Tech Tea – Tech Related Stories That Matters: 6/26/22

If you’re a person looking to get an abortion in this country and you’re getting a consultation in a clinician’s office complete with pee cups, stethoscopes, and people in unflattering scrubs, then that clinician is legally bound by HIPAA to keep your abortion plans under wraps unless they’re offering a referral to another healthcare provider. The people who administer care to you are so-called “covered entities” under the law, along with health insurance companies, HMOs and the like. Social networks, apps, and search engines, on the other hand, are not bound by HIPAA. The law was written in the 90s, and nobody seems too bothered to update it. Read More

LinkedIn is the worst social network, in my opinion. The company sits at a fork in the road where hustle culture branches off into boomer stereotypes and automated sales pitches. While somewhat useful as a digital resume and Rolodex, the website seemingly has the lowest level of collective empathy of any social network. Read More

Machine learning is a subfield of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science that focuses on using data and algorithms to mimic the way people learn, progressively improving its accuracy. This way, Machine Learning is one of the most interesting methods in Computer Science these days, and it’s being applied behind the scenes in products and services we consume in everyday life. Read More

Just as one company’s success shouldn’t cast a halo on its vertical’s brethren, one company’s layoffs don’t quite mean that its competitors are equally screwed. Instead, I think that changes within a particular startup can be used as benchmark questions for their larger market; in other words, we can use the micro to better understand the macro. Read More

While there’s no current precedent for a period tracking app to turn over its user data to authorities for a criminal investigation, other apps have been known to hand off user data in sensitive cases, and, last year, popular period tracking app Flo received an FTC complaint about misleading users and sharing personal health data. Both activists and privacy experts agree that the recent decision, and Roe v. Wade’s presence as a legal bulwark against invasive abortion regulation, could have echoing effects on personal privacy. Read More

The Metaverse has a central business district, where [Texas entrepreneur Steve] Jackson hopes businesses will set up virtual offices. Wired [magazine] is building an office there that could take subscriptions or let readers gather to discuss stories … Metaverse visitors will be charged $10 for 80 hours a month. Read More