Author: azeeadmin

Food ordering and delivery platforms DoorDash, Caviar, Grubhub, Seamless, Postmates and Uber Eats have banded together to sue the City of New York over a law that would permanently limit the amount of commissions the apps can charge restaurants to use their services.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the news that the companies filed suit in federal court on Thursday evening and are seeking an injunction that would prevent the city from enforcing the legislation, unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial.

Last year, the city council introduced temporary legislation that would prohibit third-party food delivery services from charging restaurants more than 15 percent per delivery order and more than 5 percent for marketing and other nondelivery fees in an effort to help ease the strain on an industry struggling from pandemic lockdowns. The companies filing suit against the city claim the limit on fees, which was made  permanent last month under a bill sponsored in June by Queens Councilman Francisco Moya, has already cost them hundreds of millions of dollars.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, third-party platforms like Plaintiffs have been instrumental in keeping restaurants afloat and food industry workers employed, including by investing millions of dollars in COVID-relief efforts specifically for local restaurants,” the lawsuit reads. “Yet, the City of New York has taken the extraordinary measure of imposing permanent price controls on a private and highly competitive industry—the facilitation of food ordering and delivery through third-party platforms. Those permanent price controls will harm not only Plaintiffs, but also the revitalization of the very local restaurants that the City claims to serve.”

Other cities also instituted similar caps during the pandemic, but most have fizzled out as the pandemic has eased and restaurants have been able to open their dining rooms. San Francisco is among of handful of cities that has also decided to enact a permanent 15 percent cap, and the app-based companies are suing there, as well. They argue that extending the limits on fees, which can be as high as 30 percent per order, “bears no relationship to any public-health emergency,” and are unconstitutional because they interfere with negotiated contracts and dictate “the economic terms on which a dynamic industry operates.”

As with the temporary law, any violators of the permanent cap would face up to $1,000 per day in fines per restaurant. The companies said the new law would not only cause them to have to rewrite their contracts with restaurants, but also raise fees for consumers and hurt delivery workers’ ability to make money.

The companies also argue that if the city wants to improve profitability of local restaurants, it could provide tax breaks or grants out of its own pocket instead of hurting the commissions of the delivery services.

“But rather than exercise one of those lawful options, the City chose instead to adopt an irrational law, driven by naked animosity towards third-party platforms,” the companies said, citing a tweet from Moya after he introduced a 10 percent commission cap bill that said, “NYC local restaurants needed a 10 percent cap on delivery fees from third party services like GrubHub long before #COVID19 hit us. They damn sure need it now.”

This legislation also comes amid increasing scrutiny over app-based delivery companies that have a reputation for harming both restaurants and gig workers in an effort to keep costs low for consumers. Recently, a California superior court ruled Proposition 22, which would allow these companies to continue classifying its workers as independent contractors, rather than employees, as unconstitutional. This ruling prompted DoorDash workers to protest last week outside the home of CEO Tony Xu demanding better pay and more tip  transparency. Meanwhile in Massachusetts, a similar law to Prop 22 has just gotten the green light to go ahead on the November 2022 ballot.

“Restaurants pay app-based delivery companies for a variety of services through commissions, one of these being delivery services,” said an unnamed courier in the lawsuit against the city. “Capping these commissions means less earnings for people like me. A commission cap could also mean delivery services get more expensive for the customers I deliver to, which ultimately means less orders for me.”

Snyk, the Boston-based late-stage startup that is trying to help developers deliver more secure code, announced another mega-round today. This one was for $530 million, with $300 million in new money and $230 million in secondary funding, the latter of which is to help employees and early investors cash in some of their stock options.

The long list of investors includes an interesting mix of public investors, VC firms and strategics. Sands Capital Ventures and Tiger Global led the round, with participation from new investors Baillie Gifford, Koch Industries, Lone Pine Capital, T. Rowe Price and Whale Rock Capital Management. Existing investors also came along for the ride, including Accel, Addition, Alkeon, Atlassian Ventures, BlackRock, Boldstart Ventures, Canaan Partners, Coatue, Franklin Templeton, Geodesic Capital, Salesforce Ventures and Temasek.

This round brings the total raised in funding to $775 million, excluding secondary rounds, according to the company. With secondary rounds, it’s up to $1.3 billion, according to Crunchbase data. The company has been raising funds at a rapid clip (note that the last three rounds include the Snyk money plus secondary rounds):

While the company wouldn’t share specific revenue figures, it did say that ARR has grown 158% YoY; given the confidence of this list of investors and the valuation, it would suggest the company is making decent money.

Snyk CEO Peter McKay says that the additional money gives him flexibility to make some acquisitions if the right opportunity comes along, what companies often refer to as “inorganic” growth. “We do believe that a portion of this money will be for inorganic expansion. We’ve made three acquisitions at this point and all three have been very, very successful for us. So it’s definitely a muscle that we’ve been developing,” McKay told me.

The company started this year with 400 people and McKay says they expect to double that number by the end of this year. He says that when it comes to diversity, the work is never really done, but it’s something he is working hard at.

“We’ve been able to build a lot of good programs around the world to increase that diversity and our culture has always been inclusive by nature because we’re highly distributed.” He added, “I’m not by any means saying we’re even remotely close to where we want to be. So I want to make that clear. There’s a lot we still have to do,” he said.

McKay says that today’s investment gives him added flexibility to decide when to take the company public because whenever that happens it won’t have to be because they need another fundraising event. “This raise has allowed us to set up with strong, highly reputable public investors, and it gives us the financial resources to pick the timing. We are in control of when we do it and we will do it when it’s right,” he said.

Snyk, the Boston-based late-stage startup that is trying to help developers deliver more secure code, announced another mega-round today. This one was for $530 million, with $300 million in new money and $230 million in secondary funding, the latter of which is to help employees and early investors cash in some of their stock options.

The long list of investors includes an interesting mix of public investors, VC firms and strategics. Sands Capital Ventures and Tiger Global led the round, with participation from new investors Baillie Gifford, Koch Industries, Lone Pine Capital, T. Rowe Price and Whale Rock Capital Management. Existing investors also came along for the ride, including Accel, Addition, Alkeon, Atlassian Ventures, BlackRock, Boldstart Ventures, Canaan Partners, Coatue, Franklin Templeton, Geodesic Capital, Salesforce Ventures and Temasek.

This round brings the total raised in funding to $775 million, excluding secondary rounds, according to the company. With secondary rounds, it’s up to $1.3 billion, according to Crunchbase data. The company has been raising funds at a rapid clip (note that the last three rounds include the Snyk money plus secondary rounds):

While the company wouldn’t share specific revenue figures, it did say that ARR has grown 158% YoY; given the confidence of this list of investors and the valuation, it would suggest the company is making decent money.

Snyk CEO Peter McKay says that the additional money gives him flexibility to make some acquisitions if the right opportunity comes along, what companies often refer to as “inorganic” growth. “We do believe that a portion of this money will be for inorganic expansion. We’ve made three acquisitions at this point and all three have been very, very successful for us. So it’s definitely a muscle that we’ve been developing,” McKay told me.

The company started this year with 400 people and McKay says they expect to double that number by the end of this year. He says that when it comes to diversity, the work is never really done, but it’s something he is working hard at.

“We’ve been able to build a lot of good programs around the world to increase that diversity and our culture has always been inclusive by nature because we’re highly distributed.” He added, “I’m not by any means saying we’re even remotely close to where we want to be. So I want to make that clear. There’s a lot we still have to do,” he said.

McKay says that today’s investment gives him added flexibility to decide when to take the company public because whenever that happens it won’t have to be because they need another fundraising event. “This raise has allowed us to set up with strong, highly reputable public investors, and it gives us the financial resources to pick the timing. We are in control of when we do it and we will do it when it’s right,” he said.

Apple has reportedly appointed a new executive to lead the development of its secretive self-driving car division. According to Bloomberg, the company has tapped Kevin Lynch to oversee Project Titan following the departure of executive Doug Field, who left the iPhone maker for Ford earlier this week.

The name may not be familiar, but if you’ve watched any Apple event in recent years, you’ve seen Lynch on stage. After a stint at Adobe, he joined Apple in 2013 to oversee the company’s wearable and health unit and has frequently been the one to present whatever new features Apple is working on for watchOS.

Bloomberg reports Lynch joined the division earlier in the year but is now overseeing the entire unit. The outlet notes Lynch’s appointment suggests Apple is likely focusing on underlying software that a self-driving car would need to navigate the road, instead of a vehicle that we could see the company release anytime soon.

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on Engadget.

To get a roundup of TechCrunch’s biggest and most important stories delivered to your inbox every day at 3 p.m. PDT, subscribe here.

Hi friends!

Greg here again for this edition of the Daily Crunch on Thursday, September 9, 2021. Alex Wilhelm is still out on vacation for a few more days … even though he’s still tweeting a lot, which leads me to think he’s either bad at vacation or dislikes Twitter less than I do. Whatever the case, I’ll keep that daily recap goodness flowing to give you a glimpse into the biggest stories to cross our front page.

The TechCrunch Top 3

• Facebook’s smart Ray-Bans: Five years after Snap shipped its Spectacle sunglasses, Facebook is taking a swing at the concept. But you won’t find the Facebook logo anywhere on these things (presumably because nobody on the planet wants the Facebook logo on their face). Built in partnership with Ray-Ban’s parent company, they look just like a classic pair of Wayfarers with an added bit of heft … and cameras. A white LED lights up when you’re shooting photos or videos, and near-ear speakers pipe in your tunes and phone calls. You can’t get them wet, which is great because no one wears sunglasses around places with water, like pools or beaches. Lucas Matney reviewed them here.
• Roomba gets smarter: Roomba has a new robot vacuum. The big new feature? It’ll try to detect and avoid poop your pets might have left in its path. Past models would just blast right through that mess and drag it around, leaving owners quite the horror show to come home to.
• Notion acquires Automate.io: Notion is buying Automate.io, a startup out of India that lets you easily hook into services like Mailchimp or Gmail or Salesforce (or Notion!) and create complex automated workflows. “It’s a sizable acquisition,” Notion’s COO said without disclosing exactly how much it spent.

Startups/VC

• Skydweller Aero raises $8M for solar-powered planes: “Airplanes and drones today, regardless of size or fuel type, all face the same limitation: eventually they have to land.” writes Aria Alamalhodaei. “Skydweller Aero, the U.S.-Spanish aerospace startup, wants to break free from that constraint … “
• The $510M Series E: Varo Bank just won’t stop raising money. In June 2020, it raised $241 million, tacking on another $63 million in February 2021 because why not. Now it’s raised a staggering $510 million in a Series E round that values the company at $2.5 billion. “We didn’t set out to raise this much money. It was coming in fast and furious and we were at like $510 [million] and I finally said, ‘OK, enough,’” says Varo CEO Colin Walsh in a statement we can all totally relate to. Right? Anyone?
• Affinity raises $80M to use machine learning to close deals: Who in your organization is best suited to close that deal? Can machine learning algorithms chew through your company’s data (past email interactions, calendar availability, etc.) and recommend the right person? That’s part of what Affinity is working on, and they’ve raised another $80 million to keep the ball moving and the company growing. Affinity currently has 125 employees, with plans to balloon to over 200 in the next year.

Anatomy of a SPAC: Inside Better.com’s ambitious plans

Online mortgage company Better.com isn’t waiting to complete its SPAC merger before making big moves: Today, Ryan Lawler reported that it purchased Property Partners, a U.K.-based startup that offers fractional property ownership.

It’s the second company Better bought in recent months: In July, it snapped up digital mortgage brokerage Trussle.

“We aren’t so easily categorized,” said Better CEO Vishal Garg, who told Ryan that the company plans to soon expand into traditional financial services like auto loans and insurance.

Said CFO Kevin Ryan, “A lot of people have their niches in the way they’re attacking this, but we feel like we’re on a path to being full stack where everything’s embedded in the same flow.”

(Extra Crunch is our membership program, which helps founders and startup teams get ahead. You can sign up here.)

Big Tech Inc.

• Twitter communities: Twitter keeps trying new things to make Twitter more approachable for people who don’t already have 10,000 followers. The latest experiment: Communities, or moderated social hubs, in which you can tweet with others around a shared interest. Twitter is limiting the categories, for now, to topics like dogs, weather, sneakers, skincare and astrology, and presumably hoping to stay way, way, way far away from politics for as long as possible.
• Microsoft is buying Clipchamp: Ever wished Microsoft’s 365 tool suite included a video editor? Seems it’s on the way. Microsoft announced that it’s buying up Clipchamp, a web-based tool for creating/editing videos. As for when it might be integrated into 365? TBD.
• Quicken gets sold again: Well that was quick(en). Just a few years after being acquired by a private equity firm, Quicken is being sold off to a different private equity firm. Quicken CEO Eric Dunn shared his thoughts on the deal (plus some insights on the company’s growth as of late) with TC’s Mary Ann Azevedo.

TechCrunch Experts: Growth Marketing

Image Credits: SEAN GLADWELL (opens in a new window) / Getty Images

We’re reaching out to startup founders to tell us who they turn to when they want the most up-to-date growth marketing practices. Fill out the survey here.

Read one of the testimonials we’ve received below!

Marketer: Kevin Miller, GR0

Recommended by: Leeann Schudel, The Word Counter

Testimonial: “Super detailed analysis of the space and what keywords to target that would move the needle the most. There is a full dedicated SEO team that communicates weekly at the minimum and provides in-depth analysis. They are very transparent with their strategies and explain all moves they are making on their end and how it will benefit our company. Super easy and flexible to work with, aren’t stingy on deliverables and are always there as a consultant.”

To get a roundup of TechCrunch’s biggest and most important stories delivered to your inbox every day at 3 p.m. PDT, subscribe here.

Hi friends!

Greg here again for this edition of the Daily Crunch on Thursday, September 9, 2021. Alex Wilhelm is still out on vacation for a few more days … even though he’s still tweeting a lot, which leads me to think he’s either bad at vacation or dislikes Twitter less than I do. Whatever the case, I’ll keep that daily recap goodness flowing to give you a glimpse into the biggest stories to cross our front page.

The TechCrunch Top 3

• Facebook’s smart Ray-Bans: Five years after Snap shipped its Spectacle sunglasses, Facebook is taking a swing at the concept. But you won’t find the Facebook logo anywhere on these things (presumably because nobody on the planet wants the Facebook logo on their face). Built in partnership with Ray-Ban’s parent company, they look just like a classic pair of Wayfarers with an added bit of heft … and cameras. A white LED lights up when you’re shooting photos or videos, and near-ear speakers pipe in your tunes and phone calls. You can’t get them wet, which is great because no one wears sunglasses around places with water, like pools or beaches. Lucas Matney reviewed them here.
• Roomba gets smarter: Roomba has a new robot vacuum. The big new feature? It’ll try to detect and avoid poop your pets might have left in its path. Past models would just blast right through that mess and drag it around, leaving owners quite the horror show to come home to.
• Notion acquires Automate.io: Notion is buying Automate.io, a startup out of India that lets you easily hook into services like Mailchimp or Gmail or Salesforce (or Notion!) and create complex automated workflows. “It’s a sizable acquisition,” Notion’s COO said without disclosing exactly how much it spent.

Startups/VC

• Skydweller Aero raises $8M for solar-powered planes: “Airplanes and drones today, regardless of size or fuel type, all face the same limitation: eventually they have to land.” writes Aria Alamalhodaei. “Skydweller Aero, the U.S.-Spanish aerospace startup, wants to break free from that constraint … “
• The $510M Series E: Varo Bank just won’t stop raising money. In June 2020, it raised $241 million, tacking on another $63 million in February 2021 because why not. Now it’s raised a staggering $510 million in a Series E round that values the company at $2.5 billion. “We didn’t set out to raise this much money. It was coming in fast and furious and we were at like $510 [million] and I finally said, ‘OK, enough,’” says Varo CEO Colin Walsh in a statement we can all totally relate to. Right? Anyone?
• Affinity raises $80M to use machine learning to close deals: Who in your organization is best suited to close that deal? Can machine learning algorithms chew through your company’s data (past email interactions, calendar availability, etc.) and recommend the right person? That’s part of what Affinity is working on, and they’ve raised another $80 million to keep the ball moving and the company growing. Affinity currently has 125 employees, with plans to balloon to over 200 in the next year.

Anatomy of a SPAC: Inside Better.com’s ambitious plans

Online mortgage company Better.com isn’t waiting to complete its SPAC merger before making big moves: Today, Ryan Lawler reported that it purchased Property Partners, a U.K.-based startup that offers fractional property ownership.

It’s the second company Better bought in recent months: In July, it snapped up digital mortgage brokerage Trussle.

“We aren’t so easily categorized,” said Better CEO Vishal Garg, who told Ryan that the company plans to soon expand into traditional financial services like auto loans and insurance.

Said CFO Kevin Ryan, “A lot of people have their niches in the way they’re attacking this, but we feel like we’re on a path to being full stack where everything’s embedded in the same flow.”

(Extra Crunch is our membership program, which helps founders and startup teams get ahead. You can sign up here.)

Big Tech Inc.

• Twitter communities: Twitter keeps trying new things to make Twitter more approachable for people who don’t already have 10,000 followers. The latest experiment: Communities, or moderated social hubs, in which you can tweet with others around a shared interest. Twitter is limiting the categories, for now, to topics like dogs, weather, sneakers, skincare and astrology, and presumably hoping to stay way, way, way far away from politics for as long as possible.
• Microsoft is buying Clipchamp: Ever wished Microsoft’s 365 tool suite included a video editor? Seems it’s on the way. Microsoft announced that it’s buying up Clipchamp, a web-based tool for creating/editing videos. As for when it might be integrated into 365? TBD.
• Quicken gets sold again: Well that was quick(en). Just a few years after being acquired by a private equity firm, Quicken is being sold off to a different private equity firm. Quicken CEO Eric Dunn shared his thoughts on the deal (plus some insights on the company’s growth as of late) with TC’s Mary Ann Azevedo.

TechCrunch Experts: Growth Marketing

Image Credits: SEAN GLADWELL (opens in a new window) / Getty Images

We’re reaching out to startup founders to tell us who they turn to when they want the most up-to-date growth marketing practices. Fill out the survey here.

Read one of the testimonials we’ve received below!

Marketer: Kevin Miller, GR0

Recommended by: Leeann Schudel, The Word Counter

Testimonial: “Super detailed analysis of the space and what keywords to target that would move the needle the most. There is a full dedicated SEO team that communicates weekly at the minimum and provides in-depth analysis. They are very transparent with their strategies and explain all moves they are making on their end and how it will benefit our company. Super easy and flexible to work with, aren’t stingy on deliverables and are always there as a consultant.”

GM unveiled Thursday the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado, a full-sized pickup truck that received a major technology upgrade, including its hands-free Super Cruise advanced driver assistance system and an infotainment system with embedded Google services as well as an overhauled interior. A new flagship trim, the off-road factory-installed lifted ZR2 truck, has also joined the Silverado lineup.

The Silverado refresh comes ahead of GM’s electric vehicle offensive, which will include Chevrolet and GMC pickup trucks. GM aims to deliver 30 new electric vehicles to the global market by 2025 and to transition to all-zero-emission by 2035. GM said the new Silverado trims will arrive to dealerships in spring 2022.

The exterior of the Chevy Silverado also received a refresh, including new front fascia and daytime running lights that animate when the driver walks up or away from the vehicle. But the real change can be found in the cabin — and the hardware and software guts — of the truck.

The 2022 Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 and new headlights. Image credit: GM

Chevy offers the Silverado in the LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, ZR2, LTZ and High Country trims, all of which come standard with a 2.7-liter turbocharged engine that improves the torque by 20 percent to 420-pound feet and has a maximum trailering rating of 9,500 pounds in a two-wheel drive configuration. GM also made changes to smooth out shifting and give drivers more power on demand.

The automaker also improved its 3.0L Duramax turbocharged diesel engine to enable a max tow rating of 13,300 pounds in a two-wheel drive configuration. Two other powertrains, the 5.3-liter V8 and the 6.2-liter V8 are also offered.

The interior cabin has been revamped to make it feel more spacious and includes 13.4-inch touchscreen and a new 12.3-inch configurable digital instrument cluster standard. Owners will also be able to add a rear camera mirror and a head up display.

The First-Ever 2022 Chevrolet Silverado ZR2. Image credit: GM

Finally, the Silverado interior will be offered in new colors, seat designs and premium materials. For model trims with bucket seats, the new center console incorporates an electronic shift controller.

Alexandre Scartezini, Chevrolet Truck’s lead interior designer, has described it as more contemporary and refined “with a hint of Corvette influence in its design DNA.”

Everything Google

Moving in deeper inside the vehicle, aka the infotainment, users will find Google, or more specifically Android Automotive, at the heart of the operating system. This means that Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play are all integrated into the the infotainment screen.

Android Automotive OS shouldn’t be confused with Android Auto, which is a secondary interface that lies on top of an operating system. Android Auto is an app that runs on the user’s phone and wirelessly communicates with the vehicle’s infotainment system. Both Android Auto and its Apple CarPlay counterpart will be offered in the new Silverado. GM said the system also works with Amazon Alexa.

Meanwhile, Android Automotive OS is modeled after its open-source mobile operating system that runs on Linux. But instead of running smartphones and tablets, Google modified it so automakers could use it in their cars. Google has offered an open-source version of this OS to automakers for sometime. In recent years, automakers have worked with the tech company to natively build in an Android OS that is embedded with all the Google apps and services.

Hands-free driving

All of the Silverado trims come standard with six active safety features, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist and forward collision alerts, a warning if the vehicle leaves its lane, a following distance indicator, automatic high beams and front pedestrian braking.

The big change is the addition of the automaker’s Super Cruise hands-free driver-assistance technology, which will be an available option on the High Country trim. Importantly, the system can be used even while trailering. Certain features of Super Cruise like automatic lane changing and lane change on demand will be restricted if the truck is towing.

Super Cruise uses a combination of lidar map data, high-precision GPS, cameras and radar sensors, as well as a driver attention system, which monitors the person behind the wheel to ensure they’re paying attention. Unlike Tesla’s Autopilot driver assistance system, users of Super Cruise do not need to have their hands on the wheel. However, their eyes must remain directed straight ahead.

While GM has steadily improved Super Cruise since its introduction in 2017, for years it was limited to its luxury Cadillac brand and restricted to certain divided highways. That began to change in 2019 when GM announced plans to expand it to more models and use cases. The system can be activated on more than 200,000 miles of roads in the United States and Canada.

The Silverado will offer other trailer assistance features including one that will alert drivers to vehicles in their blind spot.

GM unveiled Thursday the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado, a full-sized pickup truck that received a major technology upgrade, including its hands-free Super Cruise advanced driver assistance system and an infotainment system with embedded Google services as well as an overhauled interior. A new flagship trim, the off-road factory-installed lifted ZR2 truck, has also joined the Silverado lineup.

The Silverado refresh comes ahead of GM’s electric vehicle offensive, which will include Chevrolet and GMC pickup trucks. GM aims to deliver 30 new electric vehicles to the global market by 2025 and to transition to all-zero-emission by 2035. GM said the new Silverado trims will arrive to dealerships in spring 2022.

The exterior of the Chevy Silverado also received a refresh, including new front fascia and daytime running lights that animate when the driver walks up or away from the vehicle. But the real change can be found in the cabin — and the hardware and software guts — of the truck.

The 2022 Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 and new headlights. Image credit: GM

Chevy offers the Silverado in the LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, ZR2, LTZ and High Country trims, all of which come standard with a 2.7-liter turbocharged engine that improves the torque by 20 percent to 420-pound feet and has a maximum trailering rating of 9,500 pounds in a two-wheel drive configuration. GM also made changes to smooth out shifting and give drivers more power on demand.

The automaker also improved its 3.0L Duramax turbocharged diesel engine to enable a max tow rating of 13,300 pounds in a two-wheel drive configuration. Two other powertrains, the 5.3-liter V8 and the 6.2-liter V8 are also offered.

The interior cabin has been revamped to make it feel more spacious and includes 13.4-inch touchscreen and a new 12.3-inch configurable digital instrument cluster standard. Owners will also be able to add a rear camera mirror and a head up display.

The First-Ever 2022 Chevrolet Silverado ZR2. Image credit: GM

Finally, the Silverado interior will be offered in new colors, seat designs and premium materials. For model trims with bucket seats, the new center console incorporates an electronic shift controller.

Alexandre Scartezini, Chevrolet Truck’s lead interior designer, has described it as more contemporary and refined “with a hint of Corvette influence in its design DNA.”

Everything Google

Moving in deeper inside the vehicle, aka the infotainment, users will find Google, or more specifically Android Automotive, at the heart of the operating system. This means that Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play are all integrated into the the infotainment screen.

Android Automotive OS shouldn’t be confused with Android Auto, which is a secondary interface that lies on top of an operating system. Android Auto is an app that runs on the user’s phone and wirelessly communicates with the vehicle’s infotainment system. Both Android Auto and its Apple CarPlay counterpart will be offered in the new Silverado. GM said the system also works with Amazon Alexa.

Meanwhile, Android Automotive OS is modeled after its open-source mobile operating system that runs on Linux. But instead of running smartphones and tablets, Google modified it so automakers could use it in their cars. Google has offered an open-source version of this OS to automakers for sometime. In recent years, automakers have worked with the tech company to natively build in an Android OS that is embedded with all the Google apps and services.

Hands-free driving

All of the Silverado trims come standard with six active safety features, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist and forward collision alerts, a warning if the vehicle leaves its lane, a following distance indicator, automatic high beams and front pedestrian braking.

The big change is the addition of the automaker’s Super Cruise hands-free driver-assistance technology, which will be an available option on the High Country trim. Importantly, the system can be used even while trailering. Certain features of Super Cruise like automatic lane changing and lane change on demand will be restricted if the truck is towing.

Super Cruise uses a combination of lidar map data, high-precision GPS, cameras and radar sensors, as well as a driver attention system, which monitors the person behind the wheel to ensure they’re paying attention. Unlike Tesla’s Autopilot driver assistance system, users of Super Cruise do not need to have their hands on the wheel. However, their eyes must remain directed straight ahead.

While GM has steadily improved Super Cruise since its introduction in 2017, for years it was limited to its luxury Cadillac brand and restricted to certain divided highways. That began to change in 2019 when GM announced plans to expand it to more models and use cases. The system can be activated on more than 200,000 miles of roads in the United States and Canada.

The Silverado will offer other trailer assistance features including one that will alert drivers to vehicles in their blind spot.

China enacted a sweeping new data privacy law on August 20 that will dramatically impact how tech companies can operate in the country. Officially called the Personal Information Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China (PIPL), the law is the first national data privacy statute passed in China.

Modeled after the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, the PIPL imposes protections and restrictions on data collection and transfer that companies both inside and outside of China will need to address. It is particularly focused on apps using personal information to target consumers or offer them different prices on products and services, and preventing the transfer of personal information to other countries with fewer protections for security.

The PIPL, slated to take effect on November 1, 2021, does not give companies a lot of time to prepare. Those that already follow GDPR practices, particularly if they’ve implemented it globally, will have an easier time complying with China’s new requirements. But firms that have not implemented GDPR practices will need to consider adopting a similar approach. In addition, U.S. companies will need to consider the new restrictions on the transfer of personal information from China to the U.S.

Here’s a deep dive into the PIPL and what it means for tech firms:

New data handling requirements

The PIPL introduces perhaps the most stringent set of requirements and protections for data privacy in the world (this includes special requirements relating to processing personal information by governmental agencies that will not be addressed here). The law broadly relates to all kinds of information, recorded by electronic or other means, related to identified or identifiable natural persons, but excludes anonymized information.

The following are some of the key new requirements for handling people’s personal information in China that will affect tech businesses:

Extra-territorial application of the China law

Historically, China regulations have only been applied to activities inside the country. The PIPL is similar in applying the law to personal information handling activities within Chinese borders. However, similar to GDPR, it also expands its application to the handling of personal information outside China if the following conditions are met:

• Where the purpose is to provide products or services to people inside China.
• Where analyzing or assessing activities of people inside China.
• Other circumstances provided in laws or administrative regulations.

For example, if you are a U.S.-based company selling products to consumers in China, you may be subject to the China data privacy law even if you do not have a facility or operations there.

Data handling principles

The PIPL introduces principles of transparency, purpose and data minimization: Companies can only collect personal information for a clear, reasonable and disclosed purpose, and to the smallest scope for realizing the purpose, and retain the data only for the period necessary to fulfill that purpose. Any information handler is also required to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the data it handles to avoid any negative impact on personal rights and interests.

China enacted a sweeping new data privacy law on August 20 that will dramatically impact how tech companies can operate in the country. Officially called the Personal Information Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China (PIPL), the law is the first national data privacy statute passed in China.

Modeled after the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, the PIPL imposes protections and restrictions on data collection and transfer that companies both inside and outside of China will need to address. It is particularly focused on apps using personal information to target consumers or offer them different prices on products and services, and preventing the transfer of personal information to other countries with fewer protections for security.

The PIPL, slated to take effect on November 1, 2021, does not give companies a lot of time to prepare. Those that already follow GDPR practices, particularly if they’ve implemented it globally, will have an easier time complying with China’s new requirements. But firms that have not implemented GDPR practices will need to consider adopting a similar approach. In addition, U.S. companies will need to consider the new restrictions on the transfer of personal information from China to the U.S.

Here’s a deep dive into the PIPL and what it means for tech firms:

New data handling requirements

The PIPL introduces perhaps the most stringent set of requirements and protections for data privacy in the world (this includes special requirements relating to processing personal information by governmental agencies that will not be addressed here). The law broadly relates to all kinds of information, recorded by electronic or other means, related to identified or identifiable natural persons, but excludes anonymized information.

The following are some of the key new requirements for handling people’s personal information in China that will affect tech businesses:

Extra-territorial application of the China law

Historically, China regulations have only been applied to activities inside the country. The PIPL is similar in applying the law to personal information handling activities within Chinese borders. However, similar to GDPR, it also expands its application to the handling of personal information outside China if the following conditions are met:

• Where the purpose is to provide products or services to people inside China.
• Where analyzing or assessing activities of people inside China.
• Other circumstances provided in laws or administrative regulations.

For example, if you are a U.S.-based company selling products to consumers in China, you may be subject to the China data privacy law even if you do not have a facility or operations there.

Data handling principles

The PIPL introduces principles of transparency, purpose and data minimization: Companies can only collect personal information for a clear, reasonable and disclosed purpose, and to the smallest scope for realizing the purpose, and retain the data only for the period necessary to fulfill that purpose. Any information handler is also required to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the data it handles to avoid any negative impact on personal rights and interests.