vox--2020-07-23--It’s “white supremacy normalized”: A historian on why Stone Mountain should come down

“ Black power , Black love , ” hundreds of protesters chanted on July 4 as they marched through Stone Mountain Park , demanding the removal of the Confederate monument just outside of Atlanta , Georgia .
The peaceful demonstrators , some armed and wearing bulletproof vests , showed up at the multi-day protest inspired by the ongoing global movement to end police killings of Black Americans .
As the country reckons with its racist history , there has been a nationwide push to take down Confederate monuments as symbols of white supremacy .
Stone Mountain is no exception .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the largest Confederate monument in the nation .
Once owned by brothers Sam and William Venable , who both had direct ties to the Ku Klux Klan , the monument has been used as a space for cross-burnings and other white supremacist rituals throughout its history .
Construction of the monument — which includes bas relief carvings of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson — was started in 1916 and completed in 1965 , opening to the public on the 100-year anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mountain is an amusement park , with a railroad and mini-golf , and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state of Georgia .
It ’ s also , according to the president of the NAACP , “ the largest shrine to white supremacy in the history of the world.
” Activists have long called for removing the etchings on Stone Mountain .
But the question remains : What would it take for the largest monument to Lost Cause mythology to finally come down ?
Vox spoke to Hasan Jeffries , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State University and a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta , about Stone Mountain ’ s history and whether this moment of racial reckoning in our country will assist in its removal .
Our interview has been edited and condensed .
Can you describe the origins of Stone Mountain , including its direct connection to the Ku Klux Klan ?
Stone Mountain is actually really interesting because the impetus for it is the desire to not only memorialize the Confederacy but also to reassert white supremacy .
It is born of that wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that really sweeps the South around in the first two decades or so of the 20th century .
But what ’ s so interesting about Stone Mountain is that it ’ s not completed until the 1970s .
In other words , it ’ s begun and then they don ’ t have the money to complete it , and it partially exists .
And then we get the civil rights movement .
So the desire for African Americans to gain their freedom led to whites reasserting — 100 years after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of white supremacy .
And then it ’ s not until the early 1970s that the actual monument is completed , after the height of the civil rights movement and into the post-civil rights black power era .
When we think about Stone Mountain ’ s history , this isn ’ t something of a bygone era .
This is something that has been reimagined and has benefited from new energy over the last century .
So it ’ s not just , “ Hey , what do we do with these old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mountain is something that ’ s very current .
It not only occupies a public space , but public money — taxpayer money from Black folks went into its final construction as well as going into maintaining it as a park .
What does that history illuminate about America ’ s racist past and present , especially considering an entire amusement park was built around it ?
It becomes this sort of sacred site for the Klan where you have cross-burnings and Klan revivals and all this stuff .
This is the birth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ century Klan .
It ’ s also white supremacy normalized , and that ’ s what we have to wrap our minds around .
It ’ s not just the Klan going there and then the rest of white Georgia is like , “ Oh no , that ’ s not us.
” It ’ s the Klan on Saturday and it ’ s a picnic on Sunday .
It ’ s an amusement park , it ’ s a place for festivals .
It ’ s the normalization of white supremacy which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the expression of that idea of violence and terrorism that is receiving the public ’ s support .
Since the protests started over a month ago , the movement to get rid of certain monuments has picked up again and several have gone down — even Mississippi is getting a new flag .
What do you think will happen to Stone Mountain ?
What will happen versus what I think should happen are two different things .
I think the time for having those figures up there is up .
I think that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There ’ s no great value coming from that .
We know what was there .
We know what ’ s there now .
There ’ s no reason to continue it there .
People will say , “ Well , this is about heritage.
” Well , it ’ s about the heritage of hate , and it ’ s as much about removing and changing out of the public space these symbols of hate , these symbols of white supremacy .
It isn ’ t about erasing the past because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s no such thing as erasing the past .
It ’ s actually about acknowledging what the past was and saying , “ What do we want our future to be ?
And how inclusive do we want our future to be ?
” So is there a different level of technical expertise and expenditure that is going to be required to remove those figures off Stone Mountain ?
Yeah , but that doesn ’ t mean that we shouldn ’ t do it if we ’ re serious .
If the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a nation are serious about recognizing , acknowledging , and believing that Black Lives Matter and that white supremacy should not be the ethos upon which we build our society .
What would the significance of Stone Mountain being taken down be in the context of the anti-racism movement happening now ?
First , it ’ s symbolic .
No Black people will be lifted out of poverty if you remove those three figures from Stone Mountain .
Just like no Black people are gon na be lifted out of poverty by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some county courthouse .
So in that sense , it ’ s a modest step .
But it is an important step , and it is an important symbol for what the future ought to be and what the present in fact is .
And that step is that we are no longer going to embrace , we are no longer going to celebrate , we are no longer going to tolerate white supremacy in our public square .
Because as long as you have those symbols up , you are actually saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these beliefs in white supremacy , that there ’ s a place for that in this society .
There ’ s no escaping that .
This isn ’ t about free speech .
This is about terrorism and celebrating terrorism , saying that it ’ s okay .
And so for Georgia to move in that direction I think is vitally important .
Will they move in it ?
Perhaps in time .
We know the demographics of Georgia are changing , the electorate of Georgia is changing , it ’ s becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more African American , it ’ s becoming more Latinx in particular , and it ’ s becoming more progressive .
I think that Stone Mountain ’ s days are limited as it exists today , but what is that time table ?
Only time will tell .
Think about how long it took for Georgia and Mississippi to just take down the damn flag .
Do you think a lot of people outside of the South are even aware of Stone Mountain , its symbolism and history ?
You can see Stone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atlanta Hartsfield Airport .
And more than a few pilots I have known in my travels since I have flown in and out of Atlanta Hartsfield Airport will say , “ You can see over to your right Stone Mountain , Georgia.
” So people are not unaware of it , people are not unfamiliar with it .
But that shouldn ’ t be an obstacle to doing what is right .
Stone Mountain itself is a national wonder .
But there ’ s nothing natural about that graffiti that has been etched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t think anyone ’ s talking about doing away with the mountain , they ’ re just saying it ’ s time to erase the graffiti .
It ’ s time to clean it up .
In your experience , what would it take for government officials to take down a monument like the one on Stone Mountain ?
There is the logistical part of removing something so deeply etched and massive , but what would need to change at the government and public opinion levels ?
They ’ re only gon na @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with literally people taking to the streets .
South Carolina didn ’ t take down the Confederate flag from the steps of its state capitol until after the tragic shooting in Charleston , South Carolina , and it wasn ’ t in response necessarily to the shooting .
It was in response to people coming out and saying , “ We got ta take this thing down now.
” Elected officials , they are not going to lead the way , they are only going to respond .
Why have statues become such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racial reckoning ?
I think they ’ re visible targets of white supremacy , in much the same way that African Americans in the 1960s were targeting Jim Crow signs .
In a way , it ’ s easier to gather momentum and gather people physically around a physical structure , a monument , than it is around an abstract concept like systemic racism .
But the monument , the language , the name of the team , the name on the school , they are just reflections of symptoms of a larger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address the issue that led people to put that monument there in the first place , and then that let people 100 years later defend its presence knowing its origin and knowing its meaning .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

“Black power, Black love,” hundreds of protesters chanted on July 4 as they marched through Stone Mountain Park, demanding the removal of the Confederate monument just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. The peaceful demonstrators, some armed and wearing bulletproof vests, showed up at the multi-day protest inspired by the ongoing global movement to end police killings of Black Americans. As the country reckons with its racist history, there has been a nationwide push to take down Confederate monuments as symbols of white supremacy. Stone Mountain is no exception.
At nine stories tall, Stone Mountain is the largest Confederate monument in the nation. Once owned by brothers Sam and William Venable, who both had direct ties to the Ku Klux Klan, the monument has been used as a space for cross burnings and other white supremacist rituals throughout its history. Construction of the monument — which includes bas relief carvings of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson — was started in 1916 and completed in 1965, opening to the public on the 100-year anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
Today, Stone Mountain is an amusement park, with a railroad and mini-golf, and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Georgia. It’s also, according to the president of the NAACP, “the largest shrine to white supremacy in the history of the world.”
Activists have long called for removing the etchings on Stone Mountain. But the question remains: What would it take for the largest monument to Lost Cause mythology to finally come down?
Vox spoke to Hasan Jeffries, an associate professor of history at Ohio State University and a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, about Stone Mountain’s history and whether this moment of racial reckoning in our country will assist in its removal. Our interview has been edited and condensed.
Isabella Simonetti
Can you describe the origins of Stone Mountain, including its direct connection to the Ku Klux Klan?
Hasan Jeffries
Stone Mountain is actually really interesting because the impetus for it is the desire to not only memorialize the Confederacy but also to reassert white supremacy. It is born of that wave of efforts to do just that, and that really sweeps the South around in the first two decades or so of the 20th century.
But what’s so interesting about Stone Mountain is that it’s not completed until the 1970s. In other words, it’s begun and then they don’t have the money to complete it, and it partially exists. And then we get the civil rights movement. So the desire for African Americans to gain their freedom led to whites reasserting — 100 years after the Confederacy fell — the ideas and notions of white supremacy. And then it’s not until the early 1970s that the actual monument is completed, after the height of the civil rights movement and into the post-civil rights Black power era.
When we think about Stone Mountain’s history, this isn’t something of a bygone era. This is something that has been reimagined and has benefited from new energy over the last century. So it’s not just, “Hey, what do we do with these old monuments from the past?” Stone Mountain is something that’s very current. It not only occupies a public space, but public money — taxpayer money from Black folks went into its final construction as well as going into maintaining it as a park.
Isabella Simonetti
What does that history illuminate about America’s racist past and present, especially considering an entire amusement park was built around it?
Hasan Jeffries
It becomes this sort of sacred site for the Klan where you have cross burnings and Klan revivals and all this stuff. This is the birth of the nation’s early-20th-century Klan.
It’s also white supremacy normalized, and that’s what we have to wrap our minds around. It’s not just the Klan going there and then the rest of white Georgia is like, “Oh no, that’s not us.” It’s the Klan on Saturday and it’s a picnic on Sunday. It’s an amusement park, it’s a place for festivals. It’s the normalization of white supremacy which makes it so problematic. It was the expression of that idea of violence and terrorism that is receiving the public’s support.
Isabella Simonetti
Since the protests started over a month ago, the movement to get rid of certain monuments has picked up again and several have gone down — even Mississippi is getting a new flag. What do you think will happen to Stone Mountain?
Hasan Jeffries
What will happen versus what I think should happen are two different things. I think the time for having those figures up there is up. I think that’s what we’re learning. There’s no great value coming from that. We know what was there. We know what’s there now. There’s no reason to continue it there. People will say, “Well, this is about heritage.” Well, it’s about the heritage of hate, and it’s as much about removing and changing out of the public space these symbols of hate, these symbols of white supremacy.
It isn’t about erasing the past because you can’t: There’s no such thing as erasing the past. It’s actually about acknowledging what the past was and saying, “What do we want our future to be? And how inclusive do we want our future to be?”
So is there a different level of technical expertise and expenditure that is going to be required to remove those figures off Stone Mountain? Yeah, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t do it if we’re serious. If the state of Georgia is serious, if we as a nation are serious about recognizing, acknowledging, and believing that Black Lives Matter and that white supremacy should not be the ethos upon which we build our society.
Isabella Simonetti
What would the significance of Stone Mountain being taken down be in the context of the anti-racism movement happening now?
Hasan Jeffries
First, it’s symbolic. No Black people will be lifted out of poverty if you remove those three figures from Stone Mountain. Just like no Black people are gonna be lifted out of poverty by taking down a statue in front of some county courthouse. So in that sense, it’s a modest step.
But it is an important step, and it is an important symbol for what the future ought to be and what the present in fact is. And that step is that we are no longer going to embrace, we are no longer going to celebrate, we are no longer going to tolerate white supremacy in our public square. Because as long as you have those symbols up, you are actually saying that it’s okay, that these beliefs in white supremacy, that there’s a place for that in this society. There’s no escaping that.
This isn’t about free speech. This is about terrorism and celebrating terrorism, saying that it’s okay. And so for Georgia to move in that direction I think is vitally important. Will they move in it? Perhaps in time. We know the demographics of Georgia are changing, the electorate of Georgia is changing, it’s becoming more diverse, it’s becoming more African American, it’s becoming more Latinx in particular, and it’s becoming more progressive. I think that Stone Mountain’s days are limited as it exists today, but what is that timetable? Only time will tell. Think about how long it took for Georgia and Mississippi to just take down the damn flag.
Isabella Simonetti
Do you think a lot of people outside of the South are even aware of Stone Mountain, its symbolism and history?
Hasan Jeffries
You can see Stone Mountain as you’re flying into Atlanta Hartsfield Airport. And more than a few pilots I have known in my travels since I have flown in and out of Atlanta Hartsfield Airport will say, “You can see over to your right Stone Mountain, Georgia.” So people are not unaware of it, people are not unfamiliar with it. But that shouldn’t be an obstacle to doing what is right.
Stone Mountain itself is a national wonder. But there’s nothing natural about that graffiti that has been etched onto the mountain. I don’t think anyone’s talking about doing away with the mountain, they’re just saying it’s time to erase the graffiti. It’s time to clean it up.
Isabella Simonetti
In your experience, what would it take for government officials to take down a monument like the one on Stone Mountain? There is the logistical part of removing something so deeply etched and massive, but what would need to change at the government and public opinion levels?
Hasan Jeffries
They’re only gonna respond to public pressure. Public pressure with literally people taking to the streets. South Carolina didn’t take down the Confederate flag from the steps of its state capitol until after the tragic shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, and it wasn’t in response necessarily to the shooting. It was in response to people coming out and saying, “We gotta take this thing down now.” Elected officials, they are not going to lead the way, they are only going to respond.
Isabella Simonetti
Why have statues become such flashpoints for controversy during this moment of racial reckoning?
Hasan Jeffries
I think they’re visible targets of white supremacy, in much the same way that African Americans in the 1960s were targeting Jim Crow signs. In a way, it’s easier to gather momentum and gather people physically around a physical structure, a monument, than it is around an abstract concept like systemic racism. But the monument, the language, the name of the team, the name on the school, they are just reflections of symptoms of a larger problem. The bigger project is to address the issue that led people to put that monument there in the first place, and then that let people 100 years later to defend its presence knowing its origin and knowing its meaning.


vox--2020-07-23--Clear usually helps people speed past the TSA line. Now it’s offering a Covid-19 screening service.

Now that airports are emptier than they ’ ve ever been , the air travel security platform Clear is adapting its technology for new pandemic-centric purposes .
On Thursday , the NHL announced that it would be using the tech to screen players and staff during the playoffs , and earlier this month , the employees of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum started using the screening platform to allow staff back onsite .
The new moves are a sign that Clear wants to use its tech to get people back to work — and back to big events .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new Clear service called Health Pass can keep people who might have Covid-19 out of high-traffic spaces .
Basically , its approach involves using new systems that can quickly identify whether someone might have Covid-19 .
Right now , that process could include a daily health quiz , temperature scans , and linking users to their lab results — while also confirming their identity through biometrics , which can include iris and fingerprint scans as well as facial recognition .
The concept has already drawn skepticism from public health and privacy experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pivot for Clear , which is best known as the company that offers paid memberships to bypass airport security lines .
While everyone else is stuck in the slow line waiting to speak to a TSA agent to check their travel documents and confirm their identity , Clear members can bypass the line and speed straight to the baggage screening .
That ’ s because in addition to paying Clear ’ s membership fee , customers have volunteered more of their personal information , mainly their biometric data , to help airport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ airport .
Importantly , while Clear ’ s technology has been certified by the Department of Homeland Security , it is not the same as the Transportation Security Administration ’ s ( TSA ) Pre-Check .
However , as Clear is quick to point out on its website , fliers can purchase both .
Clear isn ’ t the only company pushing futuristic , sometimes questionable technology meant to help us return to some sense of normal .
Universities have urged students to promise that they ’ ll download health screening apps .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their tech that , for instance , incorporate “ fever-detection.
” Some have even floated artificial intelligence-enabled cameras that can measure how well people are social distancing .
But Clear stands out as an established brand that ’ s become a familiar sight at airport security checkpoints and already has quite a few customers .
The company claims that it has confirmed identities more than 50 million times since it relaunched in 2010 .
At that time , Clear had been acquired out of bankruptcy but was already operating in at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is used in more than 50 airports , as well as other large venues including sports stadiums like the AT & T Center in San Antonio and the American Airlines Arena in Miami .
While the venue expansion started a few years ago , Clear announced its Health Pass program in May and now has its sights set on a number of new partners , including restaurants .
Clear Health Pass is being used to screen food service employees — keeping potentially sick people from returning to shared work areas — through partnerships @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salad chain Chopt and the taco restaurant Dos Toros , through which Clear is currently running pilots at two locations .
Clear ’ s health screening tech is also being used by the 450 staff members of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum , which is currently using the platform ’ s health quiz .
The company ’ s new partnership with the NHL will mean its Health Pass system will be used to coordinate this season ’ s playoffs in Edmonton and Toronto , Canada .
According to the company , the system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are involved , including players , coaches , and support staff .
In total , 24 teams , including the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Chicago Blackhawks , are expected to play .
Their announcement comes as other organizations , like the NBA , and large venues , like Disney World , turn to other health safety initiatives in an effort to restart their activities .
In the case of the NHL , the idea isn ’ t just to do screenings but to create closed mini-ecosystems of secured areas .
In each city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be at least 30 physical access points that are managed with kiosks that will take temperatures .
After registering their identity within Clear ’ s biometric system , those involved in the playoffs will be expected to fill out a regular health survey after leaving hotel rooms , take a selfie with their phone to confirm their identity , and then use a QR code to register their information at the kiosk and have their temperature taken .
While the company ’ s current offering seems more limited to health quizzes and temperature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the groundwork for including more detailed medical information in its screening process down the line .
On its website , the company advertises that the “ possibilities are endless , ” and hints that “ vaccine status ” could one day be incorporated , seemingly echoing contentious proposals for immunity passports that the World Health Organization has warned against .
Unsurprisingly , privacy advocates are skeptical of the new Clear Health Pass , which they argue does n't really solve the problem of keeping an area free of infectious people .
If anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a host of privacy concerns .
They worry that deploying this Health Pass in a wide range of venues could facilitate unwanted surveillance and become a ubiquitous part of life .
“ Forcing someone to upload extensive medical information to a privately run centralized database that ’ s then going to decide whether or not they can enter public accommodations or potentially go to work or find a plane , that ’ s really a nightmare scenario , ” John Davisson , an attorney at the Electronic Privacy Information Center , told Recode @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the University of Miami ’ s Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy warns that a program like Clear ’ s Health Pass could become a form of “ security theater.
” “ What exactly is any company going to do to ensure that people who get through security , come to the party , get on the plane , go to the restaurant , are actually free of the virus ?
” Goodman said .
“ The idea that fever detection or a quiz — which of course you could lie to — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the streets or at airports or stadiums or anywhere else is so far not particularly based on solid , peer-reviewed evidence.
” Albert Fox Cahn , the executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project , called Health Pass an “ absolutely horrifying product.
” He points out that Clear ’ s ultimate goal seems to be based on the assumption that people have access to regular testing , which is a questionable premise in the United States .
Also , public health experts still don ’ t have a full understanding of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tests should be factored into the equation .
“ After 9/11 , we passed emergency surveillance powers , and we were told , ‘ don ’ t worry , they ’ re going to go away in a few years , ’ ” Fox Cahn told Recode .
“ As of this year , we ’ re still debating whether to renew them .
We have to assume that any surveillance infrastructure we build to respond to this crisis will become a permanent facet of American life.
” Lawmakers are also worried about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May , Sens .
Jeff Merkley and Cory Booker , who have called for regulating facial recognition , sent a letter to Clear demanding more information on its pandemic-related business plans , pointing to the Health Pass in particular .
The senators specifically warned that “ facial recognition technology risks a state of undetectable , constant government surveillance that can track one ’ s movements and associations with organizations such as schools and places of worship.
” They also expressed concern about algorithmic bias , which could make Clear inaccessible to some users @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter from Sens .
Merkley and Booker , Clear chief executive Caryn Seidman-Becker wrote , “ We do not conduct passive monitoring and we do not collect images of non-members.
” She also emphasized the opt-in nature of Clear ’ s system as well as the company ’ s commitment to security .
With regard to Health Pass , she said “ biometric data is not shared with employers or venues , and our biometric tools are not themselves used as diagnostic tools.
” Seidman-Becker also said that her company considers “ racial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facial recognition algorithms , which Clear purchases from third-party providers .
A Clear spokesperson told Recode that police and governmental agencies can ’ t access the data it oversees and that Clear would not share personal information about its members .
At the same time , Clear seems to be eager to become the technology platform that allows places to reopen , both for the short and long haul .
Despite the concerns of privacy advocates who doubt the service ’ s utility and privacy protections , the new Health Pass system is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And as the pressure to return to normal life continues , who knows where you might run into Clear technology next .
Open Sourced is made possible by Omidyar Network .
All Open Sourced content is editorially independent and produced by our journalists .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

Now that airports are emptier than they’ve ever been, the air travel security platform Clear is adapting its technology for new pandemic-centric purposes. On Thursday, the NHL announced that it would be using the tech to screen players and staff during the playoffs, and earlier this month, the employees of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum started using the screening platform to allow staff back onsite. The new moves are a sign that Clear wants to use its tech to get people back to work — and back to big events.
The basic premise is that regular screenings using a new Clear service called Health Pass can keep people who might have Covid-19 out of high-traffic spaces. Basically, its approach involves using new systems that can quickly identify whether someone might have Covid-19. Right now, that process could include a daily health quiz, temperature scans, and linking users to their lab results — while also confirming their identity through biometrics, which can include iris and fingerprint scans as well as facial recognition. The concept has already drawn skepticism from public health and privacy experts.
This new line of business represents a pivot for Clear, which is best known as the company that offers paid memberships to bypass airport security lines. While everyone else is stuck in the slow line waiting to speak to a TSA agent to check their travel documents and confirm their identity, Clear members can bypass the line and speed straight to the baggage screening. That’s because in addition to paying Clear’s membership fee, customers have volunteered more of their personal information, mainly their biometric data, to help airport security quickly confirm their identity at the airport. Importantly, while Clear’s technology has been certified by the Department of Homeland Security, it is not the same as the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Pre-Check. However, as Clear is quick to point out on its website, fliers can purchase both.
Clear isn’t the only company pushing futuristic, sometimes questionable technology meant to help us return to some sense of normal. Universities have urged students to promise that they’ll download health screening apps. Facial recognition technology companies have pushed versions of their tech that, for instance, incorporate “fever-detection.” Some have even floated artificial intelligence-enabled cameras that can measure how well people are social distancing.
But Clear stands out as an established brand that’s become a familiar sight at airport security checkpoints and already has quite a few customers. The company claims that it has confirmed identities more than 50 million times since it relaunched in 2010. At that time, Clear had been acquired out of bankruptcy but was already operating in at least 16 airports. Now, Clear technology is used in more than 50 airports, as well as other large venues including sports stadiums like the AT&T Center in San Antonio and the American Airlines Arena in Miami.
While the venue expansion started a few years ago, Clear announced its Health Pass program in May and now has its sights set on a number of new partners, including restaurants. Clear Health Pass is being used to screen food service employees — keeping potentially sick people from returning to shared work areas — through partnerships with the restaurant group that runs the salad chain Chopt and the taco restaurant Dos Toros, through which Clear is currently running pilots at two locations. Clear’s health screening tech is also being used by the 450 staff members of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, which is currently using the platform’s health quiz.
The company’s new partnership with the NHL will mean its Health Pass system will be used to coordinate this season’s playoffs in Edmonton and Toronto, Canada. According to the company, the system will help track about 3,000 people who are involved, including players, coaches, and support staff. In total, 24 teams, including the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Chicago Blackhawks, are expected to play. Their announcement comes as other organizations, like the NBA, and large venues, like Disney World, turn to other health safety initiatives in an effort to restart their activities.
In the case of the NHL, the idea isn’t just to do screenings but to create closed mini-ecosystems of secured areas. In each city where there are games, there will be at least 30 physical access points that are managed with kiosks that will take temperatures. After registering their identity within Clear’s biometric system, those involved in the playoffs will be expected to fill out a regular health survey after leaving hotel rooms, take a selfie with their phone to confirm their identity, and then use a QR code to register their information at the kiosk and have their temperature taken.
While the company’s current offering seems more limited to health quizzes and temperature checks, Clear appears to be setting the groundwork for including more detailed medical information in its screening process down the line. On its website, the company advertises that the “possibilities are endless,” and hints that “vaccine status” could one day be incorporated, seemingly echoing contentious proposals for immunity passports that the World Health Organization has warned against.
Unsurprisingly, privacy advocates are skeptical of the new Clear Health Pass, which they argue doesn't really solve the problem of keeping an area free of infectious people. If anything, they say, the service introduces a host of privacy concerns. They worry that deploying this Health Pass in a wide range of venues could facilitate unwanted surveillance and become a ubiquitous part of life.
“Forcing someone to upload extensive medical information to a privately run centralized database that’s then going to decide whether or not they can enter public accommodations or potentially go to work or find a plane, that’s really a nightmare scenario,” John Davisson, an attorney at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, told Recode.
Kenneth Goodman, the director of the University of Miami’s Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy warns that a program like Clear’s Health Pass could become a form of “security theater.”
“What exactly is any company going to do to ensure that people who get through security, come to the party, get on the plane, go to the restaurant, are actually free of the virus?” Goodman said. “The idea that fever detection or a quiz — which of course you could lie to — is going to improve our safety on the streets or at airports or stadiums or anywhere else is so far not particularly based on solid, peer-reviewed evidence.”
Albert Fox Cahn, the executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, called Health Pass an “absolutely horrifying product.” He points out that Clear’s ultimate goal seems to be based on the assumption that people have access to regular testing, which is a questionable premise in the United States. Also, public health experts still don’t have a full understanding of how Covid-19 immunity works or how antibody tests should be factored into the equation.
“After 9/11, we passed emergency surveillance powers, and we were told, ‘don’t worry, they’re going to go away in a few years,’” Fox Cahn told Recode. “As of this year, we’re still debating whether to renew them. We have to assume that any surveillance infrastructure we build to respond to this crisis will become a permanent facet of American life.”
Lawmakers are also worried about what Clear’s doing. In May, Sens. Jeff Merkley and Cory Booker, who have called for regulating facial recognition, sent a letter to Clear demanding more information on its pandemic-related business plans, pointing to the Health Pass in particular. The senators specifically warned that “facial recognition technology risks a state of undetectable, constant government surveillance that can track one’s movements and associations with organizations such as schools and places of worship.” They also expressed concern about algorithmic bias, which could make Clear inaccessible to some users.
In a June reply to the letter from Sens. Merkley and Booker, Clear chief executive Caryn Seidman-Becker wrote, “We do not conduct passive monitoring and we do not collect images of non-members.” She also emphasized the opt-in nature of Clear’s system as well as the company’s commitment to security. With regard to Health Pass, she said “biometric data is not shared with employers or venues, and our biometric tools are not themselves used as diagnostic tools.” Seidman-Becker also said that her company considers “racial and gender equitability” when choosing their facial recognition algorithms, which Clear purchases from third-party providers.
A Clear spokesperson told Recode that police and governmental agencies can’t access the data it oversees and that Clear would not share personal information about its members.
At the same time, Clear seems to be eager to become the technology platform that allows places to reopen, both for the short and long haul. Despite the concerns of privacy advocates who doubt the service’s utility and privacy protections, the new Health Pass system is winning big clients, like the NHL. And as the pressure to return to normal life continues, who knows where you might run into Clear technology next.
Open Sourced is made possible by Omidyar Network. All Open Sourced content is editorially independent and produced by our journalists.


vox--2020-07-23--How the coronavirus outbreak is roiling the film and entertainment industries

The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic , which was first identified in China in December , has had sweeping effects in the public health , business , and travel sectors , among others .
And while the repercussions for the entertainment industry may seem to pale in comparison to the clear threat the virus poses to human life , the ripple effects do have implications for the people around the world who make a living producing and distributing movies , music , and more .
The immense and lucrative Chinese film industry was hit almost immediately as movie theaters across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hollywood soon began to feel the effects , too , and as time passes , the impact of the coronavirus on the global film and entertainment industries will certainly grow .
Consequences of the pandemic on these industries could range from lowered attendance at film festivals and disruptions in film distribution to delayed or canceled movie releases and concert dates to curtailed on-location film shoots .
Financial ramifications will likely be felt by studios , filmmakers , theater owners , and more for months or even years .
Here are the biggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry in response to the pandemic .
Most recently , Christopher Nolan ’ s new film Tenet was delayed indefinitely , as was the live-action Mulan film and Wes Anderson ’ s The French Dispatch .
Release dates for upcoming Avatar sequels and a trio of Star Wars films were pushed a year further out .
K-pop concerts canceled , including BTS shows : On February 28 , the hugely popular K-pop group BTS canceled a series of concerts in Seoul .
The shows were scheduled for April 11 and 12 and April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Olympic Stadium .
The group ’ s management agency said the decision was made due to the impossibility of predicting the scale of the outbreak in South Korea come April and cited the health and safety of the musicians themselves , workers , and concertgoers .
Two hundred thousand fans were expected to attend .
Days earlier , BTS had asked fans to avoid a series of TV appearances scheduled to promote their newest album , Map of the Soul : 7 , which had originally been planned to include studio audiences .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a streamed press conference .
“ Health is always on our minds these days , and our messages of facing your inner self and loving yourself are ultimately only possible when you ’ re healthy , especially since it is very risky outside these days , ” one of the singers , Jimin , said .
” I hope you take care of yourself.
” The entire Korean entertainment sector has been affected by the outbreak , and K-pop has been hit particularly hard , with groups including GOT7 , Winner , Sechs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and others canceling scheduled tour dates .
Variety reported that box office revenue in South Korea was down 30 to 40 percent in January 2020 compared to previous years .
SXSW canceled : On March 6 , the city of Austin , Texas , declared a state of disaster , requiring the cancellation of public gatherings and events for the near future .
The most notable of those is the cancellation of South by Southwest , the annual music , film , TV , and technology festival that serves as a significant financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came after a week full of major companies — including Netflix , Apple , Amazon , WarnerMedia , Facebook , Twitter , TikTok , Mashable , Intel , and more — dropping out of the well-attended event , canceling panels , premieres , and other appearances .
Days later , SXSW organizers announced that they had laid off one-third of the festival ’ s employees in what they called “ a necessary , but heartbreaking , step.
” Emerald City Comic Con delayed : The organizing body behind Emerald City Comic Con , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seattle , Washington , announced on March 6 that it will postpone the event until sometime this summer .
The event was scheduled to run from March 12 to 16 .
“ We did everything that we could to run the event as planned , but ultimately , we are following the guidance of the local public health officials indicating that conventions should now be postponed , ” convention organizers Reedpop said in a statement published on the Emerald City Comic Con website .
Cannes Film Festival delayed : The 2020 edition of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most prestigious film festival in the world , is still in question following an announcement from the festival ’ s organizers on March 19 that the gathering could be delayed until “ late June or early July , ” or another time .
( The festival had been slated to take place May 12 to 23 and draws thousands of industries and press from around the globe each year . )
The festival first issued a statement on February 28 after the first case of coronavirus in nearby Nice , France , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying that organizers were monitoring the situation but planned for the festival to go forward .
( Cannes is a seaside resort town located on the French Riviera , about 30 km from Nice . )
Coachella delayed , then canceled : Goldenvoice , the organizers of Coachella — one of the largest annual music festivals in the US — announced on March 10 that the festival would be postponed due to concerns about Covid-19 .
Another Goldenvoice festival , the country-music-oriented Stagecoach , was also delayed .
The Indio , California-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weekends ( April 10-12 and April 17-19 ) , with the same talent lineup performing both weekends .
The postponement moved Coachella to October 9-11 and October 16-18 ; Stagecoach 2020 was pushed back from April to October 23-25 .
But on June 10 , both events were canceled by an order from the public health officer of Riverside County , California .
Electronics Entertainment Expo ( E3 ) canceled : The 2020 Electronic Entertainment Expo ( E3 ) — the single biggest trade show in the video game industry — has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which organizes the event , announced that it would not go forward with the annual event due to coronavirus fears in California , where E3 takes place .
The event was scheduled for June 9 to 11 .
The organization said it will contact exhibitors and attendees about receiving full refunds for passes , and that it is considering ways to “ coordinate an online experience ” in lieu of the in-person event .
It also maintains that E3 will return next year as planned .
The NBA suspended basketball games indefinitely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive for coronavirus on March 11 , leading NBA officials to call off that night ’ s Jazz game just before tip-off .
As a further precautionary measure , the league issued a statement that it would suspend the basketball season “ until further notice.
” Prior to putting an early pause on the rest of the season , the NBA made other efforts to protect players and fans .
The league barred media from locker rooms , and publicly considered having teams play to empty arenas , before ultimately stopping play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On March 24 , following pressure from athletes and multiple nations ’ Olympic committees , the International Olympic Committee and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe announced that the 2020 Summer Olympics would be postponed , possibly until 2021 ; on March 30 , the dates were set for July 23-August 8 , 2021 .
San Diego Comic-Con 2020 canceled : On April 17 , the organizers of San Diego Comic-Con announced that the yearly fan convention will not go on as planned in 2020 .
The event will resume once again in July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The cancellation marks the first time in Comic-Con ’ s 50-year history that the event , the largest convention of its kind in the US , will not take place .
Warner Bros. changes release plans : On April 20 , Warner Bros. announced changes to its slate .
The Batman , starring Robert Pattinson , shifted from a release date of June 25 , 2021 , to October 1 , 2021 .
The Many Saints of Newark , a prequel to The Sopranos , was delayed from September 25 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ King Richard , a biopic about Venus and Serena Williams ’ father starring Will Smith , shifted from November 25 , 2020 , to November 19 , 2021 .
An untitled Elvis movie moved from October 1 , 2021 to November 5 , 2021 .
Two DC titles also shifted dates : Shazam !
2 is delayed from April 1 , 2022 to November 4 , 2022 , and The Flash moved from July 1 , 2022 , to June 3 , 2022 .
On June 12 , the studio announced that Christopher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for release on July 17 , would move to July 31 .
Wonder Woman 1984 , which was set for August 14 , moved to October 2 .
( Wonder Woman 1984 previously shifted from June to August . )
On July 20 , with case numbers rising around the US and most theaters remaining closed , Warner Bros. announced that Tenet ’ s release would be delayed indefinitely .
On April 21 , the studio announced that the big-screen adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda ’ s In the Heights , originally set for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to June 18 , 2021 , because of pandemic-related post-production delays .
Malignant , a thriller from Aquaman director James Wan that had originally been scheduled for August 14 was pulled from the release schedule .
Newest Pixar film delayed : On April 13 , Disney announced that Pixar ’ s latest release , Soul , would open on November 20 , 2020 .
The film was previously set to open on June 19 .
Disney makes sweeping changes to release calendar : On April 3 , Disney made huge changes to its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it had previously pulled without a date and moving others .
Mulan was set to open on July 24 , 2020 , while Jungle Cruise , which had been set to release that day , moved to July 30 , 2021 .
An untitled Indiana Jones film moved from July 9 , 2021 , to July 29 , 2022 .
Changes in the MCU calendar also set off a domino effect .
Black Widow was newly set for November 6 , 2020 , while the previous release on that date , Shang-Chi , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Originally , Doctor Strange 2 was set to release on that date ; it ’ s now set to open November 5 , 2021 , displacing Thor : Love and Thunder until February 28 , 2022 .
Black Panther 2 is still currently set for May 6 , 2022 , and Captain Marvel 2 moved from July 22 to July 8 , 2022 .
Disney also owns 20th Century Films and Searchlight Films , which had a number of changes .
The Ryan Reynolds film Free Guy moved from July 3 to December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still set for December 18 and Ridley Scott ’ s The Last Duel for Christmas Day .
On July 23 , however , Disney announced a series of sweeping scheduling changes once again .
Mulan was pulled off the release calendar , indefinitely delaying its debut .
Disney also took Wes Anderson ’ s newest film , The French Dispatch , off the calendar indefinitely , after it had initially moved from July 24 to October 16 , 2020 .
Disney moved its upcoming trio of Star Wars movies forward by one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to release in 2023 , 2025 , and 2027 .
And James Cameron ’ s Avatar sequels were moved back by a year as well , with the first set to premiere in December 2022 .
The August 28 date for Disney ’ s The New Mutants remains August 28 , for now ; it was originally slated for April 3 .
And a release date for The Woman in the Window ( originally slated for May 15 ) has not been set yet .
Sony delays nearly all its movies until 2021 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that nearly all of its summer tentpole films would be delayed until late 2020 or early 2021 .
Delayed movies include Kevin Hart ’ s Fatherhood , Jared Leto ’ s Morbius , Ghostbusters : Afterlife , Uncharted , and the previously delayed Peter Rabbit 2 : The Runaway .
The only film that appeared unaffected was the Spider-Man : Far From Home sequel , which is still set for theatrical release on July 16 , 2020 .
NBCUniversal to release major films digitally : In an unprecedented move , NBCUniversal announced on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movies available digitally the same day they are released in movie theaters that remain open , including Trolls World Tour , which is set to hit theaters on April 10 .
Movies currently in theatrical release will also be available on-demand , including The Hunt , The Invisible Man , and Emma .
Movies are available for a 48-hour rental period for $ 19.99 in the US and an equivalent price abroad .
No Time to Die : On February 16 , MGM announced that it would cancel the Chinese premiere and publicity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movie , No Time To Die , which was scheduled for April .
On March 4 , the studio announced that it had delayed the film ’ s release until November 25 , making the film the first major tentpole release to be delayed worldwide .
The film ’ s release date moved one more time on June 12 , from November 25 to November 20 .
Sonic the Hedgehog : On February 24 , Paramount Pictures announced that it would delay the release of Sonic the Hedgehog in China , with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peter Rabbit 2 : On March 10 , Sony announced that it would push the global release of Peter Rabbit 2 : The Runaway from late March/early April to August .
A Quiet Place Part II : On March 12 , A Quiet Place Part II director John Krasinski announced via Twitter that the movie ’ s March 19 release date would be delayed .
“ One of the things I ’ m most proud of is that people have said our movie is one you have to see all together .
Well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going on in the world around us , now is clearly not the right time to do that , ” he wrote .
“ As insanely excited as we are for all of you to see this movie ...
I ’ m gon na wait to release the film till we CAN see it all together !
So here ’ s to our group movie date !
See you soon !
” Fast and Furious 9 : On March 12 , Universal Pictures announced that it would delay the release date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Furious franchise by 11 months , from May 22 to April 2 , 2021 .
Chinese movies scrapped theatrical release and premiere online : The biggest films of China ’ s year are usually scheduled to release during the Lunar New Year holiday , near the end of January , but mounting fears of the coronavirus and public reticence to be in crowded spaces caused distributors to voluntarily cancel or postpone several film releases .
Huanxi , distributor of the Chinese blockbuster Lost in Russia , announced on January 22 that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Promotional materials encouraged audiences to “ stay safely at home and watch Lost in Russia with your mom.
” On January 31 , Enter the Fat Dragon became the second major Chinese film to premiere online , as theaters are closed by order of the government .
Film and TV productions halted , altered , or shut down Saturday Night Live aired remotely produced content : On April 9 , the producers of Saturday Night Live , which had been on hiatus since mid-March , announced that new , remotely produced material would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s usual Saturday night slot , 11:30 pm on April 11 , including a “ Weekend Update ” segment .
The coronavirus has touched Saturday Night Live in at least two ways .
The show ’ s long-time music supervisor , Hal Willner , passed away on April 7 at the age of 64 ; he was not formally diagnosed with the virus but had consistent symptoms .
And Michael Che , one of the show ’ s co-head writers and co-anchor with Colin Jost of “ Weekend Update , ” announced via @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grandmother had passed away from coronavirus complications .
The show joined other late-night comedy shows , such as NBC ’ s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers , CBS ’ s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , ABC ’ s Jimmy Kimmel Live !
, Comedy Central ’ s The Daily Show , in creating comedy content remotely .
Eurovision canceled : On March 18 , the organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest announced via Twitter that the 2020 edition of the event was canceled .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
TV shows suspend production : Hundreds of shows have delayed or suspended production , including Apple ’ s The Morning Show and Little America ; Netflix shows including Russian Doll ; the CW ’ s Riverdale ; NBC shows including the Chicago dramas and The Kelly Clarkson Show ; CBS shows including the NCIS dramas , The Amazing Race , and Survivor ; and many more .
Saturday Night Live also announced on March 16 that it would suspend its next three shows , the first of which was scheduled for March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Krasinski ’ s film A Quiet Place Part II , originally scheduled for release on March 19 , was also delayed . )
Late-night shows suspend production or tape without a studio audience : Originally , on March 11 , producers of shows including NBC ’ s The Tonight Show ( hosted by Jimmy Fallon ) and Late Night With Seth Meyers , CBS ’ s Late Show With Stephen Colbert , TBS ’ s Full Frontal with Samantha Bee , and Comedy Central ’ s Daily Show ( hosted by Trevor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taping without a live studio audience on March 16 .
A day later , NBC announced that The Tonight Show and Late Night would suspend production beginning the week of March 16 ; Stephen Colbert also announced that the Late Show would suspend production .
All three shows were already scheduled to go into hiatus on March 23 .
On March 13 , Jimmy Kimmel Live also suspended production .
Disney suspends live-action production : On March 13 , Disney announced that production on its live-action movies would suspend production .
Affected films @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alone reboot , and Peter Pan .
Earlier in the day , production on Marvel ’ s Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings had been suspended due to director Destin Daniel Cretton ’ s decision to self-isolate upon advice of a doctor .
( Marvel is owned by Disney . )
Jia Zhangke project delayed : At the Berlin Film Festival in February , famed Chinese director Jia Zhangke ( Ash Is Purest White , A Touch of Sin ) told Indiewire that production on his new film , which was slated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indefinitely .
Jia spoke with Indiewire at the Berlin Film Festival , where his documentary Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue premiered .
But he said that before he left , he ’ d feared his flight to Berlin would be canceled , and that some of his collaborators chose not to make the trip .
Regarding his next film , he said : Mission : Impossible production paused : On February 26 , Paramount Pictures announced that it had halted a planned three-week shoot in Venice for the seventh installment in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Out of an abundance of caution for the safety and well-being of our cast and crew , and efforts of the local Venetian government to halt public gatherings in response to the threat of coronavirus , we are altering the production plan for our three-week shoot in Venice , the scheduled first leg of an extensive production for Mission : Impossible 7 , ” a Paramount spokesperson told the Hollywood Reporter .
“ During this hiatus we want to be mindful of the concerns of the crew and are allowing them to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to monitor this situation , and work alongside health and government officials as it evolves.
” Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune tape without a studio audience : Though Sony declined to comment , sources told the Hollywood Reporter on March 9 that scheduled tapings of the shows would go forward without a live studio audience .
The measure was taken partly as a precaution for the health of Jeopardy host Alex Trebek , who has stage 4 pancreatic cancer .
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson announce they ’ ve contracted the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stars , Tom Hanks , announced that he and his wife Rita Wilson had contracted the coronavirus while shooting Baz Luhrmann ’ s untitled Elvis Presley film in Australia : In a message posted publicly on March 11 , Hanks was his typical upbeat self : All Disney parks shut down : On January 25 , Disney shut down its Shanghai Disneyland park over fears of the coronavirus .
The park is a major revenue generator , with 11.8 million guests in 2018 , 50 percent from outside the Shanghai region , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revenue and $ 50 million in operating profit .
A day after Shanghai Disneyland ’ s closure , Hong Kong Disneyland shut down .
Both Disney parks in Japan closed on February 29 and Disney announced on March 11 that they will remain closed through at least the end of April .
Late in the day on March 12 , Disneyland in California announced it would close the following day ; by that evening , the company announced that all of its parks would close , including those in Florida and Disneyland Paris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive for coronavirus ) .
North American movie theaters shut down or begin “ social distancing ” measures : On March 13 , a number of theaters and theater chains , including AMC Theatres , and the Canadian chain Cineplex , announced that they would be reducing the number of tickets sold to screenings by as much as 50 percent in order to enable patrons to sit further apart as part of “ social distancing ” measures .
On March 15 , theaters in New York and Los Angeles were shut down by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 16 , Regal announced it would shut down all of its 543 US theaters indefinitely ; later in the day , AMC followed suit .
New York City cultural sites closed : On March 12 , major cultural sites in New York City began to close , including the Metropolitan Museum of Art .
Other institutions canceled programming for the month of March , such as the New York Public Library and Carnegie Hall .
Within days , the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that it anticipated staying closed through July and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On March 19 , the Metropolitan Opera laid off all of its union employees , including musicians and chorus .
Broadway shows closed : On March 12 , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo announced that beginning at 5:00 pm , Broadway would be closed , part of a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people .
On April 8 , the Broadway League announced that theaters would remain closed through June , and probably longer .
West End closes : On March 16 , London ’ s West End shut down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s speech urging Britons to avoid public spaces .
The theaters , including the Royal Opera House , will stay closed indefinitely .
Italian cultural sites closed : In February , a number of major museums in Venice , Milan , Turin , and other northern Italian cities were closed as part of the government ’ s aggressive attempt to contain the virus , and annual Carnivale celebrations stopped early .
By early March , with the country under complete lockdown , cultural sites across Italy were closed , including the Colosseum and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for months , tentatively begin to reopen , then re-close : Hoping to contain the coronavirus outbreak , on January 23 the Chinese government temporarily shut down movie theaters throughout the country until further notice .
A total film production shutdown soon followed .
Loss of revenue over the Lunar New Year holiday in late January , during which movie theaters typically see an uptick in ticket sales , amounted to a staggering $ 1 billion , according to analysts .
By March 23 , about 500 cinemas had reopened in China , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country that were open before the outbreak .
Variety reported that box office earnings remained minimal .
But by March 27 , they were closed again .
Chinese cultural attractions closed : Other cultural attractions and institutions in China that have been closed to the public include Tiananmen Square ’ s National Museum of China , the Forbidden City , and a section of the Great Wall of China located near Beijing .
We will continue to update this article as the story develops .
Every day at Vox , we aim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volume that this moment requires .
Please consider making a contribution to Vox today .

The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, which was first identified in China in December, has had sweeping effects in the public health, business, and travel sectors, among others. And while the repercussions for the entertainment industry may seem to pale in comparison to the clear threat the virus poses to human life, the ripple effects do have implications for the people around the world who make a living producing and distributing movies, music, and more.
The immense and lucrative Chinese film industry was hit almost immediately as movie theaters across the country were closed and major releases were delayed. Hollywood soon began to feel the effects, too, and as time passes, the impacts of the coronavirus on the global film and entertainment industries continue to be vast.
Consequences of the pandemic on these industries could range from lowered attendance at film festivals and disruptions in film distribution to delayed or canceled movie releases and concert dates to curtailed on-location film shoots. Financial ramifications will likely be felt by studios, filmmakers, theater owners, and more for months or even years.
Here are the biggest and most significant developments in the entertainment industry in response to the pandemic. Most recently, Disney announced more delays to several of its biggest films slated for 2020, including West Side Story and Black Widow.
Major entertainment festival cancellations and postponements
K-pop concerts canceled, including BTS shows: On February 28, the hugely popular K-pop group BTS canceled a series of concerts in Seoul. The shows were scheduled for April 11 and 12 and April 18 and 19 at Seoul’s Olympic Stadium. The group’s management agency said the decision was made due to the impossibility of predicting the scale of the outbreak in South Korea come April and cited the health and safety of the musicians themselves, workers, and concertgoers. Two hundred thousand fans were expected to attend.
Days earlier, BTS had asked fans to avoid a series of TV appearances scheduled to promote their newest album, Map of the Soul: 7, which had originally been planned to include studio audiences. The group also appealed to fans via a streamed press conference. “Health is always on our minds these days, and our messages of facing your inner self and loving yourself are ultimately only possible when you’re healthy, especially since it is very risky outside these days,” one of the singers, Jimin, said. ”I hope you take care of yourself.”
The entire Korean entertainment sector has been affected by the outbreak, and K-pop has been hit particularly hard, with groups including GOT7, Winner, Sechs Kies, (G) I-DLE, and others canceling scheduled tour dates. Variety reported that box office revenue in South Korea was down 30 to 40 percent in January 2020 compared to previous years.
SXSW canceled: On March 6, the city of Austin, Texas, declared a state of disaster, requiring the cancellation of public gatherings and events for the near future. The most notable of those is the cancellation of South by Southwest, the annual music, film, TV, and technology festival that serves as a significant financial powerhouse for the city.
The announcement came after a week full of major companies — including Netflix, Apple, Amazon, WarnerMedia, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Mashable, Intel, and more — dropping out of the well-attended event, canceling panels, premieres, and other appearances. Days later, SXSW organizers announced that they had laid off one-third of the festival’s employees in what they called “a necessary, but heartbreaking, step.”
Emerald City Comic Con delayed: The organizing body behind Emerald City Comic Con, the largest convention of its kind in Seattle, Washington, announced on March 6 that it will postpone the event until sometime this summer. The event was scheduled to run from March 12 to 16.
“We did everything that we could to run the event as planned, but ultimately, we are following the guidance of the local public health officials indicating that conventions should now be postponed,” convention organizers Reedpop said in a statement published on the Emerald City Comic Con website.
Cannes Film Festival delayed: Initially, the 2020 edition of the Cannes Film Festival, arguably the most prestigious film festival in the world, was left in limbo following an announcement from the festival’s organizers on March 19 that the gathering could be delayed until “late June or early July,” or another time. (The festival had been slated to take place May 12 to 23 and draws thousands of industries and press from around the globe each year.) The festival first issued a statement on February 28 after the first case of coronavirus in nearby Nice, France, was confirmed by the city’s mayor, saying that organizers were monitoring the situation but planned for the festival to go forward. (Cannes is a seaside resort town located on the French Riviera, about 30 km from Nice.)
By late spring, the organizers announced that the 2020 edition would be canceled. All films that would have played in the official and sidebar programs at the festival will bear the official Cannes seal when released in theaters or potentially at partner festivals in the fall, such as those that take place in Venice and Toronto. They announced these selections on June 3.
Coachella delayed, then canceled: Goldenvoice, the organizers of Coachella — one of the largest annual music festivals in the US — announced on March 10 that the festival would be postponed due to concerns about Covid-19. Another Goldenvoice festival, the country-music-oriented Stagecoach, was also delayed.
The Indio, California-based event was originally set to run for two weekends (April 10-12 and April 17-19), with the same talent lineup performing both weekends. The postponement moved Coachella to October 9-11 and October 16-18; Stagecoach 2020 was pushed back from April to October 23-25.
But on June 10, both events were canceled by an order from the public health officer of Riverside County, California.
Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) canceled: The 2020 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) — the single biggest trade show in the video game industry — has been canceled. The Entertainment Software Association, which organizes the event, announced that it would not go forward with the annual event due to coronavirus fears in California, where E3 takes place. The event was scheduled for June 9 to 11.
The organization said it will contact exhibitors and attendees about receiving full refunds for passes, and that it is considering ways to “coordinate an online experience” in lieu of the in-person event. It also maintains that E3 will return next year as planned.
The NBA suspended basketball games: A player on the Utah Jazz tested positive for coronavirus on March 11, leading NBA officials to call off that night’s Jazz game just before tip-off. As a further precautionary measure, the league issued a statement that it would suspend the basketball season “until further notice.”
Prior to putting an early pause on the rest of the season, the NBA made other efforts to protect players and fans. The league barred media from locker rooms and publicly considered having teams play to empty arenas before ultimately stopping play altogether.
Games resumed on July 30.
2020 Tokyo Olympics delayed: On March 24, following pressure from athletes and multiple nations’ Olympic committees, the International Olympic Committee and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe announced that the 2020 Summer Olympics would be postponed, possibly until 2021; on March 30, the dates were set for July 23-August 8, 2021.
San Diego Comic-Con 2020 canceled: On April 17, the organizers of San Diego Comic-Con announced that the yearly fan convention will not go on as planned in 2020. The event will resume once again in July 2021 at the San Diego Convention Center. The cancellation marks the first time in Comic-Con’s 50-year history that the event, the largest convention of its kind in the US, will not take place.
Major film release dates postponed or canceled
Warner Bros. changes release plans: On April 20, Warner Bros. announced changes to its slate. The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson, shifted from a release date of June 25, 2021, to October 1, 2021. The Many Saints of Newark, a prequel to The Sopranos, was delayed from September 25, 2020, to March 12, 2021. King Richard, a biopic about Venus and Serena Williams’ father starring Will Smith, shifted from November 25, 2020, to November 19, 2021. An untitled Elvis movie moved from October 1, 2021 to November 5, 2021.
Two DC titles also shifted dates: Shazam! 2 is delayed from April 1, 2022 to November 4, 2022, and The Flash moved from July 1, 2022, to June 3, 2022.
On April 21, the studio announced that the big-screen adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights, originally set for June 26, 2020, would move to June 18, 2021, because of pandemic-related post-production delays. Malignant, a thriller from Aquaman director James Wan that had originally been scheduled for August 14 was pulled from the release schedule.
On June 12, the studio announced that Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, previously slated for release on July 17, would move to July 31. Wonder Woman 1984, which was set for August 14, moved to October 2. (Wonder Woman 1984 previously shifted from June to August.)
On July 20, with case numbers rising around the US and most theaters remaining closed, Warner Bros. announced that Tenet’s release would be delayed indefinitely. A week later, the studio announced that the film would be released on a staggered schedule: on August 26 in 70 international territories and then in select US theaters beginning September 3.
On September 11, the studio announced that it had delayed Wonder Woman 1984 again, reportedly until Christmas.
Related Wonder Woman 1984 has been postponed until August 14
Newest Pixar film delayed: On April 13, Disney announced that Pixar’s latest release, Soul, would open on November 20, 2020. The film was previously set to open on June 19.
Disney makes sweeping changes to release calendar: On April 3, Disney made huge changes to its release calendar, setting dates for movies it had previously pulled without a date and moving others. Mulan was set to open on July 24, 2020, while Jungle Cruise, which had been set to release that day, moved to July 30, 2021. An untitled Indiana Jones film moved from July 9, 2021, to July 29, 2022.
Changes in the MCU calendar also set off a domino effect. Black Widow was newly set for November 6, 2020, while the previous release on that date, Shang-Chi, shifted to May 7, 2021. Originally, Doctor Strange 2 was set to release on that date; it’s now set to open November 5, 2021, displacing Thor: Love and Thunder until February 28, 2022. Black Panther 2 is still currently set for May 6, 2022, and Captain Marvel 2 moved from July 22 to July 8, 2022.
Disney also owns 20th Century Films and Searchlight Films, which had a number of changes. The Ryan Reynolds film Free Guy moved from July 3 to December 11, 2020. West Side Story is still set for December 18 and Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel for Christmas Day.
On July 23, however, Disney announced a series of sweeping scheduling changes once again. Mulan was pulled off the release calendar, indefinitely delaying its debut. Disney also took Wes Anderson’s newest film, The French Dispatch, off the calendar indefinitely, after it had initially moved from July 24 to October 16, 2020. Disney moved its upcoming trio of Star Wars movies forward by one year; they’re now slated to release in 2023, 2025, and 2027. And James Cameron’s Avatar sequels were moved back by a year as well, with the first set to premiere in December 2022.
The August 28 date for Disney’s The New Mutants remains August 28, for now; it was originally slated for April 3. And a release date for The Woman in the Window (originally slated for May 15) has not been set yet.
On August 4, Disney announced that Mulan would be released on its Disney+ streaming service. Subscribers will pay an additional $29.99 to rent the movie, available September 4. In territories where Disney+ is not available, Mulan will open in theaters that same day. (Notably, Disney+ is not available in China.)
On September 23, Disney announced more sweeping changes to its release schedule. Black Widow, originally set for November 6, is now slated to open on May 7, 2021. That delay shifted release dates for several other movies in the MCU, including Eternals (from February 12, 2021, to November 5, 2021) and Shang-Chi (from May 7, 2021, to July 9, 2021).
West Side Story, which had been set to release in the prime awards-season slot of December 18, 2020, will now open a full year later on December 10, 2021. The King’s Man — which had initially been set to open in September 2020, then delayed into 2021 — now has a release date of February 16, 2021. And Deep Water, starring Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, moved from November 13, 2020, to August 13, 2021.
A number of Disney’s films — among them Soul, the latest from Pixar — are still set for 2020 release. Soul has retained its November 20 date, at least for now. Death on the Nile shifted from October 23 to December 18. And the horror film The Empty Man is now set to open on October 23 rather than December 4.
Sony delays nearly all its movies until 2021: On March 30, Sony announced that nearly all of its summer tentpole films would be delayed until late 2020 or early 2021. Delayed movies include Kevin Hart’s Fatherhood, Jared Leto’s Morbius, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Uncharted, and the previously delayed Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway. The only film that appeared unaffected was the Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel, which is still set for theatrical release on July 16, 2020.
NBCUniversal to release major films digitally: In an unprecedented move, NBCUniversal announced on March 16 that it would make some movies available digitally the same day they are released in movie theaters that remain open, including Trolls World Tour, which is set to hit theaters on April 10. Movies currently in theatrical release will also be available on-demand, including The Hunt, The Invisible Man, and Emma. Movies are available for a 48-hour rental period for $19.99 in the US and an equivalent price abroad.
No Time to Die: On February 16, MGM announced that it would cancel the Chinese premiere and publicity tour planned for the new James Bond movie, No Time To Die, which was scheduled for April. On March 4, the studio announced that it had delayed the film’s release until November 25, making the film the first major tentpole release to be delayed worldwide. The film’s release date moved again on June 12, from November 25 to November 20.
Paramount changes release dates: On March 12, John Krasinski, director of Paramount’s A Quiet Place Part II, announced via Twitter that the movie’s March 19 release date would be delayed. “One of the things I’m most proud of is that people have said our movie is one you have to see all together. Well due to the ever-changing circumstances of what’s going on in the world around us, now is clearly not the right time to do that,” he wrote. “As insanely excited as we are for all of you to see this movie ... I’m gonna wait to release the film till we CAN see it all together! So here’s to our group movie date! See you soon!”
On July 23, Paramount announced that the Quiet Place sequel would be pushed to April 23, 2021. Top Gun Maverick was also delayed from December 23, 2020 to July 2, 2021. And that bumped Jackass, previously scheduled for July 2, 2021, to September 3, 2021.
Fast and Furious 9: On March 12, Universal Pictures announced that it would delay the release date of the ninth installment in the Fast and Furious franchise by 11 months, from May 22 to April 2, 2021.
Chinese movies scrapped theatrical release and premiere online: The biggest films of China’s year are usually scheduled to release during the Lunar New Year holiday, near the end of January, but mounting fears of the coronavirus and public reticence to be in crowded spaces caused distributors to voluntarily cancel or postpone several film releases. Huanxi, distributor of the Chinese blockbuster Lost in Russia, announced on January 22 that the film would premiere online for free. Promotional materials encouraged audiences to “stay safely at home and watch Lost in Russia with your mom.” On January 31, Enter the Fat Dragon became the second major Chinese film to premiere online, as theaters are closed by order of the government.
Film and TV productions halted, altered, or shut down
Saturday Night Live aired remotely produced content: On April 9, the producers of Saturday Night Live, which had been on hiatus since mid-March, announced that new, remotely produced material would air on NBC in the show’s usual Saturday night slot, 11:30 pm on April 11, including a “Weekend Update” segment.
The coronavirus has touched Saturday Night Live in at least two ways. The show’s long-time music supervisor, Hal Willner, passed away on April 7 at the age of 64; he was not formally diagnosed with the virus but had consistent symptoms. And Michael Che, one of the show’s co-head writers and co-anchor with Colin Jost of “Weekend Update,” announced via social media on April 6 that his grandmother had passed away from coronavirus complications.
The show joined other late-night comedy shows, such as NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers, CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, in creating comedy content remotely.
Eurovision canceled: On March 18, the organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest announced via Twitter that the 2020 edition of the event was canceled. The event had been planned for May.
TV shows suspend production: Hundreds of shows have delayed or suspended production, including Apple’s The Morning Show and Little America; Netflix shows including Russian Doll; the CW’s Riverdale; NBC shows including the Chicago dramas and The Kelly Clarkson Show; CBS shows including the NCIS dramas, The Amazing Race, and Survivor; and many more.
Late-night shows suspend production or tape without a studio audience: Originally, on March 11, producers of shows including NBC’s The Tonight Show (hosted by Jimmy Fallon) and Late Night With Seth Meyers, CBS’s Late Show With Stephen Colbert, TBS’s Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and Comedy Central’s Daily Show (hosted by Trevor Noah) all announced they would begin taping without a live studio audience on March 16.
A day later, NBC announced that The Tonight Show and Late Night would suspend production beginning the week of March 16; Stephen Colbert also announced that the Late Show would suspend production. All three shows were already scheduled to go into hiatus on March 23. On March 13, Jimmy Kimmel Live also suspended production. Most shows eventually began producing remotely, often with hosts and guests working from home studios.
Disney suspends live-action production: On March 13, Disney announced that production on its live-action movies would suspend production. Affected films include The Little Mermaid, a Home Alone reboot, and Peter Pan. Earlier in the day, production on Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings had been suspended due to director Destin Daniel Cretton’s decision to self-isolate upon advice of a doctor. (Marvel is owned by Disney.)
Jia Zhangke project delayed: At the Berlin Film Festival in February, famed Chinese director Jia Zhangke (Ash Is Purest White, A Touch of Sin) told Indiewire that production on his new film, which was slated to begin in April, was delayed indefinitely. Jia spoke with Indiewire at the Berlin Film Festival, where his documentary Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue premiered. But he said that before he left, he’d feared his flight to Berlin would be canceled, and that some of his collaborators chose not to make the trip. Regarding his next film, he said:
For some film companies and studios involved in pre-production, a lot of costs are going down the drain, and those that already started production have to be somehow cut short or suspended. Some of them are already in the process of distributing films and they’ve paid for a lot of promotion and PR costs. The economy is now taking a huge hit, and I think the investment side will be hugely impacted as well.
Mission: Impossible production paused: On February 26, Paramount Pictures announced that it had halted a planned three-week shoot in Venice for the seventh installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise. “Out of an abundance of caution for the safety and well-being of our cast and crew, and efforts of the local Venetian government to halt public gatherings in response to the threat of coronavirus, we are altering the production plan for our three-week shoot in Venice, the scheduled first leg of an extensive production for Mission: Impossible 7,” a Paramount spokesperson told the Hollywood Reporter. “During this hiatus we want to be mindful of the concerns of the crew and are allowing them to return home until production starts. We will continue to monitor this situation, and work alongside health and government officials as it evolves.”
Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune tape without a studio audience: Though Sony declined to comment, sources told the Hollywood Reporter on March 9 that scheduled tapings of the shows would go forward without a live studio audience. The measure was taken partly as a precaution for the health of Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, who has stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson announce they’ve contracted the virus: One of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Tom Hanks, announced that he and his wife Rita Wilson had contracted the coronavirus while shooting Baz Luhrmann’s untitled Elvis Presley film in Australia:
In a message posted publicly on March 11, Hanks was his typical upbeat self:
Well, now. What to do next? The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed. We Hanks’ will be tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires. Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no? We’ll keep the world posted and updated. Take care of yourselves!
Entertainment venues and attractions shut down
All Disney parks shut down: On January 25, Disney shut down its Shanghai Disneyland park over fears of the coronavirus. The park is a major revenue generator, with 11.8 million guests in 2018, 50 percent from outside the Shanghai region, and an estimated $1 billion in annual revenue and $50 million in operating profit. A day after Shanghai Disneyland’s closure, Hong Kong Disneyland shut down. Both Disney parks in Japan closed on February 29 and Disney announced on March 11 that they will remain closed through at least the end of April.
Late in the day on March 12, Disneyland in California announced it would close the following day; by that evening, the company announced that all of its parks would close, including those in Florida and Disneyland Paris (where three staff had previously tested positive for coronavirus).
In July, Disney World reopened amid a spike in Florida coronavirus cases.
North American movie theaters shut down: On March 13, a number of theaters and theater chains, including AMC Theatres, and the Canadian chain Cineplex, announced that they would be reducing the number of tickets sold to screenings by as much as 50 percent in order to enable patrons to sit further apart as part of “social distancing” measures.
On March 15, theaters in New York and Los Angeles were shut down by order of their respective mayors. On March 16, Regal announced it would shut down all of its 543 US theaters indefinitely; later in the day, AMC followed suit.
New York City cultural sites closed: On March 12, major cultural sites in New York City began to close, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Other institutions canceled programming for the month of March, such as the New York Public Library and Carnegie Hall.
Within days, the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that it anticipated staying closed through July and laying off much of its staff. On March 19, the Metropolitan Opera laid off all of its union employees, including musicians and chorus.
Broadway shows closed: On March 12, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that beginning at 5:00 pm, Broadway would be closed, part of a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people. On April 8, the Broadway League announced that theaters would remain closed through June, and probably longer. On June 29, the League extended the shutdown through January 3, 2021.
West End closes: On March 16, London’s West End shut down, following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s speech urging Britons to avoid public spaces. The theaters, including the Royal Opera House, will stay closed indefinitely. As of June, the West End closures remained in effect through at least August 2.
Italian cultural sites closed: In February, a number of major museums in Venice, Milan, Turin, and other northern Italian cities were closed as part of the government’s aggressive attempt to contain the virus, and annual Carnivale celebrations stopped early. By early March, with the country under complete lockdown, cultural sites across Italy were closed, including the Colosseum and Pompeii.
Chinese movie theaters shut down for months, tentatively begin to reopen, then re-close: Hoping to contain the coronavirus outbreak, on January 23 the Chinese government temporarily shut down movie theaters throughout the country until further notice. A total film production shutdown soon followed. Loss of revenue over the Lunar New Year holiday in late January, during which movie theaters typically see an uptick in ticket sales, amounted to a staggering $1 billion, according to analysts.
By March 23, about 500 cinemas had reopened in China, roughly 5 percent of the cinemas in the country that were open before the outbreak. Variety reported that box office earnings remained minimal. But by March 27, they were closed again. Some Chinese movie theaters began to open in late July.
We will continue to update this article as the story develops.


vox--2020-07-23--Facebook’s sad summer continues with a $650 million settlement

Facebook has agreed to pay $ 650 million to settle a years-long class action lawsuit over its use of facial recognition in what continues to be a less-than-great summer for the social media company .
The lawsuit is over Facebook ’ s photo-tagging feature , which used facial recognition software to identify faces in users ’ photos .
The state of Illinois , however , has a law against businesses collecting biometric data — which includes facial recognition — without first obtaining consent .
Illinois argued that Facebook didn ’ t get that consent before enabling the new feature by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and sued the company in 2015 .
Facebook has denied it did anything wrong , but it tried to settle the suit for $ 550 million in January .
That offer was rejected by a judge for not being enough ; as NPR reported , the $ 550 million figure would result in payouts of just $ 150 to $ 300 per person .
Facebook could have been on the hook for $ 47 billion if it lost the suit and affected users got the full payout of $ 5,000 per person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s $ 550 million , ” the judge said in a June 4 hearing , according to court documents obtained by Recode .
“ That ’ s a lot .
But the question is , is it really a lot ?
” He continued , “ That is a significant reduction from the $ 1,000 that the Illinois legislature set as the baseline .
...
The Illinois legislature set this privacy expectation and privacy right as a serious one , and they put a high price tag on it for that reason.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ additional $ 100 million to its proposal .
According to court documents , that will net each affected user $ 200 to $ 400 each .
The settlement was agreed to by both sides of the suit but has yet to be approved by a judge .
As it did back in January , Facebook told Recode , “ We are focused on settling as it is in the best interest of our community and our shareholders to move past this matter.
” The new settlement comes as facial recognition software is more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Amazon are all pausing or limiting law enforcement ’ s access to their technology in response to anti-police protests , and the New York Times recently reported on the first known false arrest based on facial recognition .
At the same time , private companies are increasingly turning to facial recognition software , using it in photo-tagging services ( like the aforementioned Facebook ) or identity verification to unlock devices ( like Apple ’ s iPhone ) .
There ’ s also proposed bicameral legislation from Democrats that would ban the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement and withhold federal funding from state and local agencies that don ’ t enact similar bans .
It also comes as Facebook weathers a summer that probably didn ’ t go as well as it once hoped .
The company faces an antitrust investigation from Congress ( along with Amazon , Apple , and Google ) , and CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be testifying before the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee on July 27 .
In June , Facebook ’ s own employees protested the company ’ s decision not to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threatened to respond to protests with gunfire , saying “ when the looting starts , the shooting starts.
” That incident led to civil rights groups calling for an ad boycott from many major companies over its perceived inability ( or lack of desire ) to stop hateful content that proliferates on its platform .
And , a few weeks ago , Facebook released the results of a civil rights audit — which it largely failed .
Facebook has tried with varying success to respond to these controversies .
The company cracked down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , by removing campaign ads that featured possible Nazi imagery .
Facebook also recently announced that it would be studying racial bias in Facebook ’ s and Instagram ’ s algorithms .
And , at the end of June , Zuckerberg announced that the company would be doing more to remove or label posts that incite violence , contain hate speech , or suppress voting .
But many still feel that these measures are too little and too late .
One possible bright spot in all of this for Facebook , actually , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While it ’ s obviously a lot of money , it ’ s far less than the $ 47 billion it could have lost if the case went to trial and , if accepted by the judge this time , means the end of a costly lawsuit .
Facebook ’ s most recent quarterly earnings report showed revenue of nearly $ 18 billion , almost all of it from advertising .
A $ 650 million loss will barely register .
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All Open Sourced content @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalists .
Every day at Vox , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
Vox ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn .
Your financial contribution will not constitute a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires .
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Facebook has agreed to pay $650 million to settle a years-long class action lawsuit over its use of facial recognition in what continues to be a less-than-great summer for the social media company.
The lawsuit is over Facebook’s photo-tagging feature, which used facial recognition software to identify faces in users’ photos. The state of Illinois, however, has a law against businesses collecting biometric data — which includes facial recognition — without first obtaining consent. Illinois argued that Facebook didn’t get that consent before enabling the new feature by default to its millions of Illinois users, and sued the company in 2015.
Facebook has denied it did anything wrong, but it tried to settle the suit for $550 million in January. That offer was rejected by a judge for not being enough; as NPR reported, the $550 million figure would result in payouts of just $150 to $300 per person. Facebook could have been on the hook for $47 billion if it lost the suit and affected users got the full payout of $5,000 per person allowed by the law.
“It’s $550 million,” the judge said in a June 4 hearing, according to court documents obtained by Recode. “That’s a lot. But the question is, is it really a lot?”
He continued, “That is a significant reduction from the $1,000 that the Illinois legislature set as the baseline. ... The Illinois legislature set this privacy expectation and privacy right as a serious one, and they put a high price tag on it for that reason.”
So Facebook has now added an additional $100 million to its proposal. According to court documents, that will net each affected user $200 to $400 each. The settlement was agreed to by both sides of the suit but has yet to be approved by a judge.
As it did back in January, Facebook told Recode, “We are focused on settling as it is in the best interest of our community and our shareholders to move past this matter.”
The new settlement comes as facial recognition software is more controversial than ever. IBM, Microsoft, and Amazon are all pausing or limiting law enforcement’s access to their technology in response to anti-police protests, and the New York Times recently reported on the first known false arrest based on facial recognition. At the same time, private companies are increasingly turning to facial recognition software, using it in photo-tagging services (like the aforementioned Facebook) or identity verification to unlock devices (like Apple’s iPhone). There’s also proposed bicameral legislation from Democrats that would ban the use of facial recognition technology by federal law enforcement and withhold federal funding from state and local agencies that don’t enact similar bans.
It also comes as Facebook weathers a summer that probably didn’t go as well as it once hoped. The company faces an antitrust investigation from Congress (along with Amazon, Apple, and Google), and CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be testifying before the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee on July 27.
In June, Facebook’s own employees protested the company’s decision not to take action on posts from President Trump that threatened to respond to protests with gunfire, saying “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” That incident led to civil rights groups calling for an ad boycott from many major companies over its perceived inability (or lack of desire) to stop hateful content that proliferates on its platform. And, a few weeks ago, Facebook released the results of a civil rights audit — which it largely failed.
Facebook has tried with varying success to respond to these controversies. The company cracked down on some Trump content, for instance, by removing campaign ads that featured possible Nazi imagery. Facebook also recently announced that it would be studying racial bias in Facebook’s and Instagram’s algorithms. And, at the end of June, Zuckerberg announced that the company would be doing more to remove or label posts that incite violence, contain hate speech, or suppress voting. But many still feel that these measures are too little and too late.
One possible bright spot in all of this for Facebook, actually, is that $650 million settlement. While it’s obviously a lot of money, it’s far less than the $47 billion it could have lost if the case went to trial and, if accepted by the judge this time, means the end of a costly lawsuit. Facebook’s most recent quarterly earnings report showed revenue of nearly $18 billion, almost all of it from advertising. A $650 million loss will barely register.
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