Regulators Keep Close Eye on Facebook’s Deal with Australia
By: The Hill February 24, 2020 Facebook and Australia’s eleventh-hour agreement Monday letting users resume sharing news links on the platform is being closely watched by regulators around the world as a possible model for requiring the social media giant to pay for news content on its site. The relationship between the power […]
UK Competition Watchdog Warns Big Tech Firms of Investigations
By: The Guardian February 22, 2021 Companies such as Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple face increased scrutiny from CMA The UK’s competition watchdog plans to launch a series of antitrust investigations into big tech companies including Google and Amazon this year, in the latest sign of increased scrutiny of the practices of the Silicon Valley […]
Facebook Strikes Deal to Restore News Sharing in Australia
By: The New York Times February 22, 2021 SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook said on Monday that it would restore the sharing and viewing of news links in Australia after gaining more time to negotiate over a proposed law that would require it to pay for news content that appeared on its site. The […]
Google Fires Second AI Ethics Leader as Dispute Over Research, Diversity Grows
By: Reuters February 19, 2021 Alphabet Inc’s Google fired staff scientist Margaret Mitchell on Friday, they both said, a move that fanned company divisions on academic freedom and diversity that were on display since its December dismissal of AI ethics researcher Timnit Gebru. Google said in a statement Mitchell violated the company’s code […]
Uber Drivers Are Workers Not Self-Employed, Supreme Court Rules
By: The BBC February 19, 2021 Uber drivers must be treated as workers rather than self-employed, the UK’s Supreme Court has ruled. The decision could mean thousands of Uber drivers are entitled to minimum wage and holiday pay. The ruling could leave the ride-hailing app facing a hefty compensation bill, and have wider consequences for […]
‘I Can’t Keep Doing This’: Gig Workers Say Pay Has Fallen After California’s Prop 22
By: The Guardian February 18, 2021 Drivers say working conditions remain poor after voters approved measure exempting Uber and other apps from labor laws Weeks after Proposition 22 went into effect in California and exempted some major tech firms from fully complying with labor laws, workers for rideshare and delivery apps in the state claim […]
Salesforce Declares The 9-to-5 Workday Dead, Will Let Some Employees Work Remotely From Now On
By: The Verge February 9, 2021 Cloud computing company Salesforce is joining other Silicon Valley tech giants in announcing a substantial shift in how it allows its employees to work. In a blog post published Tuesday, the company says the “9-to-5 workday is dead” and that it will allow employees to choose one of three […]
Big Tech’s Next Big Problem Could Come From People Like ‘Mr. Sweepy’
By: New York Times February 16, 2021 Google is facing antitrust cases from Europe’s top competition enforcer, the Justice Department and attorneys general from more than 30 states and territories. Then there are the lawsuits from people like Mr. Sweepy. The operator of a website called Sweepstakes Today, Mr. Sweepy — a nickname used by Craig McDaniel […]
Drones Used by Police to Monitor Political Protests in England
By: The Guardian February 14, 2021 Police have used unmanned drones to monitor political protests, including those held by the non-violent Black Lives Matter movement, research shows. Police also used drones in 2020 at animal rights protests, Extinction Rebellion and anti-HS2 demonstrations, and in one instance, an extreme-right protest. Campaigners say the police’s […]