10 things in tech you need to know today

Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Friday.

1. Apple has been widely criticized for apparently kowtowing to Chinese censorship, removing an app that helps Hong Kong protesters track police, and news app Quartz from various App Stores. The firm u-turned on Wednesday and booted HKMap Live for "endangering" law enforcement, as well as news app Quartz.
2. Tim Cook defended Apple's decision to remove an app that let protesters track the location of police in Hong Kong. Cook said the app was removed because it was being used to "maliciously target individual officers for violence," according to a memo to staff obtained by Bloomberg.
3. WeWork may secure a rescue package as early as next week, reports the Financial Times. US investment banking giant  JP Morgan Chase and Co. is leading the rescue package discussions, according to the newspaper.
4. Amazon reportedly has dozens of workers watching footage recorded by its Cloud Cam home security camera. According to Bloomberg, clips reviewed by workers sometimes include private interactions, such as recordings of sexual activity.
5. Blizzard's former 'World of Warcraft' lead is boycotting the firm for punishing a 'Hearthstone' competitor who supported the Hong Kong protests. Mark Kern said he would renounce World of Warcraft "until Blizzard reverses their decision" on banning esports player Blitzchung.
6. Some 2,200 people reportedly watched footage of Wednesday's shooting in Germany on Twitch. BBC News reports that footage remained online for 30 minutes after the gunman's live stream ended.
7. Google has removed an app called 'The Revolution of Our Times' from its Play Store which allowed you to role-play as a Hong Kong protesters. A Google spokesman said the firm doesn't allow app developers to "capitalize on sensitive events," reports the Wall Street Journal.
8. Fewer than 0.1% of Instagram users have bought into the hype of the platform's latest Snapchat competitor, Threads. In Threads' first week, an estimated 220,000 people out of Instagram's billion-plus users have downloaded the app, according to data from Apptopia.
9. Ellen DeGeneres is trying to block a video slamming her controversial friendship with George W. Bush, but it's gone viral. DeGeneres defended her friendship with Bush in a speech on her show on Tuesday.
10. A coach in Blizzard's Overwatch League was told to delete a tweet condemning the company for censoring an esports competitor from Hong Kong. The tweet criticized Blizzard's punishment of Hong Kong-based esports competitor Blitzchung, according to a report from the Dallas Morning News.

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Contributer : Tech Insider https://ift.tt/2M2YjB4

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