Reuters
Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Thursday.
- Googlers staged a big "sit-in" because they say the company retaliated against the organizers of November's sexual harassment walkouts. In New York, there were reportedly more than 200 Google employees who took part in the demonstration, reading and listening to instances of retaliation.
- Facebook could be strong-armed into hiring a federally-approved privacy boss under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, Politico reports. CEO Mark Zuckerberg could also be asked to take on the role of "designated compliance officer."
- Famous exec Bob Muglia is out as CEO of $3.5 billion Snowflake, just weeks after saying an IPO isn't imminent. Under Muglia, Snowflake shot to unicorn status in just four years.
- Vladimir Putin signed a law meaning Russia will have a "sovereign internet," separate from the global web. The bill comes into force on November 1, and will force internet service providers to filter traffic through Russia's state internet censor.
- The family of an Apple engineer is suing Tesla over a deadly autopilot crash. The Model X was in autopilot mode when it crashed into a barrier on the 101 Mountainview highway, causing the car's battery to erupt into flames.
- Lyft lost its lawsuit against New York City's minimum wage rule for drivers. The company, along with competitor Juno, originally filed a lawsuit against the $17.22 per hour minimum in January.
- Google is going to let users automatically delete location data after a set amount of time, Venture Beat reports. Users will be able to select one of two timeframes after which data will be deleted - three months or 18 months.
- Andreessen Horowitz is launching a $2 billion VC fund for later-stage startups. The firm's newest general partner David George will run the fund, which will specialize in providing funding for companies in Series C to Series G range.
- Hundreds of Facebook employees partied at a luxury hotel after announcing a big new redesign of the social network. The entertainment on offer included casino tables, karaoke, free massages, an open bar, and a magician.
- Tesla cut the price of the Model 3 in Canada so buyers can get a government tax credit. The cheapest Model 3 in Canada now runs just over $55,000 inclusive of fees.
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