Government & Policy

Signal sees its downloads double after scandal

Encrypted messaging app Signal continues to see spiking downloads in the wake of the messaging scandal, which saw The Atlantic’s editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg added to a group chat where high-ranking officials in the Trump administration were discussing an attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen. The resulting press coverage around the leak of these […]

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‘Tesla Takedown’ protesters are planning a global day of action on March 29, and things might get ugly

“Tesla Takedown” organizers have promised their biggest day of global action today, encouraging thousands to protest outside Tesla showrooms, dealerships, and even charging stations to peacefully object to Elon Musk’s role in slashing government spending.  As Tesla protests have spread, so has the backlash. Activists holding up signs are being conflated with masked vandals throwing

‘Tesla Takedown’ protesters are planning a global day of action on March 29, and things might get ugly Read More »

‘Tesla Takedown’ protesters are planning a global day of action on March 29, and things might get ugly

‘Tesla Takedown’ organizers have promised their biggest day of global action this weekend, encouraging thousands to protest outside Tesla showrooms, dealerships, and even charging stations to peacefully object to Elon Musk’s role in slashing government spending.  As Tesla protests have spread, so has the backlash. Activists holding up signs are being conflated with masked vandals

‘Tesla Takedown’ protesters are planning a global day of action on March 29, and things might get ugly Read More »

New Utah law makes app stores responsible for age verification

Meta, X, and Snap are celebrating a new Utah law that will require Apple and Google to take responsibility for verifying users’ ages on their app stores and obtain parental consent for minors. The tech giants have been battling to determine which party should be responsible for age verification on the app stores. Companies like

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UnitedHealth removes mentions of DEI from its website

UnitedHealth Group has scrubbed much of its website mentioning its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, including pulling down blog posts and removing large sections from its website, TechCrunch has learned. According to archived copies of UnitedHealth’s website, several of the company’s web pages dedicated to DEI no longer load and now redirect to a

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SpaceX reportedly has a secret backdoor for Chinese investment

Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX has allowed Chinese investors to buy stakes as long as the funds are routed through the Cayman Islands or other offshore hubs, according to reporting from ProPublica.  SpaceX is a defense contractor for the Pentagon, one that handles sensitive work like building a classified spy satellite network. Investment from China

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Sequoia shutters Washington, D.C., office, lets go of policy team

Sequoia will shutter its Washington, D.C., office and part ways with the policy team there at the end of March, TechCrunch has confirmed. The news comes — and is somewhat in contrast — with the other prominent VC firms in Silicon Valley strengthening their ties with Capitol Hill and the new Trump administration. Andreessen Horowitz,

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Group co-led by Fei-Fei Li suggests that AI safety laws should anticipate future risks

In a new report, a California-based policy group co-led by Fei-Fei Li, an AI pioneer, suggests that lawmakers should consider AI risks that “have not yet been observed in the world” when crafting AI regulatory policies. The 41-page interim report released on Tuesday comes from the Joint California Policy Working Group on Frontier AI Models,

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Judge orders Citibank to release nonprofit funds, rejects EPA’s arguments

A federal judge Tuesday found the Environmental Protection Agency acted in an “arbitrary and capricious” manner when terminating contracts with three nonprofits. The judge issued a temporary restraining order that requires the EPA and Citibank to give nonprofits access to funds in their accounts. The restraining order is the latest development in a lawsuit brought

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Google search, Play Store falling foul of Digital Markets Act rules, says EU

Google Search and its Play Store app marketplace are suspected of breaching the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), per preliminary findings announced Wednesday by EU Commission enforcers of the bloc’s flagship market contestability law, who have been investigating the company for months. The DMA applies to a handful of tech giants, Alphabet (Google’s parent)

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