cars
Car Rental Service Replaces Desk Agents With People On Video Chat
A Nu Car Rentals office in Charlotte, North Carolina offers only "virtual assistance" to customers.
Surveillance
eBay Removes Listing for StingRay Cellphone Spying Tech
The StingRay was listed at $100,000 before being removed for violating the platform’s policy on not selling electronic surveillance equipment.
News
California Apple Manufacturing Facility Has 19 ‘Potential Violations’ of EPA Regulations
A new report by the Environmental Protection Agency suggests that Apple also miscalculated the effectiveness of its hazardous compound air filters.
FOIA
Emails Reveal the Playbook Used Against Libraries Planning ‘Drag Story Time’ Events
Internal messages shared with 404 Media show how an official’s complaint about a drag queen story hour can spiral into bomb threats against the library hosting it.
Amazon
California Fines Amazon $6 Million for 59,017 Separate Warehouse Violations
The citations allege that Amazon did not provide workers with written performance quotas.
AI
TikTok Introduces AI Avatars for Ads as FTC Warns Companies Not to Do That
One week after the FTC said companies should not use AI to form personal attachments with consumers, TikTok says its AI avatars can help brands build “real and native connections.”
Microsoft
Microsoft QA Contractors Say They Were Laid Off for Attempting to Unionize
Microsoft, which subcontracts the quality assurance provider, has a standing labor neutrality agreement with the Communications Workers of America.
Court Allows K-Pop Group to Subpoena YouTuber's Identity from Google
K-pop group NewJeans is attempting to sue the anonymous user of a YouTube account for defamation, but cannot proceed without obtaining their identity.
Amazon
Amazon’s AI Warehouses Isolate Workers and Hinder Union Organizing, New Report Finds
The report finds that Amazon workers in robotic warehouses feel more isolated at work, which makes it difficult to unionize.
Google Laid Off Workers That Help Investigators During School Shootings and Kidnappings
A third of the team responsible for handling Google’s data requests was laid off, a union representing workers said, raising concerns about how the company will manage its users’ data security.
News
Amazon Kills Shareholder Proposals on Worker Protections and AI Oversight
The proposals requested increased transparency on working conditions and freedom of association. Amazon recommended that shareholders vote against them.
News
Amazon’s Swag Store Sells Neck Fans to Prevent Workers from Overheating
Employees can buy the fans at an in-warehouse store with “Swag Bucks” they earn for good behavior and team bonding activities.