theverge--2020-06-11--Anonymous Camera is a new app that uses AI to quickly anonymize photos and videos

Our faces have never been more vulnerable .
Facial recognition algorithms make it easy to identify individuals from a single snap — a fact that ’ s particularly relevant at a time of protest .
But with the help of advances in machine learning , it ’ s also easier than ever to anonymize photos and videos , removing information that would otherwise identify people .
The latest example of this is a new camera app called Anonymous Camera , that launches on the iOS App Store today .
It ’ s the work of London AI startup Playground , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help of investigative journalists who wanted an easy way to record anonymous footage .
Although it ’ s no silver bullet for privacy , Anonymous Camera offers the most comprehensive and easy-to-use features we ’ ve seen in an app of its kind .
Anonymous Camera uses machine learning to identify people in images and videos and then blur , pixelate , or block out entirely faces or whole bodies .
Being able to block out feature altogether is important , as some blurring and pixelation methods can be reversed , and individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their faces but by their clothing , tattoos , and other identifying markers .
The app can also distort voices in videos and strips any metadata that ’ s automatically embedded in files by cameras and phones .
That includes the time a photo or video was taken and , depending on your privacy settings , where it was taken .
Even if you anonymize individuals in photos , this information can reveal a lot , whether it ’ s shared accidentally online or retrieved later when a device is analyzed .
Perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in real time on users ’ devices , something that wasn ’ t possible before recent advances in AI .
This means videos or photos only exist in their original state for a brief time as the app amends them .
So , if someone ’ s phone is confiscated at a later date , no uncensored files will be available .
We ’ ve been testing Anonymous Camera in London , including at a recent Black Lives Matter protest .
It ’ s definitely not a perfect tool for anonymizing crowd shots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it wasn ’ t originally intended for ) but it does make anonymizing close-up photos and videos of individuals and small groups extremely simple .
Gabriel Mitchel and Aaron Abentheuer , co-founders of Playground , told The Verge they were inspired to create Anonymous Camera after reading reports of journalists in the United Arab Emirates who were writing about the persecution of LGBT groups .
“ It ’ s very important that whenever you take a photo of someone [ in the UAE ] you have to be very careful to anonymize that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People capture footage and then anonymize it through Photoshop , but in the meantime the government might have confiscated their camera , and with that the compromising material.
” Anonymous Camera removes the need for this entire post-production process .
Ah early user of the app who testified to its usefulness is Paul Radu , an investigative journalist who covers organized crime and corruption with the OCCRP , which helped publish the Panama Papers .
Radu told The Verge he ’ s already used Anonymous Camera in his reporting , using it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The app builds an almost instant layer of trust and safety that is very important.
” “ The app builds an almost instant layer of trust and safety that is very important , ” Radu told The Verge .
He said he showed interviewees how the app obscured their features in real-time , which reassured them no uncensored video was being captured .
This built “ an almost instant layer of trust and safety , ” says Radu .
“ It ’ s easy to explain to the interviewee and easy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interviewers show their face while recording video .
One journalist who offered Playground advice on building the app is Paul Cheung , a director at the journalism nonprofit the Knight Foundation .
Cheung told The Verge over email that he didn ’ t expect AC to be “ the next Instagram , ” but thought it could be useful for a lot of people , including journalists , activists , and citizens documenting certain subjects .
“ The tool can be used for sensitive stories involving victims of sexual abuse or violence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cheung .
But how useful is the app for protests ?
When Mitchell and Abentheuer began working on the app last year , the Hong Kong democracy protests had begun in earnest , and masked protesting was becoming the norm .
This inspired their work , and they managed to get a number of protesters to test the app .
They found it had its uses , but also its limitations .
“ If you ’ re taking a photo of yourself or capturing other peoples ’ identities you don ’ t want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the certainly app helps with that .
“ But we learned pretty quickly that it is computationally quite hard to anonymize an entire protest in one shot.
” Simply put , when there are too many faces in frame , your phone can ’ t identify them all .
The pair say they ’ re working on adding this functionality “ in the long term.
” Our own tests showed the same thing .
If there were more than , say , eight people in frame at more than a distance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the anonymity filters just didn ’ t kick in .
In the still frame below , taken from a video at a Black Lives Matter protest in London , you can see the extent of these problems .
The yellow blocking is created by the app , and the black blocking by The Verge .
The app just doesn ’ t anonymize people far away from the camera and for those up close it glitches in and out of focus , sometimes revealing faces .
Still , though , the app ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for anonymizing photos .
There are online tools that can be used to scrub information from photos , but they ’ re slow and can be tricky to use from mobile browsers .
You can also use built in photo editing tools to manually blur or cover faces , but this takes more time and effort .
Encrypted messaging app Signal recently added a tool to blur faces in photos , but this doesn ’ t match all of AC ’ s features , like blocking out faces altogether and stripping metadata .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to anonymize videos and images , but if you ’ re interested in obscuring your identity this is only part of the picture .
There ’ s a whole range of information that can be used to identify individuals at protests , especially if their phone is confiscated .
And even if journalists and activists use tools like this to anonymize photos , that doesn ’ t mean law enforcement will .
In the UK , for example , police deploy dedicated photographers at protests to capture images of the crowd and create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters .
Even if you control how you take photos and videos , you can ’ t control how other people do .
Anonymous Camera is free to download on iOS today , but a paid upgrade ( for $ 1.99 ) is required to unlock the ability to record video without watermarks .
Playground says that all proceeds from the upgrade from the first month of sale will be donated to Minnesota-based nonprofit Black Visions Collective and the not-for-profit media collective Unicorn Riot .

Our faces have never been more vulnerable. Facial recognition algorithms make it easy to identify individuals from a single snap — a fact that’s particularly relevant at a time of protest. But with the help of advances in machine learning, it’s also easier than ever to anonymize photos and videos, removing information that would otherwise identify people.
The latest example of this is a new camera app called Anonymous Camera, that launches on the iOS App Store today. It’s the work of London AI startup Playground, whose founders built the app with the help of investigative journalists who wanted an easy way to record anonymous footage. Although it’s no silver bullet for privacy, Anonymous Camera offers the most comprehensive and easy-to-use features we’ve seen in an app of its kind.
Anonymous Camera blurs faces and bodies; distorts audio and strips metadata
Anonymous Camera uses machine learning to identify people in images and videos and then blur, pixelate, or block out entirely faces or whole bodies. Being able to block out features altogether is important, as some blurring and pixelation methods can be reversed, and individuals can often be identified not just by their faces but by their clothing, tattoos, and other identifying markers.
The app can also distort voices in videos and strips any metadata that’s automatically embedded in files by cameras and phones. That includes the time a photo or video was taken and, depending on your privacy settings, where it was taken. Even if you anonymize individuals in photos, this information can reveal a lot, whether it’s shared accidentally online or retrieved later when a device is analyzed.
Perhaps most importantly, Anonymous Camera processes content in real time on users’ devices, something that wasn’t possible before recent advances in AI. This means videos or photos only exist in their original state for a brief time as the app amends them. So, if someone’s phone is confiscated at a later date, no uncensored files will be available.
We’ve been testing Anonymous Camera in London, including at a recent Black Lives Matter protest. It’s definitely not a perfect tool for anonymizing crowd shots in protests (something its creators say it wasn’t originally intended for) but it does make anonymizing close-up photos and videos of individuals and small groups extremely simple.
The app includes information about how it processes data, and the limits of its anonymity features. Screenshots: Playground
Gabriel Mitchel and Aaron Abentheuer, co-founders of Playground, told The Verge they were inspired to create Anonymous Camera after reading reports of journalists in the United Arab Emirates who were writing about the persecution of LGBT groups.
“It’s very important that whenever you take a photo of someone [in the UAE] you have to be very careful to anonymize that immediately,” said Abentheuer. “People capture footage and then anonymize it through Photoshop, but in the meantime the government might have confiscated their camera, and with that the compromising material.” Anonymous Camera removes the need for this entire post-production process.
An early user of the app who testified to its usefulness is Paul Radu, an investigative journalist who covers organized crime and corruption with the OCCRP, which helped publish the Panama Papers. Radu told The Verge he’s already used Anonymous Camera in his reporting, using it to record videos with interview subjects anonymously.
“The app builds an almost instant layer of trust and safety that is very important.”
“The app builds an almost instant layer of trust and safety that is very important,” Radu told The Verge. He said he showed interviewees how the app obscured their features in real-time, which reassured them no uncensored video was being captured. This built “an almost instant layer of trust and safety,” says Radu. “It’s easy to explain to the interviewee and easy to show.” A splitscreen feature also lets interviewers show their face while recording video.
One journalist who offered Playground advice on building the app is Paul Cheung, a director at the journalism nonprofit the Knight Foundation. Cheung told The Verge over email that he didn’t expect AC to be “the next Instagram,” but thought it could be useful for a lot of people, including journalists, activists, and citizens documenting certain subjects. “The tool can be used for sensitive stories involving victims of sexual abuse or violence, undocumented immigrants or protesters,” said Cheung.
But how useful is the app for protests? When Mitchell and Abentheuer began working on the app last year, the Hong Kong democracy protests had begun in earnest, and masked protesting was becoming the norm. This inspired their work, and they managed to get a number of protesters to test the app. They found it had its uses, but also its limitations.
Related How to hide faces and scrub metadata when you photograph a protest
“If you’re taking a photo of yourself or capturing other peoples’ identities you don’t want to compromise anyone,” says Mitchel, and the app certainly helps with that. “But we learned pretty quickly that it is computationally quite hard to anonymize an entire protest in one shot.” Simply put, when there are too many faces in frame, your phone can’t identify them all. The pair say they’re working on adding this functionality “in the long term.”
Our own tests showed the same thing. If there were more than, say, eight people in frame at more than a distance of a few meters from the camera, the anonymity filters just didn’t kick in. In the still frame below, taken from a video at a Black Lives Matter protest in London, you can see the extent of these problems. The yellow blocking is created by the app, and the black blocking by The Verge. The app just doesn’t anonymize people far away from the camera and for those up close it glitches in and out of focus, sometimes revealing faces.
Anonymous Camera isn’t capable of anonymizing large crowds at once. Image: The Verge
Still, though, the app has advantages over currently available options for anonymizing photos. There are online tools that can be used to scrub information from photos, but they’re slow and can be tricky to use from mobile browsers. You can also use built in photo editing tools to manually blur or cover faces, but this takes more time and effort. Encrypted messaging app Signal recently added a tool to blur faces in photos, but this doesn’t match all of AC’s features, like blocking out faces altogether and stripping metadata.
Related How to hide faces and scrub metadata when you photograph a protest
Anonymous Camera does offer a quicker way to anonymize videos and images, but if you’re interested in obscuring your identity this is only part of the picture.
There’s a whole range of information that can be used to identify individuals at protests, especially if their phone is confiscated. And even if journalists and activists use tools like this to anonymize photos, that doesn’t mean law enforcement will. In the UK, for example, police deploy dedicated photographers at protests to capture images of the crowd and create “spotter sheets” to identify frequent protesters. Even if you control how you take photos and videos, you can’t control how other people do.


theverge--2020-06-11--Android 11 may be the best texting platform if you use multiple chat apps

The official beta for the next version of Android is out now , and if you have a spare Pixel phone , I really do recommend you check it out .
If you don ’ t , my recommendation is not to install it — betas are never a great idea on something you truly depend on , and your main phone is likely near the top of that list .
I ’ ve been using a build close to what Google released today for a week and I haven ’ t had any catastrophic crashes , but there have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of observations and made a video detailing the new features yesterday , but something I struggled to get across then and I think I ’ m going to struggle to get across now is how much better the texting experience really is .
I say that even though essentially no apps fully support Google ’ s new pop-out “ bubble ” feature yet .
It ’ s a struggle to describe because fundamentally what Google has done seems so small .
It has taken boxes that used to appear in one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place .
While I wouldn ’ t go so far as to call the experience transformative , I do think that it ’ s hard to understand how good it is without using it for some time .
We ’ ll see how I feel after a few more months , but right now I find that Android 11 offers a a more enjoyable and more coherent overall messaging experience than iOS .
That is a sentence I never thought I would write .
In fact , if you simply Google the phrase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you will find that it ’ s nearly synonymous with Google and the article with the phrase is often written by yours truly .
Can Android 11 really fix all of that ?
Well , no , of course not .
But what it has done is make a fundamental problem on smartphones more manageable .
Android 11 can ’ t fix Google ’ s messaging mess , but it has made the overall texting experience on smartphones better .
The difference between Google ’ s messaging mess and the overall mess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several opportunities to win at mobile messaging .
Now , it ’ s going for something more “ open ” by trying to get all carriers worldwide ( and maybe Apple ) to upgrade from SMS to RCS in a consistent and universally compatible way — and also make it possible to layer strong encryption on top of it .
It ’ s taking longer than hoped .
RCS aside , the problem is that there are too many texting apps and you can ’ t really convince all your friends and loved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some parts of the world , that statement doesn ’ t obtain because everybody uses WhatsApp , but at least here in the US , messaging is fragmented across iMessage , SMS/RCS , WhatsApp , Facebook Messenger , Signal , Telegram , and any number of other apps I could list here .
That ’ s a problem for both Android and iOS users , but it feels more acute on Android because the default option is a bad , broken experience : SMS .
Or , if you ’ re lucky , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then your encryption options are substandard .
There may be messaging fragmentation on the iPhone , but at least the default experience when you ’ re texting other iPhone users is pretty good .
You talk to different people on different apps and it ’ s a hassle to remember who is in which app .
Additionally , your notifications from these different apps get intermixed with everything else in your notifications .
Sure , all your messages from WhatsApp might be grouped , but then it ’ s a news alert and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on .
It ’ s a first-world problem , but a modern smartphone is supposed to help you with these hassles .
It ’ s also an old problem , and smartphones have tried to tackle it in the past with decidedly mixed results .
Many have tried to solve the multiple texting app issue .
All have failed I could wax ecstatic about the solution Palm tried with webOS : Synergy .
Essentially webOS tried to just give you one messaging app and within it you had threads with all your contacts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between whatever texting method you preferred .
It was beautiful and , like webOS itself , doomed .
Similarly , Windows Phone tried to abstract away apps entirely into its People Hub , which combined lots of different contact , communication , and social features into one place .
Another doomed idea on another doomed smartphone platform .
Those efforts failed not just because those platforms failed , but because fundamentally no chat service is interested in having its users in another app .
In the same way streaming services balk at being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV interface , there ’ s no reason for Facebook Messenger or Google Chat or Skype to let you use a more generic interface .
The days of XMPP are ( sadly ) behind us .
Which is why Android 11 ’ s solution is actually genius .
It doesn ’ t try to replace those apps , it simply collates their alerts into a single place .
You get benefits that are similar to the way apps like Trillian or Adium combined IM services back in the day , but it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an app .
That ’ s also , in theory , the genius of the bubble system — I ’ ll have to use it more to see how it pans out .
To the user , it ’ ll just feel like any other app icon ( albeit floating over your other apps ) .
You tap it to open your texts , with icons for each of your conversation threads .
The fact that tapping on one of those icons happens to open a distinct app doesn ’ t really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s all in one place .
Even without those bubbles , the Conversation system in Android 11 is great because of its distinct priority system .
I am able to set my wife and boss as priorities in the apps I use to talk to them ( and can optionally allow them to break through Do Not Disturb. )
.
But some of the group chats I ’ m in are very chatty ( Hey Bohn clan : love you ! )
, so I want to turn off all notifications for them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ section , silencing those alerts was a recipe for ignoring my family — not what I want , especially now .
But now , those alerts are still promoted up above random news alerts — I see them , but I ’ m not interrupted by them .
Earlier I called the disparate chat apps a kind of fragmentation , but another word for that is competition .
It ’ s not the worst thing in the world to have to deal with multiple chat apps , because at least that means there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chat service .
Solving these problems at the notification layer is probably the best possible solution right now .
Switching back to an iPhone or even an earlier version of Android today after my piece was published , I immediately felt a sense of friction and annoyance .
Now all I have to do is get some more of my friends off iMessage .
┏ Android 11 beta : all the announcements .
Here ’ s all the Android 11 news since it was first announced .
┏ How to install the Android @ @ @ @ @ @ @ features Android 11 borrows from the iPhone .
I ’ ll also direct you straight to one of my tweets .
When I originally looked over the improvement to Android ’ s Voice Access accessibility feature , I thought it was just iterative — and since Voice Access was already great before , it didn ’ t seem worth including in my original feature .
But trying it more , I became more impressed .
The feature does a better job understanding what ’ s on the screen and why , so you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much more natural language than before .
I should have included it from the jump — not just because it ’ s good , but because even iterative improvements to accessibility merit attention .
More from The Verge ┏ Intel ’ s 3D-stacked Lakefield chips are here to take on ARM in laptops , tablets , and foldables .
Chaim Gartenberg explains what ’ s up with these new chips .
With the impending ARM announcement for Macs , the stakes for Lakefield are suddenly much higher than before .
┏ Grubhub spurns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Just Eat Takeaway .
┏ Amazon bans police from using its facial recognition technology for the next year .
As with IBM ’ s facial recognition announcement , there are questions about whether this is an empty PR gesture .
┏ Verizon ’ s Samsung Galaxy S20 has mmWave 5G but less RAM .
I have yet to be convinced that mmWave is a good idea for phones .
┏ Twitter would like you to actually read stories before you retweet them .
...
Same .

The official beta for the next version of Android is out now, and if you have a spare Pixel phone, I really do recommend you check it out. If you don’t, my recommendation is not to install it — betas are never a great idea on something you truly depend on, and your main phone is likely near the top of that list. I’ve been using a build close to what Google released today for a week and I haven’t had any catastrophic crashes, but there have been some bugs.
I wrote up a lot of observations and made a video detailing the new features yesterday, but something I struggled to get across then and I think I’m going to struggle to get across now is how much better the texting experience really is. I say that even though essentially no apps fully support Google’s new pop-out “bubble” feature yet.
It’s a struggle to describe because fundamentally what Google has done seems so small. It has taken boxes that used to appear in one place and make them appear in another place. While I wouldn’t go so far as to call the experience transformative, I do think that it’s hard to understand how good it is without using it for some time.
You are reading Processor, a newsletter about computers, software, and tech by Dieter Bohn. Dieter writes about consumer tech, software, and the most important tech news of the day from The Verge. You can read an archive of Processor newsletters here and subscribe to all of The Verge’s great videos here! Subscribe
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We’ll see how I feel after a few more months, but right now I find that Android 11 offers a a more enjoyable and more coherent overall messaging experience than iOS.
That is a sentence I never thought I would write. In fact, if you simply Google the phrase “messaging mess” on The Verge, you will find that it’s nearly synonymous with Google and the article with the phrase is often written by yours truly. Can Android 11 really fix all of that?
Well, no, of course not. But what it has done is make a fundamental problem on smartphones more manageable. Android 11 can’t fix Google’s messaging mess, but it has made the overall texting experience on smartphones better.
The difference between Google’s messaging mess and the overall mess on smartphones is simply that Google blew several opportunities to win at mobile messaging. Now, it’s going for something more “open” by trying to get all carriers worldwide (and maybe Apple) to upgrade from SMS to RCS in a consistent and universally compatible way — and also make it possible to layer strong encryption on top of it. It’s taking longer than hoped.
RCS aside, the problem is that there are too many texting apps and you can’t really convince all your friends and loved ones to just choose one. In some parts of the world, that statement doesn’t obtain because everybody uses WhatsApp, but at least here in the US, messaging is fragmented across iMessage, SMS/RCS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Signal, Telegram, and any number of other apps I could list here.
That’s a problem for both Android and iOS users, but it feels more acute on Android because the default option is a bad, broken experience: SMS. Or, if you’re lucky, it’s RCS — but even then your encryption options are substandard. There may be messaging fragmentation on the iPhone, but at least the default experience when you’re texting other iPhone users is pretty good.
You talk to different people on different apps and it’s a hassle to remember who is in which app. Additionally, your notifications from these different apps get intermixed with everything else in your notifications. Sure, all your messages from WhatsApp might be grouped, but then it’s a news alert and then it’s Signal and so on.
It’s a first-world problem, but a modern smartphone is supposed to help you with these hassles. It’s also an old problem, and smartphones have tried to tackle it in the past with decidedly mixed results.
Many have tried to solve the multiple texting app issue. All have failed
I could wax ecstatic about the solution Palm tried with webOS: Synergy. Essentially webOS tried to just give you one messaging app and within it you had threads with all your contacts. Inside each thread you could switch between whatever texting method you preferred. It was beautiful and, like webOS itself, doomed.
Similarly, Windows Phone tried to abstract away apps entirely into its People Hub, which combined lots of different contact, communication, and social features into one place. Another doomed idea on another doomed smartphone platform.
Those efforts failed not just because those platforms failed, but because fundamentally no chat service is interested in having its users in another app. In the same way streaming services balk at being included in another company’s smart TV interface, there’s no reason for Facebook Messenger or Google Chat or Skype to let you use a more generic interface. The days of XMPP are (sadly) behind us.
Which is why Android 11’s solution is actually genius. It doesn’t try to replace those apps, it simply collates their alerts into a single place. You get benefits that are similar to the way apps like Trillian or Adium combined IM services back in the day, but it’s just in your notifications instead of in an app.
That’s also, in theory, the genius of the bubble system — I’ll have to use it more to see how it pans out. To the user, it’ll just feel like any other app icon (albeit floating over your other apps). You tap it to open your texts, with icons for each of your conversation threads. The fact that tapping on one of those icons happens to open a distinct app doesn’t really matter, because at least it’s all in one place.
Even without those bubbles, the Conversation system in Android 11 is great because of its distinct priority system. I am able to set my wife and boss as priorities in the apps I use to talk to them (and can optionally allow them to break through Do Not Disturb.).
But some of the group chats I’m in are very chatty (Hey Bohn clan: love you!), so I want to turn off all notifications for them. Until Android 11’s conversation section, silencing those alerts was a recipe for ignoring my family — not what I want, especially now. But now, those alerts are still promoted up above random news alerts — I see them, but I’m not interrupted by them.
Earlier I called the disparate chat apps a kind of fragmentation, but another word for that is competition. It’s not the worst thing in the world to have to deal with multiple chat apps, because at least that means there’s not one dominant, global chat service.
Solving these problems at the notification layer is probably the best possible solution right now. Switching back to an iPhone or even an earlier version of Android today after my piece was published, I immediately felt a sense of friction and annoyance.
Now all I have to do is get some more of my friends off iMessage.
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More on Android 11
┏ Android 11 beta: all the announcements. Here’s all the Android 11 news since it was first announced.
I’ll also direct you straight to one of my tweets. When I originally looked over the improvement to Android’s Voice Access accessibility feature, I thought it was just iterative — and since Voice Access was already great before, it didn’t seem worth including in my original feature. But trying it more, I became more impressed. The feature does a better job understanding what’s on the screen and why, so you can control it with your voice using much more natural language than before. I should have included it from the jump — not just because it’s good, but because even iterative improvements to accessibility merit attention.
More from The Verge
┏ Intel’s 3D-stacked Lakefield chips are here to take on ARM in laptops, tablets, and foldables. Chaim Gartenberg explains what’s up with these new chips. With the impending ARM announcement for Macs, the stakes for Lakefield are suddenly much higher than before.
The hybrid core setup works by combining a more powerful Core-class Sunny Cove core (the same 10nm architecture the 10th Gen Ice Lake chips are based on) with four low-power Atom-class Tremont cores (for a total of five cores and five threads) on a single die. That arrangement allows for a balance of power, efficiency, and battery life that a purely Core or purely Atom setup could achieve. ... If that sort of chipset arrangement sounds familiar, that’s because it’s strikingly similar to ARM’s Big.Little architecture,
┏ Amazon bans police from using its facial recognition technology for the next year. As with IBM’s facial recognition announcement, there are questions about whether this is an empty PR gesture.


theverge--2020-06-11--How tech companies are fighting antitrust efforts with front groups

The Interface is a daily column and newsletter about the intersection of social media and democracy .
Subscribe here .
One of the big rules on Facebook is that you have to use your real name .
This policy has created some controversy over the years , since it makes life harder for some activists , and crime victims , and ( most famously ) drag queens .
But Facebook has always said that the service works so well because you can trust that the person you ’ re talking to is actually your friend or family member , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to influence you toward some malign purpose .
If you break that rule , you are engaging in what the company calls “ inauthentic behavior , ” which it defines as “ the use of Facebook or Instagram assets ( accounts , pages , groups , or events ) , to mislead people or Facebook : • about the identity , purpose , or origin of the entity that they represent • about the popularity of Facebook or Instagram content or assets • about the purpose of an audience or community • about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to evade enforcement under our Community Standards.
” Anyway , along with the other big tech platforms , Facebook is currently involved in a bunch of regulatory fights over privacy and competition issues .
And in some crucial areas , public opinion does not appear to be on the company ’ s side .
In this year ’ s Verge Tech Survey , a national poll found that 72 percent of respondents believe Facebook has too much power , and 56 percent said the government should break up tech companies if they control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing you can do when public opinion turns against you is hire a phalanx of lobbyists and public relations people to make the case for you in Facebook ’ s name , and the company has done just that .
The company spent about $ 81 million on lobbying between 2010 and 2019 , and has increased its spending over 2019 levels again this year .
Another thing you can do , though , is to hire a bunch of people to defend you in someone else ’ s name .
Broadly speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sponsor of an idea to make it appear as though it originates from average citizens — is called astroturfing , and it has a long history .
The Wikipedia page entry for astroturfing notes that Shakespeare ’ s Julius Caesar begins with Cassius writing fake letters from “ the public ” to convince Brutus to assassinate the title character , and the idea has inspired the business community ever since .
For example , in 2011 , Facebook paid a PR firm called Burston-Marsteller to plant negative stories about Google in the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based on the very-funny-in-retrospect notion that an all-but-incomprehensible Gmail feature called Google Social Circle might pose a threat to Facebook , was to scare everyone about the privacy implications of ... whatever Google Social Circle was .
But then Facebook got caught and apologized and we didn ’ t hear a lot about Facebook-led astroturfing for a long time .
( Also Google Social Circle went the way of all Google social products and rapidly faded into obscurity . )
Then last month , Tony Romm at the Washington Post introduced us to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Romm , American Edge is set up to ” navigate a thicket of tax laws in such a way that it can raise money , and blitz the airwaves with ads , without the obligation of disclosing all of its donors.
” Might that mislead people about the identity , purpose , or origin of the entity that American Edge represents ?
What about the source or origin of the content it produces ?
The behavior ... it feels somehow ... inauthentic .
At least to me .
Of course , one reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies fund advocacy campaigns of their own to undermine their enemies .
And Facebook , to its credit , takes the unusual step of listing the advocacy groups to which it contributes on a public page alongside its lobbying disclosures .
Those groups , though , typically don ’ t list their donors after every ghostwritten op-ed .
In any case , with antitrust fever in the air , all the platforms are following in Cassius ’ lead .
Here ’ s Romm again in the Post on Wednesday : Romm goes on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Amazon are all funding advocacy groups that are engaging in letter-writing campaigns , polling , and placing op-eds in an effort to shift the conversation — often without any fingerprints from the companies themselves .
This is made possible by an arrangement in which the advocacy groups take a huge portion of their funding from these companies , implement a variety of strategies designed to help those companies , and then swear that there is no connection between those two things .
None of this is new or unique to the tech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a time when conspiracy theories are dominating the news , it feels worthwhile to point out a conspiracy that ’ s actually real : a group of giant corporations working in the shadows to manipulate public opinion without always disclosing their involvement .
It ’ s stuff you largely couldn ’ t do on Facebook .
But you can do it if you are Facebook .
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms .
Trending up : Twitter announced that it will begin testing a new feature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before they retweet them .
Can you imagine ?
!
The test is beginning with Android users in English , which is a sick burn on English-speaking Android users .
( Makena Kelly / The Verge ) Trending down : Zoom shut down the account of a group of prominent US-based Chinese activists after they held a virtual event commemorating the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre on June 4th .
That led the director of Google ’ s threat analysis group to tweet , “ This is the same company that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” ( It reversed the decision at the end of the day . )
Thank you to everyone who wrote in with their thoughts on the future of this item !
Based on your responses , we ’ ve decided to retire the tracker as a daily feature .
Instead , we ’ ll include less-frequent updates as new hotspots emerge around the world .
When we do , we will still include the number of cases , deaths , and tests .
But we ’ ll also include more analysis about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As always , let us know what you think of the changes .
⭐Amazon is banning police from using its controversial facial recognition platform , called Rekognition , for the next year .
The company did not specify a reason for the decision , which came just two days after IBM said it would no longer develop facial recognition technology due to the potential for human rights and privacy abuses .
Here ’ s Nick Statt at The Verge : Democratic members of the House of Representatives published a letter asking several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people taking part in Black Lives Matter protests .
The letter demands that the FBI , the Drug Enforcement Administration , the National Guard Bureau , and Customs and Border Protection permanently cease surveilling peaceful protests .
( Corinne Reichert / CNET ) As protests against police brutality continue to spread across the country , so too have fictitious rumors about antifa driving from small town to small town , reportedly intent on destruction .
The misinformation allows militia members to frame themselves as “ the good guys , ” fighting a cowardly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone .
( Anne Helen Petersen / BuzzFeed ) Some companies are choosing not to advertise on Facebook due to Mark Zuckerberg ’ s decision not to take action on Trump ’ s speech that promoted violence .
But it ’ s unclear how much money Facebook has really lost here .
( Tiffany Hsu and Cecilia Kang / The New York Times ) Facebook announced it will partially lift an advertising ban on face masks .
With shortages now mostly under control , the company will now allow third-party businesses to advertise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like bandanas .
( Nick Statt / The Verge ) Facebook shut down the accounts of hundreds of anti-racist skinheads for allegedly violating the company ’ s community standards .
Many say Facebook mistakenly conflated their subculture with neo-Nazi groups because of the historic connotations of “ skinhead.
” ( Sarah Emerson / OneZero ) Facebook took an unprecedented step in helping the FBI hack a predator who was threatening and harassing girls .
The company paid a third-party cybersecurity firm six figures to help gather evidence that would lead to the man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truly chilling story all the way around .
( Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai / Vice ) Twitter has historically been reticent to limit speech on the platform .
But now it ’ s jumping into a fight against Donald Trump , by putting disclaimers on his tweets .
This is the story of how we got here .
( Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg Businessweek ) In response to questions about President Trump ’ s incendiary tweets , Republican lawmakers tend to say they haven ’ t seen what he ’ s said on Twitter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweets to ask for comment , they still managed to avoid it .
( Emily Cochrane / The New York Times ) Amazon is setting up its own COVID-19 testing labs at its fulfillment centers , following outbreaks at several locations .
The company plans to test all warehouse workers every two weeks .
( Christina Farr and Annie Palmer / CNBC ) Amazon recently invited reporters into a fulfillment center in Washington to see its improved safety measures .
Now , when workers arrive , they are channeled past thermal cameras to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Ruth Fremson / The New York Times ) Contact tracing programs need to work with local communities in order to be successful .
That ’ s especially important for poor communities and communities of color , which may be suspicious of the health care system .
( Nicole Wetsman / The Verge ) Contact tracers who are trying to track and limit the spread of the novel coronavirus are being compared to Nazis in conspiracy theory content on Facebook and YouTube .
Some are even getting death threats .
( Jane Lytvynenko @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its half-billion internet users , is emerging as a key battleground between TikTok and YouTube .
It ’ s the biggest base for TikTok , and YouTube ’ s fastest growing market .
Here ’ s Saritha Rai at Bloomberg Businessweek : Teens on TikTok have inherited the legacy of Weird Twitter and Weird Facebook , playfully posturing as retail stores and brands to create a subculture called Elite TikTok .
( Taylor Lorenz / The New York Times ) A TikTok copycat called Zynn is filled with videos that appear to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Influencers say videos they originally published to TikTok , Instagram , or YouTube were uploaded to Zynn without their consent .
Google removed it from the Play Store .
( Louise Matsakis / Wired ) Tech companies like Salesforce created cushy office environments with all the comforts of home .
After the pandemic , they may feel more like hospitals .
Say goodbye to the communal sweets jar !
( Natasha Singer / The New York Times ) Apple employees in the Bay Area will slowly begin returning to the office starting on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t go back for several months .
When they return , employees will be required to wear masks at all times .
( Mark Gurman / Bloomberg ) Reddit named Y Combinator CEO Michael Seibel to its board of directors .
Seibel is replacing co-founder and board member Alexis Ohanian , who stepped down from the company ’ s board of directors last week and asked to be replaced by a black candidate .
( Nick Statt / The Verge ) Facebook News , the company ’ s dedicated journalism section , launched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The product represents Facebook ’ s last effort in wooing publishers to its platform with the promise of increased distribution .
There have been , uh , many of these .
( Sarah Perez / TechCrunch ) Here ’ s how Tinder CEO Elie Seidman is adapting to a world of virtual dating .
( Nilay Patel and Ashley Carman / The Verge ) A facial recognition website called PimEyes claims it allows you to upload a picture of anyone and find that same person ’ s images all around the internet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ so different from the service provided by Clearview AI .
( Dave Gershgorn / OneZero ) Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine .
Buy a bundle of video games to support racial justice and equality .
Itch.io ’ s games bundle , which offers more than 1,000 games for a minimum contribution of $ 5 , has already raised more than $ 3 million .
Donate your AdSense revenue to Black Lives Matter-related causes .
YouTubers have embraced the practice to quickly raise funds .
Send us tips , comments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much you love monopolies : casey @ theverge.com and zoe @ theverge.com .

One of the big rules on Facebook is that you have to use your real name. This policy has created some controversy over the years, since it makes life harder for some activists, and crime victims, and (most famously) drag queens. But Facebook has always said that the service works so well because you can trust that the person you’re talking to is actually your friend or family member, and not someone who is faking their identity to influence you toward some malign purpose.
If you break that rule, you are engaging in what the company calls “inauthentic behavior,” which it defines as “the use of Facebook or Instagram assets (accounts, pages, groups, or events), to mislead people or Facebook:
about the identity, purpose, or origin of the entity that they represent
about the popularity of Facebook or Instagram content or assets
about the purpose of an audience or community
about the source or origin of content
to evade enforcement under our Community Standards.”
Anyway, along with the other big tech platforms, Facebook is currently involved in a bunch of regulatory fights over privacy and competition issues. And in some crucial areas, public opinion does not appear to be on the company’s side. In this year’s Verge Tech Survey, a national poll found that 72 percent of respondents believe Facebook has too much power, and 56 percent said the government should break up tech companies if they control too much of the economy.
One thing you can do when public opinion turns against you is hire a phalanx of lobbyists and public relations people to make the case for you in Facebook’s name, and the company has done just that. The company spent about $81 million on lobbying between 2010 and 2019, and has increased its spending over 2019 levels again this year.
Another thing you can do, though, is to hire a bunch of people to defend you in someone else’s name. Broadly speaking, this practice — masking the true sponsor of an idea to make it appear as though it originates from average citizens — is called astroturfing, and it has a long history. The Wikipedia page entry for astroturfing notes that Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar begins with Cassius writing fake letters from “the public” to convince Brutus to assassinate the title character, and the idea has inspired the business community ever since.
For example, in 2011, Facebook paid a PR firm called Burston-Marsteller to plant negative stories about Google in the US media. The idea, which was based on the very-funny-in-retrospect notion that an all-but-incomprehensible Gmail feature called Google Social Circle might pose a threat to Facebook, was to scare everyone about the privacy implications of ... whatever Google Social Circle was. But then Facebook got caught and apologized and we didn’t hear a lot about Facebook-led astroturfing for a long time. (Also Google Social Circle went the way of all Google social products and rapidly faded into obscurity.)
Then last month, Tony Romm at the Washington Post introduced us to something called American Edge:
Facebook is working behind the scenes to help launch a new political advocacy group that would combat U.S. lawmakers and regulators trying to rein in the tech industry, escalating Silicon Valley’s war with Washington at a moment when government officials are threatening to break up large companies. The organization is called American Edge, and it aims through a barrage of advertising and other political spending to convince policymakers that Silicon Valley is essential to the U.S. economy and the future of free speech, according to three people familiar with the matter as well as documents reviewed by The Washington Post.
According to Romm, American Edge is set up to ”navigate a thicket of tax laws in such a way that it can raise money, and blitz the airwaves with ads, without the obligation of disclosing all of its donors.”
Might that mislead people about the identity, purpose, or origin of the entity that American Edge represents? What about the source or origin of the content it produces?
The behavior ... it feels somehow ... inauthentic. At least to me.
Of course, one reason why these groups exist is that rival companies fund advocacy campaigns of their own to undermine their enemies. And Facebook, to its credit, takes the unusual step of listing the advocacy groups to which it contributes on a public page alongside its lobbying disclosures. Those groups, though, typically don’t list their donors after every ghostwritten op-ed.
In any case, with antitrust fever in the air, all the platforms are following in Cassius’ lead. Here’s Romm again in the Post on Wednesday:
David Espinoza appeared unhappy when Arizona joined scores of states investigating Google last year. The Phoenix-based owner of a shoe-and-leather store wrote in a local newspaper he was “amazed and a little dumbfounded” by regulators’ campaign to “change how digital platforms operate.” “The current system is working for small businesses, and as the old saying goes: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” he wrote. But Espinoza’s words, published in September by the Arizona Capitol Times, weren’t entirely his own. They were written on his behalf by an advocacy group that’s backed by Google and other tech behemoths, reflecting Silicon Valley’s stealthy new attempts to shape and weaponize public perception in response to heightened antitrust scrutiny.
Romm goes on to explain that Google, Facebook, and Amazon are all funding advocacy groups that are engaging in letter-writing campaigns, polling, and placing op-eds in an effort to shift the conversation — often without any fingerprints from the companies themselves. This is made possible by an arrangement in which the advocacy groups take a huge portion of their funding from these companies, implement a variety of strategies designed to help those companies, and then swear that there is no connection between those two things.
None of this is new or unique to the tech industry, of course. But at a time when conspiracy theories are dominating the news, it feels worthwhile to point out a conspiracy that’s actually real: a group of giant corporations working in the shadows to manipulate public opinion without always disclosing their involvement.
It’s stuff you largely couldn’t do on Facebook. But you can do it if you are Facebook.
The Ratio
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.
🔼 Trending up: Twitter announced that it will begin testing a new feature that will suggest users actually read articles before they retweet them. Can you imagine?! The test is beginning with Android users in English, which is a sick burn on English-speaking Android users. (Makena Kelly / The Verge)
Virus tracker
Thank you to everyone who wrote in with their thoughts on the future of this item! Based on your responses, we’ve decided to retire the tracker as a daily feature. Instead, we’ll include less-frequent updates as new hotspots emerge around the world. When we do, we will still include the number of cases, deaths, and tests. But we’ll also include more analysis about what we’re seeing and why.
As always, let us know what you think of the changes.
Governing
⭐Amazon is banning police from using its controversial facial recognition platform, called Rekognition, for the next year. The company did not specify a reason for the decision, which came just two days after IBM said it would no longer develop facial recognition technology due to the potential for human rights and privacy abuses. Here’s Nick Statt at The Verge:
It appears Amazon has decided that police cannot be trusted to use the technology responsibly. Although the company has never disclosed just how many police departments do actually use the tech. As of last summer, it appeared only two — one in Oregon and one in Florida — were actively using Rekognition, and Orlando has since stopped using it. It would appear a much more widely used version of facial recognition system is that of Clearview AI, a secretive company now facing down a number of privacy lawsuits after scraping social media sites for photos and building a more than 3 billion-photo database it sells to law enforcement. Similarly, Amazon has faced constant criticism over the years for selling access to Rekognition to police departments. That’s despite artificial intelligence researchers, activists, and lawmakers citing concerns about the lack of oversight into how the tech is used in investigations and potential built-in bias that makes it unreliable and ripe for racial discrimination.
Democratic members of the House of Representatives published a letter asking several federal agencies to stop the surveillance of people taking part in Black Lives Matter protests. The letter demands that the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the National Guard Bureau, and Customs and Border Protection permanently cease surveilling peaceful protests. (Corinne Reichert / CNET)
As protests against police brutality continue to spread across the country, so too have fictitious rumors about antifa driving from small town to small town, reportedly intent on destruction. The misinformation allows militia members to frame themselves as “the good guys,” fighting a cowardly bogeyman easily vanquished by show of force alone. (Anne Helen Petersen / BuzzFeed)
Some companies are choosing not to advertise on Facebook due to Mark Zuckerberg’s decision not to take action on Trump’s speech that promoted violence. But it’s unclear how much money Facebook has really lost here. (Tiffany Hsu and Cecilia Kang / The New York Times)
Facebook announced it will partially lift an advertising ban on face masks. With shortages now mostly under control, the company will now allow third-party businesses to advertise cloth masks and other non-medical face coverings like bandanas. (Nick Statt / The Verge)
Facebook shut down the accounts of hundreds of anti-racist skinheads for allegedly violating the company’s community standards. Many say Facebook mistakenly conflated their subculture with neo-Nazi groups because of the historic connotations of “skinhead.” (Sarah Emerson / OneZero)
Facebook took an unprecedented step in helping the FBI hack a predator who was threatening and harassing girls. The company paid a third-party cybersecurity firm six figures to help gather evidence that would lead to the man’s arrest and conviction. A truly chilling story all the way around. (Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai / Vice)
Twitter has historically been reticent to limit speech on the platform. But now it’s jumping into a fight against Donald Trump, by putting disclaimers on his tweets. This is the story of how we got here. (Kurt Wagner / Bloomberg Businessweek)
In response to questions about President Trump’s incendiary tweets, Republican lawmakers tend to say they haven’t seen what he’s said on Twitter. When reporters printed out copies of the tweets to ask for comment, they still managed to avoid it. (Emily Cochrane / The New York Times)
Amazon is setting up its own COVID-19 testing labs at its fulfillment centers, following outbreaks at several locations. The company plans to test all warehouse workers every two weeks. (Christina Farr and Annie Palmer / CNBC)
Amazon recently invited reporters into a fulfillment center in Washington to see its improved safety measures. Now, when workers arrive, they are channeled past thermal cameras to take their temperatures. (Karen Weise and Ruth Fremson / The New York Times)
Contact tracing programs need to work with local communities in order to be successful. That’s especially important for poor communities and communities of color, which may be suspicious of the health care system. (Nicole Wetsman / The Verge)
Contact tracers who are trying to track and limit the spread of the novel coronavirus are being compared to Nazis in conspiracy theory content on Facebook and YouTube. Some are even getting death threats. (Jane Lytvynenko / BuzzFeed)
Industry
⭐ India, with its half-billion internet users, is emerging as a key battleground between TikTok and YouTube. It’s the biggest base for TikTok, and YouTube’s fastest growing market. Here’s Saritha Rai at Bloomberg Businessweek:
Each platform has had its share of content catastrophes, but in India, where many of the most downloaded apps are from China, a contentious border dispute has brought anti-China sentiments to the forefront of the TikTok-YouTube rivalry. An app called Remove China that scans devices and detects and discards Chinese-origin apps such as TikTok had notched 5 million downloads before Google removed it from its Play Store for policy violations. Many Indians also feel that Chinese content apps flout local values by showing inappropriate content such as vulgar dance moves. Following the Siddiqui brothers controversy, the rate of TikTok app downloads fell. Local alternatives to TikTok and YouTube — such as Mitron and Bolo Indya — are sprouting up.
Teens on TikTok have inherited the legacy of Weird Twitter and Weird Facebook, playfully posturing as retail stores and brands to create a subculture called Elite TikTok. (Taylor Lorenz / The New York Times)
Tech companies like Salesforce created cushy office environments with all the comforts of home. After the pandemic, they may feel more like hospitals. Say goodbye to the communal sweets jar! (Natasha Singer / The New York Times)
Apple employees in the Bay Area will slowly begin returning to the office starting on June 15th, though most won’t go back for several months. When they return, employees will be required to wear masks at all times. (Mark Gurman / Bloomberg)
Facebook News, the company’s dedicated journalism section, launched for all users in the US. The product represents Facebook’s last effort in wooing publishers to its platform with the promise of increased distribution. There have been, uh, many of these. (Sarah Perez / TechCrunch)
Here’s how Tinder CEO Elie Seidman is adapting to a world of virtual dating. (Nilay Patel and Ashley Carman / The Verge)
A facial recognition website called PimEyes claims it allows you to upload a picture of anyone and find that same person’s images all around the internet. In essence, it’s not so different from the service provided by Clearview AI. (Dave Gershgorn / OneZero)
Things to do
Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine.
Buy a bundle of video games to support racial justice and equality. Itch.io’s games bundle, which offers more than 1,000 games for a minimum contribution of $5, has already raised more than $3 million.
Donate your AdSense revenue to Black Lives Matter-related causes. YouTubers have embraced the practice to quickly raise funds.
Those good tweets
Talk to us


theverge--2020-06-11--Google, Facebook, and Twitter to produce regular reports on coronavirus disinformation for the EU

The EU is stepping up efforts to combat online disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic , requesting that US tech giants produce monthly reports containing “ detailed data ” on how they are combatting fake news about COVID-19 on their platforms .
Google , Facebook , and Twitter are the prime targets of this campaign , and the three companies told The Verge they would be complying with the EU ’ s requests .
Exactly what steps they will take , though , and when they might start producing reports is unknown .
Tackling misinformation from the anti-vaccine movement will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrounding the coronavirus could prolong the effects of the pandemic .
This is a particular problem with the anti-vaccine movement , which has an outsized influence online and will likely rally against any future COVID-19 vaccine .
Scientist say a vaccine is necessary for countries around the world to return to normal , but many nations are easing lockdown measures anyway , inviting a second wave of infections .
While additional information on COVID-19 misinformation could help coordinate responses across the tech industry , it ’ s not clear if the EU ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For a start , tech giants are not legally required to produce these new monthly reports .
There ’ s also no guidance on exactly what the reports should contain , and companies The Verge spoke to said they were still working out what information to include .
The request is also not part of the EU ’ s voluntary Code of Practice on Disinformation , which requires signatories like Google , Facebook , and Twitter to “ report on a monthly basis on their actions undertaken to improve the scrutiny of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and issue-based advertising and to tackle fake accounts and malicious use of bots.
” The reports will be launched “ without delays ” A representative for the EU told The Verge the program would be launched “ without delays ” and that detailed timings would soon be made public .
The EU has told tech companies it would rather the data was comprehensive than rushed , and it ’ s likely the format will be similar to reports produced to tackle misinformation about the 2019 EU elections .
Spokespersons for Google , Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they supported the EU ’ s efforts and had already stepped up plans to combat misinformation about the pandemic on their platforms .
Facebook and Google said they were committed to producing new monthly reports , while Twitter said it was still considering how to present this information , but that it would be adding regular updates to its coronavirus misinformation blog .
“ The global pandemic has shown that more people need more accurate information more than ever , ” Matt Brittin , president of Google EMEA , told The Verge .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and national authorities we know that working together , companies and policymakers can make more difference than working alone .
We ’ re committed to the Code of Practice and to our work together to find new and creative ways to continue the fight against disinformation .
”

The EU is stepping up efforts to combat online disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic, requesting that US tech giants produce monthly reports containing “detailed data” on how they are combatting fake news about COVID-19 on their platforms.
Google, Facebook, and Twitter are the prime targets of this campaign, and the three companies told The Verge they would be complying with the EU’s requests. Exactly what steps they will take, though, and when they might start producing reports is unknown.
Tackling misinformation from the anti-vaccine movement will be key
The EU is worried that misinformation surrounding the coronavirus could prolong the effects of the pandemic. This is a particular problem with the anti-vaccine movement, which has an outsized influence online and will likely rally against any future COVID-19 vaccine. Scientist say a vaccine is necessary for countries around the world to return to normal, but many nations are easing lockdown measures anyway, inviting a second wave of infections.
While additional information on COVID-19 misinformation could help coordinate responses across the tech industry, it’s not clear if the EU’s request will produce that useful data.
For a start, tech giants are not legally required to produce these new monthly reports. There’s also no guidance on exactly what the reports should contain, and companies The Verge spoke to said they were still working out what information to include.
The request is also not part of the EU’s voluntary Code of Practice on Disinformation, which requires signatories like Google, Facebook, and Twitter to “report on a monthly basis on their actions undertaken to improve the scrutiny of ad placements, ensure transparency of political and issue-based advertising and to tackle fake accounts and malicious use of bots.”
The reports will be launched “without delays”
A representative for the EU told The Verge the program would be launched “without delays” and that detailed timings would soon be made public. The EU has told tech companies it would rather the data was comprehensive than rushed, and it’s likely the format will be similar to reports produced to tackle misinformation about the 2019 EU elections.
Spokespersons for Google, Facebook, and Twitter, told The Verge they supported the EU’s efforts and had already stepped up plans to combat misinformation about the pandemic on their platforms. Facebook and Google said they were committed to producing new monthly reports, while Twitter said it was still considering how to present this information, but that it would be adding regular updates to its coronavirus misinformation blog.


theverge--2020-06-11--Twitter experiments with emoji tweet reactions, again

Twitter is developing a new feature that would let users react to tweets with emoji , according to app researcher Jane Manchun Wong .
This isn ’ t the first time Twitter has experimented with emoji reactions as SocialMediaToday reports , having played around with the idea back in 2015 when Facebook was developing its own take .
A screenshot posted by Wong shows a tweet-reaction interface , giving the option to respond to a tweet with emoji including the crying with laughter and shocked faces .
There ’ s also the option to “ React with Fleet , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stories-style disappearing tweets that ’ s only available in a handful of countries , alongside the typical “ Retweet ” and “ Retweet with comment ” options .
Although this isn ’ t the first time Twitter has tested emoji reactions , it ’ s recent decision to let some people turn off replies to their tweets could make it far more useful now .
Without the option to send a written reply to a tweet , you might want to post a more nuanced reaction beyond favoriting a tweet with a heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ability to react to direct messages , indicating its interest in emoji reactions generally .
As with all leaks like this , there ’ s no guarantee that the feature will ever progress beyond being an internal test for widespread release .
But if it does , then “ getting ratio ’ d ” on Twitter could soon become a lot harder to calculate .

Twitter tested a new feature that would let users react to tweets with emoji, according to app researcher Jane Manchun Wong. This isn’t the first time Twitter has experimented with emoji reactions as SocialMediaToday reports, having played around with the idea back in 2015 when Facebook was developing its own take. But the feature is no longer in testing, the company said.
A screenshot posted by Wong on June 10th shows a tweet-reaction interface, giving the option to respond to a tweet with emoji including the crying with laughter and shocked faces. There’s also the option to “React with Fleet,” a reference to Twitter’s Snapchat Stories-style disappearing tweets that’s only available in a handful of countries, alongside the typical “Retweet” and “Retweet with comment” options.
Although the feature is no longer in testing, the company’s recent decision to let some people turn off replies to their tweets could have made it far more useful now. Without the option to send a written reply to a tweet, you might want to post a more nuanced reaction beyond favoriting a tweet with a heart icon. Twitter also recently introduced the ability to react to direct messages, indicating an interest in emoji reactions generally.


theverge--2020-06-11--Apple pulls podcast apps in China after government pressure

Apple has removed Pocket Casts , the popular iOS and Android podcast client , from the App Store in China .
The Cyberspace Administration of China has determined that it can be used to access content deemed illegal in the country , and has demanded that Apple remove the app as a result .
It ’ s the second major podcast app to be removed from China ’ s App Store this month .
“ We believe podcasting is and should remain an open medium , free of government censorship , ” Pocket Casts says in a statement posted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be censoring podcast content at their request .
We understand this means that it ’ s unlikely that our iOS App will be available in China , but feel it ’ s a necessary step to take for any company that values the open distribution model that makes podcasting special.
” Pocket Casts tells The Verge that Apple didn ’ t provide specifics on which content violated Chinese law upon request , instead suggesting that the team reach out to the Cyberspace Administration of China directly .
The app was removed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developer .
China represented its seventh biggest market , Pocket Casts says , and it was considered to be growing .
Castro , another iPhone podcast app , was also recently pulled from China ’ s App Store .
The developers say China made up 10 percent of its user base , although it accounted for a smaller percentage of paying subscribers .
Apple didn ’ t provide Castro with specifics on what content fell foul of Chinese regulations , either .
The Verge has contacted Apple for more information on the matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and what actions developers are expected to take , but is yet to hear back .

Apple has removed Pocket Casts, the popular iOS and Android podcast client, from the App Store in China. The Cyberspace Administration of China has determined that it can be used to access content deemed illegal in the country, and has demanded that Apple remove the app as a result. It’s the second major podcast app to be removed from China’s App Store this month.
“We believe podcasting is and should remain an open medium, free of government censorship,” Pocket Casts says in a statement posted to Twitter. “As such we won’t be censoring podcast content at their request. We understand this means that it’s unlikely that our iOS App will be available in China, but feel it’s a necessary step to take for any company that values the open distribution model that makes podcasting special.”
Apple didn’t say which content violated Chinese law
Pocket Casts tells The Verge that Apple didn’t provide specifics on which content violated Chinese law upon request, instead suggesting that the team reach out to the Cyberspace Administration of China directly. The app was removed around two days after Apple contacted the developer. China represented its seventh biggest market, Pocket Casts says, and it was considered to be growing.
Castro, another iPhone podcast app, was also recently pulled from China’s App Store. The developers say China made up 10 percent of its user base, although it accounted for a smaller percentage of paying subscribers. Apple didn’t provide Castro with specifics on what content fell foul of Chinese regulations, either.


theverge--2020-06-11--New T-Mobile CEO tweets ‘Bye-bye, Tucker Carlson,’ won’t sponsor him anymore

T-Mobile ’ s new CEO tweeted “ Bye-bye Tucker Carlson ” multiple times this week and said his company will no longer sponsor Carlson ’ s Fox News show after Carlson made racist comments Monday evening .
Sievert ’ s tone in these tweets appears to be an attempt to emulate the famously-brash tone of John Legere , his predecessor .
In response to multiple angry customers on Twitter , T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert tweeted that his company wasn ’ t currently running ads on the show and wouldn ’ t be moving forward .
Here ’ s one example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company hasn ’ t run ads on Carlson ’ s show since May and that it has cancelled “ all future placements.
” Carlson ’ s comments aired on Monday night .
“ This may be a lot of things , this moment we are living through , but it is definitely not about black lives and remember that when they come for you , and at this rate , they will , ” Carlson said , echoing racist sentiment against the Black Lives Matters protests that have been held in all 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of which have seen police explode in violence against many peaceful , legal assemblies .
You can watch a video of Carlson ’ s comments here .
The quote above starts 24 seconds in .
A Fox News spokesperson tried to deflect criticism by suggesting that it was Democratic leaders , not protesters , who Carlson believed would “ come for ” his audience .
Disney , Papa Johns , Smile Direct Club , and other big advertisers have pulled their ads from Tucker Carlson Tonight in response to Carlson ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were placed on his show “ in error by third parties.
” SmileDirectClub also claims it only ran “ a brief campaign on all news channels that concluded at the end of May.
” You can see a list of Carlson ’ s leading advertisers that have pulled out at Media Matters .
Fox News tells The Verge that “ all national dollars/ads were moved to other programs and there has not been any national money lost .
”

T-Mobile’s new CEO tweeted “Bye-bye Tucker Carlson” multiple times this week and said his company will no longer sponsor Carlson’s Fox News show after Carlson made racist comments Monday evening. Sievert’s tone in these tweets appears to be an attempt to emulate the famously-brash tone of John Legere, his predecessor.
In response to multiple angry customers on Twitter, T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert tweeted that his company wasn’t currently running ads on the show and wouldn’t be moving forward. Here’s one example:
T-Mobile clarified further, saying the company hasn’t run ads on Carlson’s show since May and that it has cancelled “all future placements.”
Carlson’s comments aired on Monday night. “This may be a lot of things, this moment we are living through, but it is definitely not about black lives and remember that when they come for you, and at this rate, they will,” Carlson said, echoing racist sentiment against the Black Lives Matters protests that have been held in all 50 US states and around the world, many of which have seen police explode in violence against many peaceful, legal assemblies.
You can watch a video of Carlson’s comments here. The quote above starts 24 seconds in.
A Fox News spokesperson tried to deflect criticism by suggesting that it was Democratic leaders, not protesters, who Carlson believed would “come for” his audience.
Disney, Papa Johns, Smile Direct Club, and other big advertisers have pulled their ads from Tucker Carlson Tonight in response to Carlson’s comments. Deadline reported that Disney/ABC ads were placed on his show “in error by third parties.” SmileDirectClub also claims it only ran “a brief campaign on all news channels that concluded at the end of May.” You can see a list of Carlson’s leading advertisers that have pulled out at Media Matters.


theverge--2020-06-11--VW’s first mass-market EV suffers delay thanks to software struggles

Volkswagen is delaying the release of certain versions of the all-electric ID 3 because the car ’ s software isn ’ t ready , confirming months of reports from German outlets like Sueddeutsche Zeitung and Manager Magazine about the company ’ s struggle to bring its first mass-produced electric vehicle to market .
People who preordered the “ limited edition ” version of the electric car will start receiving them as early as next week , according to VW .
But customers buying the more widely-available ( and more affordable ) versions of the ID 3 will have to wait @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ship some ID 3s in September , but the company ’ s App Connect infotainment system and the car ’ s heads-up display won ’ t be activated until a software update arrives .
And VW says it won ’ t start shipping full-featured versions of the ID 3 until closer to the end of the year .
It ’ s a black eye for the project , and it ’ s one of the reasons why VW CEO Herbert Diess was stripped of his role at the brand this week .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Group . )
Diess was also reportedly removed from the CEO position because of troubles with the launch of the new Golf , and because of a series of missteps on his watch , like a racist ad released earlier this year .
When the Volkswagen Group laid off thousands of factory workers early last year , the company said it was simultaneously creating thousands of new software jobs to help make up the difference .
And in September 2019 , the company told suppliers that it would handle software development itself — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company has apparently overwhelmed itself , as Manager Magazine reported in December 2019 that VW decided to move forward with building some ID 3s with incomplete software .
Now , the best case scenario is that the all-important car — the first in a deep lineup of all-electric ID-branded vehicles — is going to stumble out of the gate .

Volkswagen is delaying the release of certain versions of the all-electric ID 3 because the car’s software isn’t ready, confirming months of reports from German outlets like Sueddeutsche Zeitung and Manager Magazine about the company’s struggle to bring its first mass-produced electric vehicle to market.
People who preordered the “limited edition” version of the electric car will start receiving them as early as next week, according to VW. But customers buying the more widely-available (and more affordable) versions of the ID 3 will have to wait a few months longer. VW will ship some ID 3s in September, but the company’s App Connect infotainment system and the car’s heads-up display won’t be activated until a software update arrives. And VW says it won’t start shipping full-featured versions of the ID 3 until closer to the end of the year.
Reports of VW’s software issues date back to 2019
It’s a black eye for the project, and it’s one of the reasons why VW CEO Herbert Diess was stripped of his role at the brand this week. (Diess is still leading the larger Volkswagen Group.) Diess was also reportedly removed from the CEO position because of troubles with the launch of the new Golf, and because of a series of missteps on his watch, like a racist ad released earlier this year.
When the Volkswagen Group laid off thousands of factory workers early last year, the company said it was simultaneously creating thousands of new software jobs to help make up the difference. And in September 2019, the company told suppliers that it would handle software development itself — echoing the approach that Tesla takes


theverge--2020-06-11--The PlayStation 5’s design is being relentlessly mocked on Twitter

Sony finally unveiled the design of the PlayStation 5 today and it certainly ... stands out .
You won ’ @ @ @ @ @ it next to your TV or your on your desk .
Whether or not that @ @ @ @ @ or a bad thing is up to you .
( At least there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ get the PS5 confused with a fridge . )
Twitter , of course , immediately @ @ @ @ @ memes are already flowing strong .
Here are some of our favorites .
The PS5 @ @ @ @ @ PS5 as an overly-modern building The PS5 as an Xbox 360

Sony finally unveiled the design of the PlayStation 5 today and it certainly... stands out. You won’t be able to miss it next to your TV or your on your desk. Whether or not that’s a good thing or a bad thing is up to you. (At least there’s no way that people will get the PS5 confused with a fridge.)


theverge--2020-06-11--Snap CEO Spiegel says the company won’t release diversity numbers publicly

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel told employees that it would keep its diversity numbers private because they might perpetuate the belief that Silicon Valley companies aren ’ t diverse , Business Insider reported .
Spiegel made the comments at a company all-hands meeting earlier this week , where he said Snap ’ s diversity is close to other tech firms , which skew largely white and male , according to BI .
A Snap spokesperson disputed BI ’ s interpretation of Spiegel ’ s comments , made during a Q & A portion of the all-hands meeting .
But a partial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Snap provided to The Verge appears to confirm that Spiegel has concerns about publicly releasing the figures and how the metrics would make the company , and the industry at large , appear .
“ Snapchat looks like most other technology companies in terms of representation.
” During an interview with CNBC on Thursday , Spiegel said , “ Snapchat looks like most other technology companies in terms of representation , ” adding he thought that was a bad thing .
“ We ’ ve been worried that all these disclosures have actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workforce , ” Spiegel said , adding that the company chose to release the figures internally as a motivation for improvement , putting focus on long-term improvement instead of short-term competition .
“ I ’ ve been a little worried that some of these disclosures normalize the current state of the tech industry but we ’ re actually inventing a new way right now to release that information and also make it clear about the plans we have to include representation at Snap and more broadly , in the industry , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the few Silicon Valley companies to never release a diversity report .
Spiegel sent a message to employees , later posted online , on June 1st calling for a national “ Commission on Truth , Reconciliation , and Reparations , ” while also condemning racial violence .
Earlier this month , the company said it would not promote President Trump ’ s account on its Discover tab , saying in a statement , “ We will not amplify voices who incite racial violence and injustice by giving them free promotion on Discover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweets about protests against police violence led Twitter to flag some of his tweets for “ glorifying violence .
”

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel told employees that it would keep its diversity numbers private because they might perpetuate the belief that Silicon Valley companies aren’t diverse, Business Insider reported. Spiegel made the comments at a company all-hands meeting earlier this week, where he said Snap’s diversity is close to other tech firms, which skew largely white and male, according to BI.
A Snap spokesperson disputed BI’s interpretation of Spiegel’s comments, made during a Q&A portion of the all-hands meeting. But a partial transcript of the Q&A that Snap provided to The Verge appears to confirm that Spiegel has concerns about publicly releasing the figures and how the metrics would make the company, and the industry at large, appear.
“Snapchat looks like most other technology companies in terms of representation.”
During an interview with CNBC on Thursday, Spiegel said, “Snapchat looks like most other technology companies in terms of representation,” adding he thought that was a bad thing. “We’ve been worried that all these disclosures have actually normalized the current composition of the tech workforce,” Spiegel said, adding that the company chose to release the figures internally as a motivation for improvement, putting focus on long-term improvement instead of short-term competition.
“I’ve been a little worried that some of these disclosures normalize the current state of the tech industry but we’re actually inventing a new way right now to release that information and also make it clear about the plans we have to include representation at Snap and more broadly, in the industry,” he told CNBC. Snap has been one of the few Silicon Valley companies to never release a diversity report.


theverge--2020-06-11--There’s a simple trick to watch YouTube videos without any ads

Over on Reddit ( and as highlighted by Android Police and 9to5Google ) , someone has posted a simple way of watching YouTube videos in a web browser without any ads .
In the URL for whatever video you want to view , you just need to add an extra period after the dot com in the YouTube link .
This works as described for me when pasting a video URL into an incognito browser window with the added period .
In addition to removing pre-roll ads , it also eliminates mid-roll interruptions for videos as well .
By the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and altered the video URL , I ’ m not sure how much time you ’ re really saving over just waiting for the “ skip ad ” button to appear — but it does indeed work .
As for why something so trivial is successfully getting around YouTube ’ s advertising machine , here ’ s what Redditor unicorn4sale said when posting the trick : It ’ s a commonly forgotten edge case , websites forget to normalize the hostname , the content is still served , but there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no cookies and broken CORS - and lots of bigger sites use a different domain to serve ads/media with a whitelist that doesn ’ t contain the extra dot With over 4,000 upvotes on Reddit , it ’ s likely that YouTube already knows people have caught wind of this loophole .
The oversight is probably going be corrected sooner rather than later .
Outside of that , remember that ad revenue partially helps your favorite creators keep doing what they do .
Ad blockers and this trick take away those resources .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer seeing ads is to subscribe to YouTube Premium , which you might already know since the YouTube app relentlessly badgers people about it with maddening frequency .

Over on Reddit (and as highlighted by Android Police and 9to5Google), someone has posted a simple way of watching YouTube videos in a web browser without any ads. In the URL for whatever video you want to view, you just need to add an extra period after the dot com in the YouTube link.
This works as described for me when pasting a video URL into an incognito browser window with the added period. In addition to removing pre-roll ads, it also eliminates mid-roll interruptions for videos as well. By the time you’ve copied, pasted, and altered the video URL, I’m not sure how much time you’re really saving over just waiting for the “skip ad” button to appear — but it does indeed work.
As for why something so trivial is successfully getting around YouTube’s advertising machine, here’s what Redditor unicorn4sale said when posting the trick:
It’s a commonly forgotten edge case, websites forget to normalize the hostname, the content is still served, but there’s no hostname match on the browser so no cookies and broken CORS - and lots of bigger sites use a different domain to serve ads/media with a whitelist that doesn’t contain the extra dot
With over 4,000 upvotes on Reddit, it’s likely that YouTube already knows people have caught wind of this loophole. The oversight is probably going be corrected sooner rather than later.