U.S. delays rollout of presidential emergency text alert

Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

The Trump administration has delayed plans to roll out a presidential text alert system that could be used to reach all U.S. cellphones during national emergencies until October, Reuters’ David Shepardson reports.

Why it matters: This comes amid backlash over the announced test, given the substance of the text is at the discretion of the president and the system doesn’t offer an option to opt-out. Some critics have said they plan to turn their phones off in protest over concern that the president could overuse or abuse the alert to send political messages.

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Kyle Daly, Ashley Gold
47 mins ago - Technology

Parties trade election influence accusations at Big Tech hearing

Photo: Michael Reynolds/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

A Senate hearing Wednesday with Big Tech CEOs became the backdrop for Democrats and Republicans to swap accusations of inappropriate electioneering.

Why it matters: Once staid tech policy debates are quickly becoming a major focal point of American culture and political wars, as both parties fret about the impact of massive social networks being the new public square.

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Ursula Perano
49 mins ago - World

Germany goes back into lockdown

Photo: Fabrizio Bensch/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will enact one of Europe's strictest coronavirus lockdowns since spring, closing bars and restaurants nationwide for most of November, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: Germany is the latest European country to reimpose some form of lockdown measures amid a surge in cases across the continent.

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Zach Dorfman of the Aspen Institute, author of Codebook
1 hour ago - Technology

How overhyping became an election meddling tool

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

As online platforms and intelligence officials get more sophisticated about detecting and stamping out election meddling campaigns, bad actors are increasingly seeing the appeal of instead exaggerating their own interference capabilities to shake Americans' confidence in democracy.

Why it matters: It doesn't take a sophisticated operation to sow seeds of doubt in an already fractious and factionalized U.S. Russia proved that in 2016, and fresh schemes aimed at the 2020 election may already be proving it anew.

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