Shares for Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, were down nearly 7% after Facebook announced the launch of "Threads," a new messaging app for Facebook-owned Instagram that looks and feels a lot like Snapchat.
Why it matters: The app could certainly pose a real threat to Snapchat, as it will be made available and likely marketed to all of Instagram's 1 billion+ users around the world.
U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr and officials from the U.K. and Australia (three of the "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance) plan to send a letter to Facebook requesting the company halt implementation of end-to-end encryption tech into its services, which would make content inaccessible to law enforcement, BuzzFeed first reported.
Why it matters: This is the latest example of the tension between the technology industry and governments when it comes to balancing digital privacy of consumers and law enforcement.
A growing industry of commercial disinformation services based in countries like Russia and the Philippines have the language skills, local contacts and cultural background to influence an English language conversation half a world away.
Driving the news: A new report from the security firm Recorded Future documents two campaigns that it paid Russian-speaking, dark web propagandists-for-hire to run.
With all the leaks ahead of Microsoft's hardware event Wednesday, it was hard to imagine the company had many surprises left to share. But, oh, did it.
Driving the news: Yes, the company launched the expected Surface laptop and a pair of Surface Pro tablet/phone hybrids. But it also previewed 2 other devices due out next year that few were expecting.
Apple is no stranger to the Supreme Court, but today its CEO and another top executive are signing on to an amicus brief for the first time.
The big picture: The brief is a passionate defense of the Dreamers, or those protected from deportation by an order established during the Obama administration, which the Trump administration wants to end.
Melinda Gates announced in Time Magazine on Wednesday that she is committing $1 billion over the next 10 years to promote gender equality and grow "women's power and influence in the United States."
What she's saying: "Gender equality in the U.S. has been chronically underfunded. ... $1 billion is a lot of money, but I also recognize that it’s only a small fraction of what's necessary. That's why I hope the financial commitment I'm making today is seen as both a vote of confidence in the experts and advocates who are already working on these issues—and an invitation for others to join the cause and make commitments of their own...."
Microsoft updated its Surface laptops and 2-in-1 tablet/laptop hybrid devices on Wednesday, while also previewing two foldable dual-screen devices due out next year. The larger runs a version of Windows 10 while the smaller combines a phone and PC and runs. a customized version of Android that supports Google's apps.
Why it matters: The Surface line serves two purposes: to present Windows in its best light for consumers and spur PC makers to keep being innovative with their own designs.
President Trump set a personal record last month by tweeting or retweeting nearly 800 times, almost 100 posts beyond what he published in any previous month of his presidency, according to a USA Today analysis.
Google is bringing incognito mode to Google Maps and allowing users to auto-delete their YouTube history, its latest moves to expand its privacy options. Customers will also be able to ask the Google Assistant to delete various types of data.
Why it matters: The company has been under fire for the amount of data it collects and said at its spring I/O developer conference that it would offer users more privacy options.
