theverge--2020-06-01--What Facebook doesn’t understand about the Facebook walkout

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On Friday afternoon , Facebook made one of its most controversial content moderation decisions in company history .
After President Trump posted to Facebook some tweets that Twitter had placed behind a warning for “ glorifying violence , ” Mark Zuckerberg said that the company would allow them to stand .
“ I know many people are upset that we ’ ve left the President ’ s posts up , ” Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post , “ but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as much expression as possible unless it will cause imminent risk of specific harms or dangers spelled out in clear policies.
” “ When the looting starts , the shooting starts , ” Trump had tweeted — quoting a former Miami police chief who , in 1967 , called for a violent crackdown on the city ’ s black community .
And just as the president suggested , a long weekend of violence followed in the United States , with police assaulting protesters and bystanders across the country in the days that followed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post up for two reasons : one , that “ people need to know if the government is planning to deploy force.
” And two , that Trump had sort of ( maybe ? )
walked back his original post in a later one , “ saying that the original post was warning about the possibility that looting could lead to violence.
” So whether or not Trump meant to incite violence with his words , Zuckerberg argued , Facebook had good reason to let the post stand .
Shortly after sharing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a meeting with employees to elaborate on his point of view .
In audio of the meeting that I obtained , Zuckerberg said that he had agonized over the decision .
“ How to handle this post from the president has been very tough , ” said Zuckerberg , who was joined in the discussion by his head of policy management , Monika Bickert .
“ It ’ s been something that I ’ ve been struggling with basically all day , ever since I woke up .
...
This has been personally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his unhappiness with Trump ’ s remarks .
“ My first reaction ... was just disgust , ” he said .
“ This is not how I think we want our leaders to show up during this time .
This is a moment that calls for unity and calmness and empathy for people who are struggling.
” Ultimately , he and Bickert said , executives concluded that Trump ’ s remarks didn ’ t violate their existing policies .
But he said they would re-examine their policies around politicians discussing the use of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said would likely take several weeks .
“ There is a real question coming out of this , which is whether we want to evolve our policy around the discussion of state use of force , ” he told employees Friday .
“ Over the coming days , as the National Guard is now deployed , probably the largest one that I would worry about would be excessive use of police or military force .
I think there ’ s a good argument that there should be more bounds around the discussion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on what more “ bounds ” would mean in this case , or whether he thought the policy should change to disallow posts like Trump ’ s .
In response to an employee question , Zuckerberg also said he disagreed with Twitter ’ s approach of placing violating tweets behind a warning .
“ If you really believe that a post is going to cause people to go to go do real-world violence , then that ’ s not the type of thing that I think we should have up even behind a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some people might be comforted that Twitter took a step , even if it didn ’ t go all the way .
But I don ’ t personally agree with that step.
” Zuckerberg ’ s message to employees Friday was that even if Facebook hadn ’ t removed this Trump post , it was prepared to do so in the future if the president violated a company policy .
That satisfied some employees , but to others it smacked of appeasement .
On Thursday , their anger bubbled up in a series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at The Verge .
And then , over the weekend , the long-standing norm that Facebook employees never criticize their employer in public seemed to shatter , tweet by tweet .
On Monday , they mounted the most significant collective worker action in the company ’ s 15-year history .
While it ’ s difficult to measure the number of people who participated in a virtual walkout , an internal group devoted to the effort had about 400 people , sources said .
“ I ’ m a FB employee that completely disagrees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing about Trump ’ s recent posts , which clearly incite violence , ” tweeted Jason Stirman , who works on research and development , on Saturday .
“ I ’ m not alone inside of FB .
There isn ’ t a neutral position on racism.
” Jason Toff , a former employee of Twitter and Google who now works on experimental apps at Facebook , echoed those sentiments on Sunday .
“ I work at Facebook and I am not proud of how we ’ re showing up , ” Toff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve spoken to feel the same way .
We are making our voice heard.
” Within hours , there were more than a dozen such tweets from employees working across the company , all expressing disappointment with their employer ’ s decision .
And on Monday , dozens of employees staged a virtual walkout , making themselves unavailable for the day and joining in protests .
The New York Times reported that employees are working on a list of demands , and that some senior employees have threatened to resign if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ As allies we must stand in the way of danger , not behind , ” tweeted Sara Zhang , a product designer at Facebook .
“ I will be participating in today ’ s virtual walkout in solidarity with the black community inside and outside FB .
# BlackLivesMatter ” By this point we have seen our share of worker actions at big tech companies .
The Google walkout over sexual harassment kicked open the doors in 2018 , and has been followed by high-profile protests at Amazon , Microsoft , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of Facebook employees signed an open letter to Zuckerberg in October about his decision to exempt political ads from fact-checking .
But notable as that letter was , it still adopted the form that dissent has almost always taken at Facebook : vigorous internal debate .
( One source told me the internal furor over Joel Kaplan ’ s public support of controversial Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh during his nomination hearings had been markedly more intense . )
What ’ s different about Monday ’ s walkout is that the protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a rival social network , to boot .
For Facebook workers , the choice to discuss their concerns on Twitter was remarkably effective , for two reasons .
One , Twitter is where journalists live , and so the posts were guaranteed to generate coverage .
Two , sentiment about Facebook on Twitter is generally hostile , so current employees ’ criticisms of the company got massive distribution through retweets .
The workers ’ comments were less sweeping in their criticism than some former employees , co-founders , and top executives of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ None of these employees has yet quit , nor have they suggested , as WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton once did , that people “ delete Facebook.
” But what they shared was a sense of shame in their employer that remains extraordinary among tech workers , even at a time when worker actions are becoming more common .
“ Facebook ’ s inaction in taking down Trump ’ s post inciting violence makes me ashamed to work here , ” tweeted Lauren Tan , an engineer .
“ I absolutely disagree with it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my job and working alongside smart/kind people , but this isn ’ t right .
Silence is complicity.
” Another inspired aspect of the workers ’ protest was that executives had to sit back and accept it , at least in their public statements .
You can ’ t bend over backwards to allow the president ’ s posts about shooting up crowds and then tell employees they can ’ t discuss their feelings about it .
And so the official word from Facebook on all the controversy was that they should go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pain many of our people are feeling right now , especially our Black community , ” the company told Bloomberg .
“ We encourage employees to speak openly when they disagree with leadership.
” Much of employees ’ frustration appears to be rooted in the fear that there is no line Trump could cross that would lead Facebook to enforce its policies .
Zuckerberg and Bickert spent much of the all-hands meeting on Friday pushing back on that idea — fairly , I think .
It was barely two months ago that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Brazil , Jair Bolsonaro , for promoting a phony coronavirus cure .
You can argue that the company is more sensitive to pressure from conservatives in the United States , and a lot of good reporting has borne that out in the past few years .
But the idea that there ’ s no line Trump can ’ t cross on Facebook doesn ’ t strike me as plausible .
Of course , we won ’ t know for sure until Facebook actually does take action against Trump .
And in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have signaled that for them , that red line has already been crossed .
For Zuckerberg and his policy team , Trump is a legalistic problem — a question of how certain words and phrases do or do not comport with the standards they have written .
But for the workers speaking out , Trump is a moral problem — a danger to their friends , their families , their communities , and themselves .
Facebook ’ s scale depends on courting Republicans and Democrats equally — making regular concessions to both to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it can be .
Zuckerberg has sought to draw a distinction between his role as CEO and his own feelings — arguing for Trump ’ s right to free expression at work while donating $ 10 million to groups working on racial justice in his personal time .
But since its founding , Facebook has been dedicated to the idea that in this life , you only get to have one real identity .
When employees logged off Monday , the company began to see the limits of having it both ways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zuckerberg on Monday to discuss their concerns .
Facebook is having an all-hands meeting with employees Tuesday where Zuckerberg is expected to take questions .
Walkout organizers are developing a list of demands for the company .
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms .
Trending up : YouTube is donating $ 1 million to the Center for Policing Equity , to demonstrate “ solidarity against racism and violence.
” The company tweeted that it was pledging the funds “ in support of efforts to address social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Verge ) Trending down : A a technical glitch on TikTok made it look like posts using the hashtags # BlackLivesMatter and # GeorgeFloyd were receiving zero views .
TikTok apologized for the error , saying “ we understand that many assumed this bug to be an intentional act to suppress the experiences and invalidate the emotions felt by the Black community.
” ( See also Digital Forensic Research Lab on this . )
TikTok says it will do more in the future to promote black creators .
Total cases in the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US : At least 104,700 Total test results ( positive and negative ) in New York : 2,063,825 Total test results ( positive and negative ) in New Jersey : 746,145 Data from The New York Times .
Test data from The COVID Tracking Project .
⭐ Misinformation about the protests in Washington DC related to the police killing of George Floyd is surging across Twitter .
One of the rumors claimed authorities had somehow blocked protesters from communicating from their smartphones in order to crack down on the unrest .
Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fenit Nirappil from The Washington Post : Social media is being used to galvanize protestors .
But misinformation about the unrest is also going viral on the platforms — and not just in DC .
( Sarah E. Needleman and Sebastian Herrera / The Wall Street Journal ) Authorities and law enforcement officials are helping to push a narrative that outside groups were responsible for inciting violent confrontations at the protests over the weekend .
But there ’ s little evidence for those claims .
( Brandy Zadrozny and Ben Collins / NBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US have captured what may be the most comprehensive live picture of police brutality ever .
This post includes images and videos of those scenes captured across the country , which were shared widely across social sites .
( T.C .
Sottek / The Verge ) Police violence will make it harder to fight COVID-19 .
In the aftermath of the police response to protests , vulnerable communities may be even less likely to trust and cooperate with health officials .
That could make it harder to control another wave of illness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) The Dallas Police Department asked people to send in “ video of illegal activity ” from the Black Lives Matter protests in the city .
Instead , it received a flood of pictures and videos of K-pop artists .
( Caroline Haskins / BuzzFeed ) Apple CEO Tim Cook addressed the killing of George Floyd in a letter to employees , saying the “ painful past is still present today.
” He also said the company would be donating to the Equal Justice Initiative , a non-profit focusing on racial injustice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO Sundar Pichai emailed employees on Friday about the growing protests and unrest in the US .
The tech exec did not commit to supporting any specific government policy changes in response to the protests , unlike some other technology industry leaders .
( Rob Price / Business Insider ) Snap CEO Evan Spiegel called for the creation of an American commission to address racial injustice and comprehensive tax reform .
In a lengthy note to employees , he said he was “ heartbroken and enraged ” by racism in America .
Give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s by far the most thoughtful of the corporate responses to this weekend ’ s violence that I ’ ve seen .
Trump ’ s executive order on social media companies could backfire .
Without certain liability protections , companies like Twitter would have to be more aggressive about policing messages that press the boundaries — including the president ’ s .
( Peter Baker and Daisuke Wakabayashi / The New York Times ) Also : Trump ’ s order could hurt online speech by pressuring social media platforms to give his content @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeffrey Westling / Lawfare ) President Trump ’ s decision to go after Twitter for fact-checking his tweets is part of a long tradition upheld by aggrieved internet trolls .
A power user with a passionate following is lashing out against the moderators of his favorite internet services .
The best description of the dynamic between Trump , Twitter and Facebook that I ’ ve read to date .
( Kevin Roose / The New York Times ) Senate lawmakers are unveiling a bipartisan bill to regulate contact-tracing and exposure-notification apps .
Their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to combat the coronavirus don ’ t come at the expense of users ’ privacy .
( Tony Romm / The Washington Post ) State-based contact tracing apps could be a disaster .
With no national plan for these apps , security and interoperability issues loom large .
( Andy Greenberg / Wired ) YouTube said it made a mistake in deleting videos about the controversial drug hydroxychloroquine posted by a popular doctor .
The content appears to have been collateral damage in the company ’ s fight against COVID-19 misinformation .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offers to several thousand contractors due to an advertising slump created by the coronavirus crisis .
The move affected more than 2,000 people globally who had signed offers to be a contract or temp worker .
Daisuke Wakabayashi at The New York Times has the story : Coronavirus mutual aid groups are organizing on Slack .
They ’ re distributing groceries and spare air conditioners using tools designed to turn labor into money as efficiently as possible .
( Kaitlyn Tiffany / The Atlantic ) Inside Amazon ’ s hierarchical company culture .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ called Tech Nations , which examines the world ’ s largest technology companies as if they were countries – not corporations .
Featuring one of the first interviews with recent Amazon apostate Tim Bray .
( Alexi Mostrous and James Ball / Tortoise Media ) Zoom plans to roll out strong encryption for paying its customers — but not for those with free accounts .
( Joseph Menn / Reuters ) Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine .
Donate to a bail fund .
This comprehensive guide from Rolling Stone has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts , including the George Floyd Memorial Fund in Minnesota .
Today and every day , black lives matter .
And there are some more good ideas on how to help from The Verge here .
Send us tips , comments , questions , and audio of the Facebook all-hands on Tuesday : casey @ theverge.com and zoe @ theverge.com .

I. The CEO
On Friday afternoon, Facebook made one of its most controversial content moderation decisions in company history. After President Trump posted to Facebook some tweets that Twitter had placed behind a warning for “glorifying violence,” Mark Zuckerberg said that the company would allow them to stand.
“I know many people are upset that we’ve left the President’s posts up,” Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post, “but our position is that we should enable as much expression as possible unless it will cause imminent risk of specific harms or dangers spelled out in clear policies.”
“When the looting starts, the shooting starts,” Trump had tweeted — quoting a former Miami police chief who, in 1967, called for a violent crackdown on the city’s black community. And just as the president suggested, a long weekend of violence followed in the United States, with police assaulting protesters and bystanders across the country in the days that followed.
Zuckerberg said that Facebook left the post up for two reasons: one, that “people need to know if the government is planning to deploy force.” And two, that Trump had sort of (maybe?) walked back his original post in a later one, “saying that the original post was warning about the possibility that looting could lead to violence.” So whether or not Trump meant to incite violence with his words, Zuckerberg argued, Facebook had good reason to let the post stand.
Shortly after sharing the post with the world, Zuckerberg held a meeting with employees to elaborate on his point of view. In audio of the meeting that I obtained, Zuckerberg said that he had agonized over the decision. “How to handle this post from the president has been very tough,” said Zuckerberg, who was joined in the discussion by his head of policy management, Monika Bickert. “It’s been something that I’ve been struggling with basically all day, ever since I woke up. ... This has been personally pretty wrenching for me.”
Zuckerberg reiterated his unhappiness with Trump’s remarks. “My first reaction ... was just disgust,” he said. “This is not how I think we want our leaders to show up during this time. This is a moment that calls for unity and calmness and empathy for people who are struggling.”
Ultimately, he and Bickert said, executives concluded that Trump’s remarks didn’t violate their existing policies. But he said they would re-examine their policies around politicians discussing the use of state force on Facebook, a process he said would likely take several weeks.
“There is a real question coming out of this, which is whether we want to evolve our policy around the discussion of state use of force,” he told employees Friday. “Over the coming days, as the National Guard is now deployed, probably the largest one that I would worry about would be excessive use of police or military force. I think there’s a good argument that there should be more bounds around the discussion around that.” Zuckerberg did not elaborate on what more “bounds” would mean in this case, or whether he thought the policy should change to disallow posts like Trump’s.
In response to an employee question, Zuckerberg also said he disagreed with Twitter’s approach of placing violating tweets behind a warning. “If you really believe that a post is going to cause people to go to go do real-world violence, then that’s not the type of thing that I think we should have up even behind a warning,” he said. “Some people might be comforted that Twitter took a step, even if it didn’t go all the way. But I don’t personally agree with that step.”
Zuckerberg’s message to employees Friday was that even if Facebook hadn’t removed this Trump post, it was prepared to do so in the future if the president violated a company policy. That satisfied some employees, but to others it smacked of appeasement. On Thursday, their anger bubbled up in a series of internal threads, as I reported at The Verge.
And then, over the weekend, the long-standing norm that Facebook employees never criticize their employer in public seemed to shatter, tweet by tweet.
On Monday, they mounted the most significant collective worker action in the company’s 15-year history. While it’s difficult to measure the number of people who participated in a virtual walkout, an internal group devoted to the effort had about 400 people, sources said.
II. The walkout
“I’m a FB employee that completely disagrees with Mark’s decision to do nothing about Trump’s recent posts, which clearly incite violence,” tweeted Jason Stirman, who works on research and development, on Saturday. “I’m not alone inside of FB. There isn’t a neutral position on racism.”
Jason Toff, a former employee of Twitter and Google who now works on experimental apps at Facebook, echoed those sentiments on Sunday. “I work at Facebook and I am not proud of how we’re showing up,” Toff tweeted. “The majority of coworkers I’ve spoken to feel the same way. We are making our voice heard.”
Within hours, there were more than a dozen such tweets from employees working across the company, all expressing disappointment with their employer’s decision. And on Monday, dozens of employees staged a virtual walkout, making themselves unavailable for the day and joining in protests. The New York Times reported that employees are working on a list of demands, and that some senior employees have threatened to resign if Zuckerberg doesn’t reverse his decision.
“As allies we must stand in the way of danger, not behind,” tweeted Sara Zhang, a product designer at Facebook. “I will be participating in today’s virtual walkout in solidarity with the black community inside and outside FB. #BlackLivesMatter”
By this point we have seen our share of worker actions at big tech companies. The Google walkout over sexual harassment kicked open the doors in 2018, and has been followed by high-profile protests at Amazon, Microsoft, and Salesforce, among others. And hundreds of Facebook employees signed an open letter to Zuckerberg in October about his decision to exempt political ads from fact-checking.
But notable as that letter was, it still adopted the form that dissent has almost always taken at Facebook: vigorous internal debate. (One source told me the internal furor over Joel Kaplan’s public support of controversial Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh during his nomination hearings had been markedly more intense.) What’s different about Monday’s walkout is that the protests were public first — and posted about on a rival social network, to boot. For Facebook workers, the choice to discuss their concerns on Twitter was remarkably effective, for two reasons. One, Twitter is where journalists live, and so the posts were guaranteed to generate coverage. Two, sentiment about Facebook on Twitter is generally hostile, so current employees’ criticisms of the company got massive distribution through retweets.
The workers’ comments were less sweeping in their criticism than some former employees, co-founders, and top executives of Facebook have been over the years. None of these employees has yet quit, nor have they suggested, as WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton once did, that people “delete Facebook.” But what they shared was a sense of shame in their employer that remains extraordinary among tech workers, even at a time when worker actions are becoming more common.
“Facebook’s inaction in taking down Trump’s post inciting violence makes me ashamed to work here,” tweeted Lauren Tan, an engineer. “I absolutely disagree with it. I enjoy the technical parts of my job and working alongside smart/kind people, but this isn’t right. Silence is complicity.”
Another inspired aspect of the workers’ protest was that executives had to sit back and accept it, at least in their public statements. You can’t bend over backwards to allow the president’s posts about shooting up crowds and then tell employees they can’t discuss their feelings about it. And so the official word from Facebook on all the controversy was that they should go for it. “We recognize the pain many of our people are feeling right now, especially our Black community,” the company told Bloomberg. “We encourage employees to speak openly when they disagree with leadership.”
Much of employees’ frustration appears to be rooted in the fear that there is no line Trump could cross that would lead Facebook to enforce its policies. Zuckerberg and Bickert spent much of the all-hands meeting on Friday pushing back on that idea — fairly, I think. It was barely two months ago that the company removed a post by the president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, for promoting a phony coronavirus cure. You can argue that the company is more sensitive to pressure from conservatives in the United States, and a lot of good reporting has borne that out in the past few years. But the idea that there’s no line Trump can’t cross on Facebook doesn’t strike me as plausible.
Of course, we won’t know for sure until Facebook actually does take action against Trump. And in the meantime, a large number of employees have signaled that for them, that red line has already been crossed. For Zuckerberg and his policy team, Trump is a legalistic problem — a question of how certain words and phrases do or do not comport with the standards they have written. But for the workers speaking out, Trump is a moral problem — a danger to their friends, their families, their communities, and themselves.
Facebook’s scale depends on courting Republicans and Democrats equally — making regular concessions to both to ensure that the platform is as large as it can be. Zuckerberg has sought to draw a distinction between his role as CEO and his own feelings — arguing for Trump’s right to free expression at work while donating $10 million to groups working on racial justice in his personal time.
But since its founding, Facebook has been dedicated to the idea that in this life, you only get to have one real identity. When employees logged off Monday, the company began to see the limits of having it both ways.
What’s next
Senior black executives were meeting with Zuckerberg on Monday to discuss their concerns. Facebook is having an all-hands meeting with employees Tuesday where Zuckerberg is expected to take questions. Walkout organizers are developing a list of demands for the company.
The Ratio
Today in news that could affect public perception of the big tech platforms.
🔼 Trending up: YouTube is donating $1 million to the Center for Policing Equity, to demonstrate “solidarity against racism and violence.” The company tweeted that it was pledging the funds “in support of efforts to address social injustice.” (Kim Lyons / The Verge)
Virus tracker
Total cases in the US: More than 1,807,200
Total deaths in the US: At least 104,700
Reported cases in California: 113,852
Total test results (positive and negative) in California: 1,944,848
Reported cases in New York: 376,520
Total test results (positive and negative) in New York: 2,063,825
Reported cases in New Jersey: 160,445
Total test results (positive and negative) in New Jersey: 746,145
Reported cases in Illinois: 120,588
Total test results (positive and negative) in Illinois: 898,259
Governing
⭐ Misinformation about the protests in Washington DC related to the police killing of George Floyd is surging across Twitter. One of the rumors claimed authorities had somehow blocked protesters from communicating from their smartphones in order to crack down on the unrest. Here are Craig Timberg, Elizabeth Dwoskin and Fenit Nirappil from The Washington Post:
Protests in downtown Washington and near the White House were widespread Sunday night and into Monday morning. What started as largely peaceful protests over last week’s police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis deteriorated after dark in Washington, with rioters smashing windows, starting fires and overturning vehicles — despite an 11 p.m. curfew. But the degree of mayhem described by tweets using #DCblackout went far beyond reality. Alarming text was interspersed with shaky videos of confrontations between police and protesters, though it wasn’t clear how many of the images were from Washington, as opposed to other U.S. cities facing unrest.
Social media is being used to galvanize protestors. But misinformation about the unrest is also going viral on the platforms — and not just in DC. (Sarah E. Needleman and Sebastian Herrera / The Wall Street Journal)
Authorities and law enforcement officials are helping to push a narrative that outside groups were responsible for inciting violent confrontations at the protests over the weekend. But there’s little evidence for those claims. (Brandy Zadrozny and Ben Collins / NBC)
Over the weekend, people across the US have captured what may be the most comprehensive live picture of police brutality ever. This post includes images and videos of those scenes captured across the country, which were shared widely across social sites. (T.C. Sottek / The Verge)
Police violence will make it harder to fight COVID-19. In the aftermath of the police response to protests, vulnerable communities may be even less likely to trust and cooperate with health officials. That could make it harder to control another wave of illness. (Nicole Wetsman / The Verge)
The Dallas Police Department asked people to send in “video of illegal activity” from the Black Lives Matter protests in the city. Instead, it received a flood of pictures and videos of K-pop artists. (Caroline Haskins / BuzzFeed)
Apple CEO Tim Cook addressed the killing of George Floyd in a letter to employees, saying the “painful past is still present today.” He also said the company would be donating to the Equal Justice Initiative, a non-profit focusing on racial injustice. (Mark Gurman / Bloomberg)
Google CEO Sundar Pichai emailed employees on Friday about the growing protests and unrest in the US. The tech exec did not commit to supporting any specific government policy changes in response to the protests, unlike some other technology industry leaders. (Rob Price / Business Insider)
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel called for the creation of an American commission to address racial injustice and comprehensive tax reform. In a lengthy note to employees, he said he was “heartbroken and enraged” by racism in America. Give this one a read — it’s by far the most thoughtful of the corporate responses to this weekend’s violence that I’ve seen.
Trump’s executive order on social media companies could backfire. Without certain liability protections, companies like Twitter would have to be more aggressive about policing messages that press the boundaries — including the president’s. (Peter Baker and Daisuke Wakabayashi / The New York Times)
Also: Trump’s order could hurt online speech by pressuring social media platforms to give his content preferential treatment. (Charles Duan and Jeffrey Westling / Lawfare)
President Trump’s decision to go after Twitter for fact-checking his tweets is part of a long tradition upheld by aggrieved internet trolls. A power user with a passionate following is lashing out against the moderators of his favorite internet services. The best description of the dynamic between Trump, Twitter and Facebook that I’ve read to date. (Kevin Roose / The New York Times)
Senate lawmakers are unveiling a bipartisan bill to regulate contact-tracing and exposure-notification apps. Their goal is to ensure that apps meant to combat the coronavirus don’t come at the expense of users’ privacy. (Tony Romm / The Washington Post)
State-based contact tracing apps could be a disaster. With no national plan for these apps, security and interoperability issues loom large. (Andy Greenberg / Wired)
YouTube said it made a mistake in deleting videos about the controversial drug hydroxychloroquine posted by a popular doctor. The content appears to have been collateral damage in the company’s fight against COVID-19 misinformation. (Mark Bergen / Bloomberg)
Industry
⭐Google rescinded offers to several thousand contractors due to an advertising slump created by the coronavirus crisis. The move affected more than 2,000 people globally who had signed offers to be a contract or temp worker. Daisuke Wakabayashi at The New York Times has the story:
Many of the contract and temp candidates who had agreed to work at Google before the pandemic took hold in the United States were let go without any severance or financial compensation. This came after weeks of uncertainty as Google repeatedly postponed their start dates during which time they were not paid by Google or the staffing agencies. Some of the would-be contractors left stable, full-time jobs once they received an employment offer at Google and are now searching for work in a difficult labor market. Some, who are Americans, said the rescinded offers have complicated and, in some cases, delayed their ability to receive unemployment benefits because they left their last jobs voluntarily, according to several of the workers facing this quandary.
Coronavirus mutual aid groups are organizing on Slack. They’re distributing groceries and spare air conditioners using tools designed to turn labor into money as efficiently as possible. (Kaitlyn Tiffany / The Atlantic)
Inside Amazon’s hierarchical company culture. This investigation is part of a series called Tech Nations, which examines the world’s largest technology companies as if they were countries – not corporations. Featuring one of the first interviews with recent Amazon apostate Tim Bray. (Alexi Mostrous and James Ball / Tortoise Media)
Things to do
Stuff to occupy you online during the quarantine.
Donate to a bail fund. This comprehensive guide from Rolling Stone has a guide to supporting state and national efforts, including the George Floyd Memorial Fund in Minnesota. Today and every day, black lives matter.
And finally...
Talk to us


theverge--2020-06-01--Spotify to add 8:46-minute moment of silence to playlists and podcasts in honor of George Floyd

Spotify will add an 8 minute and 46-second moment of silence to select playlists and podcasts on the platform to honor George Floyd .
The length of the moment of silence is equal to the amount of time former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd down by the neck with his knee , resulting in Floyd ’ s death and sparking universal outcry and demonstrations in US cities and around the world .
Spotify ’ s action is part of a broader movement in the music industry called Blackout Tuesday designed to protest police violence and racism .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a call to action from Atlanta Records marketing chief Jamila Thomas and former Atlantic employee Brianna Agyemang that started with the hashtag # TheShowMustBePaused .
ViacomCBS is also participating in a blackout lasting 8 minutes and 46 seconds across its network and cable channels starting 5PM ET on Monday .
“ June 2nd is Black Out Tuesday , a day of collective disconnect from work meant to help people reflect and come together in support of the Black community .
On this day — and every day — Spotify will support our employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and creators in the fight against racism , injustice , and inequity , ” the company writes in a blog post .
“ We are using the power of our platform to stand with Black creators , amplify their voices , and accelerate meaningful conversation and long-needed change .
As a result , you ’ ll notice some changes on Spotify starting at 12:01 AM on Tuesday.
” In addition to the moment of silence , Spotify says it will pause all social media publication , replace headline podcast and playlist images and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more prominently promote black artists and podcasters with specially curated playlists and its existing Black History is Now hub .
The company is also matching financial donations made by employees to organizations fighting racism and injustice .

Major streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music have pledged their support for Blackout Tuesday (also called “Black Out Tuesday”) with special playlists, moments of silence, and social media blackouts. The campaign is aimed at protesting police violence and racism as well as honoring George Floyd, whose death at the hands of police has sparked universal outcry and demonstrations in US cities and around the world.
Spotify will add an 8 minute and 46-second moment of silence to select playlists and podcasts on the platform. The length of the moment of silence is equal to the amount of time former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd down by the neck with his knee, resulting in Floyd’s death.
“A day of collective disconnect from work meant to help people reflect and come together in support of the Black community”
Apple Music’s regular Beats 1 radio programming has been cancelled 9to5Mac reports, and it is instead promoting a streaming station that celebrates music produced by black artists. Its regular recommendation and radio tabs are showing a single playlist called “For Us, By Us.” There’s also a full page takeover that’s being shown to some users, featuring a message of support for the protest movement. However, users can still access their music libraries and Apple Music catalog as normal.
The action is part of a broader movement in the music industry. A number of record labels are participating in Black Out Tuesday following a call to action from Atlanta Records marketing chief Jamila Thomas and former Atlantic employee Brianna Agyemang that started with the hashtag #TheShowMustBePaused. ViacomCBS is also participating in a blackout lasting 8 minutes and 46 seconds across its network and cable channels starting 5PM ET on Monday.
“June 2nd is Black Out Tuesday, a day of collective disconnect from work meant to help people reflect and come together in support of the Black community. On this day — and every day — Spotify will support our employees, friends, partners, artists, and creators in the fight against racism, injustice, and inequity,” Spotify wrote in a blog post. “We are using the power of our platform to stand with Black creators, amplify their voices, and accelerate meaningful conversation and long-needed change. As a result, you’ll notice some changes on Spotify starting at 12:01 AM on Tuesday.”
As well as pausing all social media publication, Spotify said it would replace headline podcast and playlist images and logos with a blacked out image, and more prominently promote black artists and podcasters with specially curated playlists and its existing Black History is Now hub. The company is also matching financial donations made by employees to organizations fighting racism and injustice.


theverge--2020-06-01--Twitter takes action against Rep. Matt Gaetz for glorifying violence

Twitter has restricted a tweet from Rep. Matt Gaetz ( R-FL ) for violating its policies against glorifying violence , following a similar action taken against President Donald Trump last week .
In a tweet published Monday , Gaetz wrote , “ Now that we clearly see Antifa as terrorists , can we hunt them down like we do those in the Middle East ?
” The post was retweeted over 12,000 times before Twitter took action against it .
Hours after it was posted , Twitter determined that it violated its policies against glorifying violence .
In doing so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s profile and users must click a “ view ” button before seeing .
Likes , retweets , and replies are all disabled from the tweet in an effort to limit its reach .
“ We have placed a public interest notice on this Tweet from @ mattgaetz .
The Tweet is in violation of our glorification of violence policy , ” a Twitter spokesperson tells The Verge .
Other lawmakers , like Sen. Chris Murphy ( D-CT ) called for Twitter to take down the tweet .
“ Take the Gaetz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RIGHT NOW .
The survivors of mass shootings are lighting up my phone .
They are scared to death this will inspire someone to start shooting into a crowd tonight .
They are right , ” he said .
Gaetz responded to a tweet calling him out “ for inciting violence , ” by writing in a follow-up tweet , “ You know what incites violence ?
Weakness.
” “ Take the Gaetz tweet down right now ” Over the last week , demonstrators have gathered in cities across the country to protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd , a black man who died at the hands of a former Minnesota police officer .
Politicians like Gaetz and Trump quickly narrowed their focus onto instances of violence and looting , blaming left-leaning protestors and “ Antifa ” for riots .
On Sunday , President Donald Trump tweeted that the US will designate Antifa a terrorist organization .
Under current law , the federal government has no legal authority to label a wholly domestic group in the same way it designates foreign terrorist organizations .
Antifa , short for anti-fascist , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Antifa is often used as an adjective for activists who oppose fascism .
Twitter ’ s action against Gaetz ’ s tweet follows its decision to restrict and fact-check tweets from the president last week .
On Tuesday , Twitter fact-check two tweets from Trump making false statements about mail-in voting and voter fraud .
It was the first time the platform took action against the president ’ s post .
On Friday , Twitter restricted a tweet from Trump for violating its policies against glorifying violence .
In Friday ’ s tweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of George Floyd in Minnesota “ thugs.
” He continued , “ Any difficulty and we will assume control , but , when the looting starts , the shooting starts.
” Shortly after the message was posted , Twitter determined the tweet violated its rules and placed a notice on the tweet .
By doing so , the tweet was hidden from Trump ’ s timeline , and likes , retweets , and replies were disabled to limit its reach .
Facebook declined to take similar action against the same messages posted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ network , leading to widespread frustration internally and Facebook employees ’ first-ever organized walk out on Monday to protest CEO Mark Zuckerberg ’ s decision .

Twitter has restricted a tweet from Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) for violating its policies against glorifying violence, following a similar action taken against President Donald Trump last week.
In a tweet published Monday, Gaetz wrote, “Now that we clearly see Antifa as terrorists, can we hunt them down like we do those in the Middle East?” The post was retweeted over 12,000 times before Twitter took action against it. Hours after it was posted, Twitter determined that it violated its policies against glorifying violence. In doing so, the tweet is hidden from Gaetz’s profile and users must click a “view” button before seeing. Likes, retweets, and replies are all disabled from the tweet in an effort to limit its reach.
“We have placed a public interest notice on this Tweet from @mattgaetz. The Tweet is in violation of our glorification of violence policy,” a Twitter spokesperson tells The Verge.
Twitter restricted a tweet from Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) Monday for glorifying violence
Other lawmakers, like Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) called for Twitter to take down the tweet. “Take the Gaetz tweet down right now @twitter. RIGHT NOW. The survivors of mass shootings are lighting up my phone. They are scared to death this will inspire someone to start shooting into a crowd tonight. They are right,” he said. Gaetz responded to a tweet calling him out “for inciting violence,” by writing in a follow-up tweet, “You know what incites violence? Weakness.”
“Take the Gaetz tweet down right now”
Over the last week, demonstrators have gathered in cities across the country to protest police brutality after the death of George Floyd, a black man who died at the hands of a former Minnesota police officer. Politicians like Gaetz and Trump quickly narrowed their focus onto instances of violence and looting, blaming left-leaning protestors and “Antifa” for riots.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump tweeted that the US will designate Antifa a terrorist organization. Under current law, the federal government has no legal authority to label a wholly domestic group in the same way it designates foreign terrorist organizations. Antifa, short for anti-fascist, isn’t an organized group — Antifa is often used as an adjective for activists who oppose fascism.
Twitter’s action against Gaetz’s tweet follows its decision to restrict and fact-check tweets from the president last week. On Tuesday, Twitter fact-check two tweets from Trump making false statements about mail-in voting and voter fraud. It was the first time the platform took action against the president’s post. On Friday, Twitter restricted a tweet from Trump for violating its policies against glorifying violence.
In Friday’s tweet, Trump called people protesting the death of George Floyd in Minnesota “thugs.” He continued, “Any difficulty and we will assume control, but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”


theverge--2020-06-01--TikTok pledges to promote black creators after accusations of censorship

TikTok on Monday laid out a series of actions it plans to take to address criticisms that its recommendation algorithm suppresses black creators .
These steps include launching what it calls a “ creator diversity council ” aimed at “ recognizing and uplifting the voices driving culture , creativity , and important conversations on the platform , ” the company wrote in a blog post .
TikTok says it will also reassess its moderation strategies , build out a new “ user-friendly ” appeals process , and develop a new creator portal for expanding communications and “ opportunities for our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will “ stand in solidarity with the Black community ” on Tuesday by participating in “ Black Out Tuesday , ” a day of action against racial injustice planned by the music industry .
TikTok said it will shut down its Sounds page , turning off all playlists and campaigns “ to observe a moment of reflection and action.
” The platform pledged a $ 3 million donation to non-profits that help the black community and a separate $ 1 million donation to address “ racial injustice and inequality.
” However , TikTok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its blog .
“ We appreciate being held accountable .
We know that getting to a place of trust will take work , but we are dedicated to doing our part as we continue to foster a space where everyone is seen and heard , ” the company writes .
In May , TikTok users started changing their profile pictures to the black power symbol to protest the censorship of black creators .
According to CNN , TikTok users would unfollow other users who did not support the movement , and black creators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one new black creator .
Shortly after , and at the height of protests across the country opposing police brutality , TikTok suffered what it called a “ technical glitch ” that made it appear as though videos uploaded under the # BlackLivesMatter and # GeorgeFloyd hashtags received zero views .
Still on Friday , TikTok appeared to restrict the search results for hashtags like # acab and # fuckthepolice .
Users could still use the tags , but their videos would not show up when searching for the tags .
In December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by disabled , queer , and fat creators .
According to Slate , TikTok censored videos by creators it deemed to be “ vulnerable to cyberbullying.
” Users with autism , Down syndrome , birthmarks , or “ slight squints ” had their videos suppressed , too .

TikTok on Monday laid out a series of actions it plans to take to address criticisms that its recommendation algorithm suppresses black creators.
These steps include launching what it calls a “creator diversity council” aimed at “recognizing and uplifting the voices driving culture, creativity, and important conversations on the platform,” the company wrote in a blog post. TikTok says it will also reassess its moderation strategies, build out a new “user-friendly” appeals process, and develop a new creator portal for expanding communications and “opportunities for our broader creator community.”
TikTok said it will “stand in solidarity with the Black community” on Tuesday by participating in “Black Out Tuesday,” a day of action against racial injustice planned by the music industry. TikTok said it will shut down its Sounds page, turning off all playlists and campaigns “to observe a moment of reflection and action.” The platform pledged a $3 million donation to non-profits that help the black community and a separate $1 million donation to address “racial injustice and inequality.” However, TikTok did not name any specific organizations in its blog.
“We appreciate being held accountable.”
“We appreciate being held accountable. We know that getting to a place of trust will take work, but we are dedicated to doing our part as we continue to foster a space where everyone is seen and heard,” the company writes.
In May, TikTok users started changing their profile pictures to the black power symbol to protest the censorship of black creators. According to CNN, TikTok users would unfollow other users who did not support the movement, and black creators asked non-black allies to follow at least one new black creator. Shortly after, and at the height of protests across the country opposing police brutality, TikTok suffered what it called a “technical glitch” that made it appear as though videos uploaded under the #BlackLivesMatter and #GeorgeFloyd hashtags received zero views.


theverge--2020-06-01--K-pop stans overwhelm app after Dallas police ask for videos of protesters

After the Dallas Police Department asked people to send videos of “ illegal activity from the protests ” happening in the city over the weekend using a special app called iWatch Dallas , K-pop fans flooded the software with content from their favorite artists and seemingly overloaded the reporting system in the process .
The day after the Dallas Police Department tweeted out the original request , a secondary tweet confirmed that “ due to technical difficulties iWatch Dallas app will be down temporarily.
” Replies to both tweets are a mix of clips from various K-pop groups performing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and other pop culture references calling out the request and later celebrating the app being down .
K-pop fans crashed the app within a day of the original request Buzzfeed News reported that a number of one-star reviews appeared on the app ’ s landing page in both the Google Play and Apple ’ s App Store marketplaces .
Those reviews were accompanied by hashtags for Black Lives Matter and abbreviations like ACAB , which stands for “ all cops are bastards.
” It ’ s unclear if traffic from the viral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led to the app crashing or if police took down the app once the increase in activity made it near-impossible to use , Buzzfeed News reported .
The push to undermine relation efforts against protesters comes as police across the country erupted in violence toward demonstrators protesting police brutality in the wake of George Floyd ’ s death at the hands of a former Minneapolis police officer last week .
Protests in New York City , Minneapolis , Atlanta , Dallas , Oakland , Los Angeles , Washington , DC.
, Seattle , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrests and countless instances of violence against protesters and members of the press .
As protesters continue to gather , some people are creating apps and programs that allow images and videos to be shared while also taking measures to protect individuals from doxxing and other retaliatory measures .
One tool scrapes metadata from images and allows for selective blurring and blacking out of parts of the image to help protect protesters from different surveillance tactics that may be used by law enforcement .

After the Dallas Police Department asked people to send videos of “illegal activity from the protests” happening in the city over the weekend using a special app called iWatch Dallas, K-pop fans flooded the software with content from their favorite artists and seemingly overloaded the reporting system in the process.
The day after the Dallas Police Department tweeted out the original request, a secondary tweet confirmed that “due to technical difficulties iWatch Dallas app will be down temporarily.” Replies to both tweets are a mix of clips from various K-pop groups performing, games like Animal Crossing, anime GIFs, and other pop culture references calling out the request and later celebrating the app being down.
K-pop fans crashed the app within a day of the original request
Buzzfeed News reported that a number of one-star reviews appeared on the app’s landing page in both the Google Play and Apple’s App Store marketplaces. Those reviews were accompanied by hashtags for Black Lives Matter and abbreviations like ACAB, which stands for “all cops are bastards.” It’s unclear if traffic from the viral movement, which started on Twitter, led to the app crashing or if police took down the app once the increase in activity made it near-impossible to use, Buzzfeed News reported.
The push to undermine relation efforts against protesters comes as police across the country erupted in violence toward demonstrators protesting police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of a former Minneapolis police officer last week. Protests in New York City, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Dallas, Oakland, Los Angeles, Washington, DC., Seattle, and other cities have resulted in mass arrests and countless instances of violence against protesters and members of the press.


theverge--2020-06-01--Here’s how you can donate to support the fight for justice right now

If you ’ ve been participating in the recent protests and want to do more , or if you ’ re unable to participate and want to do something , one way to help is to donate your money or your time .
There are a range of organizations that are providing activists with bail bonds and legal help , or that are helping small businesses and other community resources that have been adversely affected .
What follows is only a limited list .
Two things should be kept in mind : First : before you click on a link @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , make sure that it is legitimate .
Unfortunately , whenever there is a crisis , there are also those out there who will try to take advantage of the larger community ’ s eagerness to help .
In addition , some well-meaning people may start a GoFundMe or other fundraising campaign without first finding out the best way to help or if there are already existing resources .
So , as laid out in this helpful Lifehacker article , it ’ s a good idea not to just click on a social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve picked out a group you want to donate to , go to that group ’ s website and check them out .
You can also investigate more established charities by using sites such as Guidestar or Charity Navigator ( although many of these groups are too recent or small to be listed with either ) .
Another reason to go to a group ’ s website is that some local organizations , such as the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund and NorthStar Health Collective , are being overwhelmed with donations and are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be more in need of help .
By doing a bit of research , you can find out where the current need is greatest .
Here are some places to start .
We ’ ve provided links to the organizations and to their donation pages ; if you are local to any of them and want to volunteer , there will be links for that on these sites as well .
According to the website : “ The Community Justice Exchange is a national hub for developing , sharing , and experimenting with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and innovative organizing tools to end mass incarceration.
” It also is the home of the National Bail Fund Network , which links to over 60 community bail and bond funds , including the Minnesota Freedom Fund .
You can check out the list of protest bail funds by state if you want to give to a local fund .
You can also donate directly to the Network .
Donate According to the website : “ Our mission is to provide the highest quality criminal defense and restorative justice services to low-income people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our focus is Hennepin County , our priority is juveniles , and our services are at no cost.
” Note : Hennepin County is the county in which Minneapolis is located .
Donate According to the website : “ Our mission is to use law for the people , uniting lawyers , law students , legal workers , and jailhouse lawyers to function as an effective force in the service of the people by valuing human rights and the rights of ecosystems over property interests.
” The National Lawyers Guild and The Legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Minnesota Freedom Fund on bail set for protesters .
Donate According to the website : “ Our mission is to advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education , self-empowerment , mass-mobilization and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders.
” Set up by Colin Kaepernick , the fund is now providing legal services for those in the Minneapolis area .
Donate According to the website : “ CPJ is investigating reports of attacks and arrests in recent days in Louisville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; Atlanta ; and Washington , D.C. ” These incidents include Linda Tirado , the freelance photographer who lost an eye , or Omar Jimenez , the CNN reporter who was taken into police custody even after he identified himself .
Donate According to the website : “ The Lake Street Council ( 501c3 ) will donate 100 % of funds to help rebuild Lake Street , starting with direct support to small businesses and nonprofits to help them rebuild their storefronts , reopen their businesses and serve our neighborhoods.
” Donate A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bethlehem Baptist Church , it sponsors food and supply drop-offs and distributions around the neighborhoods that are being adversely affected by the disturbances .
Donate According to the website : “ Reclaim the Block began in 2018 and organizes Minneapolis community and city council members to move money from the police department into other areas of the city ’ s budget that truly promote community health and safety.
” Donate

If you’ve been participating in the recent protests and want to do more, or if you’re unable to participate and want to do something, one way to help is to donate your money or your time. There are a range of organizations that are providing activists with bail bonds and legal help, or that are helping small businesses and other community resources that have been adversely affected.
What follows is only a limited list. Two things should be kept in mind:
First: before you click on a link to donate to an organization or fund, make sure that it is legitimate. Unfortunately, whenever there is a crisis, there are also those out there who will try to take advantage of the larger community’s eagerness to help. In addition, some well-meaning people may start a GoFundMe or other fundraising campaign without first finding out the best way to help or if there are already existing resources. So, as laid out in this helpful Lifehacker article, it’s a good idea not to just click on a social media link; instead, once you’ve picked out a group you want to donate to, go to that group’s website and check them out. You can also investigate more established charities by using sites such as Guidestar or Charity Navigator (although many of these groups are too recent or small to be listed with either).
Another reason to go to a group’s website is that some local organizations, such as the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund and NorthStar Health Collective, are being overwhelmed with donations and are directing contributors to other organizations that may be more in need of help. By doing a bit of research, you can find out where the current need is greatest.
Here are some places to start. We’ve provided links to the organizations and to their donation pages; if you are local to any of them and want to volunteer, there will be links for that on these sites as well.
Bail and legal funds
According to the website: “The Community Justice Exchange is a national hub for developing, sharing, and experimenting with tactical interventions, strategic organizing practices, and innovative organizing tools to end mass incarceration.” It also is the home of the National Bail Fund Network, which links to over 60 community bail and bond funds, including the Minnesota Freedom Fund. You can check out the list of protest bail funds by state if you want to give to a local fund. You can also donate directly to the Network. Donate
According to the website: “Our mission is to provide the highest quality criminal defense and restorative justice services to low-income people, in particular people of color. Our focus is Hennepin County, our priority is juveniles, and our services are at no cost.” Note: Hennepin County is the county in which Minneapolis is located. Donate
According to the website: “Our mission is to use law for the people, uniting lawyers, law students, legal workers, and jailhouse lawyers to function as an effective force in the service of the people by valuing human rights and the rights of ecosystems over property interests.” The National Lawyers Guild and The Legal Rights Center are the two organizations working with the Minnesota Freedom Fund on bail set for protesters. Donate
According to the website: “Our mission is to advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders.” Set up by Colin Kaepernick, the fund is now providing legal services for those in the Minneapolis area. Donate
According to the website: “CPJ is investigating reports of attacks and arrests in recent days in Louisville, Kentucky; Las Vegas, Nevada; Atlanta; and Washington, D.C.” These incidents include Linda Tirado, the freelance photographer who lost an eye, or Omar Jimenez, the CNN reporter who was taken into police custody even after he identified himself. Donate
Rebuild the community
According to the website: “The Lake Street Council (501c3) will donate 100% of funds to help rebuild Lake Street, starting with direct support to small businesses and nonprofits to help them rebuild their storefronts, reopen their businesses and serve our neighborhoods.” Donate
A Facebook page sponsored by Minnesota’s Bethlehem Baptist Church, it sponsors food and supply drop-offs and distributions around the neighborhoods that are being adversely affected by the disturbances. Donate
According to the website: “Reclaim the Block began in 2018 and organizes Minneapolis community and city council members to move money from the police department into other areas of the city’s budget that truly promote community health and safety.” Donate
According to the video description: “This video project was created to offer people a way to donate and financially contribute to #blacklivesmatter without having any actual money or going out to protest themselves ... 100% of the advertisement revenue this video makes through AdSense will be donated to the associations that offer protester bail funds, help pay for family funerals, and advocacy listed in the beginning of the video.”
For the long term
From the website: “The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. is America’s premier legal organization fighting for racial justice. Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, LDF seeks structural changes to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice in a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all Americans.” Donate
From the website: “Funds donated to Campaign Zero support the analysis of policing practices across the country, research to identify effective solutions to end police violence, technical assistance to organizers leading police accountability campaigns and the development of model legislation and advocacy to end police violence nationwide.” Donate
From the website: “We are a news trade organization with a mission of increasing the ranks, retention and profile of reporters and editors of color in the field of investigative reporting.” Donate
According to the website: “With more than 1.5 million members, nearly 300 staff attorneys, thousands of volunteer attorneys, and offices throughout the nation, the ACLU of today continues to fight government abuse and to vigorously defend individual freedoms including speech and religion, a woman’s right to choose, the right to due process, citizens’ rights to privacy and much more.” Donate
According to the website: “We exonerate the innocent through DNA testing and reform the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice.” Donate


theverge--2020-06-01--Go read this heartbreaking story of how coronavirus spreads

At this moment , more than 104,000 Americans have died of the coronavirus and more than 1.8 million have been infected .
It can be hard to wrap your head around the devastation the coronavirus has wreaked on families across the US , especially as some states try to gradually reopen and return to whatever normal looks like now .
As part of its stellar Voices from the Pandemic series , The Washington Post has a first-person account of a nursing home worker whose mother died of suspected coronavirus last month .
Francene Bailey had been suffering from coronavirus symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from the rest of her family .
The thing is , I was trying so hard to be careful from the very beginning .
It ’ s not like I was one of those people who didn ’ t pay attention .
I work at a nursing home .
I knew how fast this virus could spread .
As soon as a few of the residents started spiking fevers in March , I went online to buy extra masks .
We didn ’ t have the right protective supplies , and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re a nursing aide .
Bailey came home with a headache , started coughing and physically isolated herself from the rest of the household , including her concerned 70-year-old mother who offered home remedies and kept checking on her .
But during a moment of motherly concern , she lowered her face mask .
I was gasping and sobbing .
I couldn ’ t talk .
She told me : “ Take off your mask .
Let the air in.
” I pulled my mask down around my neck , and she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and she needed to help .
Our faces were touching .
I was breathing on her .
I wasn ’ t thinking about anything .
I leaned on her until I was calm again , and then I put my mask back on and went upstairs .
Within a few days , Bailey ’ s mother had a cough , and was hospitalized within a week .
Ten days later , her mother died .
Having Bailey tell her family ’ s coronavirus story to the Post in her own words is especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a contagious virus that her mother also caught , rather than blaming the lack of protective equipment at the nursing home where she worked , or the incompetence of government officials in handling the outbreak ( which is where the blame frankly belongs ) .
Next time someone questions why you should wear a face mask or practice social distancing or otherwise take precautions against spreading a deadly virus , show them Francene Bailey ’ s story .
It ’ s not an easy read , but that ’ s sort of the @ @

I was gasping and sobbing. I couldn’t talk. She told me: “Take off your mask. Let the air in.”
I pulled my mask down around my neck, and she held me. I needed it, and she needed to help. Our faces were touching. I was breathing on her. I wasn’t thinking about anything. I leaned on her until I was calm again, and then I put my mask back on and went upstairs.


theverge--2020-06-01--A Twitter joke about MSNBC and World War Z turned into a misinformation nightmare

An apparent Twitter joke got out of control this weekend , falsely convincing some users — and possibly even the leader of the QAnon conspiracy theory — that MSNBC ran a broadcast with World War Z shots instead of real protest footage .
Over the past day , an image and video clip have spread around Twitter comparing a news broadcast with a scene from the Brad Pitt film World War Z .
The clip seems to show MSNBC reporting on the weekend ’ s nationwide protests , narrating over an aerial view of Philadelphia dotted with fires and smoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ War Z ’ s trailer , you can see the same shot midway through the video , suggesting the news outlet either badly screwed up its reporting or deliberately falsified the story .
But if you look back at the MSNBC video , you ’ ll see something else : a tiny label above the chyron reading “ BAD SCOOTER / NOT REAL.
” “ Bad Scooter ” is the name of a small Twitter account whose operator has taken credit for the video , although the original copy has apparently been deleted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ YES , that MSNBC clip was from World War Z , I even marked the video above the MSNBC logo “ NOT REAL , ” the user tweeted last night .
“ I dramatically underestimated Twitter , many pointed it out , some claimed it was ‘ real ’ — that was stupid of me .
I apologize.
” Bad Scooter even posted the original MSBNC video they ’ d modified , which originally featured actual footage of Philadelphia .
NBCUniversal spokesperson Alexandra Roberts also said MSNBC never used the World War Z @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posts are fake , ” wrote Roberts in an email to The Verge .
But Bad Scooter ’ s disclaimer wasn ’ t enough .
A comparison screenshot was already spreading across Twitter with no attribution .
And this morning , it was posted on the forum 8kun by Q — the enigmatic figurehead of an elaborate and expansive conspiracy that accuses Democratic leaders of cannibalism and pedophilia .
“ MSDNC [ knowingly ] using fake footage ?
MSDEN pushing [ AMERICA ON FIRE ] narrative ?
Why ?
” asked Q , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PEOPLE.
” Confusion among QAnon supporters followed .
At first , 8kun readers blessed Q for warning them about the deception .
“ Thanks for the guidance Q… It would be a very confusing time for the world without this platform , ” wrote one .
Then , a few users caught the mistake .
“ This footage was in World War Z but it looks like it was NOT broadcast on MSNBC as ‘ real , ’ ” wrote one .
“ Staring to look like Q gave us fake news .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours , a new Q post seemingly “ confirmed ” that MSNBC hadn ’ t aired the footage .
“ Good catch !
” Q told a user who asked if the image was fake .
This isn ’ t likely to seriously discredit Q among QAnon supporters , although a few did express consternation about the mistake .
“ Don ’ t you have better intel than to fall for this ?
” asked one .
Meanwhile , “ World War Z ” is now trending for at least some users ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t seem to have labeled images under the site ’ s “ synthetic and manipulated media ” policy .
Twitter jokes have gone awry before , like a parody excerpt of Michael Wolff ’ s book Fire and Fury , which fooled many users into believing President Donald Trump spent hours watching a fake “ gorilla channel ” on television .
It ’ s also common for screenshots from movies to make the rounds on social media during big events — an image from Designated Survivor was apparently passed off as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night .
As Q ’ s “ enemy of the people ” note shows , though , the MSNBC tweet fueled dangerous claims that media channels can ’ t be trusted .
After posting the unmodified video clip , Bad Scooter offered another apology .
“ I am NOT a # Trump supporter by any means , not even close , ” they wrote .
“ But in my sh*t judgement — piss poor taste , I really f ’ ed up and I am sorry .
”

An apparent Twitter joke got out of control this weekend, falsely convincing some users — and possibly even the leader of the QAnon conspiracy theory — that MSNBC ran a broadcast with World War Z shots instead of real protest footage.
Over the past day, an image and video clip have spread around Twitter comparing a news broadcast with a scene from the Brad Pitt film World War Z. The clip seems to show MSNBC reporting on the weekend’s nationwide protests, narrating over an aerial view of Philadelphia dotted with fires and smoke plumes. If you look up World War Z’s trailer, you can see the same shot midway through the video, suggesting the news outlet either badly screwed up its reporting or deliberately falsified the story. But if you look back at the MSNBC video, you’ll see something else: a tiny label above the chyron reading “BAD SCOOTER / NOT REAL.”
The internet is full of viral half-truths, honest mistakes, outright lies, and other unreliable information. But in many cases, you can cut through the chaos by following a few simple rules.
“Bad Scooter” is the name of a small Twitter account whose operator has taken credit for the video, although the original copy has apparently been deleted. “Well that escalated quickly. YES, that MSNBC clip was from World War Z, I even marked the video above the MSNBC logo “NOT REAL,” the user tweeted last night. “I dramatically underestimated Twitter, many pointed it out, some claimed it was ‘real’ — that was stupid of me. I apologize.” Bad Scooter even posted the original MSBNC video they’d modified, which originally featured actual footage of Philadelphia.
NBCUniversal spokesperson Alexandra Roberts also said MSNBC never used the World War Z footage. “To confirm, the posts are fake,” wrote Roberts in an email to The Verge.
But Bad Scooter’s disclaimer wasn’t enough. A comparison screenshot was already spreading across Twitter with no attribution. And this morning, it was posted on the forum 8kun by Q — the enigmatic figurehead of an elaborate and expansive conspiracy that accuses Democratic leaders of cannibalism and pedophilia. “MSDNC [knowingly] using fake footage? MSDEN pushing [AMERICA ON FIRE] narrative? Why?” asked Q, apparently seriously. “ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE.”
Confusion among QAnon supporters followed. At first, 8kun readers blessed Q for warning them about the deception. “Thanks for the guidance Q… It would be a very confusing time for the world without this platform,” wrote one. Then, a few users caught the mistake. “This footage was in World War Z but it looks like it was NOT broadcast on MSNBC as ‘real,’” wrote one. “Staring to look like Q gave us fake news. Sorry to say.” Within a few hours, a new Q post seemingly “confirmed” that MSNBC hadn’t aired the footage. “Good catch!” Q told a user who asked if the image was fake.
This isn’t likely to seriously discredit Q among QAnon supporters, although a few did express consternation about the mistake. “Don’t you have better intel than to fall for this?” asked one. Meanwhile, “World War Z” is now trending for at least some users (including me) on Twitter, which doesn’t seem to have labeled images under the site’s “synthetic and manipulated media” policy.
Twitter jokes have gone awry before, like a parody excerpt of Michael Wolff’s book Fire and Fury, which fooled many users into believing President Donald Trump spent hours watching a fake “gorilla channel” on television. It’s also common for screenshots from movies to make the rounds on social media during big events — an image from Designated Survivor was apparently passed off as a picture of Washington, DC last night. As Q’s “enemy of the people” note shows, though, the MSNBC tweet fueled dangerous claims that media channels can’t be trusted.


theverge--2020-06-01--Uber, Lyft, DoorDash suspend operations in some US cities with curfews

In order to comply with local curfew orders , food delivery platform DoorDash and ride-sharing companies Lyft and Uber are temporarily suspending service in some cities across the US , CNBC reported .
More than three dozen cities have implemented curfews following demonstrations protesting the May 25th death of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Police in several cities used tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters , and some businesses were vandalized .
A Lyft spokesperson said in an email to The Verge that the company is following the direction of local government .
She did not provide a number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specific cities were affected .
An Uber spokesperson told The Verge it had suspended operations over the weekend during curfew hours in Minneapolis , Oakland , San Francisco , and Los Angeles , which were expected to continue today .
In some other cities , officials had asked Uber to continue operating even with curfews in place , to serve essential workers without other means of transportation , the spokesperson said .
“ Our teams on the ground are working closely with each individual city to best support them based on their needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to provide a full list of affected cities , but the spokesperson said the company is in contact with local officials , adding that the list of affected cities could change frequently .
DoorDash , which has seen an increase in orders as restaurants have been forced to suspend eat-in dining during the pandemic , told The Verge it is pausing operations to abide by curfews .
Its spokesperson did not provide details about which cities were affected as of Monday .
The platforms join several retailers that have temporarily closed storefronts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Target , and Apple all curbed operations over the weekend , with Apple keeping many of is retail stores closed on Sunday .
And Bloomberg reported that Amazon had scaled back and adjusted routes “ in a handful of cities , ” sending messages to some drivers in Chicago and Los Angeles instructing them to stop delivering packages and return home .

In order to comply with local curfew orders, food delivery platform DoorDash and ride-sharing companies Lyft and Uber are temporarily suspending service in some cities across the US, CNBC reported. More than three dozen cities have implemented curfews following demonstrations protesting the May 25th death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Police in several cities used tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters, and some businesses were vandalized.
A Lyft spokesperson said in an email to The Verge that the company is following the direction of local government. She did not provide a number of cities or offer details about which specific cities were affected.
An Uber spokesperson told The Verge it had suspended operations over the weekend during curfew hours in Minneapolis, Oakland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, which were expected to continue today. In some other cities, officials had asked Uber to continue operating even with curfews in place, to serve essential workers without other means of transportation, the spokesperson said. “Our teams on the ground are working closely with each individual city to best support them based on their needs and the local situation.”
Uber did not to provide a full list of affected cities, but the spokesperson said the company is in contact with local officials, adding that the list of affected cities could change frequently.
DoorDash, which has seen an increase in orders as restaurants have been forced to suspend eat-in dining during the pandemic, told The Verge it is pausing operations to abide by curfews. Its spokesperson did not provide details about which cities were affected as of Monday.


theverge--2020-06-01--Grindr will remove ethnicity filters in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement

Grindr , a popular gay dating app , will remove ethnicity filters from its app , the company tweeted today .
The decision is meant to show solidarity with protests in the US over police brutality against black women and men .
The filters , which allow people to pay to avoid seeing people of certain ethnicities , will be removed in the next app update .
The ethnicity filters have been controversial for years , but they went unchanged even as Grindr launched an anti-racism campaign on the platform in 2018 .
That same year , Landen Zumwalt , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told The Guardian that the company discussed removing the ethnicity filters but wasn ’ t ready to get rid of them .
The team wanted to talk to its users first , he said , and the filters gave people in minority groups a chance to match more easily with one another .
“ While I believe the ethnicity filter does promote racist behavior in the app , other minority groups use the filter because they want to quickly find other members of their minority community , ” he said .
Other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , allow users to filter out people of certain ethnicities as well .
The League CEO Amanda Bradford told The Verge in 2019 that these filters didn ’ t encourage racism and instead are useful for people of color to find people similar to them .
She used an example of an Indian woman wanting to find an Indian man ; the app ’ s filters are more effective and efficient than searching through thousands of profiles .
At the same time , researchers have found that people of color are rejected more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The filters could allow people to continue to discriminate against people of color , enforcing racist attitudes .
OkCupid published a report in 2014 that found , for example , white women were much less likely to be interested in black or Asian men .
Grindr ’ s removal of the filters might stop people from communicating their race preferences to the app , but it doesn ’ t necessarily mean they ’ ll be matching with people who look different from them .
Their matching behaviors could still inform Grindr ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ app could learn from users ’ behaviors , and if they don ’ t match with people of color , the app could learn to deprioritize those profiles .
Algorithms learn racial bias across industries , so removing filters is only one step to making people of color ’ s experiences more pleasant and similar to white people ’ s .

Grindr, a popular gay dating app, will remove ethnicity filters from its app, the company tweeted today. The decision is meant to show solidarity with protests in the US over police brutality against black women and men. The filters, which allow people to pay to avoid seeing people of certain ethnicities, will be removed in the next app update.
The ethnicity filters have been controversial for years, but they went unchanged even as Grindr launched an anti-racism campaign on the platform in 2018. That same year, Landen Zumwalt, Grindr’s former head of communications, told The Guardian that the company discussed removing the ethnicity filters but wasn’t ready to get rid of them. The team wanted to talk to its users first, he said, and the filters gave people in minority groups a chance to match more easily with one another.
“While I believe the ethnicity filter does promote racist behavior in the app, other minority groups use the filter because they want to quickly find other members of their minority community,” he said.
Other apps, including The League and Hinge, allow users to filter out people of certain ethnicities as well. The League CEO Amanda Bradford told The Verge in 2019 that these filters didn’t encourage racism and instead are useful for people of color to find people similar to them. She used an example of an Indian woman wanting to find an Indian man; the app’s filters are more effective and efficient than searching through thousands of profiles.
At the same time, researchers have found that people of color are rejected more often than white people on dating apps. The filters could allow people to continue to discriminate against people of color, enforcing racist attitudes. OkCupid published a report in 2014 that found, for example, white women were much less likely to be interested in black or Asian men.


theverge--2020-06-02--HP’s Omen 15 gaming laptop has a sleek new design

HP has released the newest version of the Omen 15 , its powerful entry-level gaming laptop .
You can choose an AMD or Intel system — both will be available June 2nd starting at $ 999 .
There are some internal upgrades , but what you ’ ll probably notice first is the new Omen ’ s design .
The product has a nice blue diamond logo ( similar to that which appears on HP ’ s Omen desktops ) .
Check it below , and you ’ ll see that it ’ s a stark contrast from the old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous models .
There ’ s also a new modern-looking graphic on the palm rest , and the whole thing is 11 percent thinner than its predecessor at 22.5mm tall .
The 15.6-inch screen is supported by a new 180-degree hinge .
Both AMD and Intel versions of the new Omen are out June 2nd starting at $ 999 HP says the new design is meant to reposition the Omen as a multifunctional PC , catering to users who want a laptop for work or browsing as well as games .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the Omens we ’ re used to , and certainly an aesthetic that might blend better into an office or coffee shop setting — it ’ s now much closer to a Razer Blade than a Helios 300 .
In terms of other specs , you can configure this with up to a Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q and an Intel Core i7 H-series or AMD Ryzen 7 H-series .
This is the first Omen series to offer an AMD variant , and also the first with two color options ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the AMD system comes in silver .
You ’ ll also get up to 32GB of RAM ( DDR4 ) and up to 1TB PCIe SSD or dual PCIe SSD supporting RAID 0 .
And you can choose an OLED panel , a UHD 120 Hz panel , or an FHD 300 Hz panel .
HP has also announced its Pavilion Gaming 16 , the company ’ s first 16-inch gaming PC .
16-inch is a size you don ’ t see on gaming laptops every day ; HP says its chassis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gaming laptops thanks to its slim bezels .
( HP calls the screen a “ micro-edge bezel display.
” ) The Pavilion comes with up to a 10th-Gen Core i7 and a Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q .
It ’ s also the first of its line to come with the Omen command center pre-installed , which helps players monitor their gaming performance in real-time .
The Pavilion Gaming 16 will be available in June starting at $ 799 .

HP has released the newest version of the Omen 15, its powerful entry-level gaming laptop. You can choose an AMD or Intel system — both will be available June 2nd starting at $999.
There are some internal upgrades, but what you’ll probably notice first is the new Omen’s design. The product has a nice blue diamond logo (similar to that which appears on HP’s Omen desktops). Check it below, and you’ll see that it’s a stark contrast from the old VoodooPC emblem we’ve seen on previous models. There’s also a new modern-looking graphic on the palm rest, and the whole thing is 11 percent thinner than its predecessor at 22.5mm tall. The 15.6-inch screen is supported by a new 180-degree hinge.
Both AMD and Intel versions of the new Omen are out June 2nd starting at $999
HP says the new design is meant to reposition the Omen as a multifunctional PC, catering to users who want a laptop for work or browsing as well as games. It’s a simpler and more sophisticated look than the Omens we’re used to, and certainly an aesthetic that might blend better into an office or coffee shop setting — it’s now much closer to a Razer Blade than a Helios 300.
In terms of other specs, you can configure this with up to a Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q and an Intel Core i7 H-series or AMD Ryzen 7 H-series. This is the first Omen series to offer an AMD variant, and also the first with two color options; the Intel system comes in black, and the AMD system comes in silver. You’ll also get up to 32GB of RAM (DDR4) and up to 1TB PCIe SSD or dual PCIe SSD supporting RAID 0. And you can choose an OLED panel, a UHD 120 Hz panel, or an FHD 300 Hz panel.
New year, new logo. HP
HP has also announced its Pavilion Gaming 16, the company’s first 16-inch gaming PC. 16-inch is a size you don’t see on gaming laptops every day; HP says its chassis is comparable to those of other 15-inch gaming laptops thanks to its slim bezels. (HP calls the screen a “micro-edge bezel display.”)
The Pavilion comes with up to a 10th-Gen Core i7 and a Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q. It’s also the first of its line to come with the Omen command center pre-installed, which helps players monitor their gaming performance in real-time.


theverge--2020-06-02--HP’s latest gaming accessories focus on simplicity and value

HP has announced a fleet of new gaming accessories , including new gaming mice and HP ’ s very first wireless 2.4GHz gaming headset .
Even though all of today ’ s announcements have features that are geared primarily toward gamers , there ’ s a strange split between the products with HP ’ s refreshed Omen branding , like the mice , and the simply HP-branded headset .
The new gaming mice are the $ 49 Omen Vector and the $ 29 Omen Vector Essential .
Both are wired models that weigh 88g and have six buttons .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two , featuring an Omen Radar 3 sensor ( derived from the PixArt PMW3389 ) with up to 16,000 DPI sensitivity .
The Vector Essential has the Omen Radar 1 sensor ( built with the PixArt PAW3327 ) that tops out at 7,200 DPI sensitivity .
The Omen Vector has more LEDs and features a textured rubber grip on the side , whereas the Vector Essential is plastic all over .
Otherwise , as shown in the image slider below , they ’ re very similar to each other .
The Vector @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and with all the 5g weights added into the bottom of the Vector , it can weigh as much as 113g .
HP ’ s new high-end mouse will release in June , and the Vector Essential will follow in July .
The HP X1000 is the company ’ s first wireless 2.4GHz headset .
This new model has 7.1 virtual surround sound and can connect to PC and PS4 — and presumably into a Nintendo Switch dock , as well — via a USB wireless dongle that is cleverly hidden behind a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ear cup .
The X1000 gaming headset looks to have a comfortable headband , and its boom mic turns red when you hit mute on the edge of the left ear cup , where you ’ ll also find all of the other controls .
HP claims that it can last up to 20 hours per charge and it charges via its Micro USB port .
The X1000 headset doesn ’ t have any quirky tricks up its sleeve , like the $ 199 Omen Mindframe from 2018 that used thermoelectric coolers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply a wireless headset with bog standard features , though as long as HP nails those basics , it could be worth checking out .
This headset will release in August for $ 99.99 .

HP has announced a fleet of new gaming accessories, including new gaming mice and HP’s very first wireless 2.4GHz gaming headset. Even though all of today’s announcements have features that are geared primarily toward gamers, there’s a strange split between the products with HP’s refreshed Omen branding, like the mice, and the simply HP-branded headset.
The new gaming mice are the $49 Omen Vector and the $29 Omen Vector Essential. Both are wired models that weigh 88g and have six buttons. The Omen Vector is its higher-end option of the two, featuring an Omen Radar 3 sensor (derived from the PixArt PMW3389) with up to 16,000 DPI sensitivity. The Vector Essential has the Omen Radar 1 sensor (built with the PixArt PAW3327) that tops out at 7,200 DPI sensitivity. The Omen Vector has more LEDs and features a textured rubber grip on the side, whereas the Vector Essential is plastic all over. Otherwise, as shown in the image slider below, they’re very similar to each other.
The Vector (left) has a braided cable, a textured thumb grip and a backlit scrollwheel.
The Vector comes with 25g of extra weights, and with all the 5g weights added into the bottom of the Vector, it can weigh as much as 113g. HP’s new high-end mouse will release in June, and the Vector Essential will follow in July.
HP’s X1000 wireless headset hides the wireless dongle in the ear cup.
The HP X1000 is the company’s first wireless 2.4GHz headset. This new model has 7.1 virtual surround sound and can connect to PC and PS4 — and presumably into a Nintendo Switch dock, as well — via a USB wireless dongle that is cleverly hidden behind a magnetic, removable plate covering the left ear cup. The X1000 gaming headset looks to have a comfortable headband, and its boom mic turns red when you hit mute on the edge of the left ear cup, where you’ll also find all of the other controls. HP claims that it can last up to 20 hours per charge and it charges via its Micro USB port.


theverge--2020-06-02--Microsoft finally gives AppGet developer the credit he deserves

Microsoft is crediting a developer after he accused the company of copying the core mechanics of its new Windows Package Manager .
AppGet developer Keivan Beigi provided a detailed account of Microsoft reaching out with interest about his package manager , inviting him for interviews , and then ghosting him for months before unveiling its own package manager that he felt was inspired by his work .
Beigi claimed the “ core mechanics , terminology , the manifest format and structure , even the package repository ’ s folder structure ” of Microsoft ’ s Windows Package Manager ( winget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Microsoft only briefly mentioned AppGet once in its announcement , in a throwaway line that lists other Windows package managers .
A variety of Windows package managers exist , and are used to automate the process of installing and updating apps .
Microsoft doesn ’ t dispute the claims .
“ Our goal is to provide a great product to our customers and community where everyone can contribute and receive recognition , ” says Andrew Clinick , a program manager responsible for the app model at Microsoft , in a blog post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days we ’ ve listened and learned from our community and clearly we did not live up to this goal .
More specifically , we failed to live up to this with Keivan and AppGet .
This was the last thing that we wanted.
” Clinick stops short of directly apologizing for the circumstances around AppGet and winget , and admits Microsoft ’ s implementation was inspired — or as he puts it “ helped us get to a better product direction ” — by AppGet : No scripts during install – something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t allow with MSIX Rich manifest definition within GitHub – the power of being open combined with rich declarative meta data about the app is so important to meet goal # 1 Seamless updates for applications in the repository Microsoft is now promising to credit Beigi in an upcoming update to the readme portion of the Windows Package Manager .
We reached out to Beigi to comment on the blog post and Microsoft ’ s overall response , but the developer says he ’ s still in discussions with Microsoft over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas Andrew and I have been discussing , ” says Beigi in a comment on GitHub .
“ Hopefully we ’ ll have something to share with you guys soon .
”

No scripts during install – something that we completely agreed with and don’t allow with MSIX
Rich manifest definition within GitHub – the power of being open combined with rich declarative meta data about the app is so important to meet goal #1
Support all types of Windows applications installers
Seamless updates for applications in the repository


theverge--2020-06-02--Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Amazon unite in support of Blackout Tuesday

Major streaming services including Spotify , Apple Music , Amazon Music , and YouTube Music have pledged their support for Blackout Tuesday ( also called “ Black Out Tuesday ” ) with special playlists , moments of silence , and social media blackouts .
The campaign is aimed at protesting police violence and racism as well as honoring George Floyd , whose death at the hands of police has sparked universal outcry and demonstrations in US cities and around the world .
Spotify will add an 8 minute and 46-second moment of silence to select playlists and podcasts on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of silence is equal to the amount of time former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd down by the neck with his knee , resulting in Floyd ’ s death .
“ A day of collective disconnect from work meant to help people reflect and come together in support of the Black community ” Apple Music ’ s regular Beats 1 radio programming has been cancelled 9to5Mac reports , and it is instead promoting a streaming station that celebrates music produced by black artists .
Its regular recommendation and radio tabs are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Us , By Us.
” There ’ s also a full page takeover that ’ s being shown to some users , featuring a message of support for the protest movement .
However , users can still access their music libraries and Apple Music catalog as normal .
Amazon Music also tweeted in support of the movement , adding that it will be pausing all social media for the day .
YouTube Music issued a tweet of support from its official account .
YouTube previously pledged to donate $ 1 million to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is part of a broader movement in the music industry .
A number of record labels are participating in Black Out Tuesday following a call to action from Atlanta Records marketing chief Jamila Thomas and former Atlantic employee Brianna Agyemang that started with the hashtag # TheShowMustBePaused .
ViacomCBS is also participating in a blackout lasting 8 minutes and 46 seconds across its network and cable channels starting 5PM ET on Monday .
“ June 2nd is Black Out Tuesday , a day of collective disconnect from work meant to help people reflect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black community .
On this day — and every day — Spotify will support our employees , friends , partners , artists , and creators in the fight against racism , injustice , and inequity , ” Spotify wrote in a blog post .
“ We are using the power of our platform to stand with Black creators , amplify their voices , and accelerate meaningful conversation and long-needed change .
As a result , you ’ ll notice some changes on Spotify starting at 12:01 AM on Tuesday.
” As well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it would replace headline podcast and playlist images and logos with a blacked out image , and more prominently promote black artists and podcasters with specially curated playlists and its existing Black History is Now hub .
The company is also matching financial donations made by employees to organizations fighting racism and injustice .
Update June 2nd , 6:41AM ET : Story and headline updated with supporting actions taken by Apple Music , YouTube , and Amazon Music .