Tech is reshaping the world β and not always for the better. Whether itβs the rules for Appleβs App Store or Facebookβs plan for fighting misinformation, tech platform policies can have enormous ripple effects on the rest of society. Theyβre so powerful that, increasingly, companies arenβt setting them alone but sharing the fight with government regulators, civil society groups, and internal standards bodies like Metaβs Oversight Board. The result is an ongoing political struggle over harassment, free speech, copyright, and dozens of other issues, all mediated through some of the largest and most chaotic electronic spaces the world has ever seen.
Artists are frustrated with the lack of transparency around DistroKid removing their songs.
The Roosterβs DJ Byrnes was ordered to pay $200 over the explicit Shrek message.
The FCC has been cracking down on some Chinese test labs that improperly helped authorize gadgets for import into the US β now, it wants to get rid of Chinese labs altogether starting December 2028, only authorizing labs if they have a reciprocal economic relationship with the US. Itβll vote on October 29th; you can read the whole argument here.
Trump today announced that Katie Zacharia, a conservative commentator, will be his new press secretary, and three small bets were placed yesterday and today about her appointment, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The two bets placed today for approximately $74 and $80 happened at about 1:41PM ET, which was shortly before press reported on the appointment, and are βexpected to pay out $3,689 and $4,023,β the WSJ says.
[The Wall Street Journal]
Another person was doxxed because of the Cornell rape lawsuit β this time, it was a man who shares a name with one of the defendants, and who didnβt attend Cornell at all.
In the order to seal the complaint and other documents, judge Phaedra F. Perry Bond wrote that βeveryone involved, be it the public, parties, or their attorneys, needs to do their part in bringing the temperature down before someone gets hurt.β
The Facebook whistleblower reflects on going public five years ago and inspiring a movie character.
The layoffs will impact around 270 employees and come as more states and local communities ban Flockβs automated license plate readers, according to a report from Reuters. Last month, Wired reported that Flock began offering employees voluntary buyouts as well.
As reported by Reuters, Trump bought up to $1.6 million in Nvidia stock and sold up to $1 million in August. Trump also disclosed an investment of as much as $5 million in SpaceX debt, according to CNBC.
On Thursday, Trump presented Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk with the National Medal of Science.
The Verge considers anyone that uses the term, βCool,β as opposed to the highly accepted new and more accurate term, βFetch,β THE ENEMY.
The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act would require data centers to report their electricity use, and allow utilities to charge them more for transmission costs. The bill aims to speed the construction of new infrastructure needed to meet soaring electricity demand, but wonβt come up for a Senate vote until after midterm elections.
After online vigilantes doxxed the former Cornell student, someone called the police in Jane Doeβs hometown claiming there had been a shooting at her parentsβ house, her attorney told CNN.
βSomebody could have been killed. This has gone too far.β
It banned AI robocalls in 2024, but the Associated Press reports Brendan Carrβs FCC is considering a waiver that would allow political calls βusing an artificial or prerecorded voiceβincluding an AI-generated voiceβ without obtaining prior express consent.β If the waiverβs granted, it could mean an influx of AI calls ahead of the midterm elections.
Sen. Maggie Hassan wrote to Trump Mobile CEO Patrick OβBrien, accusing the company of missing mandatory filings around robocall prevention and international service provision. She also raised questions about security practices, following a third reported hack of the company, and whether the recent price hike will hit customers still waiting for their phones.
In 2024, the FTC alleged that GOAT didnβt mail βsome priority processing orders as fast as promisedβ and didnβt have a system in place to honor its βBuyer Protectionβ policy that promised full refunds for products found to be incorrect.
Last year, GOAT settled with the FTC and refunded more than $736,000, and today, the FTC is distributing payments totaling more than $100,000 to 6,205 customers who havenβt gotten money from GOAT yet.
[Federal Trade Commission]
Tomorrowβs event will announce more than $1 billion in commitments for the Trump adminβs βGenesis Projectβ AI push and investments from the NSF and Energy Department, reports Axios, including $100 million in credits from something called National Compute.
Meanwhile, Fox News and Bloomberg report Trump will award the National Medal of Science to Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, Sergey Brin, and Lisa Su, while Michael Dell and Satya Nadella are in line for the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. Itβs the first time Trump has ever given out the awards, which usually donβt go to well-known tech execs, judging by previous recipients.
A new filing calls for Meta to make several changes for teen users in Florida, like limits on who can message them and a two-hour time limit across Metaβs apps. As Reuters reports, Florida is continuing its lawsuit against Meta rather than accepting a settlement, which AG James Uthmeier called βa slap on the wrist.β
Michael Smith, who pleaded guilty earlier this year, was also ordered to pay over $8 million. According to the DOJ, thatβs the amount he earned in royalties from using bots to stream hundreds of thousands of AI-generated songs from 2017 to 2024.
[U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York]
Spoiler alert: The Facebook Files are still more interesting than Aaron Sorkinβs new thriller.
Brendan Carrβs FCC voted to end the rule, which prevents a broadcast station from reaching more that 39 percent of US TV households, in August. The lobby groups say that the order βarbitrarily and capriciously ignores the harms that will surely follow from allowing broadcast station groups to exceed the National Cap,β Ars Technica reports.
X and Substack arenβt doing anything to stop users from harassing women they believe are connected to the rape case β and the women who arenβt.ο»Ώ
Aaron Sorkinβs follow up to The Social Network puts the Facebook Files scandal on the timeline.ο»Ώ
The US has been finding ways to stem the tide of imported Chinese gadgets, including decertifying βbad labsβ that are βapparently controlled by China.β Itβs now pulled credentials from two more: SLG-CPC Test Laboratory, and Shenzhen STS Test Services, βfor willfully providing incorrect or false equipment test results in connection with applications for equipment authorization.β
Itβs also planning to do the same to Shenzhen CTB Testing.
Reuters reports the FBI removed a contractor for failing to implement a security patch, with sources reporting it was an Accenture worker managing Oracleβs PeopleSoft platform. Last month, hacking group ShinyHunters claimed they used the HR platform to access data on βall FBI employees and applicants.β
ο»ΏCongress missed its chance on social media. Can it act on AI?
As the new AI czar, Clayton will lead a team that includes FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael, and Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor. Clayton served as SEC chair during Trumpβs first term and recently became director of national intelligence in August.
Under SB 1246, which goes into effect in July 2028, robotaxi operators will face fines of up to $10,000 for each autonomous vehicle that blocks emergency responders for more than 30 minutes.
The law will also require robotaxi companies like Waymo, Tesla, and Zoox to employ remote drivers in the US to take control of the vehicles and move them out of the way β something police and firefighters have had to do themselves.
