FTC fines Twitter $150 million for ‘deceptive’ ad targeting

Twitter has paid a $150 million fine to the FTC over its”deceptive” use of user data for targeted advertising. The fine stems from the company’s admission in 2019 that it had for years used Twitter users’ phone numbers and email addresses provided for two-factor authentication to also serve targeted ads. 

The company said at the time that its use of the phone numbers for ads was “an error,” and that it wasn’t certain how many users were affected. In a statement, FTC Chair Lina Khan said that more than 140 million users were affected by the practice, which persisted between 2014 and 2019. It was also in violation of a previous agreement Twitter had with the FTC, dating back to 2011, which “prohibited the company from misrepresenting its privacy and security practices.”

In a statement, Twitter’s Chief Privacy Officer Damien Kieran said the company has “cooperated with the FTC every step of the way.” 

“This issue was addressed as of September 17, 2019, and today we want to reiterate the work we’ll continue to do to protect the privacy and security of the people who use Twitter,” Kieran wrote. “In reaching this settlement, we have paid a $150M USD penalty, and we have aligned with the agency on operational updates and program enhancements to ensure that people’s personal data remains secure and their privacy protected.”

In addition to the fine, the FTC order stipulates that Twitter notify all users whose phone number and emails were originally collected for “account security” that were also used for ads. It also requires Twitter to make two-factor authentication available via methods other than phone numbers, which the company adopted in 2019. Twitter will also create a new “comprehensive privacy and information security program” to review new products for potential privacy and security risks.

Niantic’s Campfire app will finally let ‘Pokémon Go’ players chat together

Move over Discord, Niantic has its own messaging solution in mind for Pokémon Go players: a social AR app called Campfire. It’ll let you organize for events, discover new locations and share content with other players. Think of it like a hyper-local so…

Apple VP tries to persuade employees against unionizing in leaked video

Apple’s vice president of people and retail Deirdre O’Brien tried to dissuade the company’s employees from joining a union in an internal video leaked to several media outlets. In the video — which was sent to all of Apple’s 65,000 retail employees in the US — O’Brien tells workers that a union would slow down the company’s efforts to address worker concerns.

“We have a relationship that’s based on an open and collaborative and direct engagement, which I feel could fundamentally change if a store is represented by a union under a collective bargaining agreement. To put another organization in the middle of our relationship that does not have a deep understanding of Apple or our business. And one that I do not believe shares our commitment to you,” she said in the video.

Unionization efforts are currently underway at a number of US Apple retail stores following months of worker-led protests over low pay and long hours, including union drives occurring in retail stores in Towson, Maryland, Atlanta, and New York City. A number of retail workers recently accused the company of union-busting. Earlier this month the Communication Workers of America — the union which is seeking to represent workers at the Atlanta location — filed an Unfair Labor Practice filing with the NLRB, accusing the company of holding mandatory “captive audience” meetings with bargaining unit employees.

O’Brien emphasized that a union would block Apple’s efforts to respond swiftly to worker concerns. “Apple moves incredibly fast,” she said in the video. “It’s one thing I love about our work in retail. It means that we need to be able to move fast too. And I worry that because the union will bring its own legally mandated rules that would determine how we work through issues it could make it harder for us to act swiftly to address things that you raise.”

The tech giant in February announced it would expand its benefits for US retail employees, including offering paid parental leave and more sick days. It also raised the pay for a number of retail employees. But critics say that the company took these steps amidst a tightening labor market, after years of media coverage and complaints from Apple’s retail workers about the low pay and strenuous work environment.

Twitter is working toward ‘closing the transaction process’ with Elon Musk

If attendees at Twitter’s annual shareholder meeting were hoping to clear up confusion surrounding Elon Musk’s acquisition of the company, they likely left disappointed. Despite numerous questions about the future of Twitter, the company’s executives had little to say about Musk, who did not attend the meeting.

“We’re working through the transaction process,” CEO Parag Agrawal said during the meeting. The status of the deal has been somewhat unclear since Musk announced it was “on hold,” due to his concerns about bots on the platform. Twitter executives have maintained they are moving forward with their plans.

“Even as we work towards closing this transaction, our teams and I remain focused on the important work we do every day to serve the public conversation,” Agrawal said.

Twitter had said ahead of the meeting that it wouldn’t answer questions related to Musk’s acquisition of the company, which will need to be formally approved by Twitter stockholders at a later date. Even so, shareholders tried to get Twitter executives to address the issue. The very first question in the Q&A portion of the meeting asked what will happen to Twitter shareholders’ stock if “someone” buys the company and takes it private. “We aren’t able to address these questions today,” Sean Edgett, Twitter’s General Counsel, said, directing people to the company’s previous SEC filings.

Shareholders also raised questions about the future of the company’s content moderation policies. Agrawal said the company remains “focused” on existing its current policies and “decreasing our reliance on user reports.” Though he didn’t directly address comments Musk has made about loosening its rules, he said that “silencing political commentary is antithetical to our commitment to free speech.”

The meeting also marks the end of co-founder Jack Dorsey’s tenure with Twitter. He had stepped aside as CEO in November, but remained on the board of directors until the meeting. As with much of Twitter’s future, it was unclear who will succeed him.

The studio behind ‘Dream Daddy’ is making a psychological horror game

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Game Grumps, the studio that gave us Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator in 2017. This week, the team announced its latest project. And it couldn’t be more different from its debut effort.Game Grumps describes H…

A live-action ‘Speed Racer’ series is headed to Apple TV+

Apple has given the green light to a live-action Speed Racer series for Apple TV+, both Variety and Deadline are reporting. J.J. Abrams is set to executive produce the show, and it’ll be made under his Bad Robot production company, the outlets claim. While the show hasn’t been officially announced yet, the dual scoops are a reliable indicator that something is definitely happening with the classic anime property. The new series will be co-written by Ron Fitzgerald (Westworld, Friday Night Lights) and Hiram Martinez (Snowpiercer, Get Shorty), who’ve both worked on genre shows before.

Of course, it’ll be difficult to top the cinematic genius of the Wachowski’s 2008 adaptation of Speed Racer (seriously, the world just wasn’t ready for it), but the series’ premise is ripe for another live-action spin. The new series is reportedly going back to the original 1969 manga (released as Mach GoGogo). The franchise focuses on an expert driver named Speed Racer, his family/racing team (which includes a pet chimpanzee for some reason), and his souped-up car, the Mach 5. There have already been several animated reboots of the show in America, but it’ll be interesting to see how another team brings Speed Racer into the live action arena.

The NFL’s rumored streaming service could debut in July

The NFL may launch its own streaming service as soon as July. The long-rumored NFL+ could allow fans to stream some live games on phones and tablets. It may feature other content, such as podcasts, radio and team-created content. According to Sports Business Journal, NFL+ may cost $5 per month, but pricing isn’t set in stone.

It’s believed the games fans will be able to stream on phones and tablets will be restricted to those that they can see on local TV. Yahoo (Engadget’s parent company) and carriers previously streamed those games. However, those deals have expired and it seems the NFL is retaining the rights.

The report also notes the league has been in talks with potential suitors, including Apple and Amazon, about taking an equity stake in its media business. If such a deal goes through, NFL+ could be made available as part of another streaming service. Amazon already streams Thursday Night Football games on Prime Video. Apple’s has moved into sports as well — it streams exclusive MLB games every Friday.

Speaking of the MLB, the NFL looks set to follow in that league’s footsteps. It has streamed out-of-market games on MLB.TV since 2002. The MLB is reportedly planning to debut a broader streaming service next year that would include in-market games for fans’ home teams. FIFA also waded into the wide world of streaming last month, with the free, ad-supported service FIFA+.

Margaret Atwood protests book bans with ‘unburnable’ copy of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’

Book bans are becoming more prevalent in US school libraries and classrooms, making it harder (but not impossible) for students to get their hands on certain texts that might expand their worldview. To raise awareness of such moves and perhaps protest the threat of literal book burning, Margaret Atwood and Penguin Random House are auctioning a one-off, “unburnable” edition of her classic dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale.

The publisher says it’s “a powerful symbol against censorship and a reminder of the necessity of protecting vital stories.” This copy of the book has been printed and bound in fireproof materials, including white heat shield foil pages and a phenolic hard cover. Atwood put a prototype copy to the test by trying to burn it with a flamethrower.

“The Handmaid’s Tale has been banned many times — sometimes by whole countries, such as Portugal and Spain in the days of Salazar and the Francoists, sometimes by school boards, sometimes by libraries,” the author said in a statement. “Let’s hope we don’t reach the stage of wholesale book burnings, as in Fahrenheit 451. But if we do, let’s hope some books will prove unburnable — that they will travel underground, as prohibited books did in the Soviet Union.”

At the time of writing, the highest bid for the book stands at $48,000. The auction will close on June 7th.

All proceeds will go to PEN America to support its efforts to fight book bans across the US. In a recent report, the free-expression organization documented 1,586 bans on individual books in 86 school districts across 26 states.

Penguin Random House notes that censors’ targets tend to be “literary works about racism, gender and sexual orientation, often written by authors of color and LGBTQ+ writers, as well as classroom lessons about social inequality, history and sexuality.” It argued that such moves violate students’ First Amendment rights and hamper education and the flow of ideas.

“We are at an urgent moment in our history, with ideas and truth — the foundations of our democracy — under attack,” the publisher’s CEO Markus Dohle said. “Few writers have been as instrumental in the fight for free expression as Margaret Atwood.”

Jeep parent company Stellantis will reportedly plead guilty to emissions fraud

The world’s fifth-largest automaker will reportedly soon plead guilty to end a multi-year investigation into its efforts to conceal the amount of pollution created by its diesel engines. According to Reuters, the US Justice Department and Dodge parent …