Tech Bytes to Know This Week: 3.8.2016

March 8th, 2016

Topics: Blockchain / Distributed Trust P2P / Sharing Economy Privacy Risk Management Social

The Center for Digital Strategies is introducing a new weekly feature. Stay up to date on technology news and trends we’re discussing at Tuck School and reading about in the media.

Apple Continues to Dominate the News Cycle – The Apple-FBI saga continues to dominate the tech world with the list of high-profile companies supporting Tim Cook growing. Major companies supporting Apple include Twitter, Facebook, Airbnb, eBay, LinkedIn, Amazon, Microsoft, Snapchat, Google and Yahoo. The suit is increasingly looking like a fool’s errand for the FBI and even Defense Secretary Ashton Carter coming out against a backdoor to encryption.

Check out the CDS team’s Quick Takes on the FBI & Apple case for data retrieval
Read More: 32 tech giants are backing Apple in its fight against the FBI
Read More: Defense Secretary takes position against a data ‘back door’

Amazon Does Quick About-Face on Removing Encryption from Fire Devices – Amazon quietly announced it would remove encryption from all Fire tables and then quickly decided to reverse that decision last week after public backlash in the wake of the Apple-FBI dispute. The decision to remove the encryption was made prior to the current Apple-FBI debate and demonstrates the impact of the case on the tech industry and consumer preferences.

Read More: Amazon reverses ‘backward’ decision to remove encryption from Fire tablets

Uber Gets Defensive Over Safety Concerns Uncovered by BuzzFeed – After a BuzzFeed News investigation on customer service woes at the ride sharing app uncovered widespread support tickets related to the topic of sexual assault and rape, Uber is countering by claiming the company has received fewer than claims of sexual assault directly related to an Uber ride in the last 4 years. The company has long been criticized for its lack of screening for drivers; a criticism that came to a head last month when an Uber driver went on a shooting spree in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Read More: Internal Data Offers Glimpse At Uber Sex Assault Complaints
Read More: Contracts And Chaos: Inside Uber’s Customer Service Struggles

Bitcoin Reaching Capacity – Cryptocurrency Bitcoin has failed to alter its code to account for growth of the platform and is reaching capacity on the network. As a result of volume on the Bitcoin network transactions are stalling and failing, leaving customers and retailers in the lurch. The Verge has a good summary of the current crisis.

Read More: Bitcoin’s Nightmare Scenario Has Come to Pass

Snapchat Continues to Grow Up – Snapchat looks more and more like a maturing tech company. This week it bucked the current trend of cautious investors pulling back capital as it raised $175 million from Fidelity and announced estimated 2016 revenue to top $300 million. Last week the firm continued its hiring spree of Facebook stars by bringing in the social media giant’s chief ad executive, Sriram Krishnan.