Techmeme
March 30, 2020, 7:10 AM

Top News

Jon Fingas / Engadget:
Report: CDC, state, and local authorities in the US have started using anonymized location data from mobile ads to help plan their response to the pandemic  —  The use of phone location tracking to keep tabs on COVID-19 is becoming increasingly common, and the US appears to be no exception.
Mark Wyciślik-Wilson / BetaNews:
Microsoft says it has seen a 775% increase in use of its cloud services worldwide in regions that have enforced social distancing or shelter in place orders  —  This weekend, Microsoft has given an insight into the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on its services.
New York Times:
Sources: Facebook's security team had disinfo concerns about The Daily Wire's sites in 2019, clashing with the policy team, which prevented action being taken  —  After spending billions to avoid a repeat of 2016, the tech giants are careening from crisis to crisis as their foes change tactics.
Stephanie Kirchgaessner / The Guardian:
Data from a whistleblower appears to show Saudi Arabia tracking the location of its citizens in the US by exploiting flaws in the SS7 phone network protocol  —  Exclusive: Whistleblower's data suggests millions of tracking requests sent over four-month period
Jon Evans / TechCrunch:
Apple and Google should add contact tracing functionality, similar to Singapore's TraceTogether app, in a privacy-respecting way to iOS and Android  —  After the shutdown, the testing and tracing.  “Trace, test and treat is the mantra ... no lockdowns, no roadblocks and no restriction on movement” in South Korea.
Dan Primack / Axios:
HQ Trivia, which laid off its entire staff and shut down in February, has been acquired by an undisclosed investor and has already returned, airing another show  —  HQ Trivia, the live game-show app that shut down in February and laid off its entire staff, is unexpectedly returning tonight with a new show.
Timothy B. Lee / Ars Technica:
As the Authors Guild voices its opposition to Internet Archive's National Emergency Library, a look at the legal issues related to digital book lending  —  Massive online library project is venturing into uncharted legal waters.  —  One of the casualties of coronavirus-related social distancing measures …
Zara Stone / OneZero :
A look at video chat service Houseparty, which has topped the Australian, Canadian, and UK iOS App Stores and is like Zoom but with built-in games  —  ast Saturday night, Jason Shaverin, a 36-year-old project manager in London, spent three hours talking to friends on Houseparty …

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More News

Casey Newton / The Verge:
Bloomberg:

Earlier Picks

Financial Times:
Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat:
Leo Kelion / BBC: