More tech giants exit the facial recognition business, fake contact tracing apps are popping up, and the PS5 reveal was impressive but the subsequent memes were even better.
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Outrage over police brutality has finally convinced Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM to rule out selling facial recognition tech to law enforcement. from technology
As the massive protests pushing for police reform continue around the world, some of the world’s largest tech companies have put an end to the sale of facial recognition technology. IBM, and Amazon have all committed to, at least temporarily, not sell facial recognition to law enforcement. It’s a move that activists have been demanding for years, and it’s also why some people on social media aren’t convinced that the move will last. Others, however, are more optimistic and point to how Microsoft, which reiterated its refusal to sell facial recognition technology to law enforcement until there is a national law in place “grounded in human rights” to regulate the technology. More than 250 Microsoft employees recently asked the company in an open letter to sever business relationships with police forces more generally.
Experts are warning about more than a dozen fake contact tracing apps designed to look like official software to track coronavirus infections. These apps spread malware and steal user data, security researchers recently said. In some instances, these apps once installed can even steal banking credentials.
The PS5 is just a router. pic.twitter.com/gqlH7qmARb
— Kars (@KaroshiMyriad) June 11, 2020
And lastly, last week’s official unveiling of the Sony PlayStation 5 was big news for gamers, but it was even bigger news for meme-rs. The fifth iteration of the popular gaming console sports a futuristic look that, upon closer examination, kind of reminded social media of their local router. Since the hardware’s unveiling social media has done its job and unleashed a wave of memes making fun of the console’s design. The comparisons are endless – from routers to ducks, even air purifiers look hilariously similar to the PS5.
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home daily briefing. I’m Alex Coop, thanks for listening.
