theverge--2020-03-04--It’s time for GM to abandon Trump’s auto emissions rollback

General Motors just held an “ EV Day ” where it detailed a $ 20 billion push into electric vehicles .
The company ’ s plan consists of releasing more than a dozen electric vehicles under each of its four main sub-brands , many of which will be built on an all-new modular battery pack full of cells that GM is designing in conjunction with LG Chem .
It ’ s an impressive refocusing of the company ’ s previously opaque plans to shift to electric vehicles .
And that makes it the perfect time for the biggest automaker in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump ’ s stalled , flawed emissions rollback .
For years , GM has wanted consumers to believe that it ’ s fulfilling a “ vision of an all-electric future , ” one where cars , SUVs , and trucks emit zero emissions .
But in October , GM decided to side with the Trump administration ’ s ongoing attempt to roll back an Obama-era fuel economy standard that , if successful , would put hundreds of millions more tons of carbon dioxide into the air and use up more than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undermining its electric ambitions by aligning with Trump GM is not alone in supporting Trump ’ s rollback attempt .
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Toyota also backed it in October of last year and have taken varying amounts of heat for doing so .
But neither of those companies is promising the same kind of zero-emission revolution as GM .
And by aligning itself with the rollback , GM is undermining not only its many public boasts about wanting to clean up the transportation sector , but the hard work of its employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EV Day.
” In response to a request for comment , GM sent a statement that largely mirrors the few its given in the months since it sided with Trump .
“ Regardless of the standards , we are committed to a future of zero crashes , zero emissions , and zero congestion , ” the company says .
“ The pathway to that future includes continually improving fuel economy year-over-year and our commitment to an all-electric future.
” GM has otherwise not said much in public since October about this decision .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments from the auto industry ’ s biggest trade group , which said the companies “ had an obligation to intervene ” in order to protect having one federal standard for fuel economy .
What does that mean ?
California has the ability to set its own emissions standards under the Clean Air Act , and GM and others worry that Trump ’ s rollback would cause a schism in the market , leaving different states with different standards .
What supporters of the rollback are always careful not to say , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still in place and is currently not causing any such schism .
It ’ s explicitly because Trump is trying to lower the federal fuel economy standard that there ’ s even a risk in the first place .
Another argument that GM and these other automakers have made is that the market has changed since the standard was written .
Consumers are back to buying lots of SUVs and trucks , which tend to emit more greenhouse gases , and so they say the rules should be relaxed to account for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t say is that SUVs and trucks are bigger cash cows than cars , and that automakers ( and their dealer networks ) are incentivized to push consumers toward these vehicles in order to generate more profit .
It ’ s a chicken-and-egg problem that often goes unacknowledged .
( Never mind the fact that the EPA found in 2016 that automakers were , on average , “ over-complying ” with the standard . )
What strains GM ’ s credulity is that Trump ’ s rollback is deeply flawed , to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand up in court , according to recent reports from The Atlantic and The New York Times .
The math is bad , and the rollback will wind up costing consumers more money , on top of damaging the environment .
With all that in mind , it ’ s unclear why GM continues to stand on Trump ’ s side here .
GM has been a frequent target of Trump ’ s nationalistic approach to the economy , with the president repeatedly hurling invectives at the automaker any time he isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business decisions .
Perhaps GM thought taking his side would also dull his attacks .
( The man does love a quid pro quo , after all ) .
But as Trump has demonstrated time and again , his demands for loyalty are always self-serving , and he will kneecap even the most ardent supporter if he stands to benefit .
The reality is GM aligned itself with a president who has , at best , displayed no interest in wanting to protect the environment and , at worst , supports people and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own personal gain .
That ’ s something we should all remember any time the automaker makes a public statement about wanting a cleaner future .
So it ’ s time for GM to abandon the rollback .
Volkswagen , Ford , Honda , and BMW have joined California in committing to big year-over-year increases of the fuel economy of their vehicle fleets ( at a level that ’ s still slightly less than the Obama-era standard ) .
GM can join them if it likes or simply stick to the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ setting itself up to be compliant if and when Trump ’ s rollback finally fails .
If the company is really as optimistic about the prospects of its $ 20 billion electric vehicle push as it says it is , increasing the fuel economy of its fleet every year should be a readily attainable goal .

General Motors just held an “EV Day” where it detailed a $20 billion push into electric vehicles. The company’s plan consists of releasing more than a dozen electric vehicles under each of its four main sub-brands, many of which will be built on an all-new modular battery pack full of cells that GM is designing in conjunction with LG Chem.
It’s an impressive refocusing of the company’s previously opaque plans to shift to electric vehicles. And that makes it the perfect time for the biggest automaker in the country to walk away from supporting President Trump’s stalled, flawed emissions rollback.
For years, GM has wanted consumers to believe that it’s fulfilling a “vision of an all-electric future,” one where cars, SUVs, and trucks emit zero emissions. But in October, GM decided to side with the Trump administration’s ongoing attempt to roll back an Obama-era fuel economy standard that, if successful, would put hundreds of millions more tons of carbon dioxide into the air and use up more than a billion barrels of oil.
GM is undermining its electric ambitions by aligning with Trump
GM is not alone in supporting Trump’s rollback attempt. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Toyota also backed it in October of last year and have taken varying amounts of heat for doing so. But neither of those companies is promising the same kind of zero-emission revolution as GM. And by aligning itself with the rollback, GM is undermining not only its many public boasts about wanting to clean up the transportation sector, but the hard work of its employees that was on display during its “EV Day.”
In response to a request for comment, GM sent a statement that largely mirrors the few its given in the months since it sided with Trump. “Regardless of the standards, we are committed to a future of zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion,” the company says. “The pathway to that future includes continually improving fuel economy year-over-year and our commitment to an all-electric future.”
GM has otherwise not said much in public since October about this decision. Mostly, the company has deferred to comments from the auto industry’s biggest trade group, which said the companies “had an obligation to intervene” in order to protect having one federal standard for fuel economy.
What does that mean? California has the ability to set its own emissions standards under the Clean Air Act, and GM and others worry that Trump’s rollback would cause a schism in the market, leaving different states with different standards. What supporters of the rollback are always careful not to say, though, is that the existing Obama-era standard is still in place and is currently not causing any such schism. It’s explicitly because Trump is trying to lower the federal fuel economy standard that there’s even a risk in the first place.
Another argument that GM and these other automakers have made is that the market has changed since the standard was written. Consumers are back to buying lots of SUVs and trucks, which tend to emit more greenhouse gases, and so they say the rules should be relaxed to account for this. What these companies don’t say is that SUVs and trucks are bigger cash cows than cars, and that automakers (and their dealer networks) are incentivized to push consumers toward these vehicles in order to generate more profit. It’s a chicken-and-egg problem that often goes unacknowledged. (Never mind the fact that the EPA found in 2016 that automakers were, on average, “over-complying” with the standard.)
Trump’s rollback attempt is deeply flawed
What strains GM’s credulity is that Trump’s rollback is deeply flawed, to the point that it’s unlikely to stand up in court, according to recent reports from The Atlantic and The New York Times. The math is bad, and the rollback will wind up costing consumers more money, on top of damaging the environment.
With all that in mind, it’s unclear why GM continues to stand on Trump’s side here. GM has been a frequent target of Trump’s nationalistic approach to the economy, with the president repeatedly hurling invectives at the automaker any time he isn’t happy with the company’s business decisions.
Perhaps GM thought taking his side would also dull his attacks. (The man does love a quid pro quo, after all). But as Trump has demonstrated time and again, his demands for loyalty are always self-serving, and he will kneecap even the most ardent supporter if he stands to benefit.
The reality is GM aligned itself with a president who has, at best, displayed no interest in wanting to protect the environment and, at worst, supports people and companies who want to ruin it for their own personal gain. That’s something we should all remember any time the automaker makes a public statement about wanting a cleaner future.
So it’s time for GM to abandon the rollback. Volkswagen, Ford, Honda, and BMW have joined California in committing to big year-over-year increases of the fuel economy of their vehicle fleets (at a level that’s still slightly less than the Obama-era standard). GM can join them if it likes or simply stick to the federal standard that is still in place, setting itself up to be compliant if and when Trump’s rollback finally fails.


theverge--2020-03-04--Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra teardown shows off the phone’s huge 108-megapixel sensor

iFixit has posted its teardown of Samsung ’ s new Galaxy S20 Ultra , and it reveals that the 108-megapixel camera sensor is , as you might expect , really big .
You can get an idea of just how large the sensor is when you compare it to the iPhone 11 Pro ’ s 12-megapixel primary camera sensor , which iFixit did in the below photo : As iFixit rightly points out , though , a bigger sensor and more pixels doesn ’ t necessarily translate to better images .
A 108-megapixel sensor means there are 108 million pixels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9.5mm by 7.3mm sensor , and that many pixels packed into that small of space can sometimes produce noisy images , especially in low-light situations .
And in his review of the S20 Ultra , my colleague Dieter Bohn found that he never took a photo that looked better as a 108-megapixel photo than as a 12-megapixel one .
iFixit also shared a look at the housing for the 100X zoom sensor , which is pretty cool , in my opinion .
The housing itself is turned sideways so that it can sit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And instead of having light hit the sensor directly , the housing is designed so that light first goes through a prism , is bounced sideways at a 90-degree angle , then goes through the zoom lenses , and then hits the sensor .
The teardown also confirms the S20 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery ( though it ’ s glued into the phone , which makes it harder to replace ) .
Here ’ s a look at the whole phone taken apart , if you were curious : Correction : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we mistakenly identified the housing for the 100X zoom lens as the housing for the 108-megapixel lens .
We regret the error .

iFixit has posted its teardown of Samsung’s new Galaxy S20 Ultra, and it reveals that the 108-megapixel camera sensor is, as you might expect, really big.
You can get an idea of just how large the sensor is when you compare it to the iPhone 11 Pro’s 12-megapixel primary camera sensor, which iFixit did in the below photo:
Image: iFixit
As iFixit rightly points out, though, a bigger sensor and more pixels doesn’t necessarily translate to better images. A 108-megapixel sensor means there are 108 million pixels packed into the S20 Ultra’s 9.5mm by 7.3mm sensor, and that many pixels packed into that small of space can sometimes produce noisy images, especially in low-light situations. And in his review of the S20 Ultra, my colleague Dieter Bohn found that he never took a photo that looked better as a 108-megapixel photo than as a 12-megapixel one.
iFixit also shared a look at the housing for the 100X zoom sensor, which is pretty cool, in my opinion. The housing itself is turned sideways so that it can sit under the S20’s other cameras. And instead of having light hit the sensor directly, the housing is designed so that light first goes through a prism, is bounced sideways at a 90-degree angle, then goes through the zoom lenses, and then hits the sensor.
Image: iFixit
The teardown also confirms the S20 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery (though it’s glued into the phone, which makes it harder to replace). Here’s a look at the whole phone taken apart, if you were curious:
Image: iFixit


theverge--2020-03-05--Alexa adds severe weather alerts and new features for commuters

Amazon ’ s Alexa quietly gained a few features in February you might not be aware of , including severe weather alerts and the ability to send information about your commute directly to your phone .
These , and other features , were announced in Alexa ’ s Monthly Roundup for February , published yesterday .
Say “ Alexa , how ’ s my commute ” or “ Alexa , how is the traffic to the airport ?
” to your Alexa-enabled device and you ’ ll hear the current traffic report .
“ Alexa , send that to my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your device , and you can tap it to begin navigation using your phone ’ s maps app .
“ Alexa , tell me when there ’ s a severe weather alert ” If you say “ Alexa , tell me when there ’ s a severe weather alert , ” the digital assistant will notify you when a severe weather warning is issued in your area .
You can turn this feature off by saying “ Alexa , cancel severe weather alerts.
” Other new features recently introduced include NBA highlights ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ) for Alexa-enabled device with a screen , or updates on the 2020 US presidential election by saying “ Alexa , what ’ s my election update ” or “ Alexa , what happened in the last debate .
”

Amazon’s Alexa quietly gained a few features in February you might not be aware of, including severe weather alerts and the ability to send information about your commute directly to your phone. These, and other features, were announced in Alexa’s Monthly Roundup for February, published yesterday.
Say “Alexa, how’s my commute” or “Alexa, how is the traffic to the airport?” to your Alexa-enabled device and you’ll hear the current traffic report. “Alexa, send that to my phone” will generate a notification on your device, and you can tap it to begin navigation using your phone’s maps app.
“Alexa, tell me when there’s a severe weather alert”
If you say “Alexa, tell me when there’s a severe weather alert,” the digital assistant will notify you when a severe weather warning is issued in your area. You can turn this feature off by saying “Alexa, cancel severe weather alerts.”


theverge--2020-03-05--Ex-Google and Uber engineer Anthony Levandowski must pay Google $179 million

Anthony Levandowski , the former Google engineer who helped pioneer self-driving cars before joining Uber , was ordered to pay $ 179 million to Google Wednesday over a contract dispute .
The ruling upholds the award Google previously won in arbitration over an agreement that Levandowski would not poach employees .
Levandowski also filed for bankruptcy protection claiming he had less than $ 100 million in personal assets .
Google once paid Levandowski a $ 120 million bonus .
Nevertheless , Levandowski still might not have to pay .
As The New York times notes , Levandowski ’ s employment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While Uber and Levandowski are parties to an indemnification agreement , whether Uber is ultimately responsible for such indemnification is subject to a dispute between the company and Levandowski , ” an Uber securities filing said this week , leaving open the question of who must pay Google .
Levandowski sill might not have to pay Levandowski is embroiled in several legal actions since being accused of stealing 14,000 documents from Google containing proprietary information about the company ’ s self-driving program .
A case brought by federal prosecutors in August , charging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempted theft of Google trade secrets , is still open .
Uber , Levandowski , and Waymo , the self-driving car company spun out from Google , settled an earlier dispute with Uber handing over about $ 245 million in stock to Waymo .

Anthony Levandowski, the former Google engineer who helped pioneer self-driving cars before joining Uber, was ordered to pay $179 million to Google Wednesday over a contract dispute. The ruling upholds the award Google previously won in arbitration over an agreement that Levandowski would not poach employees.
Levandowski also filed for bankruptcy protection claiming he had less than $100 million in personal assets. Google once paid Levandowski a $120 million bonus.
Nevertheless, Levandowski still might not have to pay. As The New York times notes, Levandowski’s employment agreement with Uber indemnified him. “While Uber and Levandowski are parties to an indemnification agreement, whether Uber is ultimately responsible for such indemnification is subject to a dispute between the company and Levandowski,” an Uber securities filing said this week, leaving open the question of who must pay Google.
Levandowski sill might not have to pay


theverge--2020-03-05--Google Stadia now supports 4K streaming on the web

Google is starting to roll out 4K streaming support for Stadia on the web .
9to5Google reports that a number of Reddit users have spotted the new 4K support in games like Assassin ’ s Creed Odyssey , Mortal Kombat 11 , and Grid .
The option doesn ’ t appear to be available for all Stadia users , though .
We ’ ve tested three Stadia accounts and none of them have the 4K option just yet .
If you ’ re a Stadia user then you can check your connection quality and resolution by pressing shift + tab @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the connection section .
A 4K label should appear if your connection and display supports the new streaming option .
It ’ s not yet clear how Google will handle 4K streams over the web to devices with a 1080p or 1440p screens .
If Google requires a 4K monitor and hasn ’ t implemented downscaling for Stadia on the web then a lot of people will be left out of this new option .
We ’ ll test this fully once the 4K option appears on our Stadia test accounts .
Google @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Stadia .
A recent Stadia app hints at the highly anticipated free tier , YouTube streaming , family game sharing , and more .

Google is starting to roll out 4K streaming support for Stadia on the web. 9to5Google reports that a number of Reddit users have spotted the new 4K support in games like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Mortal Kombat 11, and Grid. The option doesn’t appear to be available for all Stadia users, though. We’ve tested three Stadia accounts and none of them have the 4K option just yet.
If you’re a Stadia user then you can check your connection quality and resolution by pressing shift + tab once a game is launched and selecting the connection section. A 4K label should appear if your connection and display supports the new streaming option.
4K on Stadia in Chrome Baconrules21 (Reddit)
It’s not yet clear how Google will handle 4K streams over the web to devices with a 1080p or 1440p screens. If Google requires a 4K monitor and hasn’t implemented downscaling for Stadia on the web then a lot of people will be left out of this new option. We’ll test this fully once the 4K option appears on our Stadia test accounts.


theverge--2020-03-05--Realme’s first wearable is a $20 fitness band with a cricket mode

Realme started out aping Xiaomi ’ s model of selling ultra-low-cost Redmi phones in India , so why wouldn ’ t it follow the same path when it comes to wearables ?
Today the company is announcing the Realme Band , which is no doubt intended to compete with Xiaomi ’ s simple and successful Mi Band series .
The Realme Band has a 160x80 screen just under an inch across with a virtual button at the bottom for switching between functions .
A sensor wakes the screen up when the user lifts their wrist .
There are various watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the Realme Link app , and the band supports notifications from almost all apps , according to Realme .
The band does typical fitness wearable things like heart rate monitoring , sleep tracking , reminders to get up and move , and so on .
It ’ s IP68 waterproof and has nine sports modes , including one dedicated to tracking cricket .
I ’ m not sure if you ’ re meant to turn that on when fielding in the deep , but it ’ s a nice touch for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rs .
1,499 ( $ 20 ) and will be available in India today at realme.com or from Amazon on March 9th .
It comes in three colors — black , yellow , and green — and Realme says it plans to release it in more regions in the coming months .

Realme started out aping Xiaomi’s model of selling ultra-low-cost Redmi phones in India, so why wouldn’t it follow the same path when it comes to wearables? Today the company is announcing the Realme Band, which is no doubt intended to compete with Xiaomi’s simple and successful Mi Band series.
The Realme Band has a 160x80 screen just under an inch across with a virtual button at the bottom for switching between functions. A sensor wakes the screen up when the user lifts their wrist. There are various watch face styles that can be swapped out through the Realme Link app, and the band supports notifications from almost all apps, according to Realme.
The band does typical fitness wearable things like heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, reminders to get up and move, and so on. It’s IP68 waterproof and has nine sports modes, including one dedicated to tracking cricket. I’m not sure if you’re meant to turn that on when fielding in the deep, but it’s a nice touch for the Indian market.


theverge--2020-03-05--Realme 6 and 6 Pro announced: a 90Hz screen for under $200

Realme has followed up last week ’ s X50 Pro 5G flagship with the announcement of its latest mainstream models for India , the Realme 6 and 6 Pro .
The phones see Realme continue its drive to offer high-end features at lower prices .
The 6 Pro has a 6.6-inch 90Hz 1080p 20:9 display .
Realme isn ’ t specifying the type of panel , but I ’ m assuming it ’ s LCD both because OLED would be a selling point and because the phone ’ s fingerprint sensor is integrated into the power button .
( Optical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LCDs . )
The non-Pro model ’ s screen has the same specs beyond a 0.1-inch reduction in size , but oddly its fingerprint sensor is said to be faster at 0.29 seconds versus 0.38 .
Both phones have quad camera setups on the back including 64-megapixel primary sensors , 8-megapixel ultrawides , and 2-megapixel macro cameras .
The 6 Pro has a 12-megapixel telephoto camera , however , while the regular model has a 2-megapixel monochrome sensor .
Like the X50 Pro , the 6 Pro also has an 8-megapixel ultrawide selfie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hole punch .
The 6 Pro has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G processor and the 6 has a MediaTek Helio G90T .
The 6 Pro has 6 or 8GB of RAM and the 6 has 4 , 6 , or 8GB .
Storage on the 6 Pro goes up to 256GB , while the 6 maxes out at 128GB .
Both phones have 4,300mAh batteries with 30W VOOC 4.0 fast charging .
Realme is known for its unusual gradient finishes , and the 6 series continues that tradition .
The 6 Pro comes in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ options , while the 6 is available in comet-esque white and blue .
The 6 starts at Rs .
12,999 ( $ 177 ) for a 4GB/64GB model and goes up to Rs .
15,999 ( $ 218 ) for 8GB/128GB .
The 6 Pro , meanwhile , starts at Rs .
16,999 ( $ 232 ) for 6GB/64GB and costs Rs .
18,999 ( $ 259 ) for 8GB/256GB .
These phones aren ’ t necessarily exciting in a vacuum , but Realme has had huge success in India with their predecessors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is coming in at a somewhat higher starting price ; CMO Francis Wang set expectations earlier this week by pointing out that the regular and Pro models are closer than ever before .
There ’ s not a ton of daylight between this line and phones like the Poco X2 , however , so many buying decisions will come down to individual features and storage requirements .

Realme has followed up last week’s X50 Pro 5G flagship with the announcement of its latest mainstream models for India, the Realme 6 and 6 Pro. The phones see Realme continue its drive to offer high-end features at lower prices.
The 6 Pro has a 6.6-inch 90Hz 1080p 20:9 display. Realme isn’t specifying the type of panel, but I’m assuming it’s LCD both because OLED would be a selling point and because the phone’s fingerprint sensor is integrated into the power button. (Optical fingerprint scanners don’t work with LCDs.) The non-Pro model’s screen has the same specs beyond a 0.1-inch reduction in size, but oddly its fingerprint sensor is said to be faster at 0.29 seconds versus 0.38.
Both phones have quad camera setups on the back including 64-megapixel primary sensors, 8-megapixel ultrawides, and 2-megapixel macro cameras. The 6 Pro has a 12-megapixel telephoto camera, however, while the regular model has a 2-megapixel monochrome sensor. Like the X50 Pro, the 6 Pro also has an 8-megapixel ultrawide selfie camera in the display’s double-wide hole punch.
Realme 6.
The 6 Pro has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G processor and the 6 has a MediaTek Helio G90T. The 6 Pro has 6 or 8GB of RAM and the 6 has 4, 6, or 8GB. Storage on the 6 Pro goes up to 256GB, while the 6 maxes out at 128GB. Both phones have 4,300mAh batteries with 30W VOOC 4.0 fast charging.
Realme is known for its unusual gradient finishes, and the 6 series continues that tradition. The 6 Pro comes in lightning-inspired blue, red, and orange options, while the 6 is available in comet-esque white and blue. The 6 starts at Rs. 12,999 ($177) for a 4GB/64GB model and goes up to Rs. 15,999 ($218) for 8GB/128GB. The 6 Pro, meanwhile, starts at Rs. 16,999 ($232) for 6GB/64GB and costs Rs. 18,999 ($259) for 8GB/256GB.


theverge--2020-03-04--Apple and Netflix pull out of SXSW appearances

Apple is pulling out of SXSW due to the coronavirus outbreak , Bloomberg ’ s Mark Gurman reported on Wednesday .
Apple is following in the footsteps of Facebook , Twitter , Amazon Studios , and others in not attending the Austin-based conference due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak .
Variety corroborates Apple ’ s withdrawal from the event .
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Bloomberg also reports that Netflix is backing out of SXSW , citing a company representative .
Netflix has cancelled a panel and five film screenings .
Apple ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Spike Jonze ’ s Beastie Boys Story , an animated musical series called Central Park , and a documentary series called Home .
The premieres , as well as a talk featuring Little America creators Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon , have been canceled , Variety reports .
Many companies and organizations have announced they won ’ t be attending SXSW Many companies and organizations have announced they will no longer be attending the tech , music , and film festival , which is scheduled to take place from March 13th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will proceed as planned for now , Austin public health officials said today .
“ It ’ s important for us to remember at this stage that we ’ re actively evaluating mass gatherings on a daily basis , ” Mark Escott , the interim medical director and health authority for Austin Public Health , said at the press conference , according to CNN .
“ Right now there ’ s no evidence that closing South by Southwest or other activities is going to make this community safer .
We ’ re constantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SXSW updated its site with a page dedicated to questions about coronavirus ’ impact on the event and tips to prevent spread of the disease .
“ Safety is a top priority for SXSW , ” says a statement on the page .
“ Currently , we are taking the following actions on-site : provision of disinfectant wipes and spray , hand sanitizer for common area spaces and activity spaces , microphone wipe downs , inclusion of Austin Public Health Disease Prevention literature , outreach to all meeting spaces , venues , and @ @ @

Apple is pulling out of SXSW due to the coronavirus outbreak, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported on Wednesday. Apple is following in the footsteps of Facebook, Twitter, Amazon Studios, and others in not attending the Austin-based conference due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. Variety corroborates Apple’s withdrawal from the event. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bloomberg also reports that Netflix is backing out of SXSW, citing a company representative. Netflix has cancelled a panel and five film screenings. WarnerMedia, which owns HBO, CNN, Warner Bros. Pictures, and more, is also pulling out of the show, saying on Thursday that it “has decided it best not to move forward with activations at SXSW.” LinkedIn is withdrawing from SXSW as well, according to Adweek’s Scott Nover.
Apple’s events at SXSW included a world premiere of Spike Jonze’s Beastie Boys Story, an animated musical series called Central Park, and a documentary series called Home. The premieres, as well as a talk featuring Little America creators Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, have been canceled, Variety reports.
Many companies and organizations have announced they won’t be attending SXSW
Many companies and organizations have announced they will no longer be attending the tech, music, and film festival, which is scheduled to take place from March 13th to March 22nd. Yet the show will proceed as planned for now, Austin public health officials said on Wednesday.
“It’s important for us to remember at this stage that we’re actively evaluating mass gatherings on a daily basis,” Mark Escott, the interim medical director and health authority for Austin Public Health, said at the press conference, according to CNN. “Right now there’s no evidence that closing South by Southwest or other activities is going to make this community safer. We’re constantly monitoring that situation.”
On Monday, SXSW updated its site with a page dedicated to questions about coronavirus’ impact on the event and tips to prevent spread of the disease. “Safety is a top priority for SXSW,” says a statement on the page. “Currently, we are taking the following actions on-site: provision of disinfectant wipes and spray, hand sanitizer for common area spaces and activity spaces, microphone wipe downs, inclusion of Austin Public Health Disease Prevention literature, outreach to all meeting spaces, venues, and hotels.”


theverge--2020-03-04--Go read this essay about how life in the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak is ‘a living hell’

NPR has a sobering essay about living in Wuhan , China , which is the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak .
Wuhan has been under a government-ordered lockdown since January 22nd .
And according to the author of the essay , who wished to remain anonymous to avoid punishment for criticizing the Chinese government , the lockdown has made life in Wuhan “ a living hell.
” Part of the essay details the struggles the people of Wuhan faced in immediate aftermath of the announcement of the lockdown .
The author described how people rushed to 24-hour convenience stores within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcement to get food .
A day later , the author said they celebrated Chinese New Year ’ s Eve with a meal “ pieced together from the few ingredients I ’ d been able to buy in that last-minute shopping trip.
” The essay is also deeply personal .
The author discusses , for example , how they have worked hard and remained silent about politics in an effort to lead a secure life , but have become disillusioned with the Chinese government after it was slow to inform the public about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights , democracy and freedom , we would have learned about what happened in Wuhan one month earlier , ” the author says .
“ What has happened in Wuhan is as if your house caught on fire and all your neighbors knew but forbade you from jumping out of the window .
Only until the fire is out of control , and the entire town ablaze , do they slowly begin taking responsibility while highlighting their own heroic efforts , ” says the author in another particularly gut-wrenching passage .
The whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly recommend spending a few minutes to go read it .

NPR has a sobering essay about living in Wuhan, China, which is the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. Wuhan has been under a government-ordered lockdown since January 22nd. And according to the author of the essay, who wished to remain anonymous to avoid punishment for criticizing the Chinese government, the lockdown has made life in Wuhan “a living hell.”
Part of the essay details the struggles the people of Wuhan faced in immediate aftermath of the announcement of the lockdown. The author described how people rushed to 24-hour convenience stores within an hour of the lockdown’s announcement to get food. A day later, the author said they celebrated Chinese New Year’s Eve with a meal “pieced together from the few ingredients I’d been able to buy in that last-minute shopping trip.”
The essay is deeply personal
The essay is also deeply personal. The author discusses, for example, how they have worked hard and remained silent about politics in an effort to lead a secure life, but have become disillusioned with the Chinese government after it was slow to inform the public about coronavirus. “If we had human rights, democracy and freedom, we would have learned about what happened in Wuhan one month earlier,” the author says.
“What has happened in Wuhan is as if your house caught on fire and all your neighbors knew but forbade you from jumping out of the window. Only until the fire is out of control, and the entire town ablaze, do they slowly begin taking responsibility while highlighting their own heroic efforts,” says the author in another particularly gut-wrenching passage.


theverge--2020-03-05--Apple and Google are cracking down on coronavirus apps to combat misinformation

Both Apple and Google have begun cracking down on apps related to the coronavirus , according to a new report from CNBC .
App developers who spoke with the news organization say Apple is rejecting any and all coronavirus-related mobile software not from recognized health organizations or the government .
CNBC also reports that Google is not returning any results for coronavirus-related searches on the Play Store , although it ’ s unclear at this time if Google is restricting the approval of new apps , too .
Apple appears to be catching new coronavirus-related apps in its manual review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they received a message from the iPhone maker reading , “ Apps with information about current medical information need to be submitted by a recognized institution.
” Apple and Google are taking measures to prevent misleading coronavirus apps Some well-meaning mobile apps from independent developers that rely on World Health Organization data and information form recognized health institutions are getting caught up in the ban , CNBC reports .
That ’ s because Apple is apparently evaluating whether apps that provide information related to the coronavirus can be trusted sources of information for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this case , it would seem Apple is restricting those trusted sources to only official health organizations and the government .
Apple declined to comment for this story .
Right now , few iOS apps related to the virus are appearing in search results or in top app rankings , CNBC reports , although there are existing and mostly benign options available .
Those include a “ virus tracker ” app from a company called Healthlynked , a COVID-19 ( the illness caused by the novel coronavirus ) app from medical resource company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Brazilian government with information about the virus .
As for Android , Google appears to be deliberately blocking search results for the virus and COVID-19 , yet we don ’ t know if the company has an outright ban on new apps related to the coronavirus .
Google does , as CNBC points out , have existing policies against apps that deny the existence of “ major tragic effects ” ; apps that “ lack reasonable sensitivity towards or capitalize on a natural disaster , atrocity , conflict , death , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ; and apps that appear to “ profit from a tragic event with no discernible benefit to the victims.
” Google declined to comment for this story , but the company did point The Verge to a series of approved apps providing coronavirus information , including ones from the American Red Cross , the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , and Doctor On Demand , as well as news apps like the official Twitter Android app and News 360 .
Apps that are found to be in violation of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above , can be removed as well , so it doesn ’ t just apply to yet-to-be-published apps still in review .
Apple and Google are far from the only companies taking measures to cut down on content that either peddles misinformation or seeks to take exploit the ongoing outbreak for financial gain .
Facebook , the company ’ s Instagram subsidiary , and Twitter have instituted bans on coronavirus misinformation , and Amazon is currently grappling with waves of new product listings that are exploiting the situation by either claiming to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gouging health items like hand sanitizer and face masks .
Etsy has begun cracking down on coronavirus listings on its marketplace , and Google has followed Facebook in banning coronavirus-related ads , although offenders are still slipping through the cracks .

Both Apple and Google have begun cracking down on apps related to the coronavirus, according to a new report from CNBC. App developers who spoke with the news organization say Apple is rejecting any and all coronavirus-related mobile software not from recognized health organizations or the government. CNBC also reports that Google is not returning any results for coronavirus-related searches on the Play Store, although it’s unclear at this time if Google is restricting the approval of new apps, too.
Apple appears to be catching new coronavirus-related apps in its manual review process, with one developer telling CNBC they received a message from the iPhone maker reading, “Apps with information about current medical information need to be submitted by a recognized institution.”
Apple and Google are taking measures to prevent misleading coronavirus apps
Some well-meaning mobile apps from independent developers that rely on World Health Organization data and information form recognized health institutions are getting caught up in the ban, CNBC reports. That’s because Apple is apparently evaluating whether apps that provide information related to the coronavirus can be trusted sources of information for the public, CNBC says. In this case, it would seem Apple is restricting those trusted sources to only official health organizations and the government. Apple declined to comment for this story.
Right now, few iOS apps related to the virus are appearing in search results or in top app rankings, CNBC reports, although there are existing and mostly benign options available. Those include a “virus tracker” app from a company called Healthlynked, a COVID-19 (the illness caused by the novel coronavirus) app from medical resource company Unbound, and a Portuguese-language app published by the Brazilian government with information about the virus.
As for Android, Google appears to be deliberately blocking search results for the virus and COVID-19, yet we don’t know if the company has an outright ban on new apps related to the coronavirus. Google does, as CNBC points out, have existing policies against apps that deny the existence of “major tragic effects”; apps that “lack reasonable sensitivity towards or capitalize on a natural disaster, atrocity, conflict, death, or other tragic event[s]”; and apps that appear to “profit from a tragic event with no discernible benefit to the victims.”
Google declined to comment for this story, but the company did point The Verge to a series of approved apps providing coronavirus information, including ones from the American Red Cross, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Doctor On Demand, as well as news apps like the official Twitter Android app and News 360. Apps that are found to be in violation of its “sensitive events” policy, outlined above, can be removed as well, so it doesn’t just apply to yet-to-be-published apps still in review.
Apple and Google are far from the only companies taking measures to cut down on content that either peddles misinformation or seeks to take exploit the ongoing outbreak for financial gain. Facebook, the company’s Instagram subsidiary, and Twitter have instituted bans on coronavirus misinformation, and Amazon is currently grappling with waves of new product listings that are exploiting the situation by either claiming to provide cures or protection against COVID-19 or price gouging health items like hand sanitizer and face masks.


theverge--2020-03-05--Twitter now bans dehumanizing remarks based on age, disability, and disease

Twitter has updated its hate speech policies to cover tweets that make dehumanizing remarks , which are remarks that treat “ others as less than human , ” on the basis of age , disability , or disease .
The changes follow updates to the company ’ s polices made last July that said Twitter would remove tweets that dehumanize religious groups .
Prior to that , Twitter issued a broad ban in 2018 on dehumanizing speech to compliment its existing hate speech policies that cover protected classes like race and gender .
It has since been updating these dehumanization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its original ruleset failed to address , based on user feedback .
Now , Twitter says tweets like the ones in the image below will be removed when they are reported : The company says reported tweets in violation of these new polices but posted before today will be removed but won ’ t result in account suspensions .
Twitter first rolled out policies banning dehumanizing speech in September 2018 .
At the time , Twitter asked for feedback and later said it received more than 8,000 responses across more than 30 countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the feedback centered around the policies being too broad .
So Twitter has begun calling out specific types of speech against specific groups as against its rules , starting with religion and now age , disability , and disease .
In a tweet , the company indicates that more groups will eventually be protected by this policy : Twitter also does not allow misgendering or naming transgender people by the name they used before they transitioned , also called “ deadnaming , ” a policy put in place in late 2018 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ its automated moderation tools now flag and remove more than half of all abusive tweets before users report them .

Twitter has updated its hate speech policies to cover tweets that make dehumanizing remarks, which are remarks that treat “others as less than human,” on the basis of age, disability, or disease. The changes follow updates to the company’s polices made last July that said Twitter would remove tweets that dehumanize religious groups.
Prior to that, Twitter issued a broad ban in 2018 on dehumanizing speech to compliment its existing hate speech policies that cover protected classes like race and gender. It has since been updating these dehumanization policies to take into account specific cases its original ruleset failed to address, based on user feedback.
Now, Twitter says tweets like the ones in the image below will be removed when they are reported:
Image: Twitter
The company says reported tweets in violation of these new polices but posted before today will be removed but won’t result in account suspensions.
Twitter first rolled out policies banning dehumanizing speech in September 2018. At the time, Twitter asked for feedback and later said it received more than 8,000 responses across more than 30 countries in just two weeks time. Much of the feedback centered around the policies being too broad. So Twitter has begun calling out specific types of speech against specific groups as against its rules, starting with religion and now age, disability, and disease.
In a tweet, the company indicates that more groups will eventually be protected by this policy:


theverge--2020-03-05--Facebook will take down Trump campaign posts that look like official census 2020 ads

Facebook will remove some of President Donald Trump ’ s reelection campaign ads from its platform , CNN reports .
“ There are policies in place to prevent confusion around the official US Census and this is an example of those being enforced , ” a Facebook spokesperson said in an email to The Verge .
As first reported by journalist Judd Legum in his Popular Info newsletter , Trump ’ s campaign was running ads that asked people to respond to an “ official district census ” that linked to his campaign website .
“ This survey is ESSENTIAL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy .
We need Patriotic Americans like YOU to respond to this census , so we can develop a winning strategy for YOUR STATE , ” one of the ads reads .
The link in the ad describes itself as an “ Official Congressional District Census.
” The surveys in the ads , which were not part of any official US Census surveys , included questions about what news outlets participants read and collected personal information such as age , name , and contact information , Popular Info reported .
One question asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Radical Left are putting their personal anti-Trump agenda ahead of what ’ s best for the American people.
” Facebook ’ s 2020 census rules prohibit “ misrepresentation of government involvement in the census.
” Pelosi weighed in on Thursday , saying at a press conference she was “ annoyed ” by the ad , which she called “ a lie that is consistent with the misrepresentation policy of Facebook.
” She added that she thought the Trump administration wanted to see the census undercounted .
“ I know that profit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it should not come at the cost of the counting who is in our country , so that we can provide the services and the rest , ” Pelosi said .
The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment .

Facebook will remove some of President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign ads from its platform, CNN reports. “There are policies in place to prevent confusion around the official US Census and this is an example of those being enforced,” a Facebook spokesperson said in an email to The Verge.
As first reported by journalist Judd Legum in his Popular Info newsletter, Trump’s campaign was running ads that asked people to respond to an “official district census” that linked to his campaign website. “This survey is ESSENTIAL to our team’s 2020 campaign strategy. We need Patriotic Americans like YOU to respond to this census, so we can develop a winning strategy for YOUR STATE,” one of the ads reads.
The link in the ad describes itself as an “Official Congressional District Census.”
Screenshot of Trump campaign ad.
The surveys in the ads, which were not part of any official US Census surveys, included questions about what news outlets participants read and collected personal information such as age, name, and contact information, Popular Info reported. One question asked if survey takers “think Nancy Pelosi and the Radical Left are putting their personal anti-Trump agenda ahead of what’s best for the American people.”
Facebook’s 2020 census rules prohibit “misrepresentation of government involvement in the census.”
Pelosi weighed in on Thursday, saying at a press conference she was “annoyed” by the ad, which she called “a lie that is consistent with the misrepresentation policy of Facebook.” She added that she thought the Trump administration wanted to see the census undercounted. “I know that profit motive is their business model, but it should not come at the cost of the counting who is in our country, so that we can provide the services and the rest,” Pelosi said.


theverge--2020-03-05--Sonos is getting rid of the controversial Recycle Mode that needlessly bricked its older devices

Sonos is doing away with Recycle Mode , a controversial part of the company ’ s trade-up program that rendered old devices inoperable in exchange for a 30 percent discount on a newer Sonos product .
The trade-up program still exists , and customers who own eligible legacy products can get the same discount , but they ’ re no longer required to permanently brick devices that might still work just fine .
With the change , Sonos is now giving customers full control over what happens with the older gadgets they ’ re “ trading ” up from .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ give it to someone , recycle it at a local e-waste facility , or send it to Sonos and let the company handle the responsible recycling part .
Sonos quietly removed Recycle Mode from its app last week and replaced it with language asking anyone seeking the discount to call customer service .
Within the next few weeks , Sonos will update its website with a new flow for the trade-up program that no longer includes Recycle Mode , and you won ’ t have to call anybody .
This decision should bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late last year when Devin Wilson brought attention to Recycle Mode and raised questions around the company ’ s sustainability practices .
At the time , Sonos said it wasn ’ t forcing anyone to participate in the trade-up program , and customers who wanted to use legacy devices could continue doing so .
But it kept Recycle Mode in place for those who did want the 30 percent deal .
When triggered , Recycle Mode would start an irreversible 21-day countdown , after which the device in question would cease functioning .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensure that consumer data was being erased on recycled products .
Now , Sonos will instead encourage customers to perform a factory reset before bringing their old gear to an e-waste recycler .
Legacy products still won ’ t get new features Today ’ s news doesn ’ t change Sonos ’ plans to stop releasing new software updates for legacy devices sometime in May .
The company botched its messaging around that so badly that CEO Patrick Spence posted an apology and said “ all Sonos products will continue to work past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t get new software features , we pledge to keep them updated with bug fixes and security patches for as long as possible , ” Spence wrote in January .
“ If we run into something core to the experience that can ’ t be addressed , we ’ ll work to offer an alternative solution and let you know about any changes you ’ ll see in your experience .
But they won ’ t be gaining any new features , and customers who want to keep using old products @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their primary Sonos system — otherwise , all products will stop getting software updates when the cutoff happens .
“ We are working on a way to split your system so that modern products work together and get the latest features , while legacy products work together and remain in their current state.
” A Sonos spokesperson reiterated that this is the plan and said the company will have more to share over the next few weeks .

Sonos is doing away with Recycle Mode, a controversial part of the company’s trade-up program that rendered old devices inoperable in exchange for a 30 percent discount on a newer Sonos product. The trade-up program still exists, and customers who own eligible legacy products can get the same discount, but they’re no longer required to permanently brick devices that might still work just fine.
With the change, Sonos is now giving customers full control over what happens with the older gadgets they’re “trading” up from. They can choose to keep it, give it to someone, recycle it at a local e-waste facility, or send it to Sonos and let the company handle the responsible recycling part. Sonos quietly removed Recycle Mode from its app last week and replaced it with language asking anyone seeking the discount to call customer service. Within the next few weeks, Sonos will update its website with a new flow for the trade-up program that no longer includes Recycle Mode, and you won’t have to call anybody.
This decision should bring an end to criticism that Sonos faced late last year when Devin Wilson brought attention to Recycle Mode and raised questions around the company’s sustainability practices. At the time, Sonos said it wasn’t forcing anyone to participate in the trade-up program, and customers who wanted to use legacy devices could continue doing so. But it kept Recycle Mode in place for those who did want the 30 percent deal. When triggered, Recycle Mode would start an irreversible 21-day countdown, after which the device in question would cease functioning. Sonos said it went this route to ensure that consumer data was being erased on recycled products.
Now, Sonos will instead encourage customers to perform a factory reset before bringing their old gear to an e-waste recycler.
Which Sonos products are considered “legacy” and part of the trade-up program? Legacy products that are eligible for the Sonos trade-up include the original Sonos Play:5, Zone Players, and Connect / Connect:Amp devices manufactured between 2011 and 2015. All other products are considered modern and will continue to get software updates after May.
Legacy products still won’t get new features
Today’s news doesn’t change Sonos’ plans to stop releasing new software updates for legacy devices sometime in May. The company botched its messaging around that so badly that CEO Patrick Spence posted an apology and said “all Sonos products will continue to work past May.”
“While legacy Sonos products won’t get new software features, we pledge to keep them updated with bug fixes and security patches for as long as possible,” Spence wrote in January. “If we run into something core to the experience that can’t be addressed, we’ll work to offer an alternative solution and let you know about any changes you’ll see in your experience.


theverge--2020-03-05--Tech companies are getting more aggressive to fight COVID-19 hoaxes

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You hate to accuse our big tech platforms of being responsible during a crisis .
For one thing , they benefit from low expectations , having historically ignored much of the misinformation that they unwittingly promoted with their recommendation algorithms .
And for another , the American part of the COVID-19 crisis is likely just beginning : each day brings with it a fresh raft of headlines about new diagnoses , new conference cancelations , new restrictions on employee travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ novel coronavirus , as with so much else lately , it appears that things really are going to get worse before they get better .
Still , as I look at the past few days of news , I can ’ t help but notice hopeful signs .
The big tech companies and social platforms are taking meaningful action to direct people to timely , accurate information about the virus .
And some of those steps they ’ re even taking proactively .
Here are a few .
More than a week ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the news feed directing users to the Centers for Disease Control ’ s page about COVID-19 .
Minor though this may seem , it represents a meaningful departure from the company ’ s usual approach to putting things in the News Feed .
The essence of the feed , after all , is personalization — Facebook wants to show you only things it has some reason to believe that you will care about , whether it ’ s because you are friends with a person or liked a page .
With the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thumb on the scale , presumably driving many millions of users to reliable , vetted information from an authoritative source .
On Tuesday night , the company took further steps to address the virus ’ spread .
In a Facebook post , CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company would grant unlimited free ad credits to the World Health Organization to promote accurate information about the crisis .
The company will also remove “ false claims and conspiracy theories that have been flagged by leading global health organizations , ” and will block people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exploit the situation , ” such as by falsely advertising a cure .
These are also good steps — although , as ever , policy is what you actually enforce .
We ’ ll see !
Twitter has implemented similar measures , the company said Wednesday .
Searching for COVID-19 will take you to a page featuring recent stories from public health organizations and credible mainstream news sources .
The search also accounts for common misspellings , the company said .
Twitter also said that while it had not yet seen Russian-style efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it would take a “ zero-tolerance approach to platform manipulation and any other attempts to abuse our service at this critical juncture.
” Easier said than done , of course , but it ’ s clear that the problem has the company ’ s attention .
It ’ s also giving away ad credits to public health organizations and other nonprofits .
Google took a step to make life easier for those who are required to work or study from home , giving away advanced streaming tools to all paid customers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what that means in practice , according to my colleague Jay Peters : Microsoft took a similar step , offering a free six-month trial of its Teams product , which facilitates remote work through video and text chat .
There ’ s obviously an element of self-interest in this .
Tech companies give away their products for free during times of crisis for the same reason that newspapers lower their paywalls : it ’ s good for attracting new paying customers .
But it ’ s also a good and helpful and pro-social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many organizations will find it useful .
Pinterest , which pioneered many of the anti-misinformation techniques that Facebook and Twitter are now adopting , is also limiting search results for “ COVID-19 , ” “ coronavirus ” and related terms to “ internationally recognized health organizations.
” Google-owned YouTube , historically the most conspiracy-friendly of the big platforms , has also added a link to the World Health Organization page on the virus outbreak to the top of search results .
In the early days of the crisis , BuzzFeed found popular conspiracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly in India , where one “ explainer ” with a false explanation of the disease ’ s origin racked up 13 million views before YouTube removed it .
But in the United States , conspiracy videos about the disease have struggled to win even 1 million views .
That ’ s not to say that misinformation isn ’ t spreading on tech platforms — just as it ’ s spreading on the larger internet , and among friends and family in conversation .
If there ’ s a platform that seems to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s Facebook-owned WhatsApp , where the Washington Post found “ a flood of misinformation ” in countries including Nigeria , Singapore , Brazil , Pakistan , Ireland .
Given the encrypted nature of the app , it ’ s difficult to quantify the scale of the issue .
( The Post doesn ’ t really offer a guess . )
Misinformation is frequently shared in WhatsApp groups , where membership is limited to 250 people .
Information in one group can be easily to another , but there ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple groups to peddle phony miracle cures or spread malicious rumors .
Still , people are doing it .
It ’ s a price we pay for having tools that enable conversations that the government can ’ t listen in on .
My hope is that companies building encryption do so in a way that minimizes the harm from the hoaxes that messaging apps will invariably contain .
But that ’ s far from a given .
Many of the measures described above are relatively minor in the scheme of things .
Ultimately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the spread of the virus belongs to the US government .
Still , it ’ s worth noting that after a years-long pressure campaign from academics , journalists , and elected officials , tech platforms are beginning to accept responsibility for the material they host .
Not in a legal sense — Section 230 is still the law of the land — but in a moral sense .
That ’ s progress , and I ’ ll take it .
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become a refuge for Pakistan journalists battling censorship .
The platform has become a critical tool as reporters face one of the harshest media crackdowns in Pakistan ’ s 72-year history .
Trending sideways : Facebook ’ s fact-checking program has a fatal flaw , according to new research out of MIT .
When only some stories are fact-checked , people believe stories that haven ’ t been fact-checked even more — even if they ’ re completely false .
Trending down : Cisco is helping administrators in Jammu and Kashmir build a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open up in the Valley .
Social media sites will continue to stay off-limits .
Here are all the companies that have pulled out of South by Southwest so far .
Event officials say the conference is still going on as planned .
( Eric Webb and Kara Carlson / Austin360 ) Austin mayor Steve Adler said “ there ’ s no evidence that cancelling SXSW makes us safer.
” The remarks came during a press conference with city and health officials to address coronavirus concerns .
( Yoojin Cho / KXAN ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chan Zuckerberg Initiative , the family office of Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan , tested positive for coronavirus .
The company asked all employees to work from home .
( Ryan Mac / Twitter ) Microsoft is allowing employees to work from home as the novel coronavirus outbreak continues to spread around the world .
The software giant has updated its guidelines for employees , allowing anyone based in Seattle or San Francisco to work from home through March 9th .
( Tom Warren / The Verge ) Google is moving all job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future ” due to the coronavirus outbreak .
Facebook and Amazon have also canceled in-person interviews for the time being .
( Jay Peters / The Verge ) The TED conference in Vancouver is planning to either postpone the event or host a digital-only version due to the coronavirus .
( Ina Fried / Axios ) ⭐A Facebook fact-checking group linked to conservative website The Daily Caller labeled a post from Politico as false .
The group took issue with the post ’ s claim that President Trump “ tried to cast the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberal conspiracy.
” Trump surrogates said he wasn ’ t calling coronavirus a hoax .
Here ’ s The Verge ’ s Adi Robertson : Google rejected dozens of ads from Donald Trump ’ s presidential campaign for violating its ad policies in the week leading up to Super Tuesday .
The company also rejected a Bernie Sanders ad and two from a political action committee supporting Joe Biden .
( Kurt Wagner and Mark Bergen / Bloomberg ) Mike Bloomberg suspended his presidential campaign , citing his poor showing in the Super @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dropping out .
He spent $ 500 million on his campaign , much of it advertising on social networks .
( Makena Kelly / The Verge ) A Gizmodo reporter went to the Conservative Political Action Conference 2020 ( CPAC ) to see why conservatives think Big Tech is censoring them .
Read their answers , if you dare !
( Tom McKay / Gizmodo ) Officials in Utah have given a small artificial intelligence company called Banjo real-time access to government-owned surveillance and traffic cameras across the entire state .
The goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they happen .
Meanwhile , a Chinese-style social credit system continues to take shape here in the United States .
( Jason Koebler , Emanuel Maiberg , and Joseph Cox / Vice ) ⭐Twitter is testing ephemeral tweets in Brazil and calling them “ fleets.
” They look almost identical to Snapchat stories .
I wrote about it : Since it was founded in March 2006 , there has been only one type of post possible on Twitter : a tweet .
But starting today , the 280-character post is being joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fleet .
That ’ s what Twitter is calling these new , more fleeting tweets — posts that appear in a separate timeline above the main timeline for 24 hours before disappearing .
In other words , yes , Twitter is finally doing Snapchat Stories , and the implementation looks nearly identical to Instagram ’ s version of the feature .
“ Twitter is for having conversations about what you care about , ” Mo Aladham , a Twitter group product manager , said in a blog post .
“ But , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re uncomfortable to tweet because tweets are public , feel permanent , and have public counts ( retweets and likes ) .
We want to make it possible for you to have conversations in new ways with less pressure and more control , beyond tweets and direct messages .
That ’ s why starting today in Brazil , we ’ re testing fleets , a new way to start conversations from your fleeting thoughts.
” Facebook developed a more efficient machine-learning tool to identify and take down fake accounts .
The tool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rest of the community , rather than more obvious signals of fakery .
( Side note : the number of friend requests I ’ ve gotten from brand-new accounts is way up lately . )
( Daphne Leprince-Ringuet / ZDNet ) ByteDance , TikTok ’ s Chinese parent company , launched a music streaming app in India called Resso .
The app allows users to share lyrics and comments along with full-length songs .
( Ingrid Lunden and Manish Singh / TechCrunch ) A TikTok video showing a teenage girl getting an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fiery debate over abortion rights on social media .
TikTok is a platform for discussing social issues , whether the company wants it to be or not .
( Ellen Cranley / Insider ) Two New Jersey teenagers have been charged after a failed attempt at the viral “ skull breaker ” challenge resulted in the hospitalization of a seventh-grader with a serious head injury .
The injury is the latest in a series of mishaps spurred by the viral TikTok challenge .
( Pilar Melendez / Daily Beast ) Send us tips @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good news : casey @ theverge.com and zoe @ theverge.com .

You hate to accuse our big tech platforms of being responsible during a crisis. For one thing, they benefit from low expectations, having historically ignored much of the misinformation that they unwittingly promoted with their recommendation algorithms. And for another, the American part of the COVID-19 crisis is likely just beginning: each day brings with it a fresh raft of headlines about new diagnoses, new conference cancelations, new restrictions on employee travel, and so on. With the novel coronavirus, as with so much else lately, it appears that things really are going to get worse before they get better.
Still, as I look at the past few days of news, I can’t help but notice hopeful signs. The big tech companies and social platforms are taking meaningful action to direct people to timely, accurate information about the virus. And some of those steps they’re even taking proactively. Here are a few.
More than a week ago, Facebook began inserting a box into the news feed directing users to the Centers for Disease Control’s page about COVID-19. Minor though this may seem, it represents a meaningful departure from the company’s usual approach to putting things in the News Feed. The essence of the feed, after all, is personalization — Facebook wants to show you only things it has some reason to believe that you will care about, whether it’s because you are friends with a person or liked a page. With the virus box, Facebook put a rare algorithmic thumb on the scale, presumably driving many millions of users to reliable, vetted information from an authoritative source.
On Tuesday night, the company took further steps to address the virus’ spread. In a Facebook post, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company would grant unlimited free ad credits to the World Health Organization to promote accurate information about the crisis. The company will also remove “false claims and conspiracy theories that have been flagged by leading global health organizations,” and will block people from running ads that “try to exploit the situation,” such as by falsely advertising a cure. These are also good steps — although, as ever, policy is what you actually enforce. We’ll see!
Twitter has implemented similar measures, the company said Wednesday. Searching for COVID-19 will take you to a page featuring recent stories from public health organizations and credible mainstream news sources. The search also accounts for common misspellings, the company said.
Twitter also said that while it had not yet seen Russian-style efforts to sow discord via large-scale information operations, it would take a “zero-tolerance approach to platform manipulation and any other attempts to abuse our service at this critical juncture.” Easier said than done, of course, but it’s clear that the problem has the company’s attention. It’s also giving away ad credits to public health organizations and other nonprofits.
Google took a step to make life easier for those who are required to work or study from home, giving away advanced streaming tools to all paid customers of the G Suite. Here’s what that means in practice, according to my colleague Jay Peters:
Google announced this morning that it would be rolling out free access to “advanced” features for Hangouts Meet to all G Suite and G Suite for Education customers globally through July 1st. That means organizations can host meetings with up to 250 participants, live stream to up to 100,000 viewers within a single domain, and record and save meetings to Google Drive. Normally, Google charges $13 extra per user per month for these features in addition to G Suite access under its “enterprise” tier, which adds up to a total of $25 per user per month.
Microsoft took a similar step, offering a free six-month trial of its Teams product, which facilitates remote work through video and text chat.
There’s obviously an element of self-interest in this. Tech companies give away their products for free during times of crisis for the same reason that newspapers lower their paywalls: it’s good for attracting new paying customers. But it’s also a good and helpful and pro-social thing to do, and I suspect many organizations will find it useful.
Google-owned YouTube, historically the most conspiracy-friendly of the big platforms, has also added a link to the World Health Organization page on the virus outbreak to the top of search results. In the early days of the crisis, BuzzFeed found popular conspiracy videos about the coronavirus on YouTube — particularly in India, where one “explainer” with a false explanation of the disease’s origin racked up 13 million views before YouTube removed it. But in the United States, conspiracy videos about the disease have struggled to win even 1 million views.
That’s not to say that misinformation isn’t spreading on tech platforms — just as it’s spreading on the larger internet, and among friends and family in conversation. If there’s a platform that seems to be under-performing in the current crisis, it’s Facebook-owned WhatsApp, where the Washington Post found “a flood of misinformation” in countries including Nigeria, Singapore, Brazil, Pakistan, Ireland. Given the encrypted nature of the app, it’s difficult to quantify the scale of the issue. (The Post doesn’t really offer a guess.) Misinformation is frequently shared in WhatsApp groups, where membership is limited to 250 people. Information in one group can be easily to another, but there’s a meaningful amount of friction in spinning up multiple groups to peddle phony miracle cures or spread malicious rumors.
Still, people are doing it. It’s a price we pay for having tools that enable conversations that the government can’t listen in on. My hope is that companies building encryption do so in a way that minimizes the harm from the hoaxes that messaging apps will invariably contain. But that’s far from a given.
Many of the measures described above are relatively minor in the scheme of things. Ultimately, the responsibility to coordinate the response to the spread of the virus belongs to the US government. Still, it’s worth noting that after a years-long pressure campaign from academics, journalists, and elected officials, tech platforms are beginning to accept responsibility for the material they host. Not in a legal sense — Section 230 is still the law of the land — but in a moral sense.
That’s progress, and I’ll take it.
The Ratio
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.
🔼 Trending up: YouTube has become a refuge for Pakistan journalists battling censorship. The platform has become a critical tool as reporters face one of the harshest media crackdowns in Pakistan’s 72-year history.
🔃Trending sideways: Facebook’s fact-checking program has a fatal flaw, according to new research out of MIT. When only some stories are fact-checked, people believe stories that haven’t been fact-checked even more — even if they’re completely false.
🔽 Trending down: Cisco is helping administrators in Jammu and Kashmir build a firewall as access to internet begins to open up in the Valley. Social media sites will continue to stay off-limits.
Outbreak
Here are all the companies that have pulled out of South by Southwest so far. Event officials say the conference is still going on as planned. (Eric Webb and Kara Carlson / Austin360)
Austin mayor Steve Adler said “there’s no evidence that cancelling SXSW makes us safer.” The remarks came during a press conference with city and health officials to address coronavirus concerns. (Yoojin Cho / KXAN)
A relative of a contractor at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the family office of Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, tested positive for coronavirus. The company asked all employees to work from home. (Ryan Mac / Twitter)
Microsoft is allowing employees to work from home as the novel coronavirus outbreak continues to spread around the world. The software giant has updated its guidelines for employees, allowing anyone based in Seattle or San Francisco to work from home through March 9th. (Tom Warren / The Verge)
Google is moving all job interviews to Hangouts “for the foreseeable future” due to the coronavirus outbreak. Facebook and Amazon have also canceled in-person interviews for the time being. (Jay Peters / The Verge)
Governing
⭐A Facebook fact-checking group linked to conservative website The Daily Caller labeled a post from Politico as false. The group took issue with the post’s claim that President Trump “tried to cast the global outbreak of the coronavirus as a liberal conspiracy.” Trump surrogates said he wasn’t calling coronavirus a hoax. Here’s The Verge’s Adi Robertson:
In short, Trump is making a weird and unclear statement, followed by conflicting notes on how seriously we should be taking the coronavirus outbreak. And The Daily Caller’s fact-checking wing is using its power — fairly or not — to push an interpretation favored by Trump, who has in fact made reckless and false claims downplaying the threat. Legum argues that The Daily Caller’s seriously flawed editorial record makes it unfit to judge truth. But even leaving that aside, fact-checking is often politically fraught — The Washington Post has been accused of nitpicking claims by Sen. Bernie Sanders in an ideologically motivated way as well. Perhaps the most notable thing about this case is that conservatives are usually the ones arguing Facebook has censored them. Now, figures like Donald Trump, Jr. are celebrating the fact that “Facebook [weighed] in” on their side.
Google rejected dozens of ads from Donald Trump’s presidential campaign for violating its ad policies in the week leading up to Super Tuesday. The company also rejected a Bernie Sanders ad and two from a political action committee supporting Joe Biden. (Kurt Wagner and Mark Bergen / Bloomberg)
Mike Bloomberg suspended his presidential campaign, citing his poor showing in the Super Tuesday primaries as the central reason for dropping out. He spent $500 million on his campaign, much of it advertising on social networks. (Makena Kelly / The Verge)
A Gizmodo reporter went to the Conservative Political Action Conference 2020 (CPAC) to see why conservatives think Big Tech is censoring them. Read their answers, if you dare! (Tom McKay / Gizmodo)
Officials in Utah have given a small artificial intelligence company called Banjo real-time access to government-owned surveillance and traffic cameras across the entire state. The goal is to alert law enforcement of crimes as they happen. Meanwhile, a Chinese-style social credit system continues to take shape here in the United States. (Jason Koebler, Emanuel Maiberg, and Joseph Cox / Vice)
Industry
⭐Twitter is testing ephemeral tweets in Brazil and calling them “fleets.” They look almost identical to Snapchat stories. I wrote about it:
Since it was founded in March 2006, there has been only one type of post possible on Twitter: a tweet. But starting today, the 280-character post is being joined by an ephemeral South American cousin: the fleet. That’s what Twitter is calling these new, more fleeting tweets — posts that appear in a separate timeline above the main timeline for 24 hours before disappearing. In other words, yes, Twitter is finally doing Snapchat Stories, and the implementation looks nearly identical to Instagram’s version of the feature. “Twitter is for having conversations about what you care about,” Mo Aladham, a Twitter group product manager, said in a blog post. “But, some of you tell us that you’re uncomfortable to tweet because tweets are public, feel permanent, and have public counts (retweets and likes). We want to make it possible for you to have conversations in new ways with less pressure and more control, beyond tweets and direct messages. That’s why starting today in Brazil, we’re testing fleets, a new way to start conversations from your fleeting thoughts.”
Facebook developed a more efficient machine-learning tool to identify and take down fake accounts. The tool looks at how an account interacts with the rest of the community, rather than more obvious signals of fakery. (Side note: the number of friend requests I’ve gotten from brand-new accounts is way up lately.) (Daphne Leprince-Ringuet / ZDNet)
ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, launched a music streaming app in India called Resso. The app allows users to share lyrics and comments along with full-length songs. (Ingrid Lunden and Manish Singh / TechCrunch)
A TikTok video showing a teenage girl getting an abortion went viral and set off a fiery debate over abortion rights on social media. TikTok is a platform for discussing social issues, whether the company wants it to be or not. (Ellen Cranley / Insider)
Two New Jersey teenagers have been charged after a failed attempt at the viral “skull breaker” challenge resulted in the hospitalization of a seventh-grader with a serious head injury. The injury is the latest in a series of mishaps spurred by the viral TikTok challenge. (Pilar Melendez / Daily Beast)
And finally ...
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theverge--2020-03-05--Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft are asking Seattle-based staff to work from home because of

Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft are asking Seattle-based staff to work from home because of coronavirus

Numerous tech companies have asked their Seattle-based employees to work from home to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus .
Both Amazon and Facebook have shut down offices in the area after confirming that their Seattle-based employees have indeed contracted COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
As the outbreak continues to spread in the US , including in California and New York , the situation has worsened in Washington where the virus was first discovered Stateside .
The state now has at least 70 confirmed cases and 10 deaths .
Here are the work-from-home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that The Verge is aware of : • Amazon has told employees based in Seattle and nearby Bellevue that it recommends employees work from home until the end of March , according to CNBC .
The recommendation comes after Amazon confirmed on March 2nd that one of its Seattle-based employees was quarantined with the novel coronavirus .
That employee left work on February 25th and hasn ’ t returned .
• Google is asking employees in Washington state who have the ability to work remotely to do so , reports GeekWire .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring visitors to its Washington-based offices .
• Facebook has shut down one of its Seattle offices after a contractor tested positive for novel coronavirus , and it ’ s encouraging the company ’ s 5,000 Seattle-based employees to work from home until March 31st , according to CNBC .
That office will reportedly remain closed until Monday .
Facebook has also restricted social visitors to its offices .
• Microsoft is allowing employees in its Seattle- and San Francisco-based offices to work from home through March 25th .
• Twitter CEO Jack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraging ” all of its employees to work from home “ if able.
” He said the same guidance applies to Square , which he also leads .
• Bungie , which makes the popular game Destiny 2 , has asked employees of its Bellevue , Washington office to work from home and says it has rolled out infrastructure to let the company continue to develop the game while fully remote .
There are currently over 97,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 , with more than 3,300 deaths .

Numerous tech companies have asked their Seattle-based employees to work from home to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Both Amazon and Facebook have shut down offices in the area after confirming that their Seattle-based employees have indeed contracted COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
As the outbreak continues to spread in the US, including in California and New York, the situation has worsened in Washington where the virus was first discovered Stateside. The state now has at least 70 confirmed cases and 10 deaths.
Here are the work-from-home policies for some Seattle tech company offices that The Verge is aware of:
Amazon has told employees based in Seattle and nearby Bellevue that it recommends employees work from home until the end of March, according to CNBC. The recommendation comes after Amazon confirmed on March 2nd that one of its Seattle-based employees was quarantined with the novel coronavirus. That employee left work on February 25th and hasn’t returned.
Google is asking employees in Washington state who have the ability to work remotely to do so, reports GeekWire. It’s also asking employees not to bring visitors to its Washington-based offices.
Facebook has shut down one of its Seattle offices after a contractor tested positive for novel coronavirus, and it’s encouraging the company’s 5,000 Seattle-based employees to work from home until March 31st, according to CNBC. That office will reportedly remain closed until Monday. Facebook has also restricted social visitors to its offices.
Microsoft is allowing employees in its Seattle- and San Francisco-based offices to work from home through March 25th.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said the company is “strongly encouraging” all of its employees to work from home “if able.” He said the same guidance applies to Square, which he also leads. On Friday, March 6th, Twitter said a Seattle-based employee “has been advised by their doctor that they likely have COVID-19” though is still awaiting final testing. The employee hasn’t been in a Twitter office in several weeks, the company says, but it is closing the Seattle office “to deep clean” as a precaution.
Bungie, which makes the popular game Destiny 2, has asked employees of its Bellevue, Washington office to work from home and says it has rolled out infrastructure to let the company continue to develop the game while fully remote.
Nintendo will let its Nintendo of America staff in Washington and California work from home, according to a statement given to Kotaku.
There are currently over 101,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with more than 3,400 deaths.


theverge--2020-03-05--Google will lose its John Legend Google Assistant voice on March 23rd

If you ’ ve gotten used to ordering around John Legend ( or his voice , at least ) as your Google Assistant , be prepared for a loss : Google has announced that it will discontinue the celebrity cameo voice on March 23rd .
Google added the singer ’ s voice to its roster of available Google Assistant voices at Google I/O last April .
It previously noted that the feature would run for limited time , but the company never specified how long it would last .
( Disclaimer : John Legend is a Vox Media board member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came with its own set of personality-specific Easter eggs .
You ’ ll get him crooning if you ask him to sing you “ Happy Birthday ” or if you ask about Chrissy Teigen , his equally famous wife .
For now , if you really want a celebrity voice as your Google Assistant over the standard selections , Google will continue to offer comedian Issa Rae as an option .
But don ’ t fall in love because it ’ s likely that her voice get axed from Assistant sometime in the @ @ @ @ @

If you’ve gotten used to ordering around John Legend (or his voice, at least) as your Google Assistant, be prepared for a loss: Google has announced that it will discontinue the celebrity cameo voice on March 23rd. Google added the singer’s voice to its roster of available Google Assistant voices at Google I/O last April. It previously noted that the feature would run for limited time, but the company never specified how long it would last. (Disclaimer: John Legend is a Vox Media board member.)
John Legend’s cameo came with its own set of personality-specific Easter eggs. You’ll get him crooning if you ask him to sing you “Happy Birthday” or if you ask about Chrissy Teigen, his equally famous wife.


theverge--2020-03-05--YouTube children’s content faces a new threat from the KIDS Act

From toy unboxings to gaming videos , kids spend a lot of time watching YouTube videos .
But if two Democratic senators get their way , YouTube and other companies could be forced to completely overhaul their children ’ s content ecosystems .
The Kids Internet Design and Safety ( KIDS ) Act was introduced by Sens .
Ed Markey ( D-MA ) and Richard Blumenthal ( D-CT ) on Thursday ; if approved , the bill would force companies like YouTube and TikTok to completely change how they treat children ’ s content on their platforms .
Everything from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kinds of harmful content would see new limitations when a child under the age of 16 uses the platform .
“ Today , kids ’ faces are increasingly covered in the glow of their screens , and it ’ s time to face the chilling reality that some websites and apps are built in ways that harm children , ” Markey said .
“ Powerful companies push kids to buy products at every turn online , and top platforms are saturated with disturbing content that no kid should ever be exposed to.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ videos , which are wildly popular on YouTube .
An unboxing video from Ryan ’ s World , one of the most popular children ’ s YouTube channels , can get anywhere from a few hundred thousand to millions of views each .
The KIDS Act wouldn ’ t ban this content but would prohibit YouTube from recommending it to children , which would hugely limit its distribution on the platform .
“ Big Tech has designed their platforms to ensnare and exploit children.
” The senators also target the design of websites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If approved , the bill would ban companies from using autoplay features , like automatically loading a new video once the current one finishes playing .
The design ban would extend to push alerts or achievements that incentivize kids to stay on the platform for longer periods of time .
Markey , a co-author of this bill , was the original champion of the Children ’ s Online Privacy Protection Act ( or COPPA ) , which is now one of the pivotal privacy protections for children on the internet .
Because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website operators to collect the data of children under the age of 13 , causing ongoing compliance concerns for social networks .
Most recently , the Federal Trade Commission fined YouTube and TikTok millions of dollars for COPPA violations .
Markey has also worked to expand the law with tech hawk Sen. Josh Hawley ( R-MO ) in a new bill coined COPPA 2.0 that would raise the age threshold to cover children under the age of 15 .
“ Big Tech has designed their platforms to ensnare and exploit children for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purchases , ” Blumenthal said .
“ The KIDS Act puts guardrails in place to reign in recklessness of marketers and Big Tech – protecting children and giving parents some peace of mind.
” YouTube put in place new restrictions on content aimed at children earlier this year in the wake of its FTC settlement .
The restrictions prohibit conventional ad targeting for any video aimed at children , which has significantly reduced ad revenue for the channels involved .
The result has put many YouTube creators in a difficult situation , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ KIDS Act is approved .

From toy unboxings to gaming videos, kids spend a lot of time watching YouTube videos. But if two Democratic senators get their way, YouTube and other companies could be forced to completely overhaul their children’s content ecosystems.
The Kids Internet Design and Safety (KIDS) Act was introduced by Sens. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) on Thursday; if approved, the bill would force companies like YouTube and TikTok to completely change how they treat children’s content on their platforms. Everything from ads, app design, and some kinds of harmful content would see new limitations when a child under the age of 16 uses the platform.
“Today, kids’ faces are increasingly covered in the glow of their screens, and it’s time to face the chilling reality that some websites and apps are built in ways that harm children,” Markey said. “Powerful companies push kids to buy products at every turn online, and top platforms are saturated with disturbing content that no kid should ever be exposed to.”
The bill takes particular aim at unboxing videos, which are wildly popular on YouTube. An unboxing video from Ryan’s World, one of the most popular children’s YouTube channels, can get anywhere from a few hundred thousand to millions of views each. The KIDS Act wouldn’t ban this content but would prohibit YouTube from recommending it to children, which would hugely limit its distribution on the platform.
“Big Tech has designed their platforms to ensnare and exploit children.”
The senators also target the design of websites and apps that are targeted to children. If approved, the bill would ban companies from using autoplay features, like automatically loading a new video once the current one finishes playing. The design ban would extend to push alerts or achievements that incentivize kids to stay on the platform for longer periods of time.
Markey, a co-author of this bill, was the original champion of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (or COPPA), which is now one of the pivotal privacy protections for children on the internet. Because of COPPA, it is unlawful for website operators to collect the data of children under the age of 13, causing ongoing compliance concerns for social networks. Most recently, the Federal Trade Commission fined YouTube and TikTok millions of dollars for COPPA violations. Markey has also worked to expand the law with tech hawk Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) in a new bill coined COPPA 2.0 that would raise the age threshold to cover children under the age of 15.
“Big Tech has designed their platforms to ensnare and exploit children for more likes, more views, and more purchases,” Blumenthal said. “The KIDS Act puts guardrails in place to reign in recklessness of marketers and Big Tech – protecting children and giving parents some peace of mind.”