Note: Techmeme is hiring part-time editors. Apply here or tell a friend!
Techmeme
August 17, 2020, 9:15 AM

Top News

Jamie Smyth / Financial Times:
Google warns Australians that the government's proposal to make it pay for news content would put user privacy at risk, threaten free Search and YouTube results  —  Internet group has also paused licensing deals with outlets due to proposed regulation  —  Google has warned …
Steve Dent / Engadget:
ZTE says it will unveil Axon 20 5G, the first “mass-produced” smartphone with an under-display camera, on September 1; leak hints at a 6.92" display and more  —  ZTE has announced that it will release the first “mass-produced” smartphone with an under-display selfie camera, with the launch set for September 1st.
Steve Yegge:
An ex-Googler who wrote a searing critique decrying Google's lack of innovation lambasts Google's approach to deprecation of its Cloud APIs  —  God dammit, I didn't want to blog again.  I have so much stuff to do.  Blogging takes time and energy and creativity that I could be putting to good use …
Dan Primack / Axios:
As schools adopt remote learning or hybrid reopening models, US students face a laptop shortage, particularly of low-cost Chromebooks popular at K-8 schools  —  American students are facing a shortage of laptops, particularly low-cost Chromebooks popular in K-8 schools …
Mark Townsend / The Guardian:
UK-based counter-extremist group, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, says Facebook's algorithm “actively promotes” Holocaust denial content  —  Facebook's algorithm “actively promotes” Holocaust denial content according to an analysis that will increase pressure on the social media giant …
Florian Mueller / FOSS Patents:
A look at the similarities and differences between Epic's lawsuits against Apple and Google from an antitrust law perspective  —  This is already my fourth post in three days on Epic Games v. Apple and Google.  For your convenience, here are the headlines (and links to) to the previous three posts:
Nick Statt / The Verge:
Amit Katwala / WIRED UK:
Tens of thousands of UK high school students were downgraded from teacher estimates by an algorithm that replaced exams, affecting university applications  —  Even with the late changes, GCSE and A-Level results still highlight the flaws in a biased education system

Sponsor Posts

Google:
Generate videos with Veo 3 in Google Gemini  —  Create high-quality, 8-second videos with Veo 3, our state-of-the-art AI video generator.  Try it with a Google AI Pro plan or get the highest access with the Ultra plan.
Warp:
The #1 Coding Agent  —  #1 on Terminal-Bench.  71% on SWE-bench Verified.  Trusted by 600K+ devs.  Try the top agentic dev tool for $1 for 1st month with code TECHMEME.
Zoho:
Shaping the future: Digital transformation and cloud storage adoption in MEA  —  The Middle East and Africa (MEA) region is undergoing a profound digital transformation, driven by a young, tech-savvy population …
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.
F5:
F5's 2025 AI Strategy Report  —  Only 2% of Enterprises Are Fully AI-Ready.  Most face security gaps like weak data governance and lack of AI firewalls, stalling adoption and innovation.  What is your readiness to scale AI?

Featured Podcasts

Great Chat:
Warm intros and hot takes: It's time to get ready for fundraising season
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
Subscribe to Great Chat.
Big Technology Podcast:
Is The AI Going To Escape? -- With Anthony Aguire
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.
Uncapped with Jack Altman:
Brian Armstrong from Coinbase
Conversations with people I admire about things I'm genuinely interested in.
Subscribe to Uncapped with Jack Altman.
Channels with Peter Kafka:
A Busy - and Expensive - Summer for AI, with NYT's Mike Isaac
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.
Tech Brew Ride Home:
Elon To Sue Apple To Get At Sam?
Tech news headlines every day. 15 minutes and you're up to date. From Tech Brew, Morning Brew's tech hub.
Subscribe to Tech Brew Ride Home.
Invest Like the Best:
Peter Lacaillade - Backing The Best Managers In Private Markets
The leading destination to learn about business and investing. We do this by showcasing exceptional talent and ideas.
Subscribe to Invest Like the Best.
 

About This Page

This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 9:15 AM ET, August 17, 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

Rebecca Heilweil / Vox:
Aliya S. King / LEVEL:

Earlier Picks

Kim Lyons / The Verge:
Parmy Olson / Wall Street Journal:
Charlie Warzel / New York Times: