Techmeme
April 11, 2021, 12:10 PM

Top News

Wall Street Journal:
Erroneously unredacted court docs reveal Google ran a secret program called “Project Bernanke” that used past bid data to boost its win rate in ad auctions  —  Program used past bid data to boost tech giant's win rate in advertising auctions, according to court filing
Christopher Mims / Wall Street Journal:
Some SMB owners who advertise heavily online say Facebook is speaking the truth about how iOS privacy changes might disproportionately affect such businesses  —  With big changes coming to iPhones, small online merchants are bracing for lost sales.  ‘Why is Apple now the decider?’
Balaji S. Srinivasan:
Adding crypto to IndiaStack, a set of national APIs for payments and identity, could allow India to build an OSS stack for domestic and foreign transactions  —  Use the digital rupee to facilitate domestic commerce and crypto protocols to attract international investment.
CyberNews:
Database containing 1.3M Clubhouse profiles was posted to a hacker forum; Clubhouse says it hasn't been breached, and the data is public info from its app  —  So far, it seems like it's been the worst week of the year for social media platforms in terms of data leaks, with Clubhouse seemingly joining the fray.
Abner Li / 9to5Google:
Google denies reports Pixel 5a 5G is canceled, says it'll be available this year in the US and Japan and announced in line with last year's a-series phone  —  Despite rumors this morning to the contrary, Google has just issued an on the record statement that the “Pixel 5a” does indeed exist and will not be canceled.
Grant Stoner / Wired:
Game streaming services like Xbox Game Pass allow disabled gamers to try new games without wasting money on potentially inaccessible games  —  Services like Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Now allow users to easily see if a new title is accessible without having to buy it first.
Lizette Chapman / Bloomberg:
Austin has been a top destination for tech workers leaving CA during Covid, and residents are concerned about how the new wave is affecting city's culture  —  Matthew Congrove got the first offer on his house one month into the pandemic.  Now, says Congrove, who lives in an eclectic neighborhood …
Raymond Zhong / New York Times:
China says it is imposing a record $2.8B fine on Alibaba for monopolistic business practices; Alibaba says it will accept the penalty “sincerely”  —  The penalty is Beijing's toughest action to date in its campaign to tighten supervision of the country's internet Goliaths.
Bloomberg:
Current and ex-employees say inattention to data protection at Verkada is emblematic of a “bro culture” that tolerated sexual harassment, misleading customers  —  Verkada Inc.'s security camera customers were livid.  Hackers had breached footage from thousands of surveillance devices trained …
Jason Schreier / Bloomberg:
Sources: Sony's PlayStation organization has shifted its development focus to prioritize AAA games at the expense of projects from its niche teams and studios  —  Sony Corp.'s Visual Arts Service Group has long been the unsung hero of many hit PlayStation video games.

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