COVID-19 privacy protection bill introduced with bipartisan support
The bill's authors hope privacy and public health don't have to be at odds.
Policy // Civilization & Discontents
AT&T exempts HBO Max from data caps but still limits your Netflix use
AT&T-owned HBO Max gets special treatment on AT&T network.
Lawsuit over online book lending could bankrupt Internet Archive
Publishers call online library “willful digital piracy on an industrial scale.”
SpaceX launch footage was taken down thanks to bogus copyright claim
The public domain video was restored to the public, but this happens a lot.
Dallas Police asked public for videos of protesters—it didn’t go well
Police app stops working hours after PD requested videos of “illegal activity.”
Facebook employees revolt over Zuckerberg’s stance on Trump
CEO criticized for refusing to take action over posts by Trump in response to unrest.
Walmart employees are out to show its anti-shoplifting AI doesn’t work
The retailer denies there is any widespread issue with the software.
Everyone’s ordering delivery, but apps aren’t making money
With dining rooms closed, more people are using Uber Eats, Grubhub, and DoorDash.
Uber’s attempt to buy Grubhub comes under fire
Lawmakers and city officials do not see benefits of meal delivery consolidation.
Democrats try to ban Internet shutoffs until pandemic is over
Democrats also pitch $50 monthly discounts with low-income broadband fund.
“More likely than not” a COVID-19 vaccine is possible, Fauci tells Senate
What happens in the fall all depends on how much we prepare for it now.
Bitcoin’s “halving” is bad for miners, good for everyone else
A lower rate of bitcoin creation means the network consumes less energy.
Shuttered restaurants, bars, hotels speed up TV cord-cutting even more
No customers to come in, and no sports to put on for them, so why pay for cable?
May 11 Coronavirus roundup: Symptoms, therapies, and policy confusion
A quick roundup of some of the developments of the past week.
Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs scraps its ambitious Toronto project
Residents rebelled over plans to collect and use their data, among other things.
