Techmeme
February 19, 2021, 3:10 AM

Top News

Mike Masnick / Techdirt:
Facebook's refusal to pay a misguided media tax, pushed by Rupert Murdoch, is a defense of the open web and criticizing it for rejecting a link tax is bizarre  —  None of this should have been a surprise.  Back in September we wrote about Facebook publicly saying that if Australia went forward …
Damien Cave / New York Times:
As news disappears from Facebook in Australia, while leaving plenty of conspiracy theories, many Australians are outraged but remain divided over what to do  —  The social network's decision to block journalism rather than pay for it erased more than expected, leaving many outraged and debating what should happen next.
Benedict Evans:
William Easton / About Facebook:
Nicholas McElroy / ABC:
Dieter Bohn / The Verge:
Google releases Android 12 developer preview, available for Pixel devices, with under-the-hood changes adding security, support for more media formats, and more  —  The big, consumer-facing changes will come later this year  —  Google is releasing a developer preview for the next version of Android …
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Google adds the Apple TV app to its newest Chromecast device with Google TV and has made it available on Sony and TCL smart TVs that have Google TV  —  Plugging a notable gap in its streaming lineup, Google has added the Apple TV app — the only way to get the Apple TV Plus service — to its newest Chromecast device.
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Microsoft announces new standalone versions of Office: Office 2021, available for Windows and macOS later this year, and Office LTSC for commercial customers  —  Microsoft Office LTSC is also arriving for businesses  —  Microsoft is announcing two new versions of Office today …
Usman Pirzada / Wccftech:
Nvidia announces dedicated crypto mining GPUs and says RTX 3060 GPU will detect the Ethereum cryptocurrency mining algorithm and limit the hash rate by 50%  —  NVIDIA has finally conceded to the overwhelming mining demand facing the GPU market right now and launched a lineup …
Catalin Cimpanu / ZDNet:
Microsoft completes its probe into its SolarWinds-related breach, finds hackers stole some source code but no evidence that they abused its internal systems  —  Microsoft says it has completed its investigation into its SolarWinds-related breach.  —  Microsoft's security team said today …
Jon Brodkin / Ars Technica:
House Republicans introduce the CONNECT Act, which aims to expand broadband connectivity and competition, but would limit government-run municipal networks  —  GOP claims ban would “promote competition by limiting government-run networks.”  —  House Republicans have unveiled their plan for …
Tony Romm / Washington Post:
Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, and Jack Dorsey are scheduled to testify at the House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on platform misinformation March 25  —  The hostility toward Big Tech that had taken hold in Washington has intensified after the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol
Makena Kelly / The Verge:
Thursday's House Committee hearing focused very little on social media's role in the GameStop squeeze and instead focused on Robinhood's influence  —  A Redditor, a FinTech bro, and two hedge fund managers walk into a hearing room  —  This story is part of a group of stories called
Ian Carlos Campbell / The Verge:
WhatsApp says it will offer users the ability to review its new privacy policy through a banner inside its app, ahead of the update's May 15 launch  —  The company is trying to set the record straight on private messages and what's changing  —  WhatsApp has a new plan to explain …
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Roku beats with Q4 revenue of $650M vs $615M expected, up 58% YoY, net profit of $65.2M vs an expected loss; 14.3M active accounts were added for FY2020  —  Roku grew revenue in the fourth quarter 58%, to a record $649.9 million — and posted a $65.2 million net profit for the quarter, whereas Wall Street had expected a loss.
Rest of World:
A look at how Clubhouse is being received in Japan, India, Nigeria, and Hong Kong, regions where Clubhouse usage has spiked  —  The buzzy audio app is most frequently associated with Silicon Valley, but it's taking off everywhere from Japan to Nigeria.  —  What happens when a buzzy app pegged …
Mara Hvistendahl / The Intercept:
Docs: Oracle has been marketing its data analytics tools to Chinese police, touting its ability to mine DNA, vehicle records, and facial recognition databases  —  Police in China's Liaoning province were sitting on mounds of data collected through invasive means: financial records …
Hannah Murphy / Financial Times:
Court filing says a Facebook manager warned that the company reported revenues it “should have never made” by overstating how many users advertisers could reach  —  Lawsuit cites product executive's qualms over figures provided to advertisers  —  A Facebook employee warned …
Tony Romm / Washington Post:
The Internet Association, whose members include Facebook and Google, joins a lawsuit from the US Chamber of Commerce challenging Maryland's digital services tax  —  The lawsuit from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and groups such as the Internet Association, whose members include Amazon …

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Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Timothy B. Lee / Ars Technica:
Bloomberg: