10 things in tech you need to know today
Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Wednesday.
1. Google appeared before the EU's highest court on Tuesday to argue against the global application of Europe's "right to be forgotten", which lets individuals ask for search results to be scrubbed. France's data protection agency is arguing that the deleted information should disappear from all Google search engines, not just EU versions of the site, but Google and others argue this amounts to censorship.
2. Apple is expected to launch three new iPhones today, including the jumbo-sized iPhone XS. Apple is also expected to launch a revamped Apple Watch.
3. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is open to investigating social media companies for anti-competitive behaviour, and issues of freedom of speech, according to Bloomberg. He will meet state attorneys general later this month who are already investigating the firms' practices.
4. An Amazon patent has caused public outrage because it appears to show human warehouse workers in cages for their own safety. The patent was granted in 2016, but was unearthed by a new research paper this week - and Amazon said it has never implemented the system.
5. Dozens of Amazon delivery drivers have revealed what it's like to drop off packages for the firm, citing a lack of overtime pay, intimidation, and a physically tough working environment. Drivers don't work with Amazon directly, but are managed by third-party firms that work out of Amazon facilities.
6. People are spending less time on Facebook's main social network, according to research by Nielsen. The amount of time people are spending on the Silicon Valley company's main social network has dropped by almost 7% from a year ago.
7. Tesla's share price dropped Tuesday after being downgraded by Nomura Instinet, which was formerly one of the most bullish firms on Wall Street toward the stock. Analyst Romit Shah expressed concerns over the rising frequency of CEO Elon Musk's tweeting as well as Musk's taunts of short sellers, his recent earnings call outburst, and his increasingly unpredictable behavior.
8. British health tech startup Medopad has acquired Silicon Valley heath data firm Sherbit as part of its US expansion. Medopad didn't disclose financials, but said the deal would help it expand into US teaching hospitals.
9. Amazon has joined the Washington, DC Chamber of Commerce, the chamber's president told the Washington Business Journal. That's amid massive speculation about where the company will put its second headquarters, with many of the rumours focusing on DC.
10. A popular gamer on Twitch, known online as Dr. Disrespect, reportedly had to abruptly pause his broadcast on Tuesday after a drive-by shooter shot at his house. Authorities have reportedly confirmed that this is the second time this has happened to the streamer.
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