Google discontinues a driving app in Android 12, OnlyFans to stop hosting adult content, and Facebook hides friends lists in Afghanistan.
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It’s all the tech news that’s trending right now, welcome to Hashtag Trending! It’s Monday, August 23, and I’m your host, Tom Li.
Google will be dropping the “Android Auto for Phone Screens’ app in Android 12. The app provided a driver-friendly interface with large icons to help navigate drivers to the destination. It’s not all bad, though, as instead of a standalone app, the feature will be replaced by the Google Assistant driving mode instead, which is available through the Google Maps app. Aside from announcing the change, Google didn’t explain why it decided to end the app. But according to Verge, Android Auto for Phone Screens has always been a stopgap product for when the Google Assistant driving mode can come online.
OnlyFans, a subscription-based content hosting platform known for explicit content, will ban adult content starting October 1. Users will still be able to post nude content, but they will have to adhere to OnlyFans’ content guidelines. According to the company, the change had come after increasing pressure from banking partners. Previously, two BBC investigations revealed that users under 18 had used fake age to sell explicit videos through the platform. The investigation prompted a wave of requests for the platform to regulate its content. In July, OnlyFans revealed that it had closed the investigated accounts along with 15 others.
Finally, Facebook is hiding friends lists on accounts in Afghanistan. The Taliban seized control of the Afghan government earlier this month, and its citizens feared retribution from the group for their social media posts. Some have taken to deleting their accounts, but for those who decide to keep them, Facebook has added a one-click tool to lock down their accounts. When an account is locked, people who aren’t on the friend’s list can’t see the posts in the timeline. Additionally, Facebook has also removed the ability to search for friends in Afghanistan to protect people from being targeted.
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home daily briefing. Make sure to sign up for our Daily IT Wire Newsletter to get all the news that matters directly in your inbox every day. Also, catch the next episode of Hashtag Tendances, our weekly Hashtag Trending episode in French, which drops every Friday at 3 pm. If you have a suggestion or tip, please drop us a line in the comments or via email. Thanks for listening, I’m Tom Li.