Government & Policy

Care.com to pay customers $8.5M in FTC settlement for deceiving caregivers, families

Government & Policy /

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is requiring Care.com, a platform for gig workers in the elder-care and childcare space, to pay $8.5 million in refunds for deceiving caregivers who were looking for jobs, and making it difficult for families to cancel their paid memberships. The agency said on Monday that the company’s marketing messages […]

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X shareholders as of June 2023 included funds tied to Bill Ackman, Binance, and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

Government & Policy /

A court order recently forced Elon Musk’s X to reveal its full list of shareholders, as of June 2023, to the public. Many of the recognizable tech industry names had already been reported as backers of Musk’s effort to buy the social media company then known as Twitter and take it private, inculding VC firms

X shareholders as of June 2023 included funds tied to Bill Ackman, Binance, and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Read More »

Justice Department sues RealPage over allegedly helping landlords collude to drive up rents

Government & Policy /

RealPage, which makes property management software, was sued Friday by the U.S. Justice Department and eight attorneys general for allegedly helping apartment and building managers around the country collude to drive up unit prices. The Richardson, Texas-based outfit is accused of contracting with rival landlords to absorb info about their rates and lease terms to

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‘Disappointed but not surprised’: former employees speak on OpenAI’s opposition to SB 1047

Government & Policy /

Two former OpenAI researchers who resigned this year over safety concerns say they are disappointed but not surprised by OpenAI’s decision to oppose California’s bill to prevent AI disasters, SB 1047. Daniel Kokotajlo and William Saunders previously warned that OpenAI is in a “reckless” race for dominance. “Sam Altman, our former boss, has repeatedly called

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NASA to decide Saturday whether astronauts will ride Boeing’s Starliner home — or use SpaceX’s Dragon instead 

Government & Policy /

NASA officials will announce their final decision on Saturday as to whether two NASA astronauts — Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams — will return to Earth on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft or hitch a ride home with SpaceX instead — a decision that could have a huge impact across the rapidly evolving space industry. Here’s the

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Under DMA probe, Apple tweaks design of EU browser choice screens, expands app default settings

Government & Policy /

Apple continues to adjust its approach to compliance with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA): Announcing another batch of changes Thursday, the iPhone maker showed off redesigned browser choice screens it said would be coming to iOS and iPadOS “later this year”, with version 18 of its mobile software platforms. The tweaked browser choice

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OpenAI’s opposition to California’s AI law ‘makes no sense,’ says state Senator

Government & Policy /

OpenAI broke its silence on California’s most controversial AI bill on Tuesday, officially expressing opposition in a letter to California state Senator Scott Wiener and Governor Gavin Newsom. The AI giant argued SB 1047 would stifle innovation and push talent out of California — a position Wiener quickly replied “makes no sense.” “The AI revolution

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UK’s competition authority ends probes of Apple and Google but will use incoming powers to ‘resolve app store concerns’

Government & Policy /

Apple and Google can take a breath after the U.K. competition watchdog announced Wednesday it’s closing a pair of investigations into their respective mobile app ecosystems, citing administrative priorities. Since March 2021, the U.K. regulator had been investigating Apple’s conduct in relation to the distribution of apps on its iOS and iPadOS mobile devices, with

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India’s trade minister decries e-commerce growth, Amazon’s ‘predatory’ pricing

Government & Policy /

India’s commerce minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday expressed concern over the rapid growth of e-commerce in the country, warning of potential disruption to small retailers. Speaking at the launch of a report on the impact of e-commerce on employment and consumer welfare in India, Goyal said the projected dominance of online marketplaces in the coming

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US tech giants fight Indian telcos’ bid to regulate internet services

Government & Policy /

Global technology giants are pushing back against attempts by India’s telecom networks to bring internet services under stricter regulation, rejecting arguments that such measures are necessary to create a “level playing field” and address national security concerns. The Asia Internet Coalition (AIC), a powerful industry body that represents Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Netflix and

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