The Justice Department is in "a preliminary stage" of discussions about requiring tech companies building "tools into smartphones and other devices" that would allow law enforcement investigators to access encrypted data, the New York Times reports.
Why it matters: This has been on the FBI's mind since 2010, and last month the White House "circulated a memo...outlining ways to think about solving the problem," officials told the NYT. Both FBI Director Christopher Wray, and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, support finding ways for law enforcement to access data without compromising devices security.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a panel discussion on Saturday that countries that don't embrace diversity, trade, and openness don't "do exceptionally," the Wall Street Journal reports.
Why it matters: This comes days after Trump's announced tariffs on China. Cook "depends on smooth bilateral relations between the U.S. and China," as the iPhone is assembled there and China is "a crucial market" for the product, per the Journal.
From a fatal car crash to a data nightmare, turning-point scenarios played out in several corners of the technology industry this week.
Why it matters: The utopian promise of technological progress is giving way to the very thorny challenges of balancing innovation with social accountability. That means congressional hearings, investigations, probably at least some regulation — and a lot more skepticism about the promise of the tech-driven changes that are transforming our lives.
Cambridge Analytica's London headquarters was searched by law enforcement on Friday, days after news broke about its relationship with Facebook, the Guardian reports.
“We are pleased with the decision of the judge and we plan to execute the warrant shortly. This is just one part of a larger investigation into the use of personal data and analytics for political purposes. As you will expect, we will now need to collect, assess and consider the evidence before coming to any conclusions.”
— Information Commissioner's Office spokesperson to the Guardian
The details: This comes after information commissioner Elizabeth Denham sought "access to records" from Cambridge Analytica. A judge issued a warrant on Friday, the Guardian reports.
The details: Per the Times, Uber "was struggling to meet its target of 13 miles per" human intervention in Arizona, while Waymo, a former autonomous vehicle project from Google, had been testing almost 5,600 miles until intervention. Uber's test drivers were requested to go "on solo runs" when they had previously been working in pairs.
Cambridge Analytica, the data analytics firm that worked with the Trump campaign and is accused of using Facebook data of 50 million users against the company's policies, has issued an apology and says it will undergo a third-party audit.
Why it matters: The company says it believed that the data they obtained was in line with Facebook’s terms of service and data protection laws. Upon realizing it wasn't, CA reportedly thought they deleted all of the data. They are now doubling down to make sure they aren't sitting on any data that could get them in more trouble.
A new suite of emojis that represent individuals with disabilities may be coming to your keyboard soon. Apple has consulted with organizations such as American Council of the Blind, Cerebral Palsy Foundation, and National Association for the Deaf, to propose 13 emojis to the Unicode Consortium, who is responsible for all the letters and characters in our smartphone keyboards.
Why it matters: The Unicode Consortium's Emoji subcommittee favors emojis that it believes are universal and will be popular, something Apple emphasizes in the proposal by pointing out that "one in seven people around the world has some form of disability." Apple itself has also long made efforts to make its products as widely accessible as possible.
Leaders on the House Energy and Commerce and Senate Commerce Committee Energy separately called on Mark Zuckerberg to testify before their panels on Friday. Both committees indicated they wanted to hold a hearing with the Facebook chief executive soon. Facebook confirmed it was reviewing the calls for its CEO to visit Capitol Hill.
Why it matters: Calls for Zuckerberg to testify are now coming from lawmakers with the influence to potentially make an appearance a reality. In a CNN interview earlier this week, Zuckerberg said he would do so if he was the "right person." Facebook staff briefed committee staff on the situation, but lawmakers said questions were left unanswered.
Broadcom shareholders went ahead and voted to move the chipmaker's headquarters to the U.S. even after President Trump blocked its efforts to buy rival Qualcomm. The company hopes to make things official on April 4.
Why it matters: While moving to the U.S. won't necessarily resuscitate the Qualcomm bid, it could make future acquisitions easier.
A super PAC led by incoming White House national security adviser John Bolton hired Cambridge Analytica in 2014 for “behavioral microtargeting with psychographic messaging,” reports the New York Times. Bolton's PAC was reportedly aware at the time that the models it received were derived from harvested Facebook data, according to former Cambridge employee and whistleblower Christopher Wylie.
Why it matters: Per the Times, "Mr. Bolton’s experience with the company appears to have provided a model for how it sold itself to future political campaigns, including Mr. Trump’s." Trump, Bolton and Cambridge Analytica also share a common patron in the billionaire Mercer family, which has yet to comment on the data scandal.
Apple is looking to gain back some lost market share in schools with a low-cost iPad, reports Bloomberg. Google and Microsoft have both gained on Apple in recent years with their inexpensive laptops for the classroom. With a cheaper iPad (and other potential announcements) at an event next week, Apple is hoping to boost its presence.
Why it matters: Apple Inc. is the most valuable company in the world, but it is in the midst of a race to a $1 trillion valuation with Amazon on its tail and quickly rising. This move gives Apple a boost while putting more affordable products in student's hands.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal told Axios' Mike Allen on Friday that if Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg does not testify in Congress, he will face a subpoena: "My message to Mark Zuckerberg is: You are the right person. There is nobody better than you, in fact you have an obligation to testify."
