10 things in tech: Spying Google employees - Zoom goes hybrid - Uber Eats alumni
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1. Google fired 80 employees for abusing user data and spying on people. Between 2018 and 2020, the company fired dozens of people for accessing users' personal data, with some even sharing personal information outside the company. Here's what you need to know.
2. TikTok is copying Facebook. The app is introducing TikTok Stories, an Instagram-reminiscent feature that allows users to post content that will disappear after 24 hours. The new feature shows how the largest tech platforms swipe ideas from each other, even amid scrutiny.
3. Zoom announced it's building a fully-hybrid workplace. With only about 1% of Zoom staffers willing to work in an office full time, the company decided it won't open any offices until social distancing and PPE aren't necessary. Why it's not rushing a reopening.
4. Elon Musk didn't want Tesla's Model Y to have a steering wheel - so engineers developed the car behind his back. A new book says Musk argued against a steering wheel because the car was meant to be fully self-driving, but engineers built one anyway. More on the tensions unveiled in the book.
5. Amazon has gutted a huge chunk of its secretive drone delivery project. The company has laid off more than 100 employees in its Prime Air division, another blow to the project since it began "falling apart" in 2019. Get the full rundown here.
6. When it comes to road trips, Tesla owners have an advantage over other EV drivers. One man's trip across California showed the many inconveniences of driving a non-Tesla electric vehicle, including trouble accessing charging stations.
7. Amazon is trying to reduce the amount of inventory it destroys. After probes found it trashes millions of items a year, the company unveiled programs that will give third-party sellers another chance to sell products instead of destroying them. Here's how they'll work.
8. Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet is nearing the 100,000-user milestone. Starlink boosted its subscriber base by nearly 30% (or about 20,000 people) in a single month. More on that here.
9. Former Uber Eats employees are raising millions for their own startups. At least 12 Uber Eats alumni have founded their own venture-backed startups ranging from women's health companies to finance apps. Meet the Uber Eats power network.
10. We obtained the internal memo DeepMind sent after its cofounder faced an external investigation. After the WSJ revealed an external law firm had investigated Mustafa Suleyman after complaints of bullying from staff, DeepMind's HR said Suleyman's style "fell short" of expected standards. Read the leaked email here.
Compiled by Jordan Erb. Tips/comments? Email jerb@insider.com or tweet @JordanParkerErb.
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