Facebook is pushing back against the U.S. government after it was asked to break end-to-end encryption on its Messenger app to eavesdrop on a specific user as part of an investigation of the MS-13 gang in California, Reuters reports.
Why it matters: Facebook would either have to remove encryption from the app altogether or hack the Messenger app for the user the government is requesting, which sets a precedent for requests moving forward. If Facebook is forced to comply it could create privacy issues moving forward for millions of users.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development filed a complaint against Facebook Friday under the Fair Housing Act, charging that the social network allows advertisers to illegally discriminate in housing ads by excluding some groups from seeing them and "invites advertisers to express unlawful preference by suggesting discriminatory options."
Why it matters: Targeted advertising is the heart of Facebook's (and many other online companies') business, but "user choice" viewed through a different lens may look like discriminatory behavior. When it comes to protected groupings based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin and disability, targeting ads can look more like a prejudicial bug than a feature.
Last week, New York City passed the nation’s first cap on new licenses for ride-hailing vehicles, like those driving for Uber and Lyft, citing in part concerns over worsening congestion and declining transit ridership. The decision represents the culmination of alarm over app-based ride-hailing companies and could serve as a blueprint for cities across the U.S.
Yes, but: Privately owned vehicles driven for personal use still dominate our transportation system, in large part because using one is cheap, fast and comfortable after the initial investment. Any regulatory solution to congestion must focus on personal vehicles first. Short of that, placing limits on Uber or Lyft will be a mere drop in the gas tank.
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser tweeted a reply to President Trump on Friday after he criticized D.C.'s "local politicians" for the incredibly high price tag they put on his proposed military parade, stating that she was the one who "finally got thru to the reality star in the White House. "
"Yup, I’m Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington DC, the local politician who finally got thru to the reality star in the White House with the realities ($21.6M) of parades/events/demonstrations in Trump America (sad)."
The Chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Rep. Greg Walden (R-Oregon), formally invited (via a tweet) Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to appear before the committee over speech issues on the platform. Dorsey has already confirmed he will participate in a Sept. 5 Senate Intelligence hearing to discuss efforts to prevent Russian interference in the November midterms elections.
The upshot, per Axios’ David McCabe: “Jack is in a bind where he has satisfied neither the left, which isn't happy with their Infowars response, or the right, which wants him to testify on censorship, right as he needs lawmakers on his side when he goes up to Capitol Hill.”
Kroger kicked off a pilot program in Phoenix, Arizona this week using autonomous Toyota Priuses to deliver groceries, the Associated Press reports.
The details: The project allows customers to order same-day or next-day delivery "for a flat rate of about $6." The vehicle will be loaded with groceries at the Kroger store and drive to the shopper's house, where the customer will need to unload it themselves. According to the AP, customers will be able to open the vehicle with a numerical code.
A surge of nefarious activity online has created new businesses, research disciplines and newsroom beats focused on studying and combating internet propaganda.
Why it matters: Americans were mostly caught flat-footed by the sophistication of state-sponsored and fringe misinformation attacks leading up to the 2016 election. Now, a variety of groups — from academics to journalists — are mobilizing to try to stay ahead of it.
When it comes to decision making, it might seem that computers are less biased than humans, but algorithms can be just as biased as the people who create them.
Why it matters: One study from MIT Media Lab found that leading facial recognition systems correctly identified male faces 99 percent of the time, but made mistakes up to 35 percent of the time with dark-skinned female faces. This has major consequences for people, because algorithms can help with decisions from who can travel freely to who is arrested and how long they go to jail.
An ad from California Republican congressional candidate Elizabeth Heng was initially blocked by Twitter because it contained graphic images from a video of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge Regime (watch here) but the company has since reversed its decision, The Hill reports.
Why it matters: In recent weeks, Twitter has suspended and censored users and content it finds in violation of the company's conduct policy, including that of InfoWars host Alex Jones. Some, including Heng, have argued the policy is an encroachment on First Amendment rights.
Google is trying to clarify the way it handles storage of individual users' geolocation data in the wake of critical coverage that exposed inconsistencies in its policies.
The background: An Associated Press story reported earlier this week that many Google services continue to retain location information even after a user has changed a phone's privacy settings not to do so.
In a uniform decision Thursday, the U.S. Senate voted to "reaffirm the vital and indispensable role the free press serves."
Why it matters: The resolution comes on the heels of a nationwide push by hundreds of local and national newspapers to publish editorials standing up for the press in response to President Trump's claims the press is an "enemy of the people."
About 1,000 Google employees have signed a letter asking for more transparency from Google about the expected rollout of Dragonfly, a censored search engine designed for the Chinese market, per The New York Times.
Why it matters: Google withdrew from China eight years ago in protest of government hacking. Employees now want to know if the company’s willingness to acquiesce to Chinese demands to limit access to information online could violate Google's famous unofficial motto: "Don't Be Evil."
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