NewsBytes Briefing: TikTok collected data violating Android policies, and more
In the updates since last night, The Wall Street Journal published a report detailing the behavior of TikTok since 2018. The outlet found that the service was not collecting any more data than a standard app but it did track unique device identifiers, MAC addresses, in violation of Android policies. The practice was discontinued last year, TikTok clarified. Here are other major developments.
Pinterest sued for gender discrimination
The former Chief Operating Officer of Pinterest, Françoise Brougher, sued the company for fostering a misogynistic environment where female employees are silenced. Brougher has accused the photo-discovery giant of paying her less than male peers, giving gendered feedback, and leaving her out of important meetings. Plus, when she spoke up on these matters, she was allegedly fired from the organization for not being "collaborative".
Xiaomi unveiled a gimmicky transparent television
Chinese technology giant Xiaomi unveiled the 55-inch "Mi TV Lux OLED Transparent Edition." The display, as the name suggests, uses transparent OLED technology to make objects appear as if they are floating in the air. And, when you turn the TV off, it looks just like a piece of glass, Xiaomi said, noting that it will sell the display exclusively in China at $7,200.
Google dodges lawsuit over stolen lyrics
Late last year, Google was sued by Genius Media for stealing music lyrics from its platform. The latter claimed to have caught Google red-handed, but now, the court has dismissed the case, saying that while Genius' concerns are legitimate, this does not make a case of copyright infringement. The judge said the rights to the lyrics only belong to the musicians who wrote them.
Other important developments to note
Among other things, Microsoft confirmed that its next-generation Xbox Series X console will be launched in November, but without Halo Infinite. Twitter, on the other hand, has enabled its reply-limiting feature for everyone and Facebook is moving to label ads from publications connected to political parties, PACs, and politicians. The social network also revealed it has removed 7 million posts spreading misinformation around COVID-19.
Finally, some COVID-19 updates
On Tuesday, India recorded over 61,000 coronavirus infections, taking the nationwide tally of cases to 23.28 lakh. The number of deaths rose to over 46,000. Meanwhile, as far as vaccine efforts are concerned, US inked a $1.5 billion deal to secure 100 million doses of Moderna's vaccine and Russia announced that its approved COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik, has been pre-ordered by 20 countries.
