News isn’t free: Google has announced it will pay some news publishers in a “new news experience” it is rolling out later this year, TechCrunch reports. News outlets in Germany, Australia, and Brazil are among the first group of publishers that have signed on. The goal is to “help participating publishers monetize their content through an enhanced storytelling experience that lets people go deeper into more complex stories, stay informed and be exposed to a world of different issues and interests,” Google says.
AI in HR: Japanese companies are turning to artificial intelligence to help hire employees, Japan Times says. SoftBank says it has cut labor time by 75 percent by using AI to sift through tens of thousands of resumes. Still, some companies are concerned about AI giving them inappropriate or discriminatory decisions.
Attacking encryption: Three U.S. Senators have introduced legislation that would require tech companies to help law enforcement agencies defeat end-to-end encryption, PCMag reports. The Republican bill would allow courts to order companies to bypass encryption when police agencies request it.
More broadband for all: In the meantime, a group of U.S. representatives has introduced legislation to spend $100 billion to deploy fiber-based broadband across the country, Ars Technica says. The bill would also repeal state laws that prohibit or limit municipal broadband projects. Finally, the bill requires federally funded Internet providers to offer speeds of at least 100Mbps for both downloads and uploads.
Hacking from home: Russian hackers are targeting people working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the New York Times reports. Leaders of a Russian hacking group, calling itself Evil Corp., were indicted in December, and now the group is pushing ransomware at U.S. companies with employees working from home.
Super-fast: The fastest Internet service provider in the U.S. is the Cedar Falls, Iowa community network, PC Mag says. Cedar Falls Utilities offers download speeds of about 1,200 Mbps, about nine times faster than the fastest large ISP in the U.S., Verizon FiOS. Community-owned broadband offers “cheaper, faster service than many incumbents,” says TechDirt.
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