POTUS thinks he’s found a cause to unify the left and the right in Congress: Fighting big tech. TMO writer Nick deCourville joins Ken to discuss President Biden’s WSJ call to arms. Then – A rumor about a touchscreen Mac on the horizon. Nick and Ken discuss the merits.
politics
Congressional Chair Asks Google and Apple to Look Into Tax Fraud on Messaging App Telegram
Congressional chair and South Carolina Representative James Clyburn is seeking help from Google and Apple in response to scams on Telegram.
Meta Says Facebook Removed Over 400 Accounts Ahead of Philippines Election
Meta announced the removal of over 400 accounts and pages for misinformation ahead of the Philippines election. The election is set for May 9.
In Rare Move, Apple Lobbies Against LGBTQ Legislation
Given how rarely the tech giant gets publicly involved in politics, Apple lobbying efforts against LGBTQ legislation are significant.
Lobbying Group 'Internet Association' Shuts Down by End of 2021
The Internet Association is a trade group composed of members such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon. It will shut down by the end of 2021.
Apple Warns Conservative Platform ‘Parler’ to Improve Moderation or Face Expulsion
Apple has requested Parler that it should improve its moderation policies and remove objectionable content or face removal from the App Store.
Apple Hires Drone Specialist Lisa Ellman to Lobby Washington
Lisa Ellman is a specialist in drone and aviation law and Apple just hired her as a lobbyist in Washington.
Facebook Deeply Committed to Keep Lying Political Ads
Facebook remains committed to keep lying political ads on its platform, saying that private companies shouldn’t make decisions about them.
Instead of banning such ads across the platform, Facebook has opted to introduce new tools for users to limit the way they interact with political ads. The company has expanded its Ad Library tool, an archive which shows all the political ads running on Facebook or Instagram, by adding information on approximately how many people ads reach.
Why would Facebook ban its source of income?
Two Twitter Employees Charged With Spying for Saudi Arabia
A complaint unsealed in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco revealed that two Twitter employees have been charged with spying for Saudi Arabia.
The complaint also alleged that the employees — whose jobs did not require access to Twitter users’ private information — were rewarded with a designer watch and tens of thousands of dollars funneled into secret bank accounts. Ahmad Abouammo, a U.S. citizen, and Ali Alzabarah, a Saudi citizen, were charged with acting as agents of Saudi Arabia without registering with the U.S. government.
I wonder if this is a separate incident from Saudi’s Twitter mole.
Bernie Sanders Criticizes Apple's California Housing Plan
Bernie Sanders is criticizing Apple’s US$2.5 billion California housing plan, saying the tech giant helped create the housing crisis.