10 things in tech you need to know today

Nintendo

Nintendo is releasing a new Switch.

Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Thursday.

1. Amazon is coming under fire for "deceptive" ratings and reviews on its website, and lawmakers are now demanding answers. Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey and Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois wrote a letter to Amazon asking the company what it does about fake product reviews and ratings.
2. Apple quietly pushed out a Mac update to combat a flaw in Zoom that left users vulnerable to having their webcams hijacked, TechCrunch reports. The update removes a hidden web server on users' devices, originally put there by Zoom.
3. Nintendo revealed a new console, a smaller version of the Nintendo Switch called the Switch Lite. The Switch Lite costs $100 less than the Switch because it's a portable-only console.
4. Facebook is looking around for game studios to buy, The Information reports. The company is also signing exclusive deals to bring big blockbuster games like "Assassin's Creed" on its Oculus VR headset.
5. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is getting hit with two lawsuits that accuse her of blocking people on Twitter. A recent US appeals court judgment said President Trump isn't allowed to block people on Twitter, and the two suits against Rep. Ocasio-Cortez are leaning on that ruling.
6. Bumble owner Andrey Andreev ordered a probe into an explosive report on drug-fueled parties, prostitution, and sexism at dating app firm Badoo. Forbes spoke to 13 former employees who described naked cocaine-fueled parties, software updates named after porn stars, and inappropriate remarks made by Andreev.
7. Instagrammers flocking to a gorgeous Siberian lake have been warned not to swim in it because it's a chemical dump for a coal plant. The location has become popular on Instagram for its vibrant blue water, which is caused by the metal oxides dumped in it from the plant.
8. Amazon fined a college student $3,800 for returning a rented textbook four days late. Amazon told CBS that amount was because of an "isolated error," and the student was refunded.
9. Three former Tesla workers go on the record with claims they were fired after falling pregnant, taking childcare leave, and making a phone call. Tesla disputes the employees' claims, saying they were terminated for performance-related issues.
10. Amazon Alexa is now going to start diagnosing and treating health conditions. Amazon has teamed up with the UK's National Health Service to offer health advice through its Alexa devices.
    
    

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