Techmeme
January 8, 2020, 8:30 PM

Top News

Dieter Bohn / The Verge:
Twitter says a “conversation participants” compose screen tool is coming in 2020, letting users limit who can reply, and conversation threading will improve  —  Several features inspired by Twitter's beta app are coming  —  Speaking today at a CES event in Las Vegas …
New York Times:
TikTok says it has fixed major security vulnerabilities that could have let hackers manipulate content, gain access to private videos, and extract personal data  —  The vulnerabilities, which the app says it has fixed, could have let attackers manipulate content and extract personal data.
Washington Post:
TikTok outlines more concrete global content moderation rules following criticism, including banning election misinformation and videos glorifying terrorism  —  TikTok on Wednesday released a set of new, more detailed rules about the videos it permits and prohibits, seeking to respond …
Devindra Hardawar / Engadget:
Upcoming short-form video streaming service Quibi details new features including Turnstyle, which lets videos play well in both portrait and landscape modes  —  What the heck is Quibi?  That's the question I've been asking myself over the past year, as the Jeffrey Katzenberg-founded streaming …
Wendy Lee / Los Angeles Times:
Quibi, which had already raised $1B, says it has raised another $400M from undisclosed investors ahead of its April launch  —  In a place known for high-stakes gambling, tech veteran Meg Whitman says she's feeling even more confident these days about betting on the success of her streaming video start-up Quibi, which launches in April.
Apple:
Apple says App Store customers spent $1.42B during holidays, up 16% YoY, and $386M on New Year's Day, up 20% YoY, touts 2019 as the biggest year for Services  —  Apple has marked the close of a historic 2019 for its Services offerings, a year that introduced Apple Arcade, Apple TV+ …
Ashley Carman / The Verge:
Spotify announces new tools to target podcast ads in real time using user data for its exclusive podcasts  —  One step closer to becoming a podcast ad network  —  Spotify is going to start using its copious amounts of user data to run targeted ads inside its exclusive podcasts.
Will Oremus / OneZero:
Facebook's deepfakes policy is a good move but remains deeply flawed, covering only certain videos created by AI and creating loopholes for misleading “satire”  —  It's better than nothing — but just barely  —  Monday, Facebook announced a new policy against “deepfake” videos.
New York Times:
Andrew Bosworth / Facebook:
Drew Harwell / Washington Post:
AI startups are selling images of realistic computer-generated faces, letting clients like dating apps “increase diversity” in their ads without needing people  —  Artificial intelligence start-ups are selling images of computer-generated faces that look like the real thing …
Joseph Cox / VICE:
In letter to senators, Ring says it has fired four employees over the last four years after it was notified about the employees' improper access to user videos  —  Amazon-owned home security camera company Ring has fired employees for improperly accessing Ring users' video data …

Sponsor Posts

Google:
Try Gemini 3 Pro  —  Google's newest and most intelligent AI model that helps you bring any idea to life
Shopify:
Shopify's new AI commerce stack  —  Their VP of Product digs into just-launched products to help entrepreneurs and developers build with the latest AI and tech.
Zoho:
Why eIDAS 2.0 might be the EU's boldest digital move yet  —  eIDAS: The first building block of digital trust More than a decade ago, the EU introduced the eIDAS regulation (Regulation [EU] No 910/2014) …
IDrive:
Protecting your Cloud Applications Data  —  Backing up Office 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox & Box data is critical to preventing data loss or corruption, complying with laws and avoiding critical downtime in case of a disaster.

Featured Podcasts

Access:
Betting on reality with Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour
A show about the tech industry's inside conversation, hosted by tech reporter Alex Heath and founder whisperer Ellis Hamburger.
Subscribe to Access.
Lenny's Podcast:
The new AI growth playbook for 2026: How Lovable hit $200M ARR in one year | Elena Verna (Head of Growth)
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
Subscribe to Lenny's Podcast.
Big Technology Podcast:
CNBC's Jim Cramer: Big Tech Hot Takes, NVIDIA $10 Trillion?, Building Wealth In Any Market
The Big Technology Podcast takes you behind the scenes in the tech world featuring interviews with plugged-in insiders and outside agitators.
Subscribe to Big Technology Podcast.
Channels with Peter Kafka:
"Neither Side Is Used to Losing." Lucas Shaw on What's Next for Netflix and Paramount in the Battle for Warner Bros.
Media and tech aren't just intersecting - they're fully intertwined. To understand how those worlds work, Peter Kafka talks to industry leaders, upstarts and observers.
Subscribe to Channels with Peter Kafka.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Saam Motamedi from Greylock Partners
Conversations with people I admire about things I'm genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith:
Ted Sarandos: Netflix and how tech changed storytelling
Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith speaks with leaders in government, business, and culture to explore the most critical challenges at the intersection of technology and society.
Subscribe to Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith.
 

About This Page

This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 8:30 PM ET, January 8, 2020.

The most current version of the site as always is available at our home page. To view an earlier snapshot click here and then modify the date indicated.

More News

BuzzFeed News:

Earlier Picks

Khari Johnson / VentureBeat:
James Vincent / The Verge: