10 Things in Tech: Meta's hate-speech shift
Hi, readers. In a shift from parent company Meta's hate-speech policy, Instagram and Facebook are temporarily allowing calls for violence against invading Russians.
Let's get to it.
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1. Meta will temporarily allow calls for violence against invading Russians. According to internal emails obtained by Reuters, Instagram and Facebook users in some countries will be permitted to call for violence against Russians, Russian soldiers, and political figures, in the context of the invasion of Ukraine.
- In light of the country's invasion of Ukraine, users in countries including Russia, Ukraine, and Poland will be allowed to call for death to Russian President Vladimir Putin or Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
- Posts espousing the presidents' death will be allowed unless they include other targets or have indicators of credibility, such as the location or method, Reuters reported.
- The decision marks a temporary change to Meta's hate-speech policy, which traditionally has barred "threats of violence and other content that has the potential to silence others or cause harm."
What we know about these changes.
In other news:
2. Elon Musk and Grimes secretly had another baby. The pair's second child, conceived via surrogate, is named Exa Dark Sideræl Musk, but they call her Y (their son's name is X Æ A-Xii). Grimes told Vanity Fair that she and Musk, despite not being "together" at the moment, plan to have more kids together.
3. Furries have become a force to be reckoned with in the tech industry. Furries, part of a subculture with an interest in anthropomorphic animal characters and who wear what are known as "fursuits" to conventions and events, have formed tight-knit communities at Big Tech firms like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. Seven furries share their experiences working in tech.
4. The Ukrainian woman killed along with her children by Russian shelling was a tech exec. Tetiana Perebyinis and her two children were killed by a Russian mortar strike while trying to flee. Perebyinis, the chief finance officer at SE Ranking, spent her last days helping colleagues evacuate, reports say. Everything we know about Perebyinis.
5. Twitter's new CEO hinted there are more big changes on the way. With ambitious growth targets set by an activist investor, Parag Agrawal is looking to increase the pace of product rollouts. Why he wants to speed up product releases.
6. Peloton will let some customers rent its pricey bikes. In the first major change under new CEO Barry McCarthy, Peloton stores in four states will offer a rental package that comes with a bike and access to its streaming service, starting at $60 a month. A look at Peloton rentals.
7. Telegram has been pushed to the forefront of Russia's war with Ukraine. The app has become a space for both sides to distribute information and propaganda to users worldwide. But now, its creator is caught between his two core beliefs: the dream of an unmoderated internet, and his animosity toward the Russian state. How Telegram became the heart of the conflict.
8. Uber and Lyft drivers are frustrated by surging gas prices following the Ukraine invasion. Drivers are taking a hit to their earning potential amid record gas prices, and it's only a matter of time before riders start feeling the crunch, too. Here's what you need to know.
Odds and ends:
9. These are the best phones on the market. Insider's senior tech reporter, who's been reviewing phones for eight years, shared the best phones for photography, battery life, and kids, as well as the top phones overall and for shoppers on a budget. See his picks here.
10. Ukrainian Android users will now have Air Raid Alerts built into their phones. Users will get notifications before expected Russian attacks happen near them, the company said. Get the full rundown here.
The latest people moves in tech:
- Citi just lost Herb Yeh, a senior banker in its key technology team.
- Cruise, GM's self-driving unit, is poaching execs from Delta, Virgin Atlantic, and Southwest. Here are three of its biggest hires.
- The chief revenue officer at $33 billion fintech Revolut is quitting to found a Web3 startup.
- Silicon Valley investing giant Iconiq Growth just hired its first European partner.
- Carol Carpenter, a former Google Cloud exec, joined gaming software company Unity as its new CMO this week.
- Meta's vice president of youth is stepping down.
Curated by Jordan Parker Erb in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email jerb@insider.com or tweet @jordanparkererb.) Edited by Shona Ghosh in London.