It's a new week, readers! Today we're looking at how a facial recognition company with a $7.2 million ICE contract exposed dozens of peoples' data, and explaining why the world's best hackers are competing to break into a Tesla.
Let's get started.
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1. Trust Stamp exposed dozens of people's information in a data breach. Insider has learned that the government contractor, which provides facial recognition and surveillance tools for agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement, left the personal information of several dozen people exposed on a breached database.
- The breach — which included names, birthdays, home addresses, and driver's license data — comes shortly after Trust Stamp won a lucrative $7.2 million annual contract with ICE.
- Trust Stamp's CEO, Gareth Genner, said the exposed database was for prospective customers to test its product, and that most entries were "clearly invented data."
- However, Insider independently authenticated the data and discovered several dozen entries were of real people.
Read more about the data breach here.
In other news:
2. Amazon tests having drivers make deliveries from local malls. As per Bloomberg, the trial involves using Amazon Flex drivers to pick up packages from retail locations instead of Amazon delivery stations. Here's what we know.
3. Leaked Slack messages show Bolt's head of talent is out after just 5 months. Jennifer Christie, one of the pioneers of the company's 4-day workweek, is leaving Bolt to "pursue another opportunity more aligned with her career." Here's what we learned from the leaked messages.
4. Hackers are competing to break into a Tesla. Pwn2Own's 15th anniversary hacking competition is taking place this week, with $600,000 up for grabs and a Tesla — for those who manage to hack it. Many of the world's top hackers have gathered in Vancouver for the contest.
5. VCs are doubling down on Web3, despite billions of dollars lost in the crypto market. As the crypto market plunged, VC funding to Web3 startups boomed. This is why investors believe the future of crypto is still ripe for opportunity.
6. Meta told employees they can't discuss abortion at work in groups of more than 5 people. As per The Verge, Meta has told employees they can only discuss abortion at work with a single "trusted" colleague in a private setting. Here's everything we know about the directive.
7. Industries seem shaky at the moment, but experts believe tech talent has a reason to stay calm. With news of layoffs across the industry, the landscape appears precarious. However, slowing growth can also present opportunities. Here's what job candidates need to know.
8. YouTube takes down more than 70,000 videos and 9,000 channels related to the war in Ukraine. As per the Guardian, YouTube has removed videos that described the war as a "liberation mission" for violating content guidelines, and suspended channels associated with Russia's Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs. This is why YouTube took the unprecedented action.
Odds and ends:
9. All the coolest features of Ford's F-150 Lightning. From a fold-down work surface to a little Easter Egg only hawk-eyed owners will spot, the F-150 is packed with great features. With a lot to choose from, here are our favorite parts of Ford's revolutionary electric pickup.
10. 50 cryptocurrency and NFT terms you to know. Sharding? Rugpull? Polygon? The latest Web3 jargon often seems like a different language, but we've got a guide that will help you translate all the latest news. These are the terms you need to know.
What we're watching today:
- Zoom Video Communications, XPeng Inc., and others are reporting earnings. Keep up with earnings here.
- The ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit is getting underway in Colorado.
- Forbes' CIO summit is set to begin today.
- The 5th International Conference on Energy Production and Management is beginning virtually.
Keep updated with the latest tech news throughout your day by checking out The Refresh from Insider, a dynamic audio news brief from the Insider newsroom. Listen here.
Curated by Hallam Bullock in London (Feedback or tips? Email [email protected] or tweet @hallam_bullock.)