Talking Tech

Thu Sep 28 2023

Tips on finding out out who those mystery calls are from, exploring Apple's history with chargers and legal experts weigh in on the Supreme Court's upcoming term and cases that may impact social media platforms. Here's the week's latest tech news:

Track down a mystery texter. Ever wondered who messaged you? There's a hack to unmask a mystery caller or texter using mobile payments apps. Of course, you'll want to make sure you aren't sharing your name and phone number with other people. Here are some tips on how you may be able to find info on that unknown sender.

Charger changes. One of the biggest changes for the latest iPhone was the switch from Apple's Lightning charging cord to the universal standard USB-C. The move to USB-C will eventually cut out all previous versions of charging cables making it easy to carry around one cable and not many. We take a look at Apple's journey from previous charging cables to the latest upgrade. And Jennifer Jolly tells you which USB-C cables to avoid for your brand-new iPhone.

Social media going back to court. Legal experts say the Supreme Court term that begins next month could also be the most important in decades in determining the extent of the government's power to regulate online content. The justices now have another opportunity to decide whether public officials may block Americans on social media. It's one of several cases pending at the high court with potentially enormous consequences for the way Americans interact on the internet.

At stake in one set of cases is whether the First Amendment shields social media platforms for their handling of controversial voices and views. The question is critical as Facebook, YouTube and X play an ever-growing role in the lives of Americans and democracy. Yet another case questions whether the Biden administration crossed a line when officials pressured the platforms to remove posts dealing with COVID-19 and elections.

See more on the cases and what experts say on how it could all impact how we use social media and the internet.

Read on for more of the tech news this week.