Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Thursday.
- Uber will require all drivers and riders to wear masks starting Monday May 18 — and is using AI to enforce the rules. The company will also require drivers to upload selfies with their face coverings to enforce the rules.
- Facebook has appointed the 'privacy committee' on its board designed to prevent another Cambridge Analytica scandal. Along with a $5 billion fine, Facebook was ordered by the FTC to create a privacy committee on its board.
- Tesla is reportedly reopening its Nevada Gigafactory after it went against local rules to restart production in California. The company has reportedly told Nevada staff that they can stay home if they don't feel comfortable returning to work, but may not receive unemployment benefits.
- Bill Gates is funding a new at-home COVID-19 testing program and it's already testing 300 people a day. The system is called the Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network (SCAN) and will send home nasal swabs to members of the public.
- Google has reportedly cut back its diversity programs, and employees said the move was meant to avoid backlash from conservatives. Current and former employees told NBC News that several programs were scaled down because Google feared appearing biased against conservatives.
- Mitch McConnell is pushing the Senate to pass a measure that would let the FBI collect Americans' web-browsing history without a warrant. Another amendment blocking the FBI surveillance failed by just one vote Wednesday, bringing McConnell's proposal one step closer to becoming law.
- Nearly 50 UK lawmakers have demanded Amazon-backed unicorn Deliveroo provide PPE and sick pay for its food delivery riders. The letter called for full pay for riders who contract COVID-19, a halt on terminations until the end of the crisis, and more.
- Elon Musk is selling 5 more properties worth over $100 million, after tweeting earlier this month that he 'will own no house'. The billionaire CEO of Tesla has pledged to sell off his many properties, claiming they are used to attack him.
- Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has predicted a wildly different future of travel and living, and it sounds pretty great. He thinks more people will choose to live in different places around the world once the pandemic subsides.
- Ireland-based tech startup Workvivo has raised $16 million in funding from Tiger Global and Frontline Ventures, having previously been backed by Zoom founder and CEO Eric Yuan. Workvivo, founded in 2017, provides a internal communications platform for companies to engage and connect with employees.
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Read the original article on Business Insider