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.
Gm Robotaxi Service Expands to Austin, Phoenix
While we all wait on Robotaxis to show up, GMs solution for the space, Cruise, is expanding into new regions. Cruise, based in San Francisco, announced Monday it will expand to Phoenix, Arizona, and Autin, Texas, in the coming 90 days. Waymo, a Google spin-off, is already operating in Phoenix, so it will face some competition in the space. Currently, the service has only been available in San Francisco since June, so this marks its first expansion.
Disney Bail on Twitter Purchase in 2016 Due to Fake Accounts, Too.
Speaking on Disney’s bid for Twitter in 2016, former CEO Bob Iger shared some deeper insight on the deal Disney abandoned. During Disney’s analysis of the social media giant, they concluded that “substantial” numbers of fake accounts covered the platform. Twitter has long-claimed the number to be below 5%, but thus far potential buyers don’t seem to buy it.
Instagram Fined $400 Million Over Children’s Data
Ireland has fined Instagram $402 million due to how it handles children’s data. Parent company, Meta, told CNN it plans to appeal the ruling. The fine is tied to an investigation dating back to 2020 which allowed users 17 and under to create a business account, thus exposing their actual contact information. Full details of the decision are set to be released soon.
Cloudflare Silences Message Board Kiwi Farms
A major American ISP, Cloudflare, pulled support for online message board Kiwi Farms. The move comes following Kiwi Farms’ link to harassment and violent threats of Clara Sorrenti. Sorrenti is a trans woman Twitch streamer who has come under attack of an online campaign and received death threats from KF users. Law enforcement is actively investigating the threats at this time.
