10 things in tech you need to know today

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10 things in tech you need to know today
Sundar Pichai

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

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  1. A number of state attorneys general will meet with Justice Department lawyers this week to discuss various concurrent investigations into Google, according to the Wall Street Journal. The meeting is reportedly seen as the start of a periodic dialogue that could expand into more formal cooperation as the probes continue.
  2. Tech and business giants are mourning the unexpected death of NBA legend turned investor Kobe Bryant, who was known for his 'obsessive' work ethic and used to call leaders like Tim Cook for advice. Tech and business executives have expressed shock, sadness, and respect for his legacy.
  3. YouTube has secured the rights to stream multiple major esports leagues, Bloomberg reports. This includes the rights to broadcast the Overwatch League, which had been broadcast on Amazon's Twitch.
  4. Google is walking back changes to its search design that blurred the lines between ads and regular results after user backlash. The tech giant said it had heard users' feedback and that it would begin testing different designs for desktop search results.
  5. Monzo is in talks with SoftBank about further expansion funding, according to The Telegraph. The fintech's CEO Tom Blomfield reportedly met senior Vision Fund executives as the company aims to raise up to £100 million ($131 million).
  6. Some YouTube content moderators are reportedly being told they could be fired if they don't sign 'voluntary' statements acknowledging their jobs could give them PTSD. There's a well-documented history of content moderators reviewing graphic and disturbing content, leading to psychological trauma and PTSD.
  7. British police will scan people's faces to see if they're criminals, and critics say it's a massive expansion of surveillance. UK police will use a new facial recognition system across London to catch criminals.
  8. 12 teams have reportedly paid $25 million each to join a new 'Call of Duty' esports league. The league's kick-off weekend has just taken place in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  9. Facebook executive Sir Nick Clegg has been criticized for his response to the Jeff Bezos phone hacking controversy. Clegg was criticized after claiming that WhatsApp's encrypted messages could "not be hacked into," BBC News reports.
  10. Salesforce encouraged employees to buy and expense co-CEO Marc Benioff's latest book to boost sales. According to Bloomberg, the company sent a memo to its employees late last year saying that it would consider the book to be business material.

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