Techmeme: Experts say consent and disclosure are key to the ethical use of synthetic media, amid controversy surrounding Bourdain's deepfake voice in a new documentary (Helen Rosner/New Yorker)

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July 18, 2021, 2:00 PM

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Guy Rosen / About Facebook:

Facebook says their data shows a 50% decline in vaccine hesitancy among US users, refuting Biden's claim that it's “killing people” by allowing COVID-19 misinfo — At a time when COVID-19 cases are rising in America, the Biden administration has chosen to blame a handful of American social media companies.

More: The Guardian, New York Times, CNBC, Insider, CNN, International Business Times, Engadget, The Verge, Reuters, Mashable, Neowin, Social Media Today, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, NBC News, Politico, and New York Times

Facebook: Marjorie Taylor Greene. Tweets: @noupside, @dylanbyers, @rflaherty46, @sachabaroncohen, @peteralexander, @thehill, @brandonlive, @juddlegum, @lidskylidsky, @maya_sen, @babydocanita, @mjaeckel, @datadrivenmd, @nicoleperlroth, @davechensky, @rothschildmd, @badastronomer, @brandyzadrozny, @mariachong, @moonalice, @karaswisher, @brianstelter, @lam_barrett, @marietjeschaake, @bostonjoan, @sheeraf, @brianschatz, @caulfieldtim, @jessreports, @brandee, @jesselehrich, @bryanrbeal, @technicaladept, @quinnypig, @sbyrnes, @mmasnick, @soledadobrien, @ylecun, @reedgalen, @jaronschneider, @andymstone, @moonalice, @sarthakgh, @steveschmidtses, @sivavaid, @karaswisher, @govhowarddean, @steveschmidtses, @mgsiegler, @sarahfrier, @jeffschogol, @the12fthofnever, @emilydreyfuss, @drdavidley, @johnbattelle, @melissaryan, @qjurecic, @dylanbyers, @jesselehrich, @repzoelofgren, @matthewstoller, @jason_kint, @alastairmca30, @davewiner, @anthony, @jesselehrich, @datadrivenmd, @ccadelago, @ceciliakang, @charlesarthur, @juddlegum, @kevincollier, @dylanbyers, @mattyglesias, @jason_kint, @ggreeneva, @ggreenwald, @benshapiro, @timwattsmp, @saracarterdc, @ggreenwald, @moonalice, @kari_jerge, @polisciprofhi, @chelseaclinton, @grady_booch, @micahgrimes, @redsteeze, @lemberg, @mc_of_a, @mattzeitlin, @thebrandonmorse, @xpangler, @karaswisher, @esaagar, @kurtwagner8, @alexthomp, and @dylanbyers

See also Mediagazer

Carl T. Bergstrom / @ct_bergstrom:

[Thread] The response to Biden from Facebook's VP of Integrity is a textbook example of bluster and obfuscation — After Biden's criticism of @Facebook for their inaction on antivax propaganda, @fbnewsroom is going on the offensive. They issued a press release that is a textbook example of bluster, obfuscation, and agnatogenesis. Here's the link. Let's take a look. https://about.fb.com/...

More: Bloomberg. Tweets: @ct_bergstrom, @ct_bergstrom, @ct_bergstrom, @ct_bergstrom, @ct_bergstrom, @ct_bergstrom, @ct_bergstrom, and @ct_bergstrom

Lewis Gordon / The Verge:

Interviews with digital artists and game makers who are pushing the boundaries in Roblox by creating interactive art projects and MMO games — Like so many Roblox players, digital artist Everest Pipkin has their own abandoned birthday world. — Last year, when the pandemic …

Tweets: @talewindgames, @roblox_rtc, @v21, and @lewis_gordon

Helen Rosner / New Yorker:

Experts say consent and disclosure are key to the ethical use of synthetic media, amid controversy surrounding Bourdain's deepfake voice in a new documentary — The new documentary “Roadrunner” uses A.I.-generated audio without disclosing it to viewers. How should we feel about that?

Tatiana Walk-Morris / Retail Dive:

Foundry, which aims to acquire and optimize online brands for marketplaces like Amazon, launches with $100M from LightBay Capital and Monogram Capital Partners — Dive Brief: — As investors fund platforms that support digital brands, Foundry, a platform that supports and acquires online brands …

More: Business Wire, PE Hub, Austin Business Journal, and PYMNTS.com

FinSMEs:

Specright, whose software helps companies manage and share supply chain data across suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers, raises $30M Series B — Specright, a Tustin CA-based provider of Specification Management software, raised $30M in Series B funding.

Source: Specright. More: ocbj.com, socaltech.com, and Wall Street Journal

Flavia Rotondi / Bloomberg:

An Italian museum is using cameras to monitor people looking at artwork, to define a work of art's “attraction value” and accordingly change museum layouts — As Italy's museums and galleries welcome back tourists and try to recoup some of the 190 million euros ($225 million) …

Jason Parham / Wired:

An oral history of Black Twitter, which helped fill a void created by the fizzling out of web forums like BlackVoices, Melanet, and NetNoir in the mid-2000s — From #UKnowUrBlackWhen to #BlackLivesMatter, how a loose online network became a pop culture juggernaut, an engine of social justice, and a lens into the future.

More: Protocol. Tweets: @wired, @niemanlab, @publicsourcepa, @sesmith, @raju, @anthony, @glichfield, @alexwhitcomb, @wired, @wired, @wired, @wired, @condelibrary, @kozza, @longreads, @glichfield, and @wired

Zachery Eanes / Raleigh News & Observer:

Raleigh, NC-based insightsoftware, which makes financial reporting and budgeting software, receives ~$1B investment from PE firm Hg at a valuation of $4B — Raleigh software company insightsoftware draws a $1 billion investment — ORDER REPRINT → — Raleigh-based insightsoftware …

Source: Business Wire. More: Triangle Business Journal, Wall Street Journal, and WRAL TechWire

Richard Lawler / The Verge:

WhatsApp is testing encrypted cloud backups on Android — Read the fine print before you switch it on — When you're using WhatsApp your messages are encrypted end-to-end, which means prying eyes can't easily see what's in them as they travel back and forth.

More: PCMag, SlashGear, WABetaInfo, Gizchina, Engadget, NDTV Gadgets 360, News18, Neowin, HC Newsroom, and BGR India. Tweets: @wabetainfo

Bloomberg Law:

TurboTax developer Intuit will leave the IRS Free File Program, which drew scrutiny in recent years after an investigation found Intuit hid free-filing options — Intuit Inc., the maker of TurboTax, is leaving an IRS program that offers millions of Americans the ability to file their taxes for free.

More: Intuit, The Hill, CNBC, Mashable, The Verge, and Engadget

Tweets: @nickheer, @carnage4life, @iansherr, @book_leslie, @blaketoliver, @justinelliott, @schxleo, @ericnakagawa, @tax, and @senwarren

Allison Johnson / The Verge:

Sony Xperia 1 III review: nice design with a 120Hz display and several manual camera modes, but expensive at $1,300, will get just two years of security updates — A good camera system and top-notch features, but it's priced too high to recommend — The Sony Xperia 1 III is a great phone that I won't recommend to many people.

Kyriacos Nicolaou / Cyprus Mail:

Cyprus-based LearnWorlds, which allows users to create interactive online courses without needing any programming knowledge, raises $32M from Insight Partners — LearnWorlds, a company based in Cyprus, has procured a $32 million minority investment from global venture capital and private equity firm Insight Partners.

Source: PR Newswire. More: Tech.eu and FinSMEs

Wall Street Journal:

How decision-making by Masayoshi Son, who estimated WeWork would be worth $10T by 2028 and wanted Adam Neumann to be “crazier”, led to WeWork's implosion — Adam Neumann and Masayoshi Son pushed WeWork to new heights as they challenged each other to think big and bet billions.

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