Florida Teen Arrested in Twitter Hack
The authorities arrested a 17-year-old who they said ran a scheme that targeted the accounts of celebrities, including former President Bara...
Home / Archive for July 2020
Microsoft Said to Be in Talks to Buy TikTok, as Trump Weighs Curtailing App
The talks come as TikTok’s ownership by a Chinese company is under scrutiny by the White House and lawmakers.
‘Hey, You Free on Friday for a Meeting and a Bank Heist?’
Eager for an alternative to Zoom, executives are getting together in video games, to bond, brainstorm or rampage.
I Tried to Live Without the Tech Giants. It Was Impossible.
As lawmakers debate whether Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon are monopolies, a reporter recalls her attempt to avoid interacting with the...
Randonautica: What Is It and Are the Stories Real?
An app that generates coordinates for adventurers claims to turn your thoughts into reality. TikTok and YouTube creators want you to believe...
The Economy Is in Record Decline, but Not for the Tech Giants
Even though the tech industry’s four biggest companies were stung by a slowdown in spending, they reported a combined $28 billion in profits...
The Economy Is in Record Decline, but Not for the Tech Giants
Even though the tech industry’s four biggest companies were stung by a slowdown in spending, they reported a combined $28 billion in profits...
Big Tech’s Backlash Is Just Starting
The congressional antitrust hearing showed that concerns about the tech stars aren’t going away.
Grilled by Lawmakers, Big Tech Turns Up the Gaslight
It is less clear that tech executives’ strategy of evasive answers will continue to work now that lawmakers have begun doing their homework....
‘This Is a New Phase’: Europe Shifts Tactics to Limit Tech’s Power
The region’s lawmakers and regulators are taking direct aim at Amazon, Facebook, Google and Apple in a series of proposed laws.
Lawmakers, United in Their Ire, Lash Out at Big Tech’s Leaders
The chiefs of Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook faced withering questions from Democrats about anti-competitive practices and from Republic...
Titans of Tech Testify in Their Trust-Me Suits
It’s a tongue twister, but also a strategy. Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai appeared before Congress and dressed the...
Memers Have a New Campaign Aimed at Getting Trump Out of Office
Meme 2020, the social media collective that supported Michael Bloomberg’s presidential primary run, is back with a new focus: mail-in ballot...
Commerce Department Asks F.C.C. to Narrow Protections for Web Platforms
The request comes as President Trump continues to accuse tech platforms like Facebook and Twitter of suppressing conservative content.
Congress Doesn’t Get Big Tech. By Design.
Members of Congress may say dumb things at the tech hearing, but it’s not necessarily their fault.
How to Fight Against Big Tech’s Power
We are beholden to a few Big Tech overlords for much of our digital lives. We can be more conscientious about it.
Turkey Passes Law Extending Sweeping Powers Over Social Media
The legislation extends control over social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Critics worry it will be used to stifle diss...
Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon C.E.O.s Are Testifying Before Congress. Here's What to Know.
The C.E.O.s are likely to argue before Congress that their companies aren’t anticompetitive. Here are the facts.
Universal’s Theatrical Releases Will Quickly Be Available in Homes
The studio agreed to a deal with AMC, the world’s biggest theater chain, to shorten the exclusive window for new movies to 17 days from 90, ...
Misleading Virus Video, Pushed by the Trumps, Spreads Online
Social media companies took down the video with hours. But by then, it had already been viewed tens of millions of times.
Amazon Is Jeff Bezos
Bezos built Amazon into a central force in the world. This week he’ll have to answer for it.
Amazon Is Jeff Bezos
Bezos built Amazon into a central force in the world. This week he’ll have to answer for it.
Uber and Lyft Drivers Win Ruling on Unemployment Benefits
A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction instructing New York State to begin payments promptly, citing an “inexcusable delay.”
Their Businesses Went Virtual. Then Apple Wanted a Cut.
After Airbnb and ClassPass began selling virtual classes because of the pandemic, Apple tried to collect its commission on the sales.
Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google Prepare for Their ‘Big Tobacco Moment’
The tech C.E.O.s will appear together at a congressional hearing on Wednesday to argue that their companies do not stifle competition.
'Challenge Accepted' on Instagram: Black and White Selfies for Women
A campaign that purports to be about “women supporting women” is filling people’s Instagram feeds with striking, if opaque, imagery.
What to Do About TikTok
Instead of banning the app, U.S. officials could force it to be more transparent.
Jeff Bezos Cast in a Role He Never Wanted: Amazon’s D.C. Defender
The chief executive, who testifies before Congress for the first time on Wednesday, had taken a hands-off approach with lawmakers in Washing...
You Won’t Find These Masks at 7-Eleven
Motorized air purifiers and heated sanitizers. Breathable fabrics and chic prints. With face coverings here to stay, consumers are starting ...
A Possible Weapon Against the Pandemic: Printing Human Tissue
Bioprinting could be used for testing potential treatments for Covid-19, cancer and other diseases.
Fighting False News in Ukraine, Facebook Fact Checkers Tread a Blurry Line
Facebook hired a Ukrainian group battling Russian disinformation to flag misleading posts. But critics say the fact checkers’ work veers int...
Everlane’s Promise of ‘Radical Transparency’ Unravels
Employees past and present are challenging management, saying the company’s ethical image was an illusion.
Don’t Ban TikTok. Make an Example of It.
There is plenty the U.S. government could do to ensure that TikTok acts responsibly without getting rid of it altogether.
The Great Au Pair Rush
When the Trump administration shut the borders to many new au pairs, those already in the country found they had something new: options.
Elon Musk: The Maureen Dowd Interview
The billionaire space oddity on life with Grimes and Baby X, Trump, Tesla, tunnels, short shorts, stock surges, Facebook fumbles and everyth...
Comic-Con Is Online, and So Is the Artist Alley
Indie artists who make a significant portion of their income at fan conventions are hoping virtual attendees will be willing to spend.
Digital Habits Are Hard to Break
Technology was supposed to be all about welcoming newcomers. But is it?
How a Tech-Funded Think Tank Influences Global Antitrust Regulators
Google, Amazon and Qualcomm finance a George Mason University institute teaching a hands-off approach to antitrust regulators and judges.
The Star of This $70 Million Sci-Fi Film Is a Robot
Meet Erica, an android believed to be Hollywood’s first fully autonomous artificially intelligent actor. Can she overcome the uncanny valley...
Omegle Is Where People Meet Online Now
Omegle, a precursor to Chatroulette, has grown in popularity during this indefinite period of social isolation.
A ‘Smart District’ Takes Shape in the Netherlands
The goal is a sustainable community that uses technology to improve the quality of life for 4,500 residents.
TikTok’s Parent Said to Weigh Selling a Majority Stake in the Video App
The move would reduce ownership by a Chinese company, ByteDance, amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and China.
AT&T Signed Up 4 Million HBO Max Customers
The phone giant saw customer defections across its businesses, but millions signed up to its new streaming service.
Google Takes Aim at Amazon. Again.
The company is unveiling another initiative to compete more effectively with Amazon’s sprawling e-commerce business.
Google Takes Aim at Amazon. Again.
The company is unveiling another initiative to compete more effectively with Amazon’s sprawling e-commerce business.
How Equity Is Lost When Companies Hire Only Workers With Disabilities
Employment remains an elusive goal for many. A recent hiring strategy may win pats on the back, but advocates fear it may pigeonhole people ...
Can the Army and Navy Ban Users From Social Media?
Army and Navy channels banned viewers from their live streams when they asked about war crimes. Accused of censorship, now the Army says it ...
Tim Bray is Not Done With Amazon
Tim Bray was a celebrated engineer at Amazon. Now, he is its most high-profile defector.
At Magazzino, Social Distancing Devices Vibrate. So Does the Art.
A Hudson Valley oasis of Italian art debuts eight up-and-coming artists — and new wearable safety tech — upon its reopening.
Slack Accuses Microsoft of Illegally Crushing Competition
The complaint, filed in Europe, threatens Microsoft’s recent ability to avoid regulatory scrutiny.
Once Science Fiction, Gene Editing Is Now a Looming Reality
The prospect of erasing some disabilities and perceived deficiencies hovers at the margins of what people consider ethically acceptable.
In Electric Car Market, It’s Tesla and a Jumbled Field of Also-Rans
Most traditional carmakers are struggling to produce and market electric vehicles even as Tesla sells hundreds of thousands of its luxury mo...
Twitter Takedown Targets QAnon Accounts
The company said it had permanently suspended thousands of accounts associated with the fringe conspiracy theory movement.
Twitter Takedown Targets QAnon Accounts
The company said it had permanently suspended thousands of accounts associated with the fringe conspiracy theory movement.
U.S. Accuses Hackers of Trying to Steal Coronavirus Vaccine Data for China
Two suspects in China targeted companies working on vaccines as part of a broader cybertheft campaign to enrich themselves and aid the Chine...
Beware the ‘But China’ Excuses
Just because U.S. politicians and tech giants are blaming China, doesn’t mean we should be scared.
Major Security Flaws Found in South Korea Quarantine App
The defects, which have been fixed, exposed private details of people in quarantine. The country has been hailed as a pioneer in digital pub...
Coronavirus Threatens the Luster of Superstar Cities
Urban centers, with a dynamism that feeds innovation, have long been resilient. But the pandemic could drive a shift away from density.
U.S. Imposes Sanctions on 11 Chinese Companies Over Human Rights
The move, which affects suppliers to major international brands such as Apple, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger, could force companies to sev...
Google Coronavirus Apps Give it Way to Access Location Data
Some government agencies that use the software said they were surprised that Google may pick up the locations of certain app users. Others s...
Google Virus Apps Give it Way to Access Location Data
Some government agencies that use the software said they were surprised that Google may pick up the locations of certain app users. Others s...
More Resignations, but No Sign Yet of a Change in Gaming Culture
Since dozens of women spoke up about harassment in gaming last month, prominent industry figures have resigned. But has anything really chan...
Hackers Tell the Story of the Twitter Attack From the Inside
Several people involved in the events that took down Twitter this week spoke with The Times. What might have been a pursuit of Bitcoin spun ...
The Fall of ‘Terrace House’
Japan’s heartwarming reality TV hit ended in tragedy when the participant Hana Kimura killed herself after a wave of online abuse. But “Terr...
F.T.C.’s Facebook Investigation May Stretch Past Election
The agency’s handling of the case stands in stark contrast to the antitrust investigation into Google by the Justice Department.
Conflict Over a Rental Car Leads to Elusive A.T.M. Skimming Suspect
He had more than 20 aliases and usually wore a mask. In the end, it was losing his temper with workers at the airport that led to his arrest...
Airbnb Was Like a Family, Until the Layoffs Started
What happens when a kumbaya office culture meets the business realities of a pandemic?
Twitter Struggles to Unpack a Hack Within Its Walls
Even some basic questions about how an array of Twitter’s most popular accounts were taken over remain unanswered.
Barr Urges U.S. Companies to Resist Serving as ‘Pawns’ for China
The attorney general accused several companies by name of appeasing an authoritarian government to preserve access to a huge consumer market...
E.U. Court Strikes Down 'Privacy Shield' Data Transfer Pact
The ruling is the latest twist in a campaign by privacy-rights activists in Europe to prevent personal information from being transferred to...
How Novavax Won $1.6 Billion From Operation Warp Speed For Coronavirus Vaccine
Novavax just received the Trump administration’s largest vaccine contract. In the Maryland company’s 33-year history, it has never brought a...
Letting Your Insurer Ride Shotgun, for a Discounted Rate
Most big car insurers offer apps that monitor your driving, and one start-up requires it. The trade-off in privacy is a premium that could b...
Boom Time for Death Planning
The coronavirus pandemic has drawn new business to start-ups that provide end-of-life services, from estate planning to a final tweet.
FaZe Clan President Leaves to Start XSET
Greg Selkoe is leaving the successful esports conglomerate to start a new venture that’s less “frat house” and more diverse.
Airbnb Says Its I.P.O. Plans Are Back on Track
After a financial hit from the pandemic, the San Francisco company said business was starting to return from its nose-dive.
Gates, Musk and Other Top Tech Figures Get Twitter Accounts Hacked
The accounts tweeted that they would double payments in bitcoin sent to a certain cryptocurrency wallet.
TikTok Enlists Army of Lobbyists as Suspicions Over China Ties Grow
The viral social media app has beefed up its lobbying operation to counter several potential actions in Washington that could threaten the c...
Hollywood Stays Away From Facebook Ad Boycott
The entertainment business is a big advertiser but has been noticeably silent as other industries protest the social network’s handling of h...
Just Collect Less Data, Period.
Every company wants the biggest data stockpile possible. We need unilateral data disarmament.
Apple Scores Legal Victory Against $14.9 Billion E.U. Tax Demand
The decision is a setback for European efforts to clamp down on what the authorities there believe is anti-competitive behavior.
You’re Doomscrolling Again. Here’s How to Snap Out of It.
In a pandemic that forces us to stay home, bingeing on doom-and-gloom news feels irresistible. These health experts offer ways to break the ...
How to Fight Health ‘Cures’ Online
Junk health information that preys on people’s fears spreads online. Here’s how we can stamp it out.
How Facebook Handles Climate Misinformation
Critics say a company policy that exempts opinion articles from fact-checking amounts to a huge loophole for climate change deniers.
Massachusetts Sues Uber and Lyft Over the Status of Drivers
A lawsuit by the state’s attorney general adds to pressure on the companies to consider their drivers full-time employees.
Disabled Do-It-Yourselfers Lead Way to Technology Gains
So long to overhyped innovations. Hello to tech that embeds accessibility into everyday devices.
U.K. Bans Huawei From 5G Network, Raising Tensions With China
Banning the use of the Chinese tech giant’s equipment in high-speed wireless infrastructure is a major reversal by Prime Minister Boris John...
How the United Arab Emirates Set Its Sights on Mars
The Hope orbiter will make contributions to research on the red planet, but the Emirati government really hopes it will inspire future scien...
The Pandemic Has Accelerated Demands for a More Skilled Work Force
Even groups that regularly disagree on labor issues said there should be significant public investment in programs that can upgrade the skil...
YouTube’s Factory Workers Are Angry
There’s a power imbalance between the internet companies and those who make the posts and videos.
Behold Vermont, From Above
These aerial images — stunning in their abstraction — evoke a powerful sense of transcendence and tranquility.
How May Google Fight an Antitrust Case? Look at This Little-Noticed Paper
A document sent by the search giant to Australian regulators argues that the company doesn’t control enough of the digital ad industry to ov...
Are Uber and Lyft Drivers Well Paid? It Depends on the Study
Uber and Lyft hailed a Cornell paper’s conclusion that their drivers make solid wages. But others have questioned the researchers’ approach....
TikTok Users Respond to Potential Ban
Gen Z and millennial users have found community on the app, particularly during the last few isolating months. And for some of them, it’s th...
Who Gets the Banhammer Now?
In a single week, some of the internet’s biggest platforms banned users and groups they had tolerated for years. What changed?
Facebook Said to Consider Banning Political Ads
The social network has been under intense pressure for allowing misinformation and hate speech to spread on its site.
‘It Would Be Like Losing a Little Bit of Me’: TikTok Users Respond to Potential U.S. Ban
Gen Z and millennial users have found community on the app, particularly during the last few isolating months. And for some of them, it’s th...
Sports in a Pandemic Don’t All Stink
Virtual cycling offers lessons for how other sports can appeal to fans leading increasingly digital lives.
Amazon Asks Employees to Delete TikTok Over Security Risks
TikTok, owned by Chinese company Bytedance, has been under scrutiny as a potential national security threat.
Why Is a Tech Executive Installing Security Cameras Around San Francisco?
Chris Larsen knows that a crypto mogul spending his own money for a city’s camera surveillance system might sound creepy. He’s here to expla...
Can Facebook Ever Stop the Drama?
How Facebook’s most recent crisis started, and what it says about the company’s role in our lives.
Ninja Played Fortnite on YouTube, and the Gaming World Lost Its Mind
The buzz that Tyler Blevins, also known as Ninja, generated by streaming on a new platform showed the power famous content creators have in ...
Facebook Removes Roger Stone for Ties to Fake Accounts
The social network said the fake accounts were active around the 2016 presidential election.
Robinhood Has Lured Young Traders, Sometimes With Devastating Results
Its users buy and sell the riskiest financial products and do so more frequently than customers at other retail brokerage firms, but their i...
The Tech Giants’ Invisible Helpers
Why we should all care who controls the invisible infrastructure of the global internet.
How to Buy Tech That Lasts and Lasts
All of our tech products will one day become obsolete, but here are some strategies to buying gadgets that you can enjoy for many years.
How to Buy Tech That Lasts and Lasts
All of our tech products will one day become obsolete, but here are some strategies to buying gadgets that you can enjoy for many years.
Virus-Tracing Apps Are Rife With Problems. Governments Are Rushing to Fix Them.
As countries race to deploy coronavirus-tracking software, researchers are reporting privacy and security risks that could affect millions o...
What Counts as a Streaming Hit? A Start-Up May Have Answers
Unlike Nielsen, which measure audience size, Parrot Analytics says it can track viewer enthusiasm. That’s more important to subscription ser...
A Fashion Model For the Moment
How a digital avatar helped the fashion designer Hanifa go viral during the pandemic.
Facebook Decisions Were ‘Setbacks for Civil Rights,’ Audit Finds
An independent audit faulted the social network for “vexing and heartbreaking decisions” that affect its users — and potentially the Novembe...
Scrutinizing SpaceX, NASA Overlooked Some Boeing Software Problems
The agency identified the causes of mishaps in orbit during an uncrewed test flight of its Starliner spacecraft in December.
Facebook Fails to Appease Organizers of Ad Boycott
Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s top executives, engaged in “spin” during a meeting over hate speech, civil rights groups sai...
With Pandemic Keeping Them Apart, Runners Embrace Virtual Races
Marathons and meets are canceled, so runners are using tech to stay connected and compete.
Internet Powers Collide in Hong Kong
Tech giants suspend handing over information to Hong Kong, setting up a collision with China.
What Does Simp Mean?
An insult takes a dizzying trip through rap, men’s rights, misogyny and TikTok.
Hong Kong Security Law Sets Stage for Global Internet Fight
As the city grapples with new restrictions on online speech, American tech giants are on the front line of a clash between China and the Uni...
Magic Leap Hires Top Microsoft Executive as C.E.O.
Peggy Johnson, who led Microsoft’s business development, will take over the struggling virtual reality start-up in August.
A Bird? A Plane? No, It’s a Google Balloon Beaming the Internet
A commercial deal in Kenya marks the first application of balloon-powered internet in Africa, the region with the lowest percentage of inter...
TikTok to Withdraw From Hong Kong as Tech Giants Halt Data Requests
Google, Facebook and Twitter said they were reviewing China’s punitive new national security law for the city, a rare public questioning of ...
Google, Facebook and Twitter Stop Hong Kong Data Requests
The companies said they were reviewing China’s punitive new national security law for the city, a rare public questioning of Chinese policy ...
Palantir Technologies Files to Go Public
The data start-up, which has a valuation of $20 billion, would be the largest Silicon Valley tech listing since Uber made its debut last yea...
YouTube’s Power of the Purse
YouTube shows that some constructions of digital spaces can help combat online nastiness.
Facebook Temporarily Stops Hong Kong Data Requests
The social network said it would review the city’s punitive new national security law, a rare public questioning of Chinese policy by a larg...
South Korea Denies U.S. Request to Extradite Operator of Child Pornography Site
The Justice Department had sought to try Son Jong-woo after he was indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia on money-lau...
Uber to Buy Postmates for $2.65 Billion
The ride-hailing company’s core business has struggled in the pandemic, and it is betting on growth of its Uber Eats division.
Uber to Buy Postmates for $2.65 Billion
The ride-hailing company’s core business has struggled in the pandemic, and it is betting on growth of its Uber Eats division.
TikTok Stars Tati and Devin Will Meet
Two rising stars on the app have amassed a huge audience by playing along with their followers’ fantasy of romance.
New Trump Appointee Puts Global Internet Freedom at Risk, Critics Say
A battle involving Michael Pack and a U.S.-funded tech group revolves around software from Falun Gong, the secretive, anti-Beijing spiritual...
This Year’s Summer Campground: Our Bedrooms and Living Rooms
Summer camp in the pandemic looks just like a screen. But what happens when kids run away from the computer?
What Hong Kong’s Pandemic Experience Taught Uber About Other Cities
The city was among the first to close and among the first to reopen. But Uber’s lessons there could be difficult to duplicate elsewhere.
The #Vanlife Business Is Booming
Coronavirus is just a distant memory while zipping around in a several-hundred-thousand-dollar custom van on the open road.
Can an Algorithm Predict the Pandemic’s Next Moves?
Researchers have developed a model that uses social-media and search data to forecast outbreaks of Covid-19 well before they occur.
Goodbye to the Wild Wild Web
The internet is changing, and the freewheeling, anything-goes culture of social media is being replaced by something more accountable.
New ‘TV’ Is a Lot Like TV
Home entertainment today isn’t all that different from the time of VHS tapes.
How Infrared Images Could Be Part of Your Daily Life
In a post-quarantine world, heat sensors could help spot sick people with elevated temperatures as they enter public places. But it’s not th...
Four Top Tech C.E.O.s Will Testify on Antitrust, Panel Says
The hearing this month would be a central moment in the continuing backlash against the power of Amazon, Facebook, Alphabet and Apple.
Bogus Ideas Have Superspreaders, Too
Internet companies should treat people with big followings differently.
How to Make Smartphones Last Longer
In a pandemic-induced recession, it’s more important than ever to take care of our smartphones and other gadgets.
China’s Software Stalked Uighurs Earlier and More Widely, Researchers Learn
A new report revealed a broad campaign that targeted Muslims in China and their diaspora in other countries, beginning as early as 2013.
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