Every day we wake up, drink a cup of coffee, and get ready for work. Following are a handful of stories from around the tech world condensed to fit into one single cup of coffee. These are the things you need to know before you step foot out of your door (or in front of a webcam) and into the real world this morning.
So sit back, grab a cup, and start your morning off right with a few “Quick Bytes” from Innovation & Tech Today.
Netflix Believes its Algorithm is Free Speech
As Netflix continues to battle a lawsuit from a father who blames the show 13 Reasons Why for his daughter’s suicide, they’ve taken a surprising approach. Attorneys for Netflix are arguing that its algorithmic content is protected by the First Amendment. The company filed a motion to dismiss the suit on the grounds the suit infringes upon their right to free speech.
FTC is Investigating Recent Facebook Disclosures
The Federal Trade Commission has begun digging through the recent Facebook disclosures to determine if the company violated a 2019 settlement over privacy concerns. Through its own research, Facebook identified negative effects that were not disclosed to its users. It was determined the company’s algorithms foster conflict and that Instagram can be harmful to young teenage girls.
Hackers Hit the Israeli Defense Ministry
Hacker group Moses Staff released photos and other files this week it claims were taken from Israeli Defense Ministry servers. The group claims to have about 11TB of data from hundreds of servers and plans to release them all. The hackers said the information will be published to make the world aware of crimes committed by Israeli authorities.
TikTok Mum on Whether China Can Access Americans Data
A TikTok executive refused to say whether the Chinese government can access Americans’ user data on the platform. TikTok officials deny any involvement with the Chinese government, but do regularly censor content that is critical of the government. The exchange, largely between Senator Ted Cruz (Texas) and TikTok executive Michael Beckerman, was rather heated with accusations flying both directions between them.
