Mark Zuckerberg to explain his alleged involvement in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, TikTok influencers are struggling to profit from the platform, and USPS is increasing its electric vehicle purchases.
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That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now, welcome to Hashtag Trending. It’s Thursday, July 21, and I’m your host, Tom Li.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, along with Facebook’s former chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, will explain to a federal court their alleged involvement in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Cambridge Analytica, a British consulting firm, collected and used Facebook user data without their consent, eventually leading to a $5 billion settlement between Facebook and the Federal Trade Commission. In addition to this lawsuit, Zukerberg and several Meta executives are facing legal actions from other parties, including the Washing D.C. Attorney General, who is suing Zukerberg for allowing the scandal to happen.
Source: Gizmodo
Even the most influential figures on TikTok appear to be struggling to profit from the platform. According to Business Insider, several high-profile creators have criticized TikTok for low payouts from its Creator Fund, a $1 billion the company has supposedly allocated to support creators. The low incentive has caused them to either focus on other platforms, such as Instagram and Pinterest, or drop out of the fund entirely. One creator said that it’s common for a viral video with millions of views to only generate 20 to 30 bucks. Now, creators are calling for TikTok to standardize its rates and improve the competitiveness of the creator’s fund.
Source: Business Insider
The United States Postal Service has dramatically increased its electric vehicle purchases. Now, 40 per cent of the 84,500 vehicles it’s looking to add to its fleet will be electrically powered, up from 10 per cent previously. USPS says that vehicles from the new purchase will enter service late next year. Additionally, it will hold a public hearing for its environmental impact statement on its refleeting plans in early August.
Source: Forbes
Speaking of sustainability, the U.K. government presented its Jet Zero strategy aimed at reaching net zero domestic aviation by 2040. The strategy includes a mandate that requires at least 10 percent of jet fuel to be sustainable aviation fuel by 2030. Moreover, the government plans to begin building at least five commercial-scale sustainable aviation fuel plants by 2025.
Source: Renewables Now
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash briefings or your Google Home daily briefing. Make sure to sign up for our Daily IT Wire newsletter to get all the news that matters directly in your inbox every day. Also, catch the next episode of Hashtag Tendances, our weekly Hashtag Trending episode in French, which drops every Thursday morning. If you have a suggestion or a tip, drop us a line in the comments or via email. Thank you for listening, I’m Tom Li.