Laura Sydell

Laura Sydell appears in the following:

FTC Confirms It's Investigating Facebook For Possible Privacy Violations

Monday, March 26, 2018

The agency will look at whether the social network violated a 2011 consent decree when users' data was revealed to political strategists.

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Is It Even Possible To Protect Your Privacy On Facebook?

Saturday, March 24, 2018

You might be asking this question after revelations that personal data were used by a firm tied to the Trump campaign. A privacy advocate says "you'd be spending your day full time" dealing with it.

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Uber's Self-Driving Tests Are Suspended After Pedestrian Is Killed

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

A self-driving car operated by Uber struck and killed a pedestrian who was walking her bicycle in Tempe, Ariz., Sunday night. It could be the first pedestrian death involving a self-driving vehicle.

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Uber Say It Will Cooperate With Investigation After Pedestrian Killed In Arizona

Monday, March 19, 2018

Uber says it is cooperating with an investigation into a fatal accident involving one of its self-driving vehicles over the weekend. A woman in Tempe, Arizona, was struck and killed as she was crossing a street outside of a crosswalk, according to police.

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Can You Believe It? On Twitter, False Stories Are Shared More Widely Than True Ones

Monday, March 12, 2018

An MIT study tracked 126,000 stories and found that false ones were 70 percent more likely to be retweeted than ones that were true. Twitter is asking outside experts to help it deal with the problem.

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In The Future Movie Stars May Be Performing Even After They're Dead

Monday, March 05, 2018

Technology is making many jobs obsolete. But even acting? The technology in the Academy Award-winning Blade Runner 2049 gives a glimpse of a future where digital actors will compete against live ones.

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An Anarchist Explains How Hackers Could Cause Global Chaos

Monday, February 26, 2018

On the TV show Mr. Robot, the lead character is a hacker who breaks into computer systems to promote a cause. Real-life hacktivist Barrett Brown believes the U.S. government is fundamentally corrupt.

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An Artist Sees Data So Powerful It Can Help Us Pick Better Friends

Sunday, February 25, 2018

It can feel intrusive to have so much data collected about us, but Laurie Frick is optimistic about how big data will evolve. She says it could help us evaluate how we respond to other people.

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This 'Gray Hat' Hacker Breaks Into Your Car — To Prove A Point

Friday, February 23, 2018

Everything from cars to thermostats is being connected to the Internet, raising security concerns. Samy Kamkar, who once hacked MySpace, hopes exposing vulnerabilities will make these things safer.

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The Father Of The Internet Sees His Invention Reflected Back Through A 'Black Mirror'

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

The titans of Silicon Valley have a grand vision of the future. But they have a tendency to miss the downside of their inventions — think cybercrime and online harassment.

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Apple Says It Will Create 20,000 Jobs In The U.S.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Apple says that it's bringing billions of dollars back to the U.S. and using it to create a new campus and create 20,000 jobs. Analysts say the announcement is a mix of politics and economics.

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Apple Says It Will Create 20,000 Jobs With New Campus

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Apple says it will build a new campus and create 20,000 new jobs as part of a sweeping investment plan for the U.S.

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Ex-Google Engineer Files Suit, Saying He Was Retaliated Against

Tuesday, January 09, 2018

James Damore, who was fired for writing an anti-diversity memo, has filed a class-action lawsuit against the company. He claims Google's top brass discriminates against conservative men.

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Cybersecurity Researchers Find Major Flaws In Widely Used Computer Chips

Thursday, January 04, 2018

Major security vulnerabilities exist in the chips of most of the world's computers. The flaws were recently discovered and could make data in servers and individual devices vulnerable to hackers.

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How A Female Engineer Built A Public Case Against A Sexual Harasser In Silicon Valley

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Niniane Wang, an experienced engineer with a startup incubator, says she was harassed by a male investor. She wanted to be certain that when she came forward, she wouldn't be ignored.

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Struggling For Investments, Silicon Valley Women Reluctant To Speak Out On Harassment

Thursday, November 16, 2017

In Silicon Valley, it's difficult for women to come forward if they want to join the ranks of its richest. Some think the best way to fight harassment is to tread carefully and get to the top.

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First Amendment Advocates Charge Trump Can't Block Critics On Twitter

Tuesday, November 07, 2017

Some First Amendment advocates joined a suit against the president for blocking people from his Twitter account — and they are making a novel argument about the right to communicate in a digital age.

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Once Dominant, Netflix Faces An Increasing Number Of Video Challengers

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

With more than 100 million subscribers around the world, Netflix is the premier video streaming service. But, as competition from Amazon, Hulu and others heats up, can Netflix stay on top?

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Facebook, Google Spread Misinformation About Las Vegas Shooting. What Went Wrong?

Tuesday, October 03, 2017

The platforms promoted the name of a man falsely accused of being the shooter by surfacing less-credible sites. The companies say they're working on fixes, but analysts say the challenge is massive.

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Russian-Linked Election Ads Highlight Scope Of Facebook's Power

Monday, September 25, 2017

Facebook is facing pressure after news that Russia was behind a vast number of ads that tried to take votes away from Hillary Clinton in last year's presidential election. People are now realizing the scope of the social media giant's power.

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