Techmeme
February 16, 2020, 9:15 PM

Top News

Hunter Walk:
Tech leaders should stop glib comments on media and acting like underdogs, and tech media should stop “Red Teaming” tech, overusing anonymity, and passing blame  —  Lots of mutual bad faith.  Reporters I respect indulging themselves in screenshotting and quote dunking tech folks, performative for their tribe.
Liam Tung / ZDNet:
Google's Project Zero explains how the practice of altering the Android kernel by phone vendors like Samsung lessens security by adding attack surface  —  Google Project Zero scolds Samsung and other vendors for adding features that undermine Android security.
Reuters:
At the Munich Security Conference, Zuckerberg says harmful content should be regulated with a system somewhere between existing frameworks for telcos and media  —  MUNICH (Reuters) - Online content should be regulated with a system somewhere between the existing rules used for the telecoms …
Chris Stokel-Walker / WIRED UK:
Former BBC execs and sources detail Project Kangaroo, BBC's 2007 attempt to create a Netflix-like service which was blocked by UK's Competition Commission  —  Insiders reveal just how close the BBC came to launching a credible Netflix competitor - only to have the door slammed in its face
Cyrus Farivar / NBC News:
Interviews with 40 police departments in eight states that partnered with Ring for at least three months show there is little evidence that Ring reduces crime  —  Hundreds of police departments have signed agreements with Ring to gain access to footage filmed on home surveillance cameras
Monica M. Ruiz / Wired:
Estonia, which created a volunteer Cyber Defence Unit after cyberattacks in 2007, offers key lessons to the US in attracting tech talent and educating citizens  —  The tiny European nation has come a long way after crippling cyberattacks in 2007.  Now, it offers key lessons in attracting tech talent and educating citizens.
Tweets: @ilvestoomas
Annie Musgrove / Tech.eu:
Oxford VR, a spinout from Oxford University's Department of Psychiatry that wants to use VR simulations to treat mental health problems, raises £10M Series A  —  Oxford VR, the UK developer of virtual reality therapy, has secured a £10 million Series A round led by Optum Ventures with support from Luminous Ventures.
Tweets: @yoda
Mike Godwin / Slate:
Danny Nelson / CoinDesk:
Profile of Chainalysis, a crypto analytics startup helping government agencies like FBI, IRS, DEA, and ICE in tracking illicit cryptocurrency transactions  —  It started with a $9,000 data software contract for the FBI in 2015.  —  But just five years later, Chainalysis …
Jeff Stone / CyberScoop:
Court filing sheds light on how US was able to attribute the Equifax hack to China and the techniques alleged state sponsored hackers used  —  Even for U.S. law enforcement, the Equifax hack was different.  —  Unlike in previous examples of apparent Chinese government-backed cyber-operations …
Lauren Kaori Gurley / VICE:
Target's Shipt delivery app workers describe a culture of retaliation and fear, say its algorithm pushes them to buy gifts for customers to boost their ratings  —  In late October, Ashley Johnson, a single mom and seasoned gig worker in a quiet Seattle suburb, tweeted about the decline …

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:
From content collaboration to content intelligence: Zoho WorkDrive's 2025 journey  —  As 2025 draws to a close, we're reflecting on a year marked by meaningful progress, purposeful innovation, and continuous learning at Zoho WorkDrive.
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

Hard Fork:
Why Roomba Died + Tech Predictions for 2026 + A Hard Forkin' Xmas Song
The future is already here. Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton explore and make sense of the latest in the rapidly changing world of tech.
Subscribe to Hard Fork.
Big Technology Podcast:
Sam Altman: How OpenAI Wins, AI Buildout Logic, IPO in 2026?
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.
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.
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.
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 9:15 PM ET, February 16, 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

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty:
Nick Keppler / VICE:

Earlier Picks

Greg Bensinger / Washington Post:
Kerry Flynn / CNN:
Makena Kelly / The Verge: