After Backlash, Zoom Now Says It Won’t Use Any Customer Content to Train AI Systems

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Dr. Seuss’ beloved kids books — for the first time — are getting podcast adaptations under a partnership with Amazon’s Wondery podcast studio and network. Wondery Kids & Family inked an expansive deal with Dr.

A writer who worked on Friends is opening up about her time with the show, and her memories paint a surprising picture of the beloved sitcom.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor OnlyFans, the subscription platform that caters to sexually explicit content creators, reported $5.55 billion in total spending by users for the fiscal year ended Nov. 30, 2022, up 17% from the year prior, with creators taking home nearly $4.5 billion of that. U.K.-based OnlyFans generated a pre-tax net profit of $525 million for the most recent fiscal year, up 21% on an annual basis, according to a regulatory filing Thursday by parent company Fenix International.

Ethan Shanfeld Drew Barrymore promptly exited the stage at the 92nd Street Y Monday night after an audience member rushed the stage and began speaking to her. Barrymore was interviewing actor-singer Reneé Rapp at the Upper Manhattan venue when a man interrupted and yelled, “Drew Barrymore!” “Oh my God, yes? Hi!” Barrymore responded, frazzled, as the audience member quickly approached her.

A daughter tragically died after telling her mum she was only going out to her friend's house.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Elon Musk set off a firestorm Friday by announcing that Twitter, now called X, would “delete” the service’s longstanding user-blocking feature — raising the prospect that, as a result, the app could be booted from Apple and Google’s app stores. “Block is going to be deleted as a ‘feature’, except for DMs,” Musk wrote.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor The private-equity firm that owns MindGeek — which operates a massive network of adult entertainment properties, including Pornhub — has shed the company’s old name and, it hopes, some of the baggage that came with it. “The decision to rebrand the company as Aylo comes in response to the need for a fresh start and a renewed commitment to innovation, diverse and inclusive adult content, and trust and safety,” the Montreal-based company said in an Aug.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Netflix is offering hardcore fans of its DVD-by-mail service one last disc-bingeing session before it folds the iconic red envelopes for good. In April, the company announced the shutdown of its dwindling DVD-by-mail business after 25 years. In an email this week to the remaining last-gaspers on the DVD plans, Netflix extended a new “finale surprise” offer: Those who opt in could receive up to 10 extra discs, selected from their DVD queue, that will be shipped on Sept.

Earlier this month, Beyoncé fans and haters alike speculated on whether the decorated pop star might be bringing her own toilet seats on tour. The rumor mill began to grind when a photo of a seemingly incriminating carrier case marked “BEYONCÉ” and “TOILET SEATS,” allegedly captured behind the scenes of Bey’s “Renaissance” tour, was posted online by the the U.K.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Comedian Chris Gethard, after more than seven years and almost 400 episodes of his “Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People,” has taken the podcast independent. Previously, Gethard’s weekly podcast — also known as “Beautiful/Anonymous” — had been produced with and distributed by SiriusXM’s Earwolf comedy podcast network ever since he launched it in 2016.

Videoconferencing company Zoom has clarified a policy that had some users nervous. It will not be using its calls to train AI.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Katie Drummond, formerly head of Vice Media’s global news and entertainment operations, is the new editorial director of Condé Nast’s Wired tech and culture publication. Drummond earlier this month left Vice after more than four years, along with other top editorial staffers, after the company exited bankruptcy and was sold to a consortium of its prior lenders. Drummond — the first woman to hold the top editorial post at Wired since it was launched in 1993 — replaces Gideon Lichfield, who announced his exit from the mag this May.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Disney is coming for the streaming password-sharing freeloaders. Taking a page from Netflix’s playbook, Disney chief Bob Iger announced that the media conglomerate has put a priority on finding ways to convert password-borrowing users into paying customers.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Disney, trying to swing its streaming business into the black, has set substantial price hikes for Disney+ and Hulu standalone premium plans in the U.S. — while also rolling out a heavily discounted Disney+/Hulu ad-free combo bundle. As of Oct.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Dave Portnoy, now 100% owner of Barstool Sports after former parent Penn Entertainment sold it back to him — concurrent with Penn’s major 10-year sports-betting deal with ESPN — has admitted that Barstool isn’t a good fit in the gambling industry. “[W]e underestimated just how tough it is for myself and Barstool to operate in a regulated world, where gambling regulators, the New York Times [and] Business Insider hit pieces, fucking with the stock price every time did something,” Portnoy said in an “emergency press conference” video posted on X (aka Twitter) Tuesday.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor A recent change to Zoom’s terms of service pertaining to AI set off alarm bells in Hollywood and the tech world — with some interpreting the videoconferencing provider’s update as granting the company royalty-free rights in perpetuity for customer video calls and presentations for the purposes of training AI models. In response, Zoom said it doesn’t use any customer audio, video or chat content for training AI without consent.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor The possibility of Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk squaring off in an MMA cage match is just a joke. Right? Over the weekend, the braggadocio continued apace between two of the world’s richest men about a physical fight — probably in jest, but possibly not.

Jamie Foxx is apologizing after an Instagram post he issued was widely criticized for being antisemitic.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Kai Cenat, the Twitch and YouTube streamer, issued a statement Saturday through his group AMP (Any Means Possible) apologizing after a violent mob took over New York’s Union Square Park a day earlier when he urged fans to come to the park, where he said he was planning to give away free PlayStation 5s and gift cards. Thousands of people flocked to Union Square Park after Cenat’s social media posts went viral Friday, and the flash mob became violent and began attacking police and other people in the area with bottles, rocks, other debris and fireworks.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor A crowd of several thousand people — lured by the promise of free PlayStation 5s by a popular Twitch streamer — descended on Union Square in New York City on Friday afternoon, and became violent and uncontrollable, according to police. The Twitch influencer, Kai Cenat, along with a streamer known as Fanum had encouraged their followers to come to Union Square at 4 p.m. in a social media posts about giving away multiple Sony PlayStation 5 game consoles.