The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a branch of Iran's armed forces, has threatened to target US tech companies' operations in the Middle East. It told employees of 18 companies — including Apple, Google, Meta and NVIDIA — “to leave their workplaces immediately to save their lives,” as CBS News reported. Those living close to the companies' facilities in the region were instructed to evacuate immediately as well. Microsoft, Oracle, Tesla, HP, Intel, Palantir, Boeing, Dell, Cisco and IBM are also among the companies that the IRGC named.

"Since the main element in designing and tracking terror targets are American [information and communications technology] and AI companies, in response to this terrorist operation, from now on the main institutions effective in terrorist operations will be our legitimate targets," the IRGC said in a statement. The military force warned it will start targeting the companies on Wednesday evening if more Iranian leaders are killed.

Iran previously pledged to attack companies and banks tied to the US and Israel, though the warning it issued on Tuesday had a specific deadline. Earlier this month, Iranian drones struck Amazon data centers in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, disrupting Amazon Web Services operations in the region. 

The US reportedly used Anthropic's AI in its initial airstrikes against Iran at the onset of the war in late February. Israel has been using a new AI platform of its own to help it track the movements of Iranian officials. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/iran-threatens-imminent-attacks-on-us-tech-companies-in-the-middle-east-184841155.html?src=rss

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Austria is the latest country to prepare a social media ban for its children, but it's going even further than others by including anyone under 14. In a press release, the Austrian government said it has introduced a comprehensive catalogue of measures meant to shield minors from the harms of social media. According to the press release, an official bill will be introduced by the end of June.

Andreas Babler, a vice chancellor and leader of the Social Democratic Party of Austria, said the government's efforts would include the new age restriction, improved media literacy and clear rules for social media platforms. Austrian lawmakers didn't detail what the upcoming rules would be, but the country is likely to follow in the footsteps of many others who have or are pursuing similar bans. While Australia was the first to implement a social media ban for anyone under 16, other European countries like Spain and the UK are also looking into comparable restrictions.

More recently, Indonesia approved new regulations that would prevent anyone under 16 from using social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Roblox. Indonesia's social media ban just went into effect, but the country only specified that the law's implementation would be carried out gradually until all platforms are in compliance, according to AP.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/austria-is-pursuing-a-social-media-ban-for-kids-under-14-190755295.html?src=rss

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© BKA/Valentin Brauneis

President Donald Trump may have a tendency to put his name on everything, but his administration decided to go with the more authoritative The White House App for his latest pursuit. Now available on the App Store and Google Play store, the official White House App claims to gives Americans "a direct line to the White House."

From the press release, the app provides "unfiltered, real-time upgrades straight from the source." In more practical terms, the White House App is a one-stop shop for official communications from the administration and more. On the app, you can find press releases, livestream announcements and even a photo gallery, along with turning on notifications so you get official communications as soon as they happen.

However, it only takes a few minutes of digging through the app to question its value. The White House App's News tab features a carousel of about 35 articles that seem suspiciously cherry-picked with articles that favor the Trump administration. In the Affordability window, the app points out year-over-year prices that have dropped for things like eggs, milk and bread, but conveniently omits the recent swell in gas prices.

In the Social tab, there's a button to "Text President Trump," which auto-populates a new text with "Greatest President Ever!" before ultimately trying to get you to sign up for a marketing blast. The press release mentioned a way to "send your voice and feedback directly to the Administration" but the app's functionality doesn't seem to promote that. Most notably, there's even a way to submit a tip to Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the app's Get in Touch section.

While it's convenient to have all your Trump administration announcements in one place, the White House App is mostly just a portal that ends up opening external websites. Traditionally, official White House accounts on social media platforms are passed on during the transition of presidents. However, it's hard to say what will happen to the app after Trump leaves office, but one only has to look towards the lasting triumph of TrumpRx, Trump Mobile or even Trump University. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-white-house-app-is-just-as-weird-and-unnecessary-as-youd-expect-175354004.html?src=rss

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© The White House / X