Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will meet with leaders of the European Union's parliament to answer questions about the Cambridge Analytica privacy controversy.
Why it matters: Zuckerberg has turned down requests from the U.K. to testify in person there. As the E.U.'s new privacy rules go into effect, its leaders may take a tougher line on Facebook than U.S. legislators did last month.
Jigsaw, the altruistic projects incubator of Google's parent company Alphabet, will offer free protection to political campaigns from cyber attacks meant to overpower websites and online services using high volumes of internet traffic, the group announced Wednesday morning.
Why it matters: Distributed denial of service attacks — essentially, attacks that force networks of thousands of hacked computers to flood a server with so much traffic it cannot properly function — are cheap and easy to pull off.
A shift to connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) could reduce the energy consumed by the U.S. light-duty fleet by 60% — or it could triple it, according to National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates. The range stems partly from differing expectations of the engineering performance of CAVs and their associated infrastructure, but much more so from their anticipated levels of use.
Why it matters: CAVs are seen by some to herald a lower-energy future, but they could actually have the opposite effect if their convenience spurs more driving.
After Uber's announcement early Tuesday morning that it will no longer require mandatory arbitration for sexual assault and harassment claims from riders, drivers, and employees, Lyft is following suit with the same changes. It also plans to eventually release a report wth data about safety incidents.
Why it matters: Mandatory arbitration has been criticized as a way for companies to silence victims and hide illegal behaviors.
Twitter plans to less prominently feature potentially abusive comments, a move it says shows promise in helping combat the impact of "trolls" on its site.
Why it matters: While social networks are under fire for a variety of issues, Twitter has been particularly criticized for its lack of ability to keep abusive posts off its site despite repeated promises to improve.
A Facebook staffer told British lawmakers that CEO Mark Zuckerberg "has no plans to meet with the committee or travel to the U.K. at the present time" — but added the company takes its inquiry into fake news seriously.
The big picture: Damian Collins, the member of Parliament who chairs the panel, said in a statement it might be willing to hear Zuckerberg testify via a "video link, if that would be the only way to do this during the period of our inquiry."
Members of Parliament had said they might legally compel him to testify if he traveled to the U.K., and the European Parliament has also been pushing to take his testimony.
Amazon is "disappointed" by Seattle's decision to impose a per-worker tax on large companies to help pay toward the city’s homelessness and affordable housing crises — with Amazon Vice President Drew Herdener saying that the decision "forces [the company] to question our growth here," per Recode.
“We are disappointed by today’s City Council decision to introduce a tax on jobs. While we have resumed construction planning for [Amazon's Seattle campus expansion] Block 18, we remain very apprehensive about the future created by the council’s hostile approach and rhetoric toward larger businesses, which forces us to question our growth here.”
"Automation is leading to job growth in certain industries where machines take on repetitive tasks, freeing humans for more creative duties," The Wall Street Journal's William Wilkes reports.
The big question: "In which industries does automation help both employer and employee?"
Intersection, the Alphabet-backed smart cities startup known for creating free internet kiosks for cities, is pushing to make free internet accessible in as many major cities as possible across the globe.
Why it matters: As more aspects of our daily lives — from healthcare to communication to travel — become dependent on internet-connected devices, the concept of providing internet as a public good is becoming more widespread.
In a surprise move, Uber said on Tuesday it is changing its long-standing policy of mandatory arbitration to exempt employees, drivers, and riders in cases of sexual harassment and assault.
Why it matters: Mandatory arbitration clauses for employees and customers have been criticized (including by Uber whistleblower Susan Fowler) because companies can use them to keep victims silent and hide potentially illegal activities.
In a San Francisco Chronicle op-ed, House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden sent a message to Silicon Valley CEOs: If you don't want Congress to regulate you, you'd better come talk to us.
Why it matters: Tech CEOs aren't off the hook from Congress. "Come and testify before our committee, explain your business model, and enlighten consumers about how your industry affects their daily lives," Walden wrote. "Trust me, it’s much easier to testify at a congressional hearing before your company gets caught up in a scandal."
