I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Biden’s administration might sanction Kaspersky
It’s weighing up the decision carefully, because punishing a cybersecurity giant is a risky business. (WSJ $)
+ Oligarchs are exploiting UK data privacy laws to sue holders of “undesirable info”. (WP $)
+ Troops reportedly suffering from radiation sickness have pulled out of Chernobyl. (The Guardian)
+ What is the risk of a nuclear accident in Ukraine? (TR)
+ Russia’s displaced tech professionals are in no rush to return home. (AP)
2 Facebook is struggling to curb child sexual abuse content
Its policy of “erring on the side of adult” means abuse imagery may be going unreported. (NYT $)
+ A major Facebook bug led to a surge of misinformation on users’ News Feeds. (The Verge)
+ On top of everything else, Meta’s dealing with an AI brain drain. (CNBC)
3 Scientists have finally sequenced the entire human genome 🧬
It’s a project almost two decades in the making. (WSJ $)
4 Social media platforms could be deleting war crimes evidence from Ukraine
Crucial proof for future prosecution can also violate platform policies. (BBC)
+ Overseas volunteers are sifting through content to collect war crime data. (TR)
5 The pandemic has shattered teenagers’ mental health
Schools have a significant role to play in helping them to recover. (WP $)
+ How Americans can prepare for the coming wave of covid. (NYT $)
+ Countries with poor sick pay are at the highest risk of future sickness. (Wired $)
+ Even a mild covid infection puts you at higher risk of developing diabetes. (Nature)
+ It looks like new cases in the US are leveling off. (Axios)
6 We take thousands of smartphone photos—but few are any good
The trick is to forget why you took them in the first place. (New Yorker $)
+ Photography in the metaverse could be more colorful than you could ever imagine. (Fast Company $)
+ Be careful, oligarchs, your families’ yacht selfies can lead to sanctions. (Vice)
7 TikTok’s fixation on witch hunts is an ethical quagmire
Its chaotic algorithm makes subjects into main characters—and villains. (The Atlantic $)
+ A 22-year old TikToker’s mom fanbase is growing increasingly toxic. (Input Mag)
8 In praise of boring tech 😴
Enterprise tech may be a snoozefest, but it makes the world go round. (NYT $)
9 The tech bros still love their Patagonia vests
Some wearers probably don’t even realize how mercilessly they’re being mocked. (NPR)
10 How to teach a robot to hug like a human
Aww, go on then. (IEEE Spectrum)
+ A tasty-looking silicone raspberry is teaching robots to be gentler. (EPFL)
+ Robots also enjoy making pizza! (TechCrunch)
