10 Things in Tech: Amazon Prime's FTC lawsuit, Instagram's top execs, and the high-risk trips popular with the wealthy
Hello, readers. Nathan Rennolds, an associate editor in London, here.
The search for the Titan submersible is entering a critical stage. But the company had been warned of potential safety issues with the sub as long ago as 2018, a lawsuit says.
David Lochridge, a former OceanGate employee, had flagged "quality control and safety issues," per the lawsuit, which adds that "paying customers would not be aware" of many of these concerns.
Now, let's look at today's tech.
1. Amazon Prime's FTC lawsuit. The Federal Trade Commission sued Amazon on Wednesday, accusing the company of luring customers into Prime subscriptions and creating a "labyrinthine" process to cancel them.
- The FTC suit was the result of an Insider investigation in early 2022, with the FTC reviving a dormant probe into the issue after the story ran.
Citing internal documents, Insider revealed that Amazon had been concerned since at least 2017 that user interface designs on Amazon.com led customers to feel manipulated into signing up for Prime.
- Amazon was aware of these complaints for years but did not take serious action, according to the previously unreported internal documents and six current and former employees who spoke to Insider.
In other news:
2. The top 14 most influential Instagram executives in 2023. As the dust settles after Meta's massive layoffs, Instagram's headcount is looking a bit smaller. Insider has taken a look at the top execs that will be leading the app forward. Get the full list here.
3. "Landing a job at Google felt like winning the lottery. Then I got laid off." Sylvia Duran Chen was shocked to be laid off from her YouTube job after almost nine years at Google. But she said it made her realize that her self-worth needed to go beyond her career. More here.
4. How this under-the-radar VC landed a $27 million third fund. Essence VC bets on buzzy startups like generative-AI darling Jasper and a16z-backed Motherduck. Insider spoke with founder Tim Chen about the hot infrastructure and AI market and succeeding as a solo GP. Read more.
5. Insider's most innovative CMOs of 2023. These CMOs are dealing with the marketing world's biggest challenges, including reaching Gen Z customers, dealing with a volatile economy, and testing generative AI. Find the full list here.
6. The CEO of Ford said Tesla's Cybertruck is only for "Silicon Valley people." Jim Farley said Ford wasn't threatened by the EV maker's upcoming EV pickup, adding that he made "trucks for real people who do real work." The full story.
7. Shopify asked its customer-support staff to test new AI tools weeks after laying off thousands of employees. Shopify is testing an OpenAI-powered translation bot for its customer-support staff. Shopify currently employs workers who do translation work manually, fueling concerns of further cuts in the future. More here.
8. Amazon's Project Iliad. After the FTC sued Amazon over its Prime membership signup and cancellation process, Insider compiled a list of the juiciest highlights from the lawsuit. Find them here.
Odds and ends:
10. Inside Netflix's growing M&A machine. Netflix has been ramping up acquisitions for the first time in its 25-year history. Here's who leads its deal-making and what the streaming giant could buy next. Read more.
Today's team: Nathan Rennolds and Hallam Bullock in London