Year: 2020

As the world looks to reopen after weeks of lockdown, governments are turning to contact tracing to understand the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

Most nations are leaning toward privacy-focused apps that use Bluetooth signals to create an anonymous profile of where a person has been and when. Some, like Israel, are bucking the trend and are using location and cell phone data to track the spread, prompting privacy concerns.

Some of the biggest European economies — Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Ireland — are building apps that work with Apple and Google’s contact-tracing API. But the U.K., one of the worst-hit nations in Europe, is going it alone.

Unsurprisingly, critics have both security and privacy concerns, so much so that the U.K. may end up switching over to Apple and Google’s system anyway. Given that one of Israel’s contact-tracing systems was found on an passwordless server this week, and India denied a privacy issue in its contact-tracing app, there’s not much wiggle-room to get these things wrong.

Turns out that even during a pandemic, people still care about their privacy.

Here’s more from the week.

THE BIG PICTURE

Zoom acquires Keybase, but questions remain

When Zoom announced it acquired online encryption key startup Keybase, for many, the reaction was closer to mild than wild. Even Keybase, a service that lets users store and manage their encryption keys, acknowledged its uncertain future. “Keybase’s future is in Zoom’s hands, and we’ll see where that takes us,” the company wrote in a blog post. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Zoom has faced security snafu after snafu. But after dancing around the problems, it promised to call in the cavalry and double down on fixing its encryption. So far, so good. But where does Keybase, largely a consumer product, fit into the fray? It doesn’t sound like even Zoom knows yet, per enterprise reporter Ron Miller. What’s clear is that Zoom needs encryption help, and few have the technical chops to pull that off.

Keybase’s team might — might — just help Zoom make good on its security promises.

2020 sucks. Want to let your brain slip back to 1999 for a while? This news might help: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 are coming back, complete with a full blown graphic overhaul, online multiplayer — and, yes, the song “Superman” by Goldfinger.

Here’s the announcement trailer, which does a great job of showing just how much better things can look twenty years later:

THPS 1 and 2 were originally published by Activision and developed by Neversoft – a studio that, sadly, is no longer around. These remakes, meanwhile, are being built by Vicarious Visions – a team that Activision acquired back in 2005, and is probably best known for its 2017 remake of the original Crash Bandicoot trilogy.

A return to THPS’ roots is probably the right move for Activision right now; the last title they managed in the series, THPS5, was a bug-ridden mess that was largely slammed by critics and fans alike. As long as they get the mechanics and “feel” of this one right, nostalgia-factor alone should make it work.

The two titles will be sold as one “Tony Hawks Pro Skater 1+2” package, and will feature every level and pro skater found in the originals – now in glorious 4K, with all of the 3D models and levels recreated from scratch. Also returning is most of the original soundtrack; licensing changes over the years prevent the remake’s soundtrack from being exhaustive, but most of the jams you remember should still be there.

THPS1+2 will be picking up a few tricks that didn’t appear in the series until THPS3 – perhaps most notable are reverts, which let you build absolutely massive combos and hit otherwise impossible scores.

Another big feature coming to the remakes that the originals lacked: online multiplayer. You’ll be able to play any level online with friends, or share levels you’ve pieced together in the “Create-A-Park” editor.

Tired of playing 1 and want to check out 2? Vicarious tells me you’ll be able to hop back and forth between the two titles pretty quickly, and that they’ve added a progression system that meshes the two together – so it’s less like playing two entirely separate games, and more like one game with two distinct halves.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 is expected to hit PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on September 4th for $39, with pre-orderers getting access to the Warehouse level before the full game ships. Sadly, no mention of Switch support.

Earlier today news broke that Uber is pursuing an acquisition of Grubhub. The global ride-hailing giant is worth a multiple of the American food delivery service, making the tie-up financially feasible, provided that a palatable price can be found for both parties.

The Wall Street Journal broke the news; you can read TechCrunch’s coverage of the deal here.

The deal could shake up the large, if generally unprofitable American food delivery market, a space contested by Uber’s Uber Eats service, Grubhub, DoorDash and Postmates. The combination could create the largest food delivery entity in terms of sales, changing leadership in its market and perhaps reducing competition.

Let’s unpack the deal in terms of its cost, why Uber has to pay in stock, how large a combined Uber Eats/Grubhub entity would be compared to its competition and why adjusted EBITDA helps us understand how this acquisition could give Uber’s bottom line a shot in the arm.

An all-stock purchase?

In normal times, this deal would likely be a mix of cash and stock. However, in 2020, with Uber’s market position being what it is, it’s likely that this would be an all-equity transaction. Why? Because Uber needs to conserve cash at nearly all costs. Its only historically profitable division (ride-hailing generates heavily adjusted profits) is in the tank, with ride volumes down as far as 80% in April, compared to its year-ago period.

As most countries across the globe scramble to build an app to trace the spread of coronavirus, India’s solution is growing at an unprecedented scale — despite being dogged by privacy concerns.

New Delhi’s contact tracing app, called Aarogya Setu, has reached 100 million users in 41 days since its release. A representative at think-tank Niti Aayog told TechCrunch that this 100 million figure represents unique users — and not just those who had downloaded the app.

The app, available on Android, iOS, allows people to self-assess whether they have caught the infectious disease by answering a set of questions. It then uses this information to alert users if they have come in contact with someone who might be infected. (It’s also available for feature phone users through an IVR system.)

Aarogya Setu, which means healthcare bridge in Hindi, also delivers updates on India’s testing efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic and tips to stay safe.

But the app has also raised concerns from privacy advocates and security researchers. The app stores location data of users when they sign up and logs detail of those who have reported facing symptoms of the disease. New Delhi has dubbed this as a feature — even as this centralization approach is in stark contrast with how smartphone vendors Apple and Google are tackling this.

Aarogya Setu is also not open source, which means that independent researchers can’t audit the code and find any flaws in it.

Ajay Prakash Sawhney, secretary in the ministry of electronics and information technology, said in an interview with Indian daily Business Standard that the government has not made the source code of Aarogya Setu public because he feared many will point flaws in it and overburden the staff overseeing the app’s development.

“If I open up my source code, and say, some 50,000 people start criticizing it, raising issues every day, we will have to spend too much time reacting to those. We might do that for all in due course, but right now we are planning to open it up to some of the top cybersecurity experts in the country,” he said.

There are some other concerns, too. Singapore is relying on its contact tracing app, called TraceTogether, for disease control but not using it to enforce lockdowns. Aarogya Setu, in contrast, retains the flexibility to do just that, or to ensure comply legal orders and so on, according to New Delhi-based digital rights advocacy group Internet Freedom Foundation.

Additionally, Aarogya Setu, which was launched as a voluntary app, is now mandatory for those who wish to travel with Indian railways. In Noida, at the outskirts of New Delhi, those found without the app installed on their phone could be fined or sent to jail, the local authority said earlier this month.

“Aarogya Setu is an important step in our fight against COVID-19. By leveraging technology, it provides important information. As more and more people use it, its effectiveness will increase. I urge all to download it,” a quote attributed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears on the homepage of the app.

More to follow…

SpaceX has launched a new browser-based simulator that provides an idea of what it would be like to manually control the docking process of its Crew Dragon spacecraft, the first human-carrying spaceship the company has made. Crew Dragon actually docks with the International Space Station (ISS) fully autonomously, but astronauts are able to take over manual control, should that prove necessary, and this simulator provides what SpaceX says is the ‘actual interface’ that astronauts would use in that instance.

The user interface for the docking process is surprisingly simple, given that it reflects the actual UI that astronaut would use on board Crew Dragon. It looks like what you’d expect to find in a virtual cockpit control in a space sim on an iPhone or iPad, which actually makes a lot of sense since most of the control and information readout displays on board Crew Dragon actually are touchscreens.

There are directional arrows on either side, and you can control the orientation of the capsule, as well as its vertical and horizontal position, and toggle between making large or smaller movements in each case. Simple visual feedback in the central targeting reticle gives you an idea of what each control does, providing you a relatively easy way to figure out the control system on your own without much in the way of guidance. A simple help function lets you know that your main goal is to get all figures on the targeting reticle green, but otherwise the main thing you require to get docked successfully is patience.

While it’s mostly a fun way to distract yourself, it’s actually also a remarkable first-hand look at SpaceX’s approach to human-centred interface design when it comes to its spacecraft controls. This is very different from the interfaces you’ll see from archive footage taken from NASA’s Apollo or Space Shuttle program, and clearly has been influenced by the modern era of omnipresent touchscreen devices.

The proof of its efficacy ultimately depends on how likely it renders the pilot able to succeed with docking, however, so why not give it a shot and see if you can stick the arrival – NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said he managed it on his first try, but he is a former Air Force pilot so it’s not like he was starting from scratch.

Earlier today, Jack Dorsey sent an email to Twitter staff, notifying employees that they will be ale to  continue working from home as long as they see fit. The CEO notes that Twitter was an earlier adopter of a work-from-home model, though — like much the rest of the world — that push has been accelerated by COVID-19 stay at home orders.

Twitter confirmed the decision in an email to TechCrunch, noting,

We were uniquely positioned to respond quickly and allow folks to work from home given our emphasis on decentralization and supporting a distributed workforce capable of working from anywhere. The past few months have proven we can make that work. So if our employees are in a role and situation that enables them to work from home and they want to continue to do so forever, we will make that happen. If not, our offices will be their warm and welcoming selves, with some additional precautions, when we feel it’s safe to return. 

Beyond that, the company is also outlining its plans resume in-person working arrangements and meetings, for those who prefer that arrangement. While San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced on April 27 that the city would extend its stay at home orders through the end of May, Governor Gavin Newsom has already signaled the easing of some restrictions.

Even so, Twitter appears to be taking an understandably cautious approach toward returning to work — a luxury afforded to the company by the flexibility of remote work. Chief HR Officer Jennifer Christie lays out Twitter’s plans thusly,

• Opening offices will be our decision, when and if our employees come back, will be theirs. 
  
• With very few exceptions, offices won’t open before September. When we do decide to open offices, it also won’t be a snap back to the way it was before. It will be careful, intentional, office by office and gradual. 
  
• There will also be no business travel before September, with very few exceptions, and no in-person company events for the rest of 2020. We will assess 2021 events later this year.

Obviously things are subject to change, though Twitter seems much more likely to push it back, if anything, based on the language. Other major tech firms, including Facebook and Google, have extended their work from home policies through the end of the year. Twitter’s approach is particularly accommodating for a company of its size. What that means for the future of Twitter’s San Francisco HQ and other offices, however, remains to be seen. 

As part of its anti-bullying efforts, Instagram today announced a series of new features aimed at helping users better manage negative comments as well as highlight positive ones. It’s also adding new controls to manage who can tag or mention you on Instagram, which can be another source of online bullying.

The first of the new features for managing negative comments is specifically aimed at those who own or help run Instagram accounts with a large following. Being able to manage a surge of negative comments on these accounts can be difficult — especially in the case of a post that’s gone viral or a coordinated attack from online trolls or bots.

Instagram has been testing a new feature that allows account holders to delete comments in bulk and restrict multiple accounts that post negative comments. This could effectively silence those who regularly stalk high-profile accounts with the main goal of leaving negative or trolling remarks. The company says the early feedback from its tests has been encouraging, so it’s opening up the feature to Instagram users on mobile.

On iOS, you can tap on a comment, then the dotted icon in the top-right corner where you’ll choose “Manage Comments.” This will allow you to choose up to 25 comments to delete at once. If you tap “More Options,” you’ll also find a feature that lets you block or restrict commenters’ accounts in bulk. On Android, you’ll instead press and hold on comment, then tap the dotted icon, and select Block or Restrict.

Another new feature, Pinned Comments, will soon launch as a test.

The idea here is to give Instagram users a way to amplify positive comments. This can help set the tone for the community and encourage more positive interactions, as a result. When the feature goes live, users will be able to select and pin a number of comments to the top of their comments thread, where they’re more easily seen.

While these features will put account owners in better control over their community, they may also have the effect of silencing valid criticism or any comments the poster simply doesn’t like. Twitter, by comparison, offers a way for users to hide replies they don’t like — but it doesn’t remove them from its platform. Instead, the replies are hidden behind an extra click, keeping them visible to anyone who knows where to look.

Instagram is also now rolling out a set of expanded controls that allow you to choose who’s allowed to mention or tag you in comments, captions, or Stories. You’ll be able to select from “Everyone,” “Only People You Follow” or “No One,” for both tags and mentions. In addition, you’ll be able to toggle on or off an option that gives you the ability to manually approve tags.

The launch of the trio of new features comes alongside Facebook’s fifth edition of its Community Standards Enforcement Report, which details how well the company has been able to enforce its policies across its suite of apps.

For the first time, the report shared enforcement data for bullying on Instagram, noting that it took action on 1.5 million pieces of content in both Q4 2019 and Q1 2020.

The company also made improvements to its text and image matching technology to find more suicide and self-injury content on Instagram, it said. As a result, it increased the action on this content by 40% and increased its proactive detection rate by more than 12 points since its last report. The technology used to finding and removing child nudity and sexual exploitative content was improved across both Facebook and Instagram, as well.

As part of its anti-bullying efforts, Instagram today announced a series of new features aimed at helping users better manage negative comments as well as highlight positive ones. It’s also adding new controls to manage who can tag or mention you on Instagram, which can be another source of online bullying.

The first of the new features for managing negative comments is specifically aimed at those who own or help run Instagram accounts with a large following. Being able to manage a surge of negative comments on these accounts can be difficult — especially in the case of a post that’s gone viral or a coordinated attack from online trolls or bots.

Instagram has been testing a new feature that allows account holders to delete comments in bulk and restrict multiple accounts that post negative comments. This could effectively silence those who regularly stalk high-profile accounts with the main goal of leaving negative or trolling remarks. The company says the early feedback from its tests has been encouraging, so it’s opening up the feature to Instagram users on mobile.

On iOS, you can tap on a comment, then the dotted icon in the top-right corner where you’ll choose “Manage Comments.” This will allow you to choose up to 25 comments to delete at once. If you tap “More Options,” you’ll also find a feature that lets you block or restrict commenters’ accounts in bulk. On Android, you’ll instead press and hold on comment, then tap the dotted icon, and select Block or Restrict.

Another new feature, Pinned Comments, will soon launch as a test.

The idea here is to give Instagram users a way to amplify positive comments. This can help set the tone for the community and encourage more positive interactions, as a result. When the feature goes live, users will be able to select and pin a number of comments to the top of their comments thread, where they’re more easily seen.

While these features will put account owners in better control over their community, they may also have the effect of silencing valid criticism or any comments the poster simply doesn’t like. Twitter, by comparison, offers a way for users to hide replies they don’t like — but it doesn’t remove them from its platform. Instead, the replies are hidden behind an extra click, keeping them visible to anyone who knows where to look.

Instagram is also now rolling out a set of expanded controls that allow you to choose who’s allowed to mention or tag you in comments, captions, or Stories. You’ll be able to select from “Everyone,” “Only People You Follow” or “No One,” for both tags and mentions. In addition, you’ll be able to toggle on or off an option that gives you the ability to manually approve tags.

The launch of the trio of new features comes alongside Facebook’s fifth edition of its Community Standards Enforcement Report, which details how well the company has been able to enforce its policies across its suite of apps.

For the first time, the report shared enforcement data for bullying on Instagram, noting that it took action on 1.5 million pieces of content in both Q4 2019 and Q1 2020.

The company also made improvements to its text and image matching technology to find more suicide and self-injury content on Instagram, it said. As a result, it increased the action on this content by 40% and increased its proactive detection rate by more than 12 points since its last report. The technology used to finding and removing child nudity and sexual exploitative content was improved across both Facebook and Instagram, as well.

Here’s another edition of “Dear Sophie,” the advice column that answers immigration-related questions about working at technology companies.

“Your questions are vital to the spread of knowledge that allows people all over the world to rise above borders and pursue their dreams,” says Sophie Alcorn, a Silicon Valley immigration attorney. “Whether you’re in people ops, a founder or seeking a job in Silicon Valley, I would love to answer your questions in my next column.”

“Dear Sophie” columns are accessible for Extra Crunch subscribers; use promo code ALCORN to purchase a one or two-year subscription for 50% off.

Dear Sophie:

I’m a startup founder in Israel looking to expand into the U.S. market. What is the best visa option for me and a key member of my executive team to come to the U.S. to establish a sales and marketing office there? I would like my spouse and children to join me if my spouse can also work in the U.S. Is that possible?

— Tenacious in Tel Aviv

Dear Tenacious:

Thanks for reaching out. Based on your situation, the E-2 visa for treaty investors and employees may offer the best option.

An underutilized option, the E-2 visa is ideal for startup founders and employees whose home country has a treaty of commerce and navigation with the U.S. Israelis became eligible for E-2 visas just last year, joining the citizens of 80 other treaty countries. For more details on E-2 visas for founders and employees, check out Episode 16 of my “Immigration Law for Tech Startups” podcast.

Messaging service Telegram said on Tuesday it is abandoning its blockchain platform Telegram Open Network (TON) after a lengthy battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

“Today is a sad day for us here at Telegram. We are announcing the discontinuation of our blockchain project,” wrote Pavel Durov, the founder and chief executive of Telegram, on his channel.

A U.S. court made it impossible for the messaging service, used by more than 400 million users, to continue development of Telegram Open Network, he wrote in a blog post.

“How? Imagine that several people put their money together to build a gold mine – and to later split the gold that comes out of it,” he wrote.

“Then a judge comes and says: ‘These people invested in the gold mine because they were looking for profits. And they didn’t want that gold for themselves, they wanted to sell it to other people. Because of this, they are not allowed to get the gold.’”

“If this doesn’t make sense to you, you are not alone – but this is exactly what happened with TON (the mine) and Grams (the gold). A judge used this reasoning to rule that people should not be allowed to buy or sell Grams like they can buy or sell Bitcoins,” he added.

Today’s announcement comes as a surprise as just last month Telegram had assured people that it would launch TON by April 2021 and offered to refund $1.2 billion to investors.

Durov noted today that the U.S. court declared that Grams could not be distributed even outside of the United States as U.S. citizens would have found workarounds to access the TON platform.

In late March, U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel of Manhattan issued a preliminary injunction in favor of the suit by the Securities and Exchange Commission to bar the launch of TON blockchain platform.

Telegram first floated the idea of TON blockchain and its cryptocurrency to investors in 2017. Benchmark and Lightspeed Capital, as well as several Russian investors had put up $1.7 billion in exchange for the promise of future Grams.

“I want to conclude this post by wishing luck to all those striving for decentralization, balance and equality in the world. You are fighting the right battle. This battle may well be the most important battle of our generation. We hope that you succeed where we have failed,” wrote Durov.