Big tech companies tend to make a lot of enemies — but there are none more powerful than the US government. Apple, Google, Amazon, and Meta are regularly called in front of Congress to fend off monopoly accusations — and lawmakers bring up bills to rein in the companies just as often. The Federal Trade Commission has taken a particularly central role, leading a lawsuit to sever Facebook and Instagram while blocking new acquisitions for Oculus and the company’s virtual reality wing. Like it or not, these regulatory fights will play a huge role in deciding the future of tech — and neither side is playing nice.
Just months after IRS Commissioner Billy Long said the free tax filing is “gone,” NextGov reports that the agency has sent an email to states, saying “IRS Direct File will not be available in Filing Season 2026.” The message reportedly adds that “no launch date has been set for the future.”
[Nextgov.com]
Donald Trump’s vicious, meme-driven ethos has started seeping into the US government’s official internet presence.
As the Oregon National Guard lawsuit proceeds, it’s become clear that right-wing content creators have a direct line to the federal government and are shaping national policy itself.
Alongside retweeting a post calling Wisconsin’s voter rolls “crooked,” Musk purports to believe New York’s long-running fusion voting system (which boosts visibility of minor political parties) is a “scam” disfavoring independent candidate Andrew Cuomo. Musk endorsed Cuomo over Democratic frontrunner Zohran Mamdani — whose name Musk also purports not to know.
Under a proposed rule by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could demand biometric information including DNA from immigrants and associated US citizens, and even children under age 14. That would be a significant expansion of the information the agency currently collects.
Said Trump of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao in his 60 Minutes interview last night. Which is the same thing he said immediately after he pardoned the man two weeks ago, so at least he’s consistent.
What you won’t see on camera — even in the extended cut — is his lengthy rant following the questioning about crypto and corruption, but the transcript reveals all.
Italian regulators announced an age verification system that will be rolled out on November 12th to prevent minors from accessing around 50 websites that host pornographic content. The UK and France introduced similar rules this year, both resulting in a significant spike in VPN downloads.
61-year-old Larry Bushart is out of jail after a month for posting a meme on Facebook. In the wake of Kirk’s killing, ordinary people were doxed, harassed, and even jailed for comments made online about the right wing influencer. According to the Washington Post, Bushart is now celebrating his freedom and building his legal case — and is back to posting.
A centerpiece of the Kids Online Safety Act is rumored to be at risk in the new version.
Former Real World cast member and current Transportation Secretary / acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy recently said SpaceX was “behind” on its contract for Artemis III and proposed reopening it. (Elon Musk responded with a predictable slew of insults.)
Now SpaceX has a response, but its blog post is missing one thing: the details of this “simplified” approach.
In response to the latest calls, we’ve shared and are formally assessing a simplified mission architecture and concept of operations that we believe will result in a faster return to the Moon while simultaneously improving crew safety.
But they look the same in an email address, as a reporter for UK newspaper The Times found out this week. They emailed the wrong Bill DeBlasio for his thoughts on Zohran Mamdani’s NYC mayoral campaign, but he told Semafor (in an interview over his Ring doorbell!) that he never once claimed to be the former mayor.
In the memo, Gates tries to make the case that there’s too much focus on cutting greenhouse gas emissions and not enough on public health and poverty. It’s a narrative that lets polluters off the hook and plays into Trump’s efforts to rollback environmental protections and spread disinformation about climate change.
The agency voted to adopt a notice of proposed rulemaking that could modify the broadband pricing breakdowns introduced last year, which Republican FCC commissioner Olivia Trusty said may be “overly burdensome” for service providers, as reported by LightReading.
The FCC is looking to “streamline” rules surrounding the labels, a proposal that Democrat commissioner Anna Gomez called “one of the most anti-consumer items I have seen.”
A PSF proposal to address vulnerabilities in Python and PyPi was recommended for funding, but it was declined because the terms barred “any programs that advance or promote DEI, or discriminatory equity ideology in violation of Federal anti-discrimination laws.”
The PSF, which you can donate to here, says it’s committed to the “growth of a diverse and international community of Python programmers.”
Coal-fired power plants pumped out as much as 20 percent more particle pollution during the last federal government shutdown in 2018 and 2019 as the US Environmental Protection Agency froze inspections.
The current shutdown has lasted nearly a month now, inching closer to the 2018-2019 record for the longest in history.
They’re furloughed and want dates now! (As long as you’re DC-based.)
Some former government tech workers are stepping in to help get them through.
After a ten-month investigation, the Competition and Markets Authority has designated Apple and Google’s mobile platforms with “strategic market status,” describing them as having “substantial, entrenched market power.” The companies now face extra anti-competition regulations in the UK, following a similar ruling for Google Search.
Portland’s massive No Kings protest drafted on the energy of weeks of anti-ICE action and Trump’s attacks.
Today’s 2500-plus scheduled anti-Trump protest events — a followup to the ones that drew an estimated 4 to 6 million participants earlier this year — are underway, and if you’re looking for somewhere besides social media to follow along, States Newsroom has a liveblog of photos, crowd vibe-checks, and interviews from across the country.
[News From The States]
Last week, the Salesforce CEO said that he would welcome the White House sending National Guard troops into the streets of Silicon Valley. Now, he’s changing his tune following some very public criticism from Laurene Powell Jobs (Steve Jobs’ widow) and a member of his own board.
It’s an expected consequence of the ongoing shutdown, which was already impacting the legal system. Federal judges are still going to serve and online case files will remain functional, but workers are being furloughed and some — though not all — civil cases involving the government are being delayed.
[United States Courts]
Remember how Salesforce billionaire Marc Benioff suddenly looooved Donald Trump? It turns out Salesforce is trying to sell an AI product to ICE. Two things: 1. This is how the gangster tech era works. 2. If I were a betting woman, I’d put money down that Agentforce is floundering. Certainly it’s been expensive marketing it.
[The New York Times]
