Unintended Consequence
Most tech was made with good intentions; only later do the unintended consequences become clear.
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Meltdown and especially Spectre are vexing vulnerabilities, precisely because processors are working as designed. All we can do is muddle through.
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Moderating user-generated content is hard: it is easier, though, with a realistic understanding that the Internet reflects humanity — it is capable of both good and evil.
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SBNation and AB5, Understanding SB Nation, AB 5 and the Internet
SB Nation is a publishing company that was only ever possible because of the Internet. That it has to change its model because of AB 5 shows why AB 5 is fundamentally flawed.
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Regulating Demand, Ad Targeting and Unintended Consequences, Expedia CEO Out
Google’s continued dominance may not be intransigence, but rather the difficulty of regulating demand. Then, how Apple helps Google and Facebook, and Barry Diller isn’t blaming Google.
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Libra Launches, Loses Members; A Note on Facebook v Warren; The Office of Emerging Technologies
Libra launches, but may be dead before it begins. Then, Facebook v Warren is a reminder of the value of the U.S. approach — and an indirect way to explain how silly San Francisco is.
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Privacy Fundamentalism
The current privacy debate is making things worse by not considering trade-offs, the inherent nature of digital, or the far bigger problems that come with digitizing the offline world.
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Libra’s Questionable Benefits, Facebook’s Hidden Costs, Philosophical Objections
While Facebook, Libra, and the Long Game was about analysis, this Daily Update is about opinion: I don’t think Libra is a good idea.
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The Wall Street Journal and Apple News, The Problem with Regulating Content, Australia’s Terrible New Law
Why the Wall Street Journals’ deal with Apple isn’t so bad, and how that applies to YouTube. Plus, why content regulation isn’t workable, and a review of Section 230. Then, Australia passes a truly terrible law.