Amazon's Ring has ended its partnership with surveillance firm Flock Safety following public backlash, while the head of Dubai-based ports giant DP World resigned due to scrutiny over links to Jeffrey Epstein, and US inflation cooled in January, according to reports. These developments were announced within the last day, highlighting shifts in technology, business, and economic landscapes.
The decision by Amazon's Ring to drop its deal with Flock Safety, a company that operates a network of cameras and license plate readers, came after a Ring advertisement aired during the Super Bowl sparked widespread criticism, according to BBC Technology reports. The agreement, initially announced in October, would have allowed agencies working with Flock to access video captured on Ring devices for investigations, provided customer consent was given. The move reflects growing concerns about privacy practices associated with surveillance technologies.
In the business sector, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem resigned as chairman and chief executive of DP World, a global ports operator, after facing pressure over his connections to Jeffrey Epstein. Newly released files revealed that Sulayem exchanged hundreds of emails with the convicted sex offender over a decade, according to BBC Business reports. DP World announced his resignation "effective immediately" on Friday, naming Essa Kazim as chairman and Yuvraj Narayan as chief executive.
Meanwhile, the US saw a decrease in inflation last month. The consumer price index rose by 2.4% over the 12 months to January, down from 2.7% the prior month, marking the slowest pace since May, according to the Department of Labor, as reported by BBC Business. This retreat was attributed to falling prices for energy and used cars. This could add fuel to arguments that the central bank was in a position to cut interest rates without stoking a new flare-up in prices. However, some analysts have warned that further progress toward the Federal Reserve's 2% target could stall in the months ahead if companies start to pass on the costs of tariffs more fully to consumers or if labour shortages push up prices.
In other news, a BBC reporter was able to be hacked using a popular AI coding platform called Orchids, according to BBC Technology reports. The platform's flaws allowed the reporter's laptop to be hijacked. Experts say the ease with which Orchids can be hacked demonstrates the risks of allowing AI bots deep access to our computers.
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