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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Huawei CFO Arrested, Australia’s Awful Law
Huawei’s CEO is arrested, and U.S. companies — including Apple — should be at least a little nervous. Then, Australia passed a terrible law that will compromise the security of Australians — and possibly everyone else.
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Uber Loses in New York City, The Modern Medallion?, Driver Pay Floors
New York City has enacted a moratorium and pay floor on ride-sharing services. Uber may be losing its political power, and the effects could be wide-ranging.
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Facebook Filter Foibles, The EU Copyright Directive, Yelp and the Three Approaches to Internet Content
Facebook provides a useful example of how automated filtering goes wrong, even as the E.U. mandates exactly that. A recent court case about Yelp shows that the U.S. has the best approach to content law.
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South Dakota v. Wayfair, and Amazon; Wayfair’s Unintended Consequences; Ohio v. American Express, and Tech
Two Supreme Court decisions have an impact on tech: first, states can collect sales taxes on e-commerce, and second, the burden of proof for antitrust just got higher.
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Apple, China, and Trump; Google Invests in JD; The Value of the China Market
More on Apple’s challenges in the Chinese market, both in the past and going forward, and then why e-commerce companies are beating everyone else, both in China and the U.S. Then, why the China market is so attractive.
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The Bill Gates Line
Understanding the differences between aggregators and platforms matters for companies interacting with them and also regulators considering antitrust.