products like Gmail, Google Assistant, and YouTube. In exchange for answering these questions, you’re rewarded Google Play credit that can be used towards Play Store apps or subscriptions.

Task mate takes it a step further and asks users to perform more involved tasks in exchange for a rewards balance that can be cashed out. The app is currently invite-only in India and the tasks range from taking photos of a nearby restaurant, asking survey questions, and verifying translations from English to Hindi.

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Screenshots from Reddit

You will be paid in local currency for the tasks that you complete accurately and you will need an account with a third party payments processor. When you are ready to cash out, simply register your e-wallet or account with our payment partner in our app, then visit your profile page and hit the “cash out” button. You can then withdraw your earnings in your local currency.”

There are “field” and “sitting” tasks, the latter of which can be done at home. Users can earn rewards by recording sentences or transcribing sentences, likely to help Google understand the nuances of Indian English speakers.

Currently, the app is in Beta and only open to those with an invitation code.

Source • Via • Task Mate on Play Store

heise-+-|-avoiding-fraudsters:-how-to-recognize-fake-shops-on-the-net

heise + | Avoiding fraudsters: How to recognize fake shops on the net

There are fake shops on the Internet that want to seduce users into buying with low prices. The goods never arrive. How to spot the scammers.

Very clever: the shopping cart is for shopping, the laptop for the internet.

(Image: Chiociolla / Shutterstock.com)

Circumventing fraudsters: How to recognize fake shops on the net Internet address HTTPS Price and availability Payment method Imprint Seal of approval Fakeshops on Amazon Checklist for shopping online Christmas It’s coming up, the birthday is soon and then there is the anniversary: ​​Sometimes you need a very nice present very quickly. Fortunately there is the network. On every corner you will find good offers for branded items that should be with the buyer in no time. And often cheaper than the shop around the corner.

But fraudsters are also active, creating deceptively real-looking shops and seducing users to buy a particularly cheap product rashly and quickly. If you fall for such a shop, the money is gone and the ordered product never arrives or it is just junk goods. The customs authorities who intercepted the counterfeit goods may even report. The fraudsters can also misuse the victims’ personal data.

Fraudsters distribute the links to the fake shops via spam mail or they can be found via Google. Some fake shops are not that easy to recognize. You have to pay attention to the Internet address, know whether an HTTPS address is safe, check the price, the imprint and the terms and conditions and be familiar with reputable test seals. Fraudulent retailers are even waiting for you on Amazon. We will show you how you can discover the small and big inconsistencies and not become a victim of fraudsters.

Access on all contents of heise + exclusive tests, advice & background: independent , critically founded c’t, iX, Technology Review, Mac & i, Make, c’t read photography directly in the browser register once – read on all devices – can be canceled monthly first month free , then monthly 9, 94 € Weekly newsletter with personal reading recommendations from the editor-in-chief Start FREE month Start the FREE month now heise + already subscribed?

Sign in and read Register now and read the article immediately More information about heise + Circumventing fraudsters: How to recognize fake shops on the net Internet address HTTPS Price and availability Payment method Imprint Seal of approval Fakeshops on Amazon Checklist for shopping online

christmas-bonus:-a-cashback-of-150-euros-for-those-who-pay-with-cards

Christmas bonus: a cashback of 150 euros for those who pay with cards

The government is working on a standard to guarantee a refund of 10% on the expenses made in December through cards or apps. To obtain the bonus, at least 10 transactions must be carried out. The repayment ceiling is 150 euro

by Alberto Falchi published , at 12: 07 in the Innovation channel

Electronic Receipt SPID

We have already talked about the ATM bonus, a measure that should start as early as December and will allow citizens to obtain a refund of the 10% on in-store purchases (therefore not online) and paid through traceable tools such as cards or apps. The maximum reimbursement will be 300 annual expenditure, calculated and paid on a six-monthly basis, therefore 150 euro every 6 months.

The Government is working on a measure to enhance this bonus, guaranteeing the reimbursement of the 10% on expenses made during the Christmas period. A measure that is added to those already provided for , and which could bring a total of 3 into the coffers of citizens . 450 euro taking into account the Christmas cashback, the “standard” one and the super bonus of 3. 000 euro for i 100. 000 citizens who carry out the largest number of electronic transactions.

Cashback of 10% at Christmas: the extra measure the government is working on

The new rule that the executive is working on in these days provides for a bonus equal to 10% of expenses incurred during the month of December, up to a maximum of 150 euro , which would be credited to the current account by the end of the month. Practically, we can consider it an advance of the measure that will definitively take effect next year, and which provides for a refund of the 10% on expenses made with credit cards, debit cards or payment apps such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and so on.

The envisaged measure for December it is designed to push Italians to adopt digital payments, as well as to try to push purchases in general in this period of crisis. To obtain the cashback it will be necessary to pay with traceable instruments and make at least 10 transactions , regardless of the amount, in the month of December. The measure is valid only for individuals, and they will not be able to take advantage of the bonus for companies or VAT numbers. As this is a measure aimed at encouraging the use of electronic payments, reimbursement is only provided for expenses made in physical stores, not in online ones.

How to take advantage of the cashback bonus?

At the moment the Government has not published information on the measure, which is expected in days: it is expected to start as early as the first days of December, and that to take advantage of the cashback it will be necessary to register with the IO app of the Public Administration, using the SPID or the CIE, in which it will be necessary to specify the cards that will be used and the IBAN of the account on which the cashback will be credited. The app is already available for both iOS and Android, but this feature is not yet active.

In total, adding the various incentives for those who pay with traceable instruments, from now to the end of 2021 you can get a maximum bonus of 3450. I 150 euro of the December measure, additional 300 euro for purchases made within 2021 (which will be repaid in two installments of 150 euro each) and the super bonus of 3. 000 euro, reserved for 100. 000 citizens who will make the largest number of digital payments , regardless of the amount spent.