Technology

News Brief: Border Security, Facebook User Data

5:58am April 05, 2018

President Trump signs a proclamation to send the National Guard to the border with Mexico to try to cut down on illegal immigration. More information is out about Facebook's handling of its user data.

Queue Listen Now

Facebook Says Cambridge Analytica May Have Obtained Data On As Many As 87M Users

10:04pm April 04, 2018

by Aarti Shahani

The previous estimate was 50 million. Facebook also said "malicious actors" abused a feature that allowed users to find each others' phone numbers and email addresses. The feature is being disabled.

Queue Listen Now

Facebook said Wednesday that the number of users whose personal information was revealed to Cambridge Analytica was 87 million, not 50 million.

Facebook Says Cambridge Analytica Data Grab May Be Much Bigger Than First Reported

6:42pm April 04, 2018

by Amy Held

Facebook now says Cambridge Analytica could have improperly accessed up to 87 million Facebook users. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Wednesday the social media giant made "a huge mistake"

National

Attack At YouTube Offices Brings Company's Content Policy Into Question

5:21pm April 04, 2018

by Laura Sydell

The shooter in the attack at YouTube's offices was angry at the company. In social media postings, she claimed that her videos were being filtered, censored and demonetized, but it's not clear that was a motivation for her shooting spree. But the tragedy gets to a profound challenge at YouTube — deciding what content stays up and gets displayed prominently and what comes down or gets buried in search results.

Queue Listen Now

The Department of Homeland Security detected "anomalous activity" consistent with cellular site simulators such as the StingRay II.

Feds Say They've Detected Apparent Rogue Spy Devices In D.C.

4:57pm April 04, 2018

by Merrit Kennedy

This is believed to be the first time the U.S. government has publicly acknowledged the apparent devices in the capital. The agency warned that they could be used by hackers, criminals and spies.

Professors Are Targets In Online Culture Wars; Some Fight Back

1:59pm April 04, 2018

by Anya Kamenetz

Across the country, in the past year and a half, at least 250 university professors have been targeted in cyber harassment campaigns because of their research, teaching or social media posts.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will visit Capitol Hill to discuss consumer data privacy issues, the heads of a House panel said on Wednesday.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg Will Testify Before Congress On April 11

1:02pm April 04, 2018

by Brett Neely

Welcoming the news, the top Republican and Democrat on a House committee said that "we look forward to him answering our questions" about protecting users' data.

The Spotify banner hangs from the New York Stock Exchange on the morning that the music streaming service begins trading shares, on April 3, 2018 in New York City. The question now is: Where to?

Music & Culture

Spotify Is, For Now, The World's Most Valuable Music Company

12:00pm April 04, 2018

by Stephen Witt

The Stockholm-founded company has become symbiotic with the recording business, but has eclipsed any one company's value by multiples. But they all still need each other.

Shefet is part of a much larger movement in Europe pushing back against the power of the tech titans under the banner of the "right to be forgotten."

World News

The Paris Lawyer Who Gives Google Nightmares

5:01am April 04, 2018

by Aarti Shahani

Dan Shefet won what may be the most powerful single case against Google: the right to get search results about himself removed. Now people and governments the world over are seeking him out.

Queue Listen Now

Spotify Founder and Chief Executive Officer Daniel Ek speaks onstage during Spotify Investor Day on March 15, 2018 in New York City.

Music & Culture

Spotify Goes Public Valued At Nearly $30 Billion – But Its Future Isn't Guaranteed

5:12pm April 03, 2018

by Charles Lane

Spotify's much-anticipated debut on the New York Stock Exchange arrived today — but the company has never made a profit. To do so, it needs to predict, and define, the future.

Queue Listen Now