Associated Press
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Georgetown University, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019, in Washington.
Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Friday.
- Facebook's billionaire CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressed threats to free speech in a rare public address on Thursday. Zuckerberg said he was concerned by the spread of laws that restrict free speech online, admitted that Facebook and other social media platforms run the risk of restricting their users' speech, and said that people are trying to redefine what types of speech are dangerous.
- Zuckerberg slammed China for allegedly censoring Hong Kong protest videos on TikTok: 'Is that the internet we want?'. Zuckerberg slammed China for its censorship in a speech on Thursday, stating that Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp don't operate in the country because of the Chinese government's rules banning certain content.
- Google said its Pixel 4 can be fooled by a twin or unlocked by someone else while you're asleep. Google's new Pixel 4 comes with disclaimers that say its facial recognition isn't perfect.
- JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs reportedly rejected any involvement in Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency because of fears it would be used by criminals. The investment banks declined Facebook's invitation to join Libra because of worries that cryptocurrency could be used to violate money laundering and sanctions laws, The Wall Street Journal reported.
- Martin Luther King's daughter slammed Mark Zuckerberg for invoking the civil rights movement and said 'disinformation campaigns' led to MLK's killing. Bernice King criticized Mark Zuckerberg for referencing the civil rights leader in his speech on Thursday.
- The head of Facebook's new cryptocurrency project explained why you don't need to trust Facebook for it to work. Libra head David Marcus said that the Libra Association, which was formalized on October 14, is tasked with governing the network, not Facebook.
- A Google exec said Nest owners should probably warn their guests that their conversations are being recorded. Google devices chief Rick Osterloh said he believes anyone "in proximity" of a microphone-fitted smart device like Google Nest or Amazon Echo should be informed the devices are in use.
- Blizzard has banned 3 more 'Hearthstone' players for holding up pro-Hong Kong protest signs during a livestream. The US games giant barred the three college players from taking part in tournaments for six months after they held up a sign that read "Free Hong Kong, Boycott Blizz" during an official competition stream last week.
- Legendary investor Sequoia Capital made its first seed investment outside the US in Evervault, a security startup built by a 19-year-old. Irish founder Shane Curran raised $3.2 million for Evervault, which offers secure cloud computing for app developers.
- Salesforce billionaire Marc Benioff said Facebook should be broken up. Speaking to CNN on Wednesday, the Salesforce founder and co-CEO criticized the social media giant on a number of fronts, including its perceived addictiveness, its acceptance of lies in political ads, and its preoccupation with acquiring personal data.
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