Five stories not to miss
1 Facebook’s data divulging goes on
Facebook’s data-sharing woes continue after it was revealed that the company had provided special access to several companies long after it claimed to have blocked third-parties from grabbing personal data. A Wall Street Journal report revealed Facebook had a whitelist of select companies that could read personal data about a user’s friends, while the company had also shared additional data with 60 device makers.
2 Damaging EU copyright rules creep closer
MEPs voted to push through changes to European copyright laws that could have damaging consequences for the web. Critics claim Article 13 would stop people sharing content such as memes, as it would first have to be checked against a database of copyrighted content.
3 Google launches standalone podcast player
Google has launched its own standalone podcast service called Google Podcasts. Google plans to use its algorithms to create personal recommendations and will sync podcast progress across its devices – such as Android phones and Home. However, its current 3.4 out of 5 rating in the Play Store suggests that Google Podcasts might struggle against more established rivals.
4 Apple shafts the miners
Apple has banned apps – and ads within them – from running cryptocurrency mining tools on iOS devices in a bid to prevent battery drain. Apps and low-rent ads have been using spare clock cycles to mine currencies, with the proceeds going back to the app or ad creators. Changes to Apple’s policies mean on-device mining is now outlawed, even if the user downloaded an app with that intention.
5 Microsoft feels heat over ICE
Microsoft is the latest tech company to find itself caught up in a socio-political storm after it came under fire from its employees over supplying services to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials who were separating children from their parents. CEO Satya Nadella responded to an open letter from staffers by sending a memo saying that Microsoft was not providing direct support.