🔍 Microsoft’s Copilot Vanishes, Alphabet Spins Off, Spy Scandal Hits Deel
Good morning. It’s Monday, March 17. Today we are covering:
Microsoft accidentally wipes out Copilot in latest Windows 11 update
Alphabet spins off laser-based internet project from 'moonshot' hub
Rippling Sues Deel, a Software Rival, Over Corporate Spying
European tech industry coalition calls for 'radical action' on digital sovereignty - starting with buying local
Facebook's secrets, by the insider who Zuckerberg tried to silence
Let’s dive in
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Microsoft accidentally wipes out Copilot in latest Windows 11 update
By Tom Warren via The Verge
Microsoft's latest Windows 11 update, released on March 11, accidentally uninstalls the Copilot app on some devices, removing it from the taskbar.
Affected users can reinstall Copilot from the Microsoft Store and manually pin it to the taskbar while Microsoft works on a fix.
Microsoft plans to unveil new Copilot features at its 50th anniversary event on April 4, amid reports of developing in-house AI models to rival OpenAI.
𝕏: Microsoft has accidentally wiped out Copilot in its latest Windows 11 update. The Patch Tuesday update unpinned Copilot and uninstalled it. A bug for some, and a welcome feature for others - Tom Warren (@tomwarren)
Alphabet spins off laser-based internet project from 'moonshot' hub
By Stephen Morris via Financial Times
Alphabet is spinning out its laser-based internet start-up Taara from its experimental hub X, aiming to accelerate its growth by partnering with strategic investors and accessing market capital more efficiently.
Taara's technology uses laser beams to transmit data at 20 gigabits per second over 20km, offering a cost-effective solution for extending fiber-optic networks in hard-to-reach areas, competing with Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Operating in 12 countries, including India and parts of Africa, Taara plans to develop a silicon photonic chip to simplify its terminals and expand potential use cases, such as replacing radio-based WiFi in office environments.
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Rippling Sues Deel, a Software Rival, Over Corporate Spying
By Andrew Ross Sorkin via The New York Times
Rippling has filed a lawsuit against Deel, accusing the rival HR software provider of corporate espionage by planting a mole in Rippling's Dublin office to access confidential trade secrets.
The alleged spy, identified as D.S., was uncovered through a strategic "honeypot" trap and is accused of gathering sensitive information about sales leads and internal communications related to Russian sanctions.
Deel denies the allegations, framing the lawsuit as an attempt by Rippling to divert attention from its own controversies, including accusations of sanctions violations in Russia.
𝕏: Rippling sued @Deel today. Our lawsuit alleges Deel cultivated a spy at Rippling & orchestrated a long-running trade-secret theft. The spy searched “deel” in our systems 23 times per day on avg, letting him spy on Deel’s own customers who were considering a switch to Rippling. - Parker Conrad (@parkerconrad)
By Natasha Lomas via TechCrunch
A coalition of over 80 European tech organizations is urging the EU to adopt "radical action" for digital sovereignty, emphasizing the need to foster homegrown technologies and reduce reliance on foreign-owned digital infrastructure.
Key proposals include a "Buy European" mandate for public procurement, establishing a Sovereign Infrastructure Fund to invest in critical tech sectors, and promoting open-source solutions and interoperability to strengthen local innovation.
The coalition warns that without immediate intervention, Europe's dependence on non-European technologies could become "almost complete" within three years, risking economic security and digital autonomy amid global geopolitical tensions.
Facebook's secrets, by the insider who Zuckerberg tried to silence
By Rosamund Urwin via The Sunday Times
Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former global public policy director at Facebook, exposes the company's internal culture in her memoir Careless People, criticizing Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg for fostering an opaque, power-intoxicated leadership environment.
Meta attempted to block the book's promotion, claiming it contains "defamatory and untrue allegations," while Wynn-Williams argues her revelations aim to shed light on the company's lack of accountability and ethical boundaries.
The book details controversial incidents, including Meta's contentious attempts to enter the Chinese market, internal mishandling of global crises like Myanmar's genocide, and Zuckerberg's alleged indifference to Facebook's role in political outcomes, such as the 2016 Trump election.
𝕏: "In 2015, Zuckerberg asked Xi Jinping if he would 'do him the honour of naming his unborn child.' Xi refused." - Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts)
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