Tech Giants (Still) in Denial

As I spoke with Rep. Ro Khanna for a story on tech regulation last week, I asked what the tech giants were telling him as federal regulators examined their companies.

To view in your browser, click here. Friday, June 14   As I spoke with Rep. Ro Khanna for a story on tech regulation last week, I asked what the tech giants were telling him as federal regulators examined their companies. "What are the tech companies saying to you?" I asked. "Are they feeling scared? Are they feeling puzzled? Confused? Or are they feeling great?" Rep. Khanna paused for a moment and then gave a revealing answer: "They see themselves still as very positive actors in the world. And they think that they're trying to connect the world and provide more information. And so, partly there's a sense of hurt that they are seen as actors causing harm. And this has been a cognitive dissonance in the tech psyche, over the last few years — that they've gone from the celebrated heroes of the time to a greater ambivalence in their role. What I have said is that the next stage for technology leaders and Silicon Valley is to have more humanists, to have more thinkers, to really ponder how the tools of this technology revolution can be used to create more jobs and opportunities that enhance our democracy and enable more people to lead meaningful lives."  Publicly contrite — claiming "we're taking a broader view of our responsibility"— the tech giants are still acting defensive and telling the same old story to members of the federal government. They are welcome to make their case. But it doesn't seem like they're in a deep introspective moment. DOJ heats up The US Department of Justice seems ready to take a deep look into Google, and perhaps Apple, for potential anti-competitive behavior. In a speech on Tuesday, its antitrust chief, Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim, said he believes the agency could take action even under current antitrust laws (which many say need amending to deal with today's tech giants). Here's what he said:   "We already have in our possession the tools we need to enforce the antitrust laws in cases involving digital technologies. U.S. antitrust law is flexible enough to be applied to markets old and new. Those who say we need new or amended antitrust laws to address monopoly concerns should look to history and take heart. It turns out American concerns about monopoly are older than the Constitution itself."   This should send chills down some spines in Mountain View and Cupertino.   Apple tip   Up until Tuesday, I would cancel Apple subscriptions via the Settings app. Doing this was a real pain. The process involves tapping into Settings, tapping your name, tapping iTunes & App Store, tapping your Apple ID, tapping View Apple ID, then signing in, then tapping Subscriptions, and then tapping into Active Subscriptions and cancelling. I pointed this out on Twitter — where else? — and much to my surprise, a much easier flow exists. You can tap into the App Store itself, tap your profile icon, tap Manage Subscriptions, and boom, you're ready to get control of your recurring expenses. Thanks @JoshMrtz, for the tip. Would love your feedback Hi, I love hearing from you. You can click reply to this email and send your thoughts to my inbox anytime. What do you like about the newsletter so far? How can I make it better? Do you prefer a longer column or a few short items (like today)? Your feedback will help make this thing better. Thank you! Updates of the week: Glad to be part of the BuzzFeed News team that won the Mirror Award for reporting on Social Media In the Crosshairs, announced this week. Microsoft veteran Matt Wallaert has a new book out this week: Start at the End: How to Build Products That Create Change. Links of the week In Court, Facebook Blames Users For Destroying Their Own Right To Privacy by Sam Biddle at The Intercept   Facebook's New Cryptocurrency, Libra, Gets Big Backers by AnnaMaria Andriotis, Peter Rudegeair and Liz Hoffman at the Wall Street Journal   Joe Biden's Twitter fight with Amazon perfectly sums up the battle over America's new tax code by Ylan Mui at CNBC   Photos Of Travelers Coming In And Out Of The US Have Been Hacked And Stolen by Davey Alba and Hamed Aleaziz here at BuzzFeed News   Amazon's Choice Is An Algorithmic Mess by Nicole Nguyen, also at BuzzFeed News   Have a great weekend! P.S. If you like this newsletter, help keep our reporting free for all. Support BuzzFeed News by becoming a member here. (monthly memberships are available worldwide) I'd love to hear from you. Please reply to this email with questions, tips, and things you'd like me to look into. Show privacy notice and cookie policy. BuzzFeed, Inc. 111 E. 18th St. New York, NY 10003 Unsubscribe