theverge--2020-06-04--What other social networks can learn from Snapchat’s rebuke of Trump

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On Sunday , Snap CEO Evan Spiegel sent employees an unusually personal note reflecting on the events of the past several weeks .
Many brands took the occasion of George Floyd ’ s murder at the hands of police , and the global protests that have followed , to signal their solidarity with the black community and their allies .
But few CEOs took the step , as Spiegel did , of reflecting on his own privilege — and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( He threw in a cogent analysis of the federal budget , too . )
Spiegel ’ s memo , which Snap later made public , also came as the big social companies were reckoning over what to do about President Donald Trump ’ s increasingly bellicose posts about voting by mail and peaceful protesters .
Twitter moved to add labels to one set of tweets and hid others behind a warning for “ glorifying violence ” ; Facebook agonized but ultimately decided to take no action , triggering a virtual walkout of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Wednesday , Snap entered that fray , announcing that it would stop promoting Trump ’ s account in its Discover section .
I wrote about it at The Verge : The company told me it made the decision over the weekend after being taken aback by several of Trump tweets , notably one promising that protesters would be “ greeted with the most vicious dogs and ominous weapons , I have ever seen.
” Spiegel didn ’ t comment on the decision , but his PR team pointed to this passage from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ core issues this newsletter has explored over the past couple years is the difference between , in the technologist Aza Raskin ’ s memorable phrase , freedom of speech and freedom of reach .
Questions about controversial posts often come down to a binary decision : take it down , or leave it up ?
In that system , everything really is a question of free speech .
You either have access to the platform or you don ’ t .
Freedom of reach poses a different set of questions for platform policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It asks in what ways a product can be exploited , wittingly or unwittingly , to recruit new followers for a person or an ideology — and whether the company feels comfortable with granting an account those privileges .
What Facebook group you ’ re encouraged to join is a freedom-of-reach question .
Which YouTube video gets recommended is a freedom-of-reach question .
Which Twitter account you ’ re told to follow is a freedom-of-reach question .
And who shows up in Snapchat Discover as a suggested follow is most definitely a freedom-of-reach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has long benefited from the fact that platforms have generally decided freedom-of-reach questions in his favor .
Sometimes this has been a manual decision , as when Twitter kept Trump on its suggested user list despite his promotion of the racist Obama birther conspiracy theory .
And sometimes it ’ s algorithmic , as when Facebook sorts a Trump post about vicious dogs into your feed because it predicts that you are likely to engage with it .
Snap ’ s decision to remove Trump from promotion comes just as the account was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month that Trump ’ s Snapchat following had tripled in eight months , to more than 1.5 million .
That ’ s not much compared to Trump ’ s 81 million Twitter followers , or his 29 million Facebook followers .
But the Trump campaign loves the platform for the way it lets them reach Generation Z.
Here ’ s Sarah Frier in Bloomberg : Snap isn ’ t deleting Trump ’ s account , and he is free to keep posting to existing followers .
But to the extent that his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will be without Snap ’ s help .
In Raskin ’ s terms , the company has preserved Trump ’ s speech while making him responsible for finding his own reach .
Freedom of reach is arguably the question this year for platforms reckoning with their potential culpability in the erosion of democratic norms and the promotion of state violence .
It ’ s what separates them from normal publishers , to which they are constantly comparing themselves .
In the aftermath of the Trump-Twitter story last week , I heard from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if the president ’ s tweets were so bad , newspapers and cable news outlets were still hosting and discussing them .
Certainly there are good questions about what the news media chooses to amplify .
What the president does will almost always be news , even when it ’ s ugly , and Trump has exploited that fact to great advantage .
At the same time , good publishers surround the president ’ s words with additional context , history , and rebuttals .
Social platforms , for better and for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s words .
Whether a user sees any of the relevant context or fact-checking is too often a matter of algorithmic chance .
I can ’ t see a good reason , in most cases , for a big social network to deny the president his right to speak .
( Given the likelihood of him simply going to post elsewhere , and bots immediately re-posting his thoughts to the networks where he has been banned under different account names , I doubt you even could . )
But I can see a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help him build his megaphone .
The Trump administration has argued in court that doctors should be able to deny patients life-saving medical care if it violates their conscience .
If Trump ’ s tweets shock the conscience of a tech employee , why shouldn ’ t they be able to refuse to help him get more followers ?
The president ’ s answer to that question is that to deny him a promote spot in Snapchat Discover is , um , illegal election tampering ( ? )
.
Here ’ s campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t know when Republicans decided that using corporate funding to intervene in politics was illegal ; we ’ ll see if that makes it into their 2020 platform .
In the meantime , Snap has neatly sidestepped questions of censorship by not censoring the president at all .
Instead the company has said that if you want to see the president ’ s snaps , you ’ ll have to go look for them on your own time .
On Snapchat , as everywhere else , Trump still has the right to speak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spiegel does , too .
We accidentally switched the cases for California with the number of tests the state has done in the Virus Tracker section yesterday .
This led some of you to believe there were upwards of 2 million COVID cases in the state .
In reality , there are a mere 116,394 .
Sorry for the mistake !
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms .
⬆Trending up : Instacart will expand its COVID-19 sick pay to include more gig workers .
The move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attorney general for Washington , DC .
( Russell Brandom / The Verge ) Trending sideways : Tech companies like Amazon and Google have been voicing support for the George Floyd protests online .
The publicly posted sentiments have drawn renewed scrutiny to the companies ’ close ties to law enforcement .
( Sidney Fussell / Wired ) ⬇Trending down : Amazon warehouse workers are suing the company for allegedly putting them at risk of contracting COVID-19 .
They say working conditions in the warehouses put them and their families in danger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ / Bloomberg ) Total cases in the US : More than 1,857,600 Total deaths in the US : At least 107,000 Total test results ( positive and negative ) in New York : 2,229,473 Total test results ( positive and negative ) in New Jersey : 837,420 Data from The New York Times .
Test data from The COVID Tracking Project .
⭐ The Drug Enforcement Administration has been granted extraordinary new power to “ conduct covert surveillance ” and collect intelligence on people participating in protests over the police killing of George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at BuzzFeed have the story : Former Facebook employees published an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg , calling his decision to leave President Trump ’ s aggressive posts on the site unaltered a “ betrayal ” of company ideals .
The letter builds on a wave of employee activism at the tech giant , where employees have staged virtual walkouts and even resigned in protest of the decision .
I say this a lot but worth repeating : no company in the history of the American tech industry has ever had more former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( Mike Isaac / The New York Times ) Here ’ s the entire transcript of Mark Zuckerberg ’ s meeting with Facebook employees where he addressed the decision .
The whole thing is fascinating to read .
( Shirin Ghaffary / Recode ) A new ad campaign from the nonprofit Accountable Tech is using Mark Zuckerberg ’ s own words to encourage Facebook employees to push their company to do a better job of keeping harmful content off its platforms .
( Ina Fried / Axios ) Google CEO Sundar Pichai @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silence on Wednesday to honor George Floyd .
“ I realize that nothing about this week feels like business as usual — and it shouldn ’ t , ” he said .
( Jennifer Elias / CNBC ) Zoom CEO Eric Yuan said he won ’ t give free users access to the new end-to-end encryption feature because he wants the company to comply with law enforcement .
“ ... We also want to work it together with FBI and local law enforcement , in case some people use Zoom for bad purposes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stamos ’ thread about the trade-offs involved here , which may not be obvious to you .
( Ivan Mehta / The Next Web ) Fake rumors that Antifa is organizing bus rides to take protesters into white neighborhoods and loot homes have gone viral on Facebook and Nextdoor .
Donald Trump Jr. helped promote the misinformation by posting about it on Instagram .
( Brandy Zadrozny and Ben Collins / NBC ) The White House spread an unproven conspiracy theory on social media blaming Antifa for placing pallets of bricks at protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no evidence for this theory .
( Rob Price and Sonam Sheth / Business Insider ) Facebook took down white nationalist accounts falsely claiming allegiance to Antifa in order to discredit the anti-fascist movement .
The company also suspended accounts associated with white nationalist groups after some advocated bringing weapons to the current wave of anti-racist protests .
( Joseph Menn / Reuters ) Some of the protest footage shared on Facebook Live was actually repurposed imagery from years before .
A Facebook page operated out of Pakistan shared one of the more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ views .
( Jeff Horwitz / The Wall Street Journal ) Conspiracy theorists are attacking telecom engineers in the UK over baseless fears that 5G causes the novel coronavirus .
Since March 30th , there have been more than 200 incidents of abuse against telecoms engineers and more than 90 arson attacks against mobile infrastructure .
( James Vincent / The Verge ) In Brazil , those who criticize the president are often met with a tsunami of digital smears .
Now investigators are charging that much of the disinformation might come from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own children .
( Terrence McCoy / The Washington Post ) A potential class-action lawsuit claims Google violated federal wiretap laws by collecting information about users browsing in private mode .
Google has faced other lawsuits over its data collection , but this one tries to use the Federal Wiretap Act .
( Daisuke Wakabayashi / The New York Times ) ⭐Facebook and PayPal invested in Gojek , a Southeast Asian ride-hailing startup that also offers food delivery and mobile payments .
Google and Tencent are among the startup ’ s other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at TechCrunch : Facebook is launching a new feature to let users delete old posts in bulk .
The company says it will offer filtering options to help find posts with specific people in them or in a certain time range .
I want Twitter to clone this immediately !
( Jon Porter / The Verge ) Twitter appointed former Google chief financial officer Patrick Pichette as the company ’ s new chairman of the board .
Pichette takes over the role after joining Twitter ’ s board of directors in 2017 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have flocked in record numbers to police scanner apps , in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd .
They ’ ve also rushed to download Signal , a secure messaging app , and Citizen , a community safety app that sends out alerts about police activity .
( Rani Molla / Recode ) There ’ s been a well of cancellation attempts on social media during quarantine .
Most use the # isoverparty hashtag .
Here ’ s how that happened ( Palmer Haasch / Insider ) An investor group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has financial and personal links to the dating app ’ s current owner , Kunlun .
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ordered Kunlun to divest Grindr in May 2019 .
This one just keeps getting weirder ; Reuters ’ reporting on the case has been fantastic .
( Echo Wang , Alexandra Alper and Chibuike Oguh / Reuters ) Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine .
Visit # 8CantWait .
It lists eight commonsense strategies for decreasing police violence , and lets you check to see how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and then share that information directly to Instagram .
( In San Francisco we ’ ve adopted all eight , incidentally .
Nice to see . )
Send us tips , comments , questions , and your favorite Snapchat Discover accounts : casey @ theverge.com and zoe @ theverge.com .

On Sunday, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel sent employees an unusually personal note reflecting on the events of the past several weeks. Many brands took the occasion of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of police, and the global protests that have followed, to signal their solidarity with the black community and their allies. But few CEOs took the step, as Spiegel did, of reflecting on his own privilege — and then calling for reparations for black folks. (He threw in a cogent analysis of the federal budget, too.)
Spiegel’s memo, which Snap later made public, also came as the big social companies were reckoning over what to do about President Donald Trump’s increasingly bellicose posts about voting by mail and peaceful protesters. Twitter moved to add labels to one set of tweets and hid others behind a warning for “glorifying violence”; Facebook agonized but ultimately decided to take no action, triggering a virtual walkout of hundreds of employees earlier this week.
On Wednesday, Snap entered that fray, announcing that it would stop promoting Trump’s account in its Discover section. I wrote about it at The Verge:
President Trump’s verified Snapchat account will no longer be promoted within the app after executives concluded that his tweets over the weekend promoted violence, the company said today. His account, RealDonaldTrump, will remain on the platform and continue to appear on search results. But he will no longer appear in the app’s Discover tab, which promotes news publishers, elected officials, celebrities, and influencers. “We are not currently promoting the president’s content on Snapchat’s Discover platform,” the company said in a statement. “We will not amplify voices who incite racial violence and injustice by giving them free promotion on Discover. Racial violence and injustice have no place in our society and we stand together with all who seek peace, love, equality, and justice in America.”
The company told me it made the decision over the weekend after being taken aback by several of Trump tweets, notably one promising that protesters would be “greeted with the most vicious dogs and ominous weapons, I have ever seen.”
Spiegel didn’t comment on the decision, but his PR team pointed to this passage from his Sunday memo:
“As for Snapchat, we simply cannot promote accounts in America that are linked to people who incite racial violence, whether they do so on or off our platform. Our Discover content platform is a curated platform, where we decide what we promote. We have spoken time and again about working hard to make a positive impact, and we will walk the talk with the content we promote on Snapchat.”
One of the core issues this newsletter has explored over the past couple years is the difference between, in the technologist Aza Raskin’s memorable phrase, freedom of speech and freedom of reach. Questions about controversial posts often come down to a binary decision: take it down, or leave it up? In that system, everything really is a question of free speech. You either have access to the platform or you don’t.
Freedom of reach poses a different set of questions for platform policy teams and executives to think through. It asks in what ways a product can be exploited, wittingly or unwittingly, to recruit new followers for a person or an ideology — and whether the company feels comfortable with granting an account those privileges.
To be clear, Trump has long benefited from the fact that platforms have generally decided freedom-of-reach questions in his favor. Sometimes this has been a manual decision, as when Twitter kept Trump on its suggested user list despite his promotion of the racist Obama birther conspiracy theory. And sometimes it’s algorithmic, as when Facebook sorts a Trump post about vicious dogs into your feed because it predicts that you are likely to engage with it.
Snap’s decision to remove Trump from promotion comes just as the account was beginning to blow up. Bloomberg reported last month that Trump’s Snapchat following had tripled in eight months, to more than 1.5 million. That’s not much compared to Trump’s 81 million Twitter followers, or his 29 million Facebook followers. But the Trump campaign loves the platform for the way it lets them reach Generation Z. Here’s Sarah Frier in Bloomberg:
Snapchat befuddles older generations, so it’s not as effective for amassing political donations. The biggest benefit, according to the Trump campaign, is the chance to reach the app’s general audience. On Twitter and Facebook, the campaign depends on users sharing political messages to reach more people. On Snapchat, if they post popular content frequently enough, it will appear on the Discover page where many of the app’s 229 million daily users go to watch videos and other content.
Snap isn’t deleting Trump’s account, and he is free to keep posting to existing followers. But to the extent that his Snapchat account grows in the future, it will be without Snap’s help. In Raskin’s terms, the company has preserved Trump’s speech while making him responsible for finding his own reach.
Freedom of reach is arguably the question this year for platforms reckoning with their potential culpability in the erosion of democratic norms and the promotion of state violence. It’s what separates them from normal publishers, to which they are constantly comparing themselves. In the aftermath of the Trump-Twitter story last week, I heard from a lot of tech workers asking why, if the president’s tweets were so bad, newspapers and cable news outlets were still hosting and discussing them.
Certainly there are good questions about what the news media chooses to amplify. What the president does will almost always be news, even when it’s ugly, and Trump has exploited that fact to great advantage. At the same time, good publishers surround the president’s words with additional context, history, and rebuttals. Social platforms, for better and for worse, offer only the president’s words. Whether a user sees any of the relevant context or fact-checking is too often a matter of algorithmic chance.
I can’t see a good reason, in most cases, for a big social network to deny the president his right to speak. (Given the likelihood of him simply going to post elsewhere, and bots immediately re-posting his thoughts to the networks where he has been banned under different account names, I doubt you even could.) But I can see a reason for product teams to decline to help him build his megaphone. The Trump administration has argued in court that doctors should be able to deny patients life-saving medical care if it violates their conscience. If Trump’s tweets shock the conscience of a tech employee, why shouldn’t they be able to refuse to help him get more followers?
The president’s answer to that question is that to deny him a promote spot in Snapchat Discover is, um, illegal election tampering (?). Here’s campaign manager Brad Parscale:
Snapchat is trying to rig the 2020 election, illegally using their corporate funding to promote Joe Biden and suppress President Trump. Radical Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel would rather promote extreme left riot videos and encourage their users to destroy America than share the positive words of unity, justice, and law and order from our President.
I don’t know when Republicans decided that using corporate funding to intervene in politics was illegal; we’ll see if that makes it into their 2020 platform. In the meantime, Snap has neatly sidestepped questions of censorship by not censoring the president at all. Instead the company has said that if you want to see the president’s snaps, you’ll have to go look for them on your own time.
On Snapchat, as everywhere else, Trump still has the right to speak. Today we were reminded that Evan Spiegel does, too.
Pushback
We accidentally switched the cases for California with the number of tests the state has done in the Virus Tracker section yesterday. This led some of you to believe there were upwards of 2 million COVID cases in the state. In reality, there are a mere 116,394. Sorry for the mistake!
The Ratio
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.
⬆Trending up: Instacart will expand its COVID-19 sick pay to include more gig workers. The move comes as part of an agreement with the attorney general for Washington, DC. (Russell Brandom / The Verge)
🔃 Trending sideways: Tech companies like Amazon and Google have been voicing support for the George Floyd protests online. The publicly posted sentiments have drawn renewed scrutiny to the companies’ close ties to law enforcement. (Sidney Fussell / Wired)
⬇Trending down: Amazon warehouse workers are suing the company for allegedly putting them at risk of contracting COVID-19. They say working conditions in the warehouses put them and their families in danger. (Josh Eidelson and Spencer Soper / Bloomberg)
Virus tracker
Total cases in the US: More than 1,857,600
Total deaths in the US: At least 107,000
Reported cases in California: 118,905
Total test results (positive and negative) in California: 2,131,294
Reported cases in New York: 378,924
Total test results (positive and negative) in New York: 2,229,473
Reported cases in New Jersey: 162,068
Total test results (positive and negative) in New Jersey: 837,420
Reported cases in Illinois: 124,060
Total test results (positive and negative) in Illinois: 959,175
Governing
⭐ The Drug Enforcement Administration has been granted extraordinary new power to “conduct covert surveillance” and collect intelligence on people participating in protests over the police killing of George Floyd. Jason Leopold and Anthony Cormier at BuzzFeed have the story:
The DEA is limited by statute to enforcing drug-related federal crimes. But on Sunday, Timothy Shea, a former US attorney and close confidant of Barr’s who was named acting administrator of the DEA last month, received approval from Associate Deputy Attorney General Bradley Weinsheimer to go beyond the agency’s mandate “to perform other law enforcement duties” that Barr may “deem appropriate.” Citing the protests, Shea laid out an argument for why the agency should be granted extraordinary latitude. “In order for DEA to assist to the maximum extent possible in the federal law enforcement response to protests which devolve into violations of federal law, DEA requests that it be designated to enforce any federal crime committed as a result of protests over the death of George Floyd,” Shea wrote in the memo. “DEA requests this authority on a nationwide basis for a period of fourteen days.”
Former Facebook employees published an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg, calling his decision to leave President Trump’s aggressive posts on the site unaltered a “betrayal” of company ideals. The letter builds on a wave of employee activism at the tech giant, where employees have staged virtual walkouts and even resigned in protest of the decision. I say this a lot but worth repeating: no company in the history of the American tech industry has ever had more former employees speak out against it after leaving. (Mike Isaac / The New York Times)
Here’s the entire transcript of Mark Zuckerberg’s meeting with Facebook employees where he addressed the decision. The whole thing is fascinating to read. (Shirin Ghaffary / Recode)
Google CEO Sundar Pichai encouraged employees to take a moment of silence on Wednesday to honor George Floyd. “I realize that nothing about this week feels like business as usual — and it shouldn’t,” he said. (Jennifer Elias / CNBC)
Fake rumors that Antifa is organizing bus rides to take protesters into white neighborhoods and loot homes have gone viral on Facebook and Nextdoor. Donald Trump Jr. helped promote the misinformation by posting about it on Instagram. (Brandy Zadrozny and Ben Collins / NBC)
The White House spread an unproven conspiracy theory on social media blaming Antifa for placing pallets of bricks at protests to incite violence. There’s no evidence for this theory. (Rob Price and Sonam Sheth / Business Insider)
Facebook took down white nationalist accounts falsely claiming allegiance to Antifa in order to discredit the anti-fascist movement. The company also suspended accounts associated with white nationalist groups after some advocated bringing weapons to the current wave of anti-racist protests. (Joseph Menn / Reuters)
Some of the protest footage shared on Facebook Live was actually repurposed imagery from years before. A Facebook page operated out of Pakistan shared one of the more popular videos, which got 1.6 million views. (Jeff Horwitz / The Wall Street Journal)
Conspiracy theorists are attacking telecom engineers in the UK over baseless fears that 5G causes the novel coronavirus. Since March 30th, there have been more than 200 incidents of abuse against telecoms engineers and more than 90 arson attacks against mobile infrastructure. (James Vincent / The Verge)
In Brazil, those who criticize the president are often met with a tsunami of digital smears. Now investigators are charging that much of the disinformation might come from those closest to the president — even his own children. (Terrence McCoy / The Washington Post)
A potential class-action lawsuit claims Google violated federal wiretap laws by collecting information about users browsing in private mode. Google has faced other lawsuits over its data collection, but this one tries to use the Federal Wiretap Act. (Daisuke Wakabayashi / The New York Times)
Industry
⭐Facebook and PayPal invested in Gojek, a Southeast Asian ride-hailing startup that also offers food delivery and mobile payments. Google and Tencent are among the startup’s other investors. Here’s Manish Singh at TechCrunch:
For Facebook, which in April invested in India’s top telecom operator Reliance Jio Platforms, backing Gojek unlocks a similar opportunity: helping millions of small businesses — while finding a business model for WhatsApp, an advertisement-free instant messaging service it owns that is used by more than 2 billion users. Matt Idema, chief operating officer at WhatsApp, said the company will work with “indispensable” Gojek to “bring millions of small businesses and the customers they serve into the largest digital economy in Southeast Asia.”
Facebook is launching a new feature to let users delete old posts in bulk. The company says it will offer filtering options to help find posts with specific people in them or in a certain time range. I want Twitter to clone this immediately! (Jon Porter / The Verge)
Twitter appointed former Google chief financial officer Patrick Pichette as the company’s new chairman of the board. Pichette takes over the role after joining Twitter’s board of directors in 2017. (Salvador Rodriguez / CNBC)
People have flocked in record numbers to police scanner apps, in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. They’ve also rushed to download Signal, a secure messaging app, and Citizen, a community safety app that sends out alerts about police activity. (Rani Molla / Recode)
There’s been a well of cancellation attempts on social media during quarantine. Most use the #isoverparty hashtag. Here’s how that happened (Palmer Haasch / Insider)
An investor group that got US approval to buy Grindr has financial and personal links to the dating app’s current owner, Kunlun. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ordered Kunlun to divest Grindr in May 2019. This one just keeps getting weirder; Reuters’ reporting on the case has been fantastic. (Echo Wang, Alexandra Alper and Chibuike Oguh / Reuters)
Things to do
Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine.
Visit #8CantWait. It lists eight commonsense strategies for decreasing police violence, and lets you check to see how many have been implemented in your city — and then share that information directly to Instagram. (In San Francisco we’ve adopted all eight, incidentally. Nice to see.)
And finally...
Talk to us


theverge--2020-06-04--Twitch removes TwitchCop emote ‘to prevent misuse’

Live-streaming platform Twitch has removed an emote from its platform called “ TwitchCop.
” The emote shows a cartoon character in a nondescript police uniform blowing a whistle .
A spokesperson for Twitch confirmed to The Verge that they ’ d removed the emote “ to prevent misuse ” but did not offer more detail .
It can be assumed the removal is related to ongoing protests against police brutality and racism sparked by the killing of George Floyd by law enforcement .
As protests have spread across the US , social media has been flooded with videos of unprovoked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peaceful protestors with pepper spray , truncheons , and rubber bullets .
Although judging by comments on social media it doesn ’ t seem like the emote was well-known , it ’ s possible users could have used it to troll or harass black streamers .
Emotes on Twitch are small images used by viewers to react to livestreams .
Some , like “ TwitchCop , ” are global emotes , created by Twitch itself and available across all streams .
Others are created by Twitch Partners and Affiliates ( aka popular streamers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ channels .
Emotes are incredibly varied , and can have different meanings depending on the context in which they ’ re used .
The “ TwitchCop ” emote seems to have been added to the platform ’ s global emotes after a vote in 2017 .
The official listing for the emote has been taken down but is still viewable via a cached URL .
It ’ s not clear if it will be restored to the platform in the future .
A spokesperson for Twitch told The Verge : “ We made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TwitchCop emote to prevent misuse .
We are constantly evaluating our policies to ensure we are addressing emerging behaviors and language on our platform .
”

Live-streaming platform Twitch has removed an emote from its platform called “TwitchCop.” The emote shows a cartoon character in a nondescript police uniform blowing a whistle. A spokesperson for Twitch confirmed to The Verge that they’d removed the emote “to prevent misuse” but did not offer more detail.
It can be assumed the removal is related to ongoing protests against police brutality and racism sparked by the killing of George Floyd by law enforcement. As protests have spread across the US, social media has been flooded with videos of unprovoked police brutality, as officers respond to peaceful protestors with pepper spray, truncheons, and rubber bullets.
Although judging by comments on social media it doesn’t seem like the emote was well-known, it’s possible users could have used it to troll or harass black streamers.
The “TwitchCop” emote. Image: Twitch
Emotes on Twitch are small images used by viewers to react to livestreams. Some, like “TwitchCop,” are global emotes, created by Twitch itself and available across all streams. Others are created by Twitch Partners and Affiliates (aka popular streamers) and available solely in their own channels. Emotes are incredibly varied, and can have different meanings depending on the context in which they’re used.
The “TwitchCop” emote seems to have been added to the platform’s global emotes after a vote in 2017. The official listing for the emote has been taken down but is still viewable via a cached URL. It’s not clear if it will be restored to the platform in the future.


theverge--2020-06-04--Google now highlights search results directly on webpages

Google is trying to make it easier to find the information you ’ re looking for on external websites by highlighting relevant sections in yellow , SearchEngineLand reports .
The functionality works with Google ’ s Featured Snippets — the standalone boxes that appear at the top of search results that attempt to give you answers without having to visit a website beyond Google .
Clicking the snippet still takes you to the webpage that it pulled the information from , but now the text from the snippet will be highlighted in yellow , and the browser will automatically scroll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can see how it looks in practice in the screenshots below .
According to Google ’ s Danny Sullivan , the company has been working on the functionality for a while .
It rolled it out for AMP pages in 2018 , and started testing the functionality on HTML pages last year .
As of last week however , Google is now regularly using the feature on HTML pages .
The rollout was confirmed via a tweet from Google ’ s official Search account .
Although SearchEngineLand reports that the feature is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ browsers , in our experience we found that the feature doesn ’ t always work .
We were able to get it working in Chrome on desktop and Safari on mobile , but clicking on the same snippets in Edge or Safari on desktop didn ’ t show the yellow text .
A Google support page notes that the functionality may be limited based on what individual browsers support .
For the most part , this seems like a common sense way to get users to the content they ’ ve searched for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highlighting might clash with the design of the site .
However , SearchEngineLand notes that this could have an impact on the ad market , since a website ’ s visitors may be automatically scrolled down past its ads to the relevant content .
The publication notes that sites may need to change the location of their ads in light of Google ’ s latest feature .

Google is trying to make it easier to find the information you’re looking for on external websites by highlighting relevant sections in yellow, SearchEngineLand reports. The functionality works with Google’s Featured Snippets — the standalone boxes that appear at the top of search results that attempt to give you answers without having to visit a website beyond Google.
Clicking the snippet still takes you to the webpage that it pulled the information from, but now the text from the snippet will be highlighted in yellow, and the browser will automatically scroll down to the section in question. You can see how it looks in practice in the screenshots below.
The functionality works on Google’s Featured Snippets, shown here at the top of the search results. Screenshot: Google Clicking on the snippet takes you to the same webpage as before, but the relevant text is highlighted in yellow, and the page may scroll down automatically to bring it into view. Screenshot: The Verge
According to Google’s Danny Sullivan, the company has been working on the functionality for a while. It rolled it out for AMP pages in 2018, and started testing the functionality on HTML pages last year. As of last week however, Google is now regularly using the feature on HTML pages. The rollout was confirmed via a tweet from Google’s official Search account.
Although SearchEngineLand reports that the feature is now live on most featured snippets and browsers, in our experience we found that the feature doesn’t always work. We were able to get it working in Chrome on desktop and Safari on mobile, but clicking on the same snippets in Edge or Safari on desktop didn’t show the yellow text. A Google support page notes that the functionality may be limited based on what individual browsers support.


theverge--2020-06-04--Signal announces new face-blurring tool for Android and iOS

Encrypted messaging app Signal has announced a new face-blurring tool that will be incorporated into the latest Android and iOS versions of the software .
Users sharing pictures through the app will be able to quickly blur faces , adding another layer of privacy to pictures , though not necessarily hiding the subject ’ s identity completely .
In a blog post announcing the update , Signal co-founder Moxie Marlinspike linked the update to the worldwide protests against racism and police violence sparked by the killing of George Floyd by law enforcement .
These protests have led to record downloads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make messages harder to intercept .
“ We ’ ve also been working to figure out additional ways we can support everyone in the street right now , ” writes Marlinspike .
“ One immediate thing seems clear : 2020 is a pretty good year to cover your face.
” When you take a picture through Signal and select the Blur option in the toolbar , the app will automatically detect any faces it spots in your image .
If it misses any , users can simply blur out faces by hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to hide .
All processing is done on-device , meaning uncensored images never leave the user ’ s phone .
Although blurring faces in photographs certainly makes pictures more private , it ’ s by no means a foolproof way of anonymizing images and hiding someone ’ s identity .
Some blurring and pixellation methods can be reversed with the right tools , for example .
And anyone seeking to identify someone in a picture can work from other information , such as clothing and tattoos , which can be compared with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attendees at a protest , for example , hide the identity of fellow protestors , that doesn ’ t mean other groups and individuals will do the same .
Surveillance cameras , police body cameras , and press photographers are all capturing images .
Ultimately , the best way to obscure your identity is to take matters into your own hands and wear a mask .

Encrypted messaging app Signal has announced a new face-blurring tool that will be incorporated into the latest Android and iOS versions of the software.
Users sharing pictures through the app will be able to quickly blur faces, adding another layer of privacy to pictures, though not necessarily hiding the subject’s identity completely.
In a blog post announcing the update, Signal co-founder Moxie Marlinspike linked the update to the worldwide protests against racism and police violence sparked by the killing of George Floyd by law enforcement. These protests have led to record downloads for Signal, which uses end-to-end encryption to make messages harder to intercept.
“We’ve also been working to figure out additional ways we can support everyone in the street right now,” writes Marlinspike. “One immediate thing seems clear: 2020 is a pretty good year to cover your face.”
The blur tool will appear in Signal’s image editor. Screenshot: Signal
When you take a picture through Signal and select the Blur option in the toolbar, the app will automatically detect any faces it spots in your image. If it misses any, users can simply blur out faces by hand, or blur any other features they want to hide. All processing is done on-device, meaning uncensored images never leave the user’s phone.
Although blurring faces in photographs certainly makes pictures more private, it’s by no means a foolproof way of anonymizing images and hiding someone’s identity. Some blurring and pixellation methods can be reversed with the right tools, for example. And anyone seeking to identify someone in a picture can work from other information, such as clothing and tattoos, which can be compared with other, un-blurred images.


theverge--2020-06-04--Namco ports Pac-Man CE for the Xbox 360 to the NES for the Switch

Namco has a new range of Famicom ( NES ) games coming out for the Nintendo Switch this month , and it includes an unexpected bonus : a NES demake of Pac-Man Championship Edition , the incredibly good reimagining of Pac-Man released for the Xbox 360 in 2007 .
Pac-Man CE transformed Pac-Man from a plodding stage-based game into a fast-paced time attack where every round lasts five minutes and you ’ re racing to get the highest score possible .
It was designed for widescreen TVs and featured pulsating neon HD graphics , but it would have been perfectly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was entirely in smart game design .
An NES version , then , should work out pretty well .
“ What we wanted to do was to make an HD game based on the core fundamentals of what Pac-Man is and why it succeeds , ” director Tadashi Iguchi told Gamasutra in 2008 .
“ After looking at that , we realized that really , the only things we should be changing are the game tempo and the map design.
” As such , Pac-Man CE ramps up in speed far more quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guiding you through the shifting map layouts as the iconic ghosts lay chase .
It ’ s a masterwork of simplicity , and even its own sequels never quite recaptured the magic .
Namcot Collection will be released in packaged form with the full range of titles , but it ’ ll also be available through a free portal app on the Switch eShop , with each game individually purchasable as DLC .
Buy ten or more of them and you ’ ll be able to download Pac-Mac CE for free , Game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear how much each title will cost , but the packaged version is priced at 2,640 yen ( about $ 25 ) .
Here ’ s the list of games available : Namcot Collection will be released on June 18th in Japan .
It features standard retro collection features like save states and various screen display settings .
No Western release has been announced , but the Switch is region-free and the collection supports English , so it shouldn ’ t be too hard to play one way or another .

Namco has a new range of Famicom (NES) games coming out for the Nintendo Switch this month, and it includes an unexpected bonus: a NES demake of Pac-Man Championship Edition, the incredibly good reimagining of Pac-Man released for the Xbox 360 in 2007.
Pac-Man CE transformed Pac-Man from a plodding stage-based game into a fast-paced time attack where every round lasts five minutes and you’re racing to get the highest score possible. It was designed for widescreen TVs and featured pulsating neon HD graphics, but it would have been perfectly playable on older hardware — its advancement was entirely in smart game design. An NES version, then, should work out pretty well.
“What we wanted to do was to make an HD game based on the core fundamentals of what Pac-Man is and why it succeeds,” director Tadashi Iguchi told Gamasutra in 2008. “After looking at that, we realized that really, the only things we should be changing are the game tempo and the map design.”
As such, Pac-Man CE ramps up in speed far more quickly than the original, with pellet patterns guiding you through the shifting map layouts as the iconic ghosts lay chase. It’s a masterwork of simplicity, and even its own sequels never quite recaptured the magic.
Namcot Collection will be released in packaged form with the full range of titles, but it’ll also be available through a free portal app on the Switch eShop, with each game individually purchasable as DLC. Buy ten or more of them and you’ll be able to download Pac-Mac CE for free, Game Watch reports. It’s not clear how much each title will cost, but the packaged version is priced at 2,640 yen (about $25).
Here’s the list of games available:
Pac-Man
Galaga
The Tower of Druaga
Battle City
Star Luster
Family Jockey
Yokai Dochuki
Wagan Land
Dragon Spirit: The New Legend
Mendel Palace
Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti


theverge--2020-06-04--LinkedIn employees use forum about diversity to defend racism

On Wednesday , LinkedIn hosted a town hall about racial justice in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd .
The forum was supposed to be an opportunity for employees to come together and discuss how they could support one another .
Instead , the conversation turned suddenly hostile , as people used the video chat ’ s anonymous commenting feature to defend racist sentiments and question the efficacy of the protests .
The comments were first reported by The Daily Beast ; The Verge has independently confirmed them .
“ Blacks kill blacks at 50 times the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote one employee .
“ Usually it is the result of gang violence in the inner city .
Where is the outcry ?
” Another employee said , “ As a non-minority , all this talk makes me feel like I am supposed to feel guilty of my skin color .
I feel like I should let someone less qualified fill my position .
Is that ok ?
It appears that I am a prisoner of my birth .
This is not what Martin Luther King Jr would have wanted for anyone.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform BlueJeans , was called “ Standing together.
” It was meant to give LinkedIn ’ s global workforce the chance to discuss inclusion and allyship .
Rosanna Durruthy , the company ’ s vice president of diversity , spoke with a panel of employees about their experiences with prejudice and discussed how their coworkers could be better allies .
This part of the forum went as planned — employees told The Verge they were moved by the panelists ’ vulnerability and learned from the stories they ’ d shared .
The chat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a different story .
There , employees submitted comments and questions , some of which were openly racist .
An employee from Fiji said , “ It is not solely a ‘ white ’ problem to solve .
‘ Blacks ’ have a responsibility to help the whites be able to help them.
” He went on , “ More blacks are killed by black males than by white cops .
Why is this ?
I am very familiar with the disadvantages of modern society that Black people have just because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the USA , it is a travesty .
But the travesty can not be used as an excuse to continue to be a victim .
The Black community still has a way to go to find peace within itself , none of this gang or territorial nonsense , fix the reputation that a few bad apples cause to the group as a whole.
” One employee who saw the note was stunned .
“ Everybody has had nonstop access to literature from the black community to better understand what they ’ ve gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So to me his comments were not just ignorant , but an effort to not even try to understand .
You are choosing to live under your rock.
” Some of the comments also seemed to undermine the actual conversation many employees were trying to have — one centered on the epidemic of police violence against black people .
“ I believe giving any racial group privileges over others is a zero sum game .
Any thoughts on hurting others while giving privileges with the rose name called diversity ?
” one employee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surprise that there are racist people at a company that ’ s 48 percent white , ” a current employee told The Verge .
“ But the point that was most troubling for me was that this was an event in response to the protests , co-sponsored by our black employee resource group .
So for them to insert those comments here was so insensitive.
” The situation at LinkedIn comes at a time when tech companies across Silicon Valley are grappling with what it means to truly foster inclusive environments .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support the Black Lives Matter movement , critics have pointed out that their tools are often used by law enforcement .
On Thursday , CEO Ryan Roslansky sent out a note to staff addressing the “ pain and frustration they felt at appalling comments shared in the Q & A.
” He then shared the note publicly on LinkedIn .
Roslansky acknowledged that allowing employees to share comments anonymously had been a mistake , and said the company would not allow this to happen again .
He added , “ we are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform where racism or hateful speech is allowed.
” The same day , a white employee followed up with the employee from Fiji — the one who ’ d spoken about this not being just a “ white ” problem — to discuss why the words had been harmful .
He didn ’ t want the burden to fall on his black coworkers , and said the two had a productive conversation .
He knew the comments had been difficult for many of his colleagues to read , but he still thought the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a really challenging and sometimes uncomfortable meeting .
But I think it was necessary , ” he said .
“ The only way we could have improved it was to have control over the comments .
”

On Wednesday, LinkedIn hosted a town hall about racial justice in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. The forum was supposed to be an opportunity for employees to come together and discuss how they could support one another. Instead, the conversation turned suddenly hostile, as people used the video chat’s anonymous commenting feature to defend racist sentiments and question the efficacy of the protests. The comments were first reported by The Daily Beast; The Verge has independently confirmed them.
“Blacks kill blacks at 50 times the rate that whites kill blacks,” wrote one employee. “Usually it is the result of gang violence in the inner city. Where is the outcry?” Another employee said, “As a non-minority, all this talk makes me feel like I am supposed to feel guilty of my skin color. I feel like I should let someone less qualified fill my position. Is that ok? It appears that I am a prisoner of my birth. This is not what Martin Luther King Jr would have wanted for anyone.”
The meeting, hosted on the videoconferencing platform BlueJeans, was called “Standing together.” It was meant to give LinkedIn’s global workforce the chance to discuss inclusion and allyship. Rosanna Durruthy, the company’s vice president of diversity, spoke with a panel of employees about their experiences with prejudice and discussed how their coworkers could be better allies.
This part of the forum went as planned — employees told The Verge they were moved by the panelists’ vulnerability and learned from the stories they’d shared. The chat function on BlueJeans, however, told a different story. There, employees submitted comments and questions, some of which were openly racist.
An employee from Fiji said, “It is not solely a ‘white’ problem to solve. ‘Blacks’ have a responsibility to help the whites be able to help them.” He went on, “More blacks are killed by black males than by white cops. Why is this? I am very familiar with the disadvantages of modern society that Black people have just because of the color of their skin, especially in the USA, it is a travesty. But the travesty can not be used as an excuse to continue to be a victim. The Black community still has a way to go to find peace within itself, none of this gang or territorial nonsense, fix the reputation that a few bad apples cause to the group as a whole.”
One employee who saw the note was stunned. “Everybody has had nonstop access to literature from the black community to better understand what they’ve gone through,” she said. “So to me his comments were not just ignorant, but an effort to not even try to understand. You are choosing to live under your rock.”
Some of the comments also seemed to undermine the actual conversation many employees were trying to have — one centered on the epidemic of police violence against black people. “I believe giving any racial group privileges over others is a zero sum game. Any thoughts on hurting others while giving privileges with the rose name called diversity?” one employee asked.
“It’s no surprise that there are racist people at a company that’s 48 percent white,” a current employee told The Verge. “But the point that was most troubling for me was that this was an event in response to the protests, co-sponsored by our black employee resource group. So for them to insert those comments here was so insensitive.”
The situation at LinkedIn, which is owned by Microsoft, comes at a time when tech companies across Silicon Valley are grappling with what it means to truly foster inclusive environments. While the CEOs of Amazon and Google publicly support the Black Lives Matter movement, critics have pointed out that their tools are often used by law enforcement.
On Thursday, CEO Ryan Roslansky sent out a note to staff addressing the “pain and frustration they felt at appalling comments shared in the Q&A.” He then shared the note publicly on LinkedIn. Roslansky acknowledged that allowing employees to share comments anonymously had been a mistake, and said the company would not allow this to happen again. He added, “we are not and will not be a company or platform where racism or hateful speech is allowed.”
The same day, a white employee followed up with the employee from Fiji — the one who’d spoken about this not being just a “white” problem — to discuss why the words had been harmful. He didn’t want the burden to fall on his black coworkers, and said the two had a productive conversation. He knew the comments had been difficult for many of his colleagues to read, but he still thought the forum had been worthwhile.


theverge--2020-06-04--Donald Trump weakens environmental regulations with new executive order

President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday allowing major infrastructure projects and energy projects to move forward without rigorous environmental review .
Agencies would be able to waive provisions put in place by cornerstone environmental laws like the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act ( NEPA ) .
That would apply to projects like new mines , pipelines , and highways , reports The Washington Post .
The move is aimed at spurring recovery from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic .
An economic emergency , Trump claimed , gives the president authority to essentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take all reasonable measures to speed infrastructure investments and to speed other actions in addition to such investments that will strengthen the economy and return Americans to work , ” the executive order says .
The move is aimed at spurring economic recovery But disregarding environmental law could come with grave consequences , former members of the EPA warn .
Failing to assess the potential environmental damage a project might inflict can also harm health .
Take pollution that might come from building a highway near neighborhoods and the vehicle traffic that follows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chronic health problems that can make people more vulnerable to COVID-19 , and pollution often disproportionately poisons black neighborhoods and other communities of color .
Black Americans are exposed to 1.54 times more fine particle pollution , which can come from construction sites and tailpipes , than the rest of the population , the EPA found in a 2018 study .
The new executive order arrives as protests continue against systemic racism and the police killing of George Floyd , who told officers “ I can ’ t breathe ” as a Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ When we say we can ’ t breathe , we are not only talking about the knees on our necks and chokeholds from police , but also the squeezing of life from our lungs brought on by the pollution that the Trump Administration continues to pump into our bodies by the rolling back of the vary laws that are meant to give us justice and access , ” Mustafa Santiago Ali , the former associate administrator of the EPA ’ s Office of Environmental Justice , said in an emailed statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually has the legal authority It ’ s unclear whether Trump actually has the legal authority to enforce his latest executive order , according to Joel Mintz , Professor Emeritus of Law at Nova Southeastern University and a former attorney for the EPA .
“ This is also very bad public policy .
Pipelines and other infrastructure can do great environmental harm .
Their impact should be carefully examined , as NEPA requires , before they are allowed to go forward , ” Mintz said in a statement emailed to The Verge .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Environmental Policy Act .
In January , he proposed changes that would speed up the approval process for constructing new pipelines and infrastructure .
NEPA gives the public an opportunity to comment before projects are allowed to break ground , and has been invoked to oppose the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines .

President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday allowing major infrastructure projects and energy projects to move forward without rigorous environmental review. Agencies would be able to waive provisions put in place by cornerstone environmental laws like the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). That would apply to projects like new mines, pipelines, and highways, reports The Washington Post.
The move is aimed at spurring recovery from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. An economic emergency, Trump claimed, gives the president authority to essentially suspend environmental laws. “Agencies should take all reasonable measures to speed infrastructure investments and to speed other actions in addition to such investments that will strengthen the economy and return Americans to work,” the executive order says.
The move is aimed at spurring economic recovery
But disregarding environmental law could come with grave consequences, former members of the EPA warn. Failing to assess the potential environmental damage a project might inflict can also harm health. Take pollution that might come from building a highway near neighborhoods and the vehicle traffic that follows, for example. That leads to chronic health problems that can make people more vulnerable to COVID-19, and pollution often disproportionately poisons black neighborhoods and other communities of color. Black Americans are exposed to 1.54 times more fine particle pollution, which can come from construction sites and tailpipes, than the rest of the population, the EPA found in a 2018 study.
The new executive order arrives as protests continue against systemic racism and the police killing of George Floyd, who told officers “I can’t breathe” as a Minneapolis officer pinned him down by the neck. “When we say we can’t breathe, we are not only talking about the knees on our necks and chokeholds from police, but also the squeezing of life from our lungs brought on by the pollution that the Trump Administration continues to pump into our bodies by the rolling back of the vary laws that are meant to give us justice and access,” Mustafa Santiago Ali , the former associate administrator of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice, said in an emailed statement.
It’s unclear whether Trump actually has the legal authority
It’s unclear whether Trump actually has the legal authority to enforce his latest executive order, according to Joel Mintz, Professor Emeritus of Law at Nova Southeastern University and a former attorney for the EPA. “This is also very bad public policy. Pipelines and other infrastructure can do great environmental harm. Their impact should be carefully examined, as NEPA requires, before they are allowed to go forward,” Mintz said in a statement emailed to The Verge.


theverge--2020-06-04--Senators criticize AT&T for not counting HBO Max toward data caps

Senators Ed Markey ( D-MA ) , Ron Wyden ( D-OR ) , and Richard Blumenthal ( D-CO ) have written a letter to AT & T CEO Randall Stephenson criticizing the company ’ s decision to exempt HBO Max streaming data from counting toward AT & T mobile customers ’ data caps .
The practice is known as zero-rating , and it ’ s been a contentious issue in the telecom industry for years .
The letter follows AT & T ’ s recent confirmation to The Verge that HBO Max data wouldn ’ t count toward AT & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AT & T is able to do this thanks to the Federal Communication Commission ’ s rollback of net neutrality protections that prohibited companies from , among other things , giving their own data streams preferential treatment .
The loss of those protections back in 2018 opened the gate for zero-rating .
The FCC ’ s rollback of net neutrality protections gave companies like AT & T the green light While it may sound like a benefit , the concern with zero-rating is that it harms competition .
It means even though HBO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & T subsidiary WarnerMedia , won ’ t use up data on AT & T mobile customers ’ data plans , other streaming services like Disney Plus and Netflix will .
In theory , that could incentivize customers to watch HBO Max content instead of content from other service providers — an option AT & T makes even more tempting thanks to bundling free access to HBO Max with some wireless , internet , and TV plans .
“ This practice of allowing one arm of your company to ‘ pay ’ another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempts to mask its true impact , ” said the senators in the letter .
“ The Trump FCC may have gutted critical net neutrality protections , but AT & T nonetheless has a responsibility to avoid any policies or practices that harm consumers and stifle competition.
” HBO Max is taking advantage of AT & T ’ s “ sponsored data ” program , an AT & T executive told The Verge .
That program lets users stream content from partners who then pay AT & T for the streamed data instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s data cap .
But HBO Max is ultimately paying AT & T Mobility for the data used , meaning AT & T is essentially paying itself for the exemption and giving its customers a free perk that could give HBO Max an edge over the competition .
The senators have asked Stephenson to respond to the letter and explain why AT & T is doing this by June 25th .
You can read the letter in full below :

Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CO) have written a letter to AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson criticizing the company’s decision to exempt HBO Max streaming data from counting toward AT&T mobile customers’ data caps. The practice is known as zero-rating, and it’s been a contentious issue in the telecom industry for years. The letter follows AT&T’s recent confirmation to The Verge that HBO Max data wouldn’t count toward AT&T’s mobile data caps.
AT&T is able to do this thanks to the Federal Communication Commission’s rollback of net neutrality protections that prohibited companies from, among other things, giving their own data streams preferential treatment. The loss of those protections back in 2018 opened the gate for zero-rating.
The FCC’s rollback of net neutrality protections gave companies like AT&T the green light
While it may sound like a benefit, the concern with zero-rating is that it harms competition. It means even though HBO Max, which is operated by AT&T subsidiary WarnerMedia, won’t use up data on AT&T mobile customers’ data plans, other streaming services like Disney Plus and Netflix will. In theory, that could incentivize customers to watch HBO Max content instead of content from other service providers — an option AT&T makes even more tempting thanks to bundling free access to HBO Max with some wireless, internet, and TV plans.
“This practice of allowing one arm of your company to ‘pay’ another arm of your company for preferential treatment attempts to mask its true impact,” said the senators in the letter. “The Trump FCC may have gutted critical net neutrality protections, but AT&T nonetheless has a responsibility to avoid any policies or practices that harm consumers and stifle competition.”
HBO Max is taking advantage of AT&T’s “sponsored data” program, an AT&T executive told The Verge. That program lets users stream content from partners who then pay AT&T for the streamed data instead of having it count toward a customer’s data cap. But HBO Max is ultimately paying AT&T Mobility for the data used, meaning AT&T is essentially paying itself for the exemption and giving its customers a free perk that could give HBO Max an edge over the competition.


theverge--2020-06-04--Slack partners with Amazon to take on Microsoft Teams

Slack is partnering with Amazon in a multi-year agreement that means all Amazon employees will start to use Slack .
The deal comes just as Slack faces increased competition from Microsoft Teams , and it will also see Slack migrate its voice and video calling features over to Amazon ’ s Chime platform alongside a broader adoption of Amazon Web Services ( AWS ) .
Amazon ’ s roll out of Slack to all of its employees is a big part of the deal , thanks to an enterprise-wide agreement .
It ’ s not immediately clear how many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using Slack , though .
Up until today , Slack ’ s biggest customer has been IBM , which is rolling out Slack to its 350,000 employees .
While Slack has long used AWS to power parts of its chat app , it ’ s now committing to using Amazon ’ s cloud services as its preferred partner for storage , compute , database , security , analytics , machine learning , and future collaboration features .
The deal means it ’ s unlikely we ’ ll see Slack turn to Microsoft ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to power parts of its service in the foreseeable future .
“ We have not used Azure , ” says Brad Armstrong , vice president of business and corporate development at Slack , in an interview with The Verge .
“ The vast majority of our service has always run on AWS.
” Armstrong says it ’ s “ not likely ” that Slack will be looking to use Azure in the future .
The move to Amazon Chime for Slack voice and video calls is also a significant part of the deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particular weak point of Slack compared to Microsoft Teams , but this new integration should mean it will be vastly improved in the future .
Slack has already started the migration , and it ’ s looking into new features .
“ For now , we ’ re just focused on shoring up the back end , ” says Armstrong .
“ As Chime has additional features , we ’ re looking at bringing the mobile experience to include video , which it doesn ’ t today .
We ’ re also looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also promising better product integration and interoperability for features like AWS Chatbot , a service that pushes out Slack channel alerts for AWS instances .
In the coming months , Slack and AWS will improve its Amazon AppFlow integration to support bi-directional transfer of data between AWS services and Slack channels .
All of these integration points and Slack ’ s embrace of Amazon are designed to make the chat app far more appealing to enterprise customers .
Slack has been steadily growing its enterprise business , despite Microsoft ’ s big push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a point that CEO Stewart Butterfield has been keen to stress in recent interviews , even if he thinks Microsoft is “ unhealthily preoccupied with killing ” Slack .
“ The future of enterprise software will be driven by the combination of cloud services and workstream collaboration tools , ” says Butterfield in a statement today .
“ Strategically partnering with AWS allows both companies to scale to meet demand and deliver enterprise-grade offerings to our customers.
” It ’ s a deal that will benefit both Amazon and Slack .
Amazon gets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chime platform , and Slack gets the reliability and security of AWS with a better voice and video calling service underpinning its service .
The partnership also speaks to the core of how Slack has managed to win businesses over .
Slack has opted for partnerships and integrations with a variety of rival software and cloud providers , and hasn ’ t always attempted to build those features into its own app .
Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield touched on the value of that integration in a wide-ranging interview on The Vergecast last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Microsoft , is also trying to entice developers and improve app support in Microsoft Teams , but the company ’ s tightest integrations are still the Office suite of Outlook , Word , Excel , PowerPoint , and more .
Microsoft has also been bundling Teams as part of its Office 365 subscription , tempting businesses to use the communications software over Slack and other rivals .
Microsoft Teams hit 75 million daily active users recently , a huge jump from even the bump at the beginning of the pandemic .
Slack ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially for businesses that aren ’ t as reliant on Microsoft ’ s productivity apps .
Slack reported its earnings today , revealing more than 122,000 paid customers , an increase of 28 percent year over year .
Over 750,000 organizations are now using a free or paid subscription plan , up from 660,000 at the end of the last quarter .
Butterfield describes Slack ’ s recent quarter as “ phenomenal , ” with 50 percent revenue growth year over year .
Slack broke a user record back in March , just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work from home amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
“ We believe the long-term impact the three months and counting of working from home will have on the way we work is of generational magnitude , ” says Butterfield .
“ This will continue to catalyze adoption for the new category of channel-based messaging platforms we created and for which we are still the only enterprise-grade offering.
” Update , June 4th 5:55PM ET : Article updated with comments from an interview with Slack .

Slack is partnering with Amazon in a multiyear agreement that means all Amazon employees will be able to start using Slack. The deal comes just as Slack faces increased competition from Microsoft Teams, and it will also see Slack migrate its voice and video calling features over to Amazon’s Chime platform alongside a broader adoption of Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Amazon’s roll out of Slack to all of its employees is a big part of the deal, thanks to an enterprise-wide agreement. It’s not immediately clear how many of Amazon’s 840,000 employees will be using Slack, though. Up until today, Slack’s biggest customer has been IBM, which is rolling out Slack to its 350,000 employees.
While Slack has long used AWS to power parts of its chat app, it’s now committing to using Amazon’s cloud services as its preferred partner for storage, compute, database, security, analytics, machine learning, and future collaboration features. The deal means it’s unlikely we’ll see Slack turn to Microsoft’s Azure cloud services or Google Cloud to power parts of its service in the foreseeable future.
“We have not used Azure,” says Brad Armstrong, vice president of business and corporate development at Slack, in an interview with The Verge. “The vast majority of our service has always run on AWS.” Armstrong says it’s “not likely” that Slack will be looking to use Azure in the future.
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
The move to Amazon Chime for Slack voice and video calls is also a significant part of the deal. Voice and videoconferencing is a particular weak point of Slack compared to Microsoft Teams, but this new integration should mean it will be vastly improved in the future. Slack has already started the migration, and it’s looking into new features. “For now, we’re just focused on shoring up the back end,” says Armstrong. “As Chime has additional features, we’re looking at bringing the mobile experience to include video, which it doesn’t today. We’re also looking at transcription.”
Slack and Amazon are also promising better product integration and interoperability for features like AWS Chatbot, a service that pushes out Slack channel alerts for AWS instances. In the coming months, Slack and AWS will improve its Amazon AppFlow integration to support bidirectional transfer of data between AWS services and Slack channels.
All of these integration points and Slack’s embrace of Amazon are designed to make the chat app far more appealing to enterprise customers. Slack has been steadily growing its enterprise business, despite Microsoft’s big push with Teams recently. It’s a point that CEO Stewart Butterfield has been keen to stress in recent interviews, even if he thinks Microsoft is “unhealthily preoccupied with killing” Slack.
“The future of enterprise software will be driven by the combination of cloud services and workstream collaboration tools,” says Butterfield in a statement today. “Strategically partnering with AWS allows both companies to scale to meet demand and deliver enterprise-grade offerings to our customers.”
It’s a deal that will benefit both Amazon and Slack. Amazon gets an important partner for AWS and its Chime platform, and Slack gets the reliability and security of AWS with a better voice and video calling service underpinning its service.
The partnership also speaks to the core of how Slack has managed to win businesses over. Slack has opted for partnerships and integrations with a variety of rival software and cloud providers, and hasn’t always attempted to build those features into its own app. Butterfield touched on the value of that integration in a wide-ranging interview on The Vergecast last month.
Slack’s main rival, Microsoft, is also trying to entice developers and improve app support in Microsoft Teams, but the company’s tightest integrations are still the Office suite of Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more. Microsoft has also been bundling Teams as part of its Office 365 subscription, tempting businesses to use the communications software over Slack and other rivals. Microsoft Teams hit 75 million daily active users recently, a huge jump from even the bump at the beginning of the pandemic.
Slack’s approach seems to be working, especially for businesses that aren’t as reliant on Microsoft’s productivity apps. Slack reported its earnings today, revealing more than 122,000 paid customers, an increase of 28 percent year over year. Over 750,000 organizations are now using a free or paid subscription plan, up from 660,000 at the end of the last quarter.
Butterfield describes Slack’s recent quarter as “phenomenal,” with 50 percent revenue growth year over year. Slack broke a user record in March, just as many businesses started to order employees to work from home amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “We believe the long-term impact the three months and counting of working from home will have on the way we work is of generational magnitude,” says Butterfield. “This will continue to catalyze adoption for the new category of channel-based messaging platforms we created and for which we are still the only enterprise-grade offering.”


theverge--2020-06-04--General Motors is reportedly working on an electric delivery van

General Motors is working on an all-electric delivery van , according to Reuters .
If true , GM would the latest automaker to hone in on what ’ s expected to be a successful slice of the nascent electric vehicle market .
It ’ s also a segment that is in desperate need of electrification , especially with the rise of Amazon and home deliveries in general .
Five people with knowledge of the project told Reuters that the van , codenamed “ BV1 , ” will enter production in late 2021 .
The van will be powered by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March , and will share some components with the company ’ s forthcoming electric pickup trucks and SUVs .
Those sources also said the van will be built at GM ’ s Detroit-Hamtramck plant .
None of that is terribly surprising ; GM has said the Detroit-Hamtramck plant will be home to the initial phase of its $ 20 billion push into electric vehicles .
And the whole point of the Ultium platform is that it is flexible , and will be able to power a wide range of vehicle types and sizes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chevrolet Express and , to a lesser extent , GMC Savana cargo vans .
But it ’ s far from the only company working on an electric van .
Mercedes-Benz already has multiple models on the road , and Ford has multiple versions in the works , including an electric version of its supremely popular Transit van .
Amazon , which has a fleet of tens of thousands of combustion-engine vans making up its massive delivery operation , has ordered 100,000 electric vans from EV startup Rivian ( which it is also heavily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK-based Arrival ( which received investments from UPS and Hyundai ) and Chanje ( which names FedEx as a customer ) are working on electric vans as well .

General Motors is working on an all-electric delivery van, according to Reuters. If true, GM would the latest automaker to hone in on what’s expected to be a successful slice of the nascent electric vehicle market. It’s also a segment that is in desperate need of electrification, especially with the rise of Amazon and home deliveries in general.
Five people with knowledge of the project told Reuters that the van, codenamed “BV1,” will enter production in late 2021. The van will be powered by the Ultium battery platform GM revealed in early March, and will share some components with the company’s forthcoming electric pickup trucks and SUVs. Those sources also said the van will be built at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant.
None of that is terribly surprising; GM has said the Detroit-Hamtramck plant will be home to the initial phase of its $20 billion push into electric vehicles. And the whole point of the Ultium platform is that it is flexible, and will be able to power a wide range of vehicle types and sizes.


theverge--2020-06-04--Hydroxychloroquine study retraction shows the problems of speedy science

A recent large study on the controversial drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine was just retracted by The Lancet , the scientific journal that published it .
The study had found that the drugs weren ’ t able to effectively treat COVID-19 , but the authors say that they weren ’ t able to independently analyze the data used to reach that conclusion .
The study is no longer considered reliable .
Soon after the research was published in The Lancet , scientists started to point out problems with the dataset used in the study — it claimed to have data that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during that time frame , for example .
The data came from a company called Surgisphere , whose founder and CEO was a coauthor on the study .
In the retraction notice , the other authors said that they weren ’ t able to access the raw data from Surgisphere to independently confirm its accuracy .
“ We can no longer vouch for the veracity of the primary data sources , ” they wrote .
A retraction is one of the most serious corrections that can be made in science — it shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer considered reliable .
But the retraction may not change much about how doctors and scientists think about hydroxychloroquine .
Even without this paper in the mix , most of the research on the drug has shown that it doesn ’ t do much to help people with COVID-19 .
Just this week , a new study from a team at the University of Minnesota found that taking the drug doesn ’ t prevent people who ’ ve been exposed to someone sick with COVID-19 from catching the disease any more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the problems with the breakneck pace of research around COVID-19 .
Scientific journals are accepting submissions from scientists , reviewing them , and publishing them faster than ever before .
They ’ re shrinking the timeline to days or weeks , rather than the usual months .
Getting information out is critically important , but some experts worry that scientists are sacrificing accuracy for speed .
It seems to some scientists like the Surgisphere data was made up , not just incorrect , so it ’ s particularly worrying that it slipped through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : after it was published , the World Health Organization paused its study on hydroxychloroquine ( it ’ s since restarted ) .
The company was also behind another retracted COVID-19 study , this one published in the New England Journal of Medicine .
There is some good news here : The Lancet quickly reviewed and then retracted the study .
Retractions happen all the time — so frequently that there ’ s a website devoted to tracking them .
Science is a messy process , and sometimes information published in even the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong .
Prompt retractions , like this one , help keep the process moving in the right direction .

A recent large study on the controversial drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine was just retracted by The Lancet, the scientific journal that published it. The study had found that the drugs weren’t able to effectively treat COVID-19, but the authors say that they weren’t able to independently analyze the data used to reach that conclusion. The study is no longer considered reliable.
Soon after the research was published in The Lancet, scientists started to point out problems with the dataset used in the study — it claimed to have data that would have been almost impossible to gather during that time frame, for example. The data came from a company called Surgisphere, whose founder and CEO was a coauthor on the study. In the retraction notice, the other authors said that they weren’t able to access the raw data from Surgisphere to independently confirm its accuracy. “We can no longer vouch for the veracity of the primary data sources,” they wrote.
A retraction is one of the most serious corrections that can be made in science — it shows that the results of a study are no longer considered reliable. But the retraction may not change much about how doctors and scientists think about hydroxychloroquine. Even without this paper in the mix, most of the research on the drug has shown that it doesn’t do much to help people with COVID-19. Just this week, a new study from a team at the University of Minnesota found that taking the drug doesn’t prevent people who’ve been exposed to someone sick with COVID-19 from catching the disease any more than a placebo.
Instead, it shows the problems with the breakneck pace of research around COVID-19. Scientific journals are accepting submissions from scientists, reviewing them, and publishing them faster than ever before. They’re shrinking the timeline to days or weeks, rather than the usual months. Getting information out is critically important, but some experts worry that scientists are sacrificing accuracy for speed.
It seems to some scientists like the Surgisphere data was made up, not just incorrect, so it’s particularly worrying that it slipped through the cracks. It had real-world consequences: after it was published, the World Health Organization paused its study on hydroxychloroquine (it’s since restarted). The company was also behind another retracted COVID-19 study, this one published in the New England Journal of Medicine.


theverge--2020-06-04--Roku is a huge force in streaming, and a hurdle for HBO Max

HBO Max launched last week without any Roku support and integration , and new numbers from multiple research firms show just how much of a problem that might be for the new streaming service .
Roku dominates viewing time among streaming boxes .
The company commands 44 percent of viewing time , according to research from Conviva .
That more than doubles its biggest competitor , Amazon Fire TV , which maintains about 19 percent of viewing time .
Roku has also grown its viewing time by about 50 percent year over year , based on official comments from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connected TV devices , like Roku and Amazon Fire TV , increased dramatically during the pandemic .
According to a new report , Nielsen data in March “ showed that 76 percent of U.S. homes had at least one connected device.
” By March 30th , total hours spent watching on these devices “ was up 81 percent year over year , ” totaling nearly 4 billion hours of content each week .
While things have slowed down a little now , streaming boxes are still seeing high usage numbers , as seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time of this writing , HBO Max isn ’ t on Roku .
WarnerMedia , which owns HBO Max , is aware that the service would benefit greatly from being on Roku .
“ Being available on the platforms that consumers use to access these new networks is really , really important , ” Tony Goncalves , head of HBO Max , told The Verge an interview .
Goncalves added that he ’ s “ hopeful that , ultimately , we ’ ll get there , and we ’ ll get there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Roku can help WarnerMedia find new subscribers for HBO Max , much like being on Roku seemed to help Disney Plus when it launched last year .
In February , Roku CEO Anthony Wood specifically called out Disney Plus ’ Roku integration as “ an important part ” of Disney reaching 26.5 million subscribers in its fourth quarter .
HBO Max needs to be on Roku ’ s platform to compete with Disney Plus and others There are a couple reasons why it ’ s a more difficult for HBO Max to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big of a subscription fee Roku will take .
Another glaring issue seems to be WarnerMedia ’ s previous distribution agreements with Roku for the HBO network ( similar to those with Amazon to have HBO on Amazon Channels ) .
People can sign up for HBO through the Roku Channel .
But then what happens to the millions of customers currently subscribing to HBO through Roku Channel if HBO Max isn ’ t offered through the same avenue ?
When WarnerMedia made its deal with Apple to carry HBO Max , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the process .
Only then were customers who subscribed to HBO through Apple Channels then able to upgrade to HBO Max , available as a new app , for free .
It seems likely that WarnerMedia would want to do the same thing with Roku and HBO Max ; HBO Max lands on Roku , but HBO is removed from Roku Channels .
It ’ s a tricky tug-of-war game between companies that want to benefit as much as possible from a partnership .
Publicly , WarnerMedia is set on getting HBO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an attempt to reach 100 percent of potential subscribers .
Andy Forssell , executive vice president and general manager of WarnerMedia ’ s direct-to-consumer products , told CNET that HBO Max apps designed for both Amazon and Roku are ready — they ’ re just waiting on signed agreements .

HBO Max launched last week without any Roku support and integration, and new numbers from multiple research firms show just how much of a problem that might be for the new streaming service.
Roku dominates viewing time among streaming boxes. The company commands 44 percent of viewing time, according to research from Conviva. That more than doubles its biggest competitor, Amazon Fire TV, which maintains about 19 percent of viewing time. Roku has also grown its viewing time by about 50 percent year over year, based on official comments from the company.
Time spent watching content through connected TV devices, like Roku and Amazon Fire TV, increased dramatically during the pandemic. According to a new report, Nielsen data in March “showed that 76 percent of U.S. homes had at least one connected device.” By March 30th, total hours spent watching on these devices “was up 81 percent year over year,” totaling nearly 4 billion hours of content each week.
While things have slowed down a little now, streaming boxes are still seeing high usage numbers, as seen in the Nielsen chart below:
Nielsen weekly findings showing how many hours of content are streamed per week through connected TV devices in the United States Nielsen
At the time of this writing, HBO Max isn’t on Roku. WarnerMedia, which owns HBO Max, is aware that the service would benefit greatly from being on Roku. “Being available on the platforms that consumers use to access these new networks is really, really important,” Tony Goncalves, head of HBO Max, told The Verge an interview. Goncalves added that he’s “hopeful that, ultimately, we’ll get there, and we’ll get there with the consumer in mind.”
Being on Roku can help WarnerMedia find new subscribers for HBO Max, much like being on Roku seemed to help Disney Plus when it launched last year. In February, Roku CEO Anthony Wood specifically called out Disney Plus’ Roku integration as “an important part” of Disney reaching 26.5 million subscribers in its fourth quarter.
HBO Max needs to be on Roku’s platform to compete with Disney Plus and others
There are a couple reasons why it’s a more difficult for HBO Max to get on Roku, likely including how big of a subscription fee Roku will take. Another glaring issue seems to be WarnerMedia’s previous distribution agreements with Roku for the HBO network (similar to those with Amazon to have HBO on Amazon Channels). People can sign up for HBO through the Roku Channel. But then what happens to the millions of customers currently subscribing to HBO through Roku Channel if HBO Max isn’t offered through the same avenue?
When WarnerMedia made its deal with Apple to carry HBO Max, the company removed HBO from Apple TV Channels in the process. Only then were customers who subscribed to HBO through Apple Channels then able to upgrade to HBO Max, available as a new app, for free.
It seems likely that WarnerMedia would want to do the same thing with Roku and HBO Max; HBO Max lands on Roku, but HBO is removed from Roku Channels. It’s a tricky tug-of-war game between companies that want to benefit as much as possible from a partnership.


theverge--2020-06-04--Google says foreign hackers targeted emails of Trump and Biden campaign staffers

Foreign hackers targeted the personal email accounts of staffers on the presidential campaigns of Democratic primary candidate Joe Biden and President Donald Trump , Reuters reported .
It appears that state-backed hackers from China tried to target staffers on the Biden campaign , while Iranian hackers targeted the email accounts of Trump campaign staff .
Shane Huntley , the head of Google ’ s Threat Analysis Group , tweeted that the hackers had made phishing attempts on campaign staffers ’ emails , but there had been “ no sign of compromise.
” A Google spokesperson told The Verge the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attempted attacks had been successful and that it had sent the information to federal law enforcement officials .
“ We encourage campaign staff to use extra protection for their work and personal emails , and we offer security resources such as our Advanced Protection Program and free security keys for qualifying campaigns , ” the spokesperson said .
Matt Hill , deputy national press secretary for the Biden campaign , says the campaign was aware of the phishing attempt and had been braced for something like this to happen .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign that we would be subject to such attacks and we are prepared for them , ” Hill told The Verge in an email , adding that the campaign takes cybersecurity seriously and “ will remain vigilant against these threats.
” A spokesperson for the Trump campaign said it had been “ been briefed that foreign actors unsuccessfully attempted to breach the technology of our staff .
We are vigilant about cybersecurity and do not discuss any of our precautions.
” This apparently wasn ’ t the first instance of Iranian hackers trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , Microsoft said an Iranian group — known alternately as Phosphorous , APT 35 , or Charming Kitten — unsuccessfully tried to get into a presidential campaign ’ s emails .
Reuters later identified the campaign in question as Trump ’ s .
Email hacking is a particularly fraught issue for US political campaigns after Russian hackers successfully phished the Democratic National Committee in 2016 , exposing thousands of emails .
UPDATED June 4th 5:35PM ET : Added comment from Trump campaign spokesperson .

Foreign hackers targeted the personal email accounts of staffers on the presidential campaigns of Democratic primary candidate Joe Biden and President Donald Trump, Reuters reported. It appears that state-backed hackers from China tried to target staffers on the Biden campaign, while Iranian hackers targeted the email accounts of Trump campaign staff.
Shane Huntley, the head of Google’s Threat Analysis Group, tweeted that the hackers had made phishing attempts on campaign staffers’ emails, but there had been “no sign of compromise.”
A Google spokesperson told The Verge the company had not seen evidence that any of the attempted attacks had been successful and that it had sent the information to federal law enforcement officials. “We encourage campaign staff to use extra protection for their work and personal emails, and we offer security resources such as our Advanced Protection Program and free security keys for qualifying campaigns,” the spokesperson said.
Matt Hill, deputy national press secretary for the Biden campaign, says the campaign was aware of the phishing attempt and had been braced for something like this to happen. “We have known from the beginning of our campaign that we would be subject to such attacks and we are prepared for them,” Hill told The Verge in an email, adding that the campaign takes cybersecurity seriously and “will remain vigilant against these threats.”
A spokesperson for the Trump campaign said it had been “been briefed that foreign actors unsuccessfully attempted to breach the technology of our staff. We are vigilant about cybersecurity and do not discuss any of our precautions.”
This apparently wasn’t the first instance of Iranian hackers trying to access Trump campaign emails. Last year, Microsoft said an Iranian group — known alternately as Phosphorous, APT 35, or Charming Kitten — unsuccessfully tried to get into a presidential campaign’s emails. Reuters later identified the campaign in question as Trump’s.
Email hacking is a particularly fraught issue for US political campaigns after Russian hackers successfully phished the Democratic National Committee in 2016, exposing thousands of emails.


theverge--2020-06-04--Hulu will stop working on some older Roku devices starting later this month

Hulu will no longer be supported on some older Roku devices as of June 24th , according to a Hulu support page ( via Ars Technica ) .
The affected models were released in 2012 or earlier , and include Roku players with a model number between 2400 to 3100 and Roku Streaming Sticks with a model number of 3420 or earlier .
Those older Roku devices were already running the “ classic ” Hulu app , a more limited version of Hulu that lets you access content from Hulu ’ s library and Showtime ( if you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on newer Roku devices , by contrast , lets you access those as well as live TV and more premium channels , as long as you subscribe to them .
The Roku devices losing support for Hulu were already running the “ classic ” Hulu app Hulu isn ’ t the first streaming service to drop support for older Roku devices ; Netflix stopped working on some Roku devices last year because they didn ’ t support the DRM Netflix now uses .
( Older Samsung and Vizio devices lost support for Netflix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hulu has also stopped supporting older devices from other manufacturers in the past ; the service doesn ’ t work on LG TVs made in 2014 and earlier as of last July , for example .
If you want to keep watching Hulu on a Roku device , here ’ s a list from Hulu of supported devices .

Hulu will no longer be supported on some older Roku devices as of June 24th, according to a Hulu support page (via Ars Technica). The affected models were released in 2012 or earlier, and include Roku players with a model number between 2400 to 3100 and Roku Streaming Sticks with a model number of 3420 or earlier.
Those older Roku devices were already running the “classic” Hulu app, a more limited version of Hulu that lets you access content from Hulu’s library and Showtime (if you’re a subscriber). The Hulu app on newer Roku devices, by contrast, lets you access those as well as live TV and more premium channels, as long as you subscribe to them.
The Roku devices losing support for Hulu were already running the “classic” Hulu app
Hulu isn’t the first streaming service to drop support for older Roku devices; Netflix stopped working on some Roku devices last year because they didn’t support the DRM Netflix now uses. (Older Samsung and Vizio devices lost support for Netflix for the same reason.) And Hulu has also stopped supporting older devices from other manufacturers in the past; the service doesn’t work on LG TVs made in 2014 and earlier as of last July, for example.