Justices skeptical of broad limits on how the government speaks to platforms

During oral arguments on Monday, both liberal and conservative justices on the Supreme Court appeared wary of imposing broad limits on how the government can communicate with social media companies about problematic content it thinks should be removed. The case at issue is called Murthy v. Missouri, and it asks the court to determine whether … Read more

US prosecutors are investigating how Meta platforms played a part in illegal drug sales

Federal prosecutors asking questions about Meta are “looking into whether the company’s social-media platforms are facilitating and profiting from the illegal sale of drugs,” according to unnamed sources in a report today by the Wall Street Journal. Prosecutors reportedly sent Meta subpoenas last year seeking records on “violative drug content on Meta’s platforms and/or the … Read more

China’s Best Self-Driving Car Platforms, Tested and Compared

I experienced the City NGP function under XNGP in a P7i in Shanghai, and later in a G6 in Guangzhou. With my second experience I soon realized it was a tale of two cities. In Shanghai it was quite smooth, and at least one of the interventions made was due to me being disoriented rather … Read more

Kanye West contemplates keeping Vultures 2 and 3 from streaming platforms

Kanye West is preparing to snub streaming platforms in a major decision  Kanye West is contemplating releasing Vultures Vol. 2 and 3 through his website first and then streaming platforms. Ye shared his plans with a fan account titled “Yefanatics” in a DM conversation. The account shared screenshots of the conversation on Instagram. In a … Read more

Gab’s Racist AI Chatbots Have Been Instructed to Deny the Holocaust

The prominent far-right social network Gab has launched almost 100 chatbots—ranging from AI versions of Adolf Hitler and Donald Trump to the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski—several of which question the reality of the Holocaust. Gab launched a new platform, called Gab AI, specifically for its chatbots last month, and has quickly expanded the number of “characters” … Read more

The best apps and platforms for finding news online

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 24, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, so psyched you found us, and also, you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)  This week, I’ve been reading Kyle Chayka’s great book about algorithms, Filterworld, getting nostalgic … Read more

Spotify’s podcast exclusive days are over as Joe Rogan’s show expands to other platforms

Controversies and PR headaches weren’t enough to dissuade Spotify from re-upping its agreement with podcaster Joe Rogan, whose show over the past couple of years drove divisions among music fans and artists alike and even prompted some big names, like Neil Young, to pull their catalogs from the streaming service. Regardless, the show remained popular … Read more

EU targets music streaming platforms to ensure fair pay and visibility

The EU has proposed sweeping changes within the music streaming industry to promote smaller artists and make sure underpaid performers are being fairly compensated. A resolution to address concerns regarding inadequate streaming royalties for artists and biased recommendation algorithms was adopted by members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on Wednesday, highlighting that no existing EU … Read more

Investors double down on Snaptrude in challenging legacy building design platforms

Snaptrude — a startup aiming to compete against traditional platforms in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) design sector, including Autodesk, Trimble and Nemetschek — with its modern approach and cloud-based offering, has raised $14 million in a Series A round, just 10 months after announcing its seed funding. With Foundamental and Accel leading the … Read more