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.
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The Mueller Indictment, Russian Sophistication, Facebook Tweets
The Mueller investigation produced its first indictment, and the biggest takeaway was the degree of Russian sophistication. This was good news for Facebook, until an executive undid it all.