The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Reddit volunteers are helping people who need abortions
This offers a glimpse into what a post-Roe era might look like. (WP $)
+ Silicon Valley is going to be at the center of the abortion rights storm. (Wired $)
+ Online privacy is going to be more important than ever for women seeking abortions. . (Bloomberg $)
+ How to get an abortion in an age of surveillance. (Gizmodo)
2 Beijing is teetering on the edge of a lockdown
Authorities have extended restrictions in an effort to avoid Shanghai’s fate, as covid cases climb. (Reuters $)
+ North Korea’s extreme covid lockdown can’t last forever(FT $)
+ Shanghai is slowly emerging from its intense lockdown. (BBC)
+ Chinese censors are working overtime to suppress dissent over lockdowns. . (TR)
+ A new covid subvariant is spreading across the US. (NYT $)
3 Facebook’s future is less about socializing these days
And a whole lot more about buying and selling. (Economist $)
+ Evolution is essential to preventing social media from becoming stale. (Wired $)
4 India is forcing VPNs to collect and hand over user data
Which will run foul of the majority of VPNs’ “no logs policy.” (CNET)
5 Shein is China’s influencer-powered fast fashion darling
But its low prices come at a high cost for workers’ rights. (Wired $)
+ Shoppers are returning more cheap items of clothing than before the pandemic. (BBC)
6 The sad origins of crypto’s favorite phrase
Fans are annoyed that “We’re all gonna make it” has become co-opted. (Motherboard)
+ Most El Salvador residents have ditched their national bitcoin wallets. (Rest of World)
7 The US is considering sanctioning Chinese surveillance camera company Hikvision
It’s been accused of enabling human rights abuses. (FT $)
+ Moderators for student surveillance systems are worried about how intrusive they are. (Fast Company $)
8 Why are we all so obsessed with taking ancestry tests? 🧬
Race, ancestry and genetics can make for uneasy bedfellows. (New Yorker $)
9 You don’t have to fully stop eating meat to help the planet
Even just eating 20% less beef would make a big impact. (Wired $)
+ Cutting down on hamburgers is a great start. (TR)
+ Billionaire investor Carl Icahn wants to wean McDonalds off its dependence on meat. (Bloomberg $)
10 The internet’s most famous gif has had a makeover 👶🏻
Unfortunately, the new look involves NFTs. (CNN) + This retro emoji font strips the pictograms back to their charming basics. (Input)
