Facebook Promised Poor Countries Free Internet. People Got Charged Anyway.
By: Wall Street Journal Date: January 24, 2022 Facebook says it’s helping millions of the world’s poorest people get online through apps and services that allow them to use internet data free. Internal company documents show that many of these people end up being charged in amounts that collectively add up to an estimated […]
Amazon, Meta Report Record Lobbying Spending in 2021
By: The Hill Date: January 21, 2022 Amazon and Meta, Facebook’s parent company, spent record sums on federal lobbying in 2021 as they fought legislation to limit their expansive market power. Amazon and its subsidiaries spent roughly $20.3 million to lobby Congress and the federal government, while Meta shelled out $20.1 million, according […]
Tech Group Warns Biden That Antitrust Bills Carry Political Risk
By: Bloomberg Date: January 19, 2022 A tech-backed group is warning the White House that supporting an antitrust bill designed to curb the power of internet giants isn’t politically popular and could hurt Democrats ahead of November’s midterm elections. The Chamber of Progress, which counts Amazon.com Inc., Apple Inc., Meta Platforms Inc. and […]
Google, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft Weave a Fiber-Optic Web of Power
By: Wall Street Journal Date: January 15, 2022 To say that Big Tech controls the internet might seem like an exaggeration. Increasingly, in at least one sense, it’s literally true. The internet can seem intangible, a post-physical environment where things like viral posts, virtual goods and metaverse concerts just sort of happen. But creating that […]
Lawsuit Claims Facebook and Google CEOs Were Aware of Deal to Control Advertising Sales
By: The Guardian Date: January 15, 2022 Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai were allegedly aware of and approved a deal to collaborate on the potential manipulation of advertising sales, according to newly revealed documents. The documents, which came to light on Friday, were filed as part of a lawsuit against Google brought by the […]
Lawsuit Aiming to Break Up Facebook Group Meta Can Go Ahead, US Court Rules
By: The Guardian Date: January 12, 2022 The US competition watchdog can proceed with a breakup lawsuit against Facebook’s owner, a federal judge has ruled. Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, the parent of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, had asked a court to dismiss an antitrust complaint brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for the second time. However, […]
The Metaverse’s Effects on Mental Health: Trivial or Troubling?
By: Wall Street Journal Date: January 09, 2022 Is the metaverse good or bad news for our mental health? Silicon Valley’s focus on creating an immersive virtual world where our avatars shop, socialize and work has psychologists and other experts considering what effects it will have on our well-being. Technology companies including Nvidia Corp. , Epic Games Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Meta Platforms Inc., formerly Facebook, are […]
Big Tech’s Push For Automation Hides The Grim Reality Of ‘Microwork’
By: The Guardian October 27, 2021 When customers in the London borough of Hackney shop in the new Amazon Fresh store, they no longer pay a checkout operator but simply walk out with their goods. Amazon describes “just walk out shopping” as an effortless consumer experience. The rise of automated stores during the pandemic […]
Big-Name Democrats Say ‘No Thanks’ to Facebook’s Top Lobbyist Job
By: The Wall Street Journal October 26, 2021 WASHINGTON— Facebook Inc. spent more on federal lobbying last year than any other company, but its influence operation in Democratic-dominated Washington is conspicuously lacking in one crucial area: Democrats. As President Biden and Congress threaten tougher regulations, prominent Democrats have been rebuffing lucrative jobs at […]