Hi everyone. Facebook and Twitter suggest users in Ukraine should close or lock their accounts, and tech firms have triggered contingency plans to help staff in the country.
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1. Social media companies encouraged Ukrainian users to secure their accounts. Twitter and Facebook recommended that users worried about their accounts being hacked or manipulated as part of Russia's invasion should lock or close their accounts.
- Russia's military has previously used social media to manipulate political events, often spreading misinformation.
- Twitter said it mistakenly blocked some users that were sharing footage from Ukraine, including open-source-intelligence accounts, which share footage posted to social media from conflict zones.
- On Thursday, Google's ad tools were still monetizing media outlets run by or associated with the Kremlin. Sites tied to the Kremlin displayed Google-served ads from brands like Paramount+, Best Buy, Eddie Bauer, and others.
- Tech startups and corporates relying on Ukraine's base of technical talent have rushed to provide assistance to their staff in the country.
Here's what else social media companies have recommended for their Ukrainian users.
In other news:
2. The SEC is probing Elon Musk and his brother. The Wall Street Journal reported that the agency is looking into whether the Tesla CEO and his brother's stock sales violated insider trading rules. Get the full rundown here.
3. This person wanted to be a bitcoin millionaire. Instead, they lost everything. A patient at a rehab facility in Scotland being treated for a crypto addiction described how they became obsessed with the cryptocurrency, and eventually went bankrupt. Inside the life of a bitcoin addict.
4. Three Amazon unionizers were arrested after bringing food to warehouse workers. An Amazon spokesperson told Reuters and Bloomberg that Amazon called the police because one of the unionizers has "repeatedly trespassed" on the property. More on that here.
5. We outlined nine NFT companies poised to help drive the future of entertainment. Hollywood studios and stars like Reese Witherspoon and Snoop Dogg are beginning to explore how the blockchain-based tech can help generate content and build audiences, and NFT companies like Argo and YellowHeart are stepping up to help. Meet the companies transforming entertainment.
6. A new list ranks the 100 most overpaid CEOs. An investor advocacy group detailed the most overpaid bosses of S&P 500 companies — including those of General Electric, T-Mobile, and Nike. See the others here.
7. Gorillas scrapped its 10-minute grocery delivery promise. The rapid-delivery startup has quietly tweaked its business model by switching its language to delivery "within minutes," and offering free, in-store pickup from its 18 New York stores. What this means for customers.
8. Amazon's $25 smart plug can turn your place into a smart home. The outlet can start a pot of coffee or power on the TV with just the sound of your voice or the Amazon Alexa app. How to smarten up your home.
Odds and ends:
9. These are the top cars seen at the Chicago Auto Show. At this year's expo, car companies debuted, and many outlined — to no surprise — the electric future of their lineups. From the Ford Bronco Raptor to the Toyota bz4X EV, these are the show's coolest cars and the best electric options.
10. A company is building fast-food kitchens that don't require any human staff. Equipped with fully autonomous ovens, freezers, and cleaning systems, Hyper Robotics' kitchens could eventually produce chicken wings, cheese fingers, salads, and other side dishes — all without human assistance. Take a look inside the autonomous kitchen.
The latest people moves in tech:
- These 10 Black VCs recently made partner or higher at major firms like A16Z, Lightspeed, and CapitalG.
- Better.com is losing four more executives, including its VP of finance and head of real estate. Here's the latest.
- JPMorgan's top metaverse and crypto executive is leaving the bank after almost 20 years.
- Citi just lost four bankers in the critical tech and media space.
Curated by Jordan Parker Erb in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email [email protected] or tweet @jordanparkererb.) Edited by Michael Cogley in London.