Greetings, TicToc readers! Wednesday's almost over. Here's what's happening: But first...  Tackling harmful online contentExactly two months after the Christchurch mosque attacks were streamed live on Facebook, a dozen countries and tech giants pledged to stop the spread of online hate and extremism. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern teamed up with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to introduce the "Christchurch Call to Action," guidelines aimed at preventing similar incidents. It was adopted by companies, including Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube. More: - Under the agreement, tech companies must take measures to prevent hateful or extremist content from being live-streamed and study how algorithms sometimes promote extremist content.
- Facebook, meanwhile, introduced a one-strike policy that bans users who break rules on the platform from using Facebook Live.
- New Zealand's Ardern urged further action: "Can we stop the broadcasting, but actually can we stop the hate itself?"
Headlines from around the worldAlabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a near-total abortion ban into law. Backers hope it ends up in the Supreme Court to potentially overturn Roe v. Wade. Huawei was effectively banned in the U.S. after Trump ordered domestic firms to stop using gear made by companies that pose a security risk. San Francisco became the first U.S. city to ban police use of facial recognition tech over concerns the surveillance tools may be too intrusive. SpaceX will launch its own Starlink satellites to create a space-based constellation that beams broadband to underserved areas of the world. U.S. State Department officials ordered the departure of "non-emergency employees" from Iraq, amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Data of the dayAmericans are having fewer babies. U.S. births last year dropped to the lowest number in about three decades, a new CDC report says, to about 3.79 million, down 2% from 2017. The nation's fertility rate also hit a record low in 2018, with just 1,728 births per 1,000, down 2% from 2017.  Lean back and watchiPhones could get more expensive in the trade war. The latest 25% tariffs include mobile phones, which are made almost entirely in China. Meanwhile, Cuba began mass rationing. Sales of eggs, rice, beans, chicken and soap were restricted amid a tightening U.S. trade embargo. WeWork wants to be its own landlord. It created an investment fund to raise billions of dollars to buy stakes in buildings where it pays rent. Listen to our podcastMaking the deepest-ever ocean dive. Victor Vescovo set the record when he reached 10,928 meters into the Mariana Trench of the Pacific Ocean. During the 12-hour journey, he spotted four new prawn species—as well as a plastic bag and candy wrappers.Listen to today's TicToc podcast with Jennifer Zabasajja and Victor Vescovo.  Don't miss this"I felt a sudden drop." A pilot escaped with a minor hand injury after his helicopter crash-landed into New York's Hudson River. Neo's immortal now. 30 years after getting his start, Keanu Reeves imprinted his hands and feet in cement at Hollywood's Chinese Theater. Sotheby's top lot. In 8 minutes, 6 bidders propelled Claude Monet's "Les Meules" to $110.7 million, an auction record for an impressionist work.  Before you goLivin' that 007 life. For a cool $3.5 million, you can buy a replica of James Bond's iconic DB5 like the kind Sean Connery drove in Goldfinger. Aston Martin is recreating 25 of them, outfitted with working gadgets, including simulated twin machine guns, you know, if you're into that sort of thing.  Thanks for reading! Watch your inbox for our next newsletter tomorrow. Until then, share TicToc Tonight with your friends.
-Andrew Mach | 
Post a Comment