The Drivable Office: RVs, Motorcoaches, 5th Wheels, and Campers Become the Remote Office of the Future.

Have you considered becoming part of the emerging drivable mobile office generation?

The coronavirus has been a catalyst for remote work and 31% of people surveyed said that COVID-19 was the trigger that allowed remote work at their company.

Yes, there has been a massive shift to working from home and 88% of organizations in the U.S. have encouraged or required their employees to work from home and 91% of teams in the Asian Pacific Region have implemented ‘work from home’ arrangements since the outbreak.

A recent Gardner study showed business endurance was a top concern for C-level executives with 71% worried about continuity and productivity during the pandemic.

However, remote work has done more than insure continuity, it’s had a positive impact on workforce retention, so much so that organizations should expect 75% of their staff to ask for expanded remote work hours in the future.

Managed correctly, remote work will dramatically boost productivity. Gardner concluded that remote workers are 35-40% more productive than people who work in corporate offices.

For the company, 77% of executives agree that it will lower operating expenses.

Because of this, remote work is here to stay and 74% of companies plan to permanently shift to more remote work as we move into the post-Covid era.

With these changes permeating business culture, workers are now being unleashed to explore far more exotic lifestyles by taking their work with them as they explore the world.

Waking up each morning to a radically new lifestyle can be quite liberating!

Developing Mobile Work-Life Strategies

For many, summer is the time to hit the road in a camper or RV, taking time off work to see the country from the comfort of a home on wheels.

But many free-spirited adventurers are now thinking summer never has to end. Taking advantage of the growing ubiquity of wireless Internet, the RV or camper can easily be converted into a drivable mobile office.

As of last year, 8.9 million American households owned RVs, and a smaller subset included roughly a half-million who lived full-time on the road. But it’s hard to know exactly how many of those full-timers and part-timers have actually learned how to work from the road.

After Covid-19, the nature of telework is making it easier than ever to work without a fixed physical location.

Naturally one of the critical components of having a remote office is good Wi-Fi. According to KOA CEO Pat Hittmeier, almost all 485 KOA campgrounds sites across the country have free Wi-Fi.

When Wi-Fi is not in range, those doing business on the go will turn to network air cards or satellite dishes.

We have seen a recent explosion of people opting to take their work in this fashion. A record number of RVs, motorcoaches, fifth wheel campers, and trailers are currently in the process of being converted into both office and living spaces.

If you ask why they’ve chosen to do their work from a recreational vehicle, many will cite the freedom that comes with a mobile lifestyle.

Whether they’re working from an RV park in Tuscan, a hotel room in Seattle, or their grandmother’s farm in Indiana, both their work-life and family-life will undergo a number of transitions along the way.

Mobile offices don’t need to be fancy, they only need to be functional!

Establishing a Mobile Base of Operations

Mobile offices don’t need to be fancy, they only need to be functional! [/caption]People tend to forget the importance of their local traffic patterns, because where they go and people they meet with on a semi-regular basis is important.

For example, moving into a new city they’ll need to find good referrals for doctors, dentists, chiropractors, auto mechanics, and veterinarians.

While most interactions with bankers, accountants, and lawyers can be done remotely, getting an engine repaired, finding an electrician, plumber, or new tires will require adding a few new contacts to a smartphone.

Even coordinating the delivery of an Amazon package can be a challenge.

Those who are on specialty diets such as vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, or vegetarian may have trouble finding restaurant options in remote locations.

Very few situations, however, will be considered serious show-stoppers for the determined traveler.

Mobile offices don’t need to be fancy, they only need to be functional!

Going Driverless

Driverless technology will invariably open the door to a whole new era of non-commuting vehicles, and one of the earliest examples we’ll see will be the driverless mobile office.

If you can imagine having an “office” pull up in your driveway, with dimmable windows, projectors, sound systems, 5G-enabled, with flexible, reconfigurable furniture that is perfect for both working alone and hosting meetings, you’ll get the picture.

Executives only need wireless access and the entire day can be managed from their mobile office, picking up people for each new meeting, and dropping them off before the next meeting begins.

Rather than working from an isolated home or a single office, mobile offices will add exotic new dimensions to every workday. But they can be far more than just an office.

A mobile office can also be working laboratories, tattoo parlors, manufacturing operation, arbitration court, zoning resolution station, police command center, mobile ER, fertility clinic, or pawn shop. Some will be owned by government agencies, some by businesses, but others will be part of a fleet and leased on a per-use basis.

Most importantly, these vehicles can operate as moving billboards, wrapped in branding slogans, with marketing messages emblazoned on every available surface.

In the not-too-distant future, driverless mobile offices will be common in most cities!

Final Thoughts

If you’re considering setting up a driveable mobile office, you’re not alone. But having the perfect office to fit your needs may be challenging.

Offices designed for a podcaster, videographer, graphic artist, programmer, script writer, jewelry maker, and movie editor will all require different toolsets.

In general, remote offices need a well-designed desk, good chair, great computer, ergonomic layout, solid internet connection, privacy, backup storage, and excellent lighting. You might also want to include extra video cameras, microphones, switchers, and backup plans for when things go wrong because things will always go wrong.

As the world emerges from the coronavirus, one nation after another will rise out of their collective cabin-fever. With lingering fears about social distancing and a possible return of the virus during flu season, travelers will most likely focus on drivable options.

Many places are already documenting an increase in camping and outdoor activities in areas where the current coronavirus hit earlier than the U.S., namely in Japan and Korea, where families are pitching tents rather than staying in hotels.

As air travel limps back into operation and most public transportation systems around the world are operating on drastically reduced schedules, people are re-imagining new ways to travel in a post-pandemic world.

Road trips are poised to make a resurgence as travelers shy away from international destinations requiring long flights and walking through crowded airports. They’re looking to travel and enjoy all the wonders of the world in ways that they feel are safe and comfortable.

For these reasons, we are witnessing a powerful new trend where the idea of working from a drivable office takes center stage.

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The post The Drivable Office: RVs, Motorcoaches, 5th Wheels, and Campers Become the Remote Office of the Future. appeared first on Futurist Speaker.

Schools around the world in recent months have been thrust into remote learning and teaching classes online. With the possibility of extended remote learning and hybrid learning scenarios, schools are continuing to adapt to improve the experience for students and staff.

Teachers, professors, and administrators using Zoom for remote and online education can continue to use the ever-expanding capabilities and features of the Zoom platform, and they can also incorporate hardware options that can vastly enhance the teaching and learning experience for everyone. 

Here are three types of hardware solutions, all of which are already part of the physical classroom, that can upgrade the remote and virtual learning experience.

Cameras

Webcams can make a big difference compared with the standard built-in cameras on a laptop.  A dedicated webcam provides some flexibility for presenters to stand up while being seen, and it’s definitely easier than trying to move your laptop. Additional features include higher resolution and low-light correction to help presenters shine in less-than-optimal lighting conditions. 

Document cameras are great for projecting clear visuals of textbooks or other physical objects, much like a projector would. A document camera can even double as a webcam. Here’s a great video on how to use document cams in a Zoom Meeting.

Headsets

Teaching is an interactive experience, and it’s important for students to hear the teacher and for the teacher to clearly hear their students. A good headset with noise cancellation and an advanced microphone should help do the trick. Here are some of our recommended headset brands.

Whiteboarding solutions

Zoom natively provides teachers with annotation and whiteboard capabilities. If you prefer the traditional pen-to-paper experience, you can seamlessly annotate on top of an iPad with an Apple Pencil. It’s a nice alternative to using a mouse or trackpad.

If you prefer a physical whiteboard, the Kaptivo camera mounts onto a traditional whiteboard and projects the content right into your Zoom class. Kaptivo’s guide to whiteboarding from home offers some great tips for optimizing the experience.

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Thank you @kaptivo_ . This camera has made remote learning so much easier!!

A post shared by Maestra Douwes (@maestradouwes) on Apr 17, 2020 at 10:21am PDT

If you want to go big on the home whiteboard, consider the 55-inch DTEN D7. The all-in-one video conferencing and touch display built for Zoom Rooms doubles as a large, interactive whiteboard.

For more best practices for using Zoom for online education, check out our Educating Over Zoom webpage.

To see a list of recommended devices and solutions for every space and use case, visit our Zoom Hardware Overview webpage.

The post 3 Hardware Solutions to Upgrade the Online Learning Experience appeared first on Zoom Blog.

Infrastructure teams can augment the end-to-end experience with data and analytics to anticipate and quickly navigate hiccups.

While many companies are encouraging their employees to return to the office, working remotely (when possible) seems to have caught on and is probably not going anywhere in the near future. Many of us are still using videoconferencing apps to keep in touch with work colleagues, family, and friends. Zoom continues to top the list of these meeting apps, but there are a bunch of other free applications out there that will allow you to meet others online.

What follows are descriptions of some of the more interesting free video conferencing apps. We’ve concentrated on applications that allow at least 10 or more participants. Rather than simply assume that Zoom is best for you, you may want to try one or two of these out for yourself to see...

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Twitter is developing a new feature that would let users react to tweets with emoji, according to app researcher Jane Manchun Wong. This isn’t the first time Twitter has experimented with emoji reactions as SocialMediaToday reports, having played around with the idea back in 2015 when Facebook was developing its own take.

A screenshot posted by Wong shows a tweet-reaction interface, giving the option to respond to a tweet with emoji including the crying with laughter and shocked faces. There’s also the option to “React with Fleet,” a reference to Twitter’s Snapchat Stories-style disappearing tweets that’s only available in a handful of countries, alongside the typical “Retweet” and “Retweet with comment” options.

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• Amazon announced on Wednesday it is putting a one-year suspension on sales of its facial recognition software Rekognition to law enforcement.
• AI experts and civil rights activists have been campaigning for Amazon to halt the sale of Rekognition to law enforcement for years.
• The ACLU said a one-year suspension is not enough and an AI ethics expert told Business Insider Amazon's statement does not address whether police forces which already have Rekognition will be able to continue using it.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Amazon took an unusual step on Wednesday, recusing itself temporarily from the facial recognition market.

The tech giant announced it would suspend the sale of its facial recognition software Rekognition to law enforcement for one year.

"We hope this one-year moratorium might give Congress enough time to implement appropriate rules, and we stand ready to help if requested," Amazon said in its statement.

The announcement came amid the Black Lives Matter protests and renewed concern about the use of facial recognition by law enforcement and government agencies in the US. There is evidence showing the technology is biased against those with darker skin.

For the American Civil Liberties Union, the one-year moratorium is not enough.

"This surveillance technology's threat to our civil rights and civil liberties will not disappear in a year," Nicole Ozer, technology and civil liberties director for the ACLU, said in a press statement.

"Amazon must fully commit to a blanket moratorium on law enforcement use of face recognition until the dangers can be fully addressed, and it must press Congress and legislatures across the country to do the same."

Why facial recognition is particularly dangerous to people of color

Civil rights organizations and AI experts have been advocating for years for Amazon and others to ban the sale of facial recognition tech, partly because as a policing tool it would be disproportionately used to surveil people of color.

This activism has had a resurgence with the Black Lives Matter protests taking place across the world in the wake of George Floyd's death, and Amazon was accused by its own employees of hypocrisy for voicing support for the protests while continuing to sell Rekognition to police.

"Face recognition technology gives governments the unprecedented power to spy on us wherever we go. It fuels police abuse. This surveillance technology must be stopped," Ozer said.

But on top of the risk that the technology could exacerbate institutional racism, the technology is itself flawed when it comes to identifying people of color.

When building AI-powered technologies like facial recognition, the data used to train the algorithms that make up that technology can ingrain existing biases. So if a dataset is comprised mainly of white faces, the facial recognition software will be good at identifying white people and less good at identifying people with darker skin tones.

A study led by AI researcher Joy Buolamwini published in January 2019 found that Amazon's Rekognition was far worse at recognizing women and people of color. The study, which tasked the program with identifying people's gender, made no errors in identifying the gender of white men but misidentified darker-skinned women as men 31% of the time.

The ACLU also ran a test of Amazon's technology in July 2018 on pictures of members of Congress. Rekognition wrongly identified 28 members of Congress — all of whom were people of color — as people who had been arrested.

Amazon has consistently dismissed criticisms of its software by saying that researchers need to pay more attention to the software's "confidence threshold," a percentage it spits out whenever it makes a match saying how sure it is that it has correctly identified someone.

As Rekognition has been sold to police departments across the US,  multiple reports have emerged from the software's use by police however indicating that in practice law enforcement officers don't pay attention to this confidence threshold either, and are not well trained to recognize the limitations of the technology. A report published in May 2019 by Georgetown's Center on Privacy and Technology found NYPD officers were even running pictures of celebrities through their facial recognition systems to try and identify suspects.

What will happen to the police departments who already use Rekognition?

AI and privacy policy expert Dr. Nakeema Stefflbauer told Business Insider that while it is "great news" that Amazon has halted its Rekognition sales to law enforcement, it still begs the question of what will happen to the police departments who already use it.

"Who will guide or monitor their use of the tool they've licensed? Far better than suspending further sales would be recalling the software altogether, as is commonly done with other faulty or unreliable products," she said.

Mozilla fellow and privacy expert Frederike Kaltheuner also welcomed Amazon's decision, but said praise should not go to Amazon.

"Instead of praising Amazon for its overdue decision, the real story is how activists like Deb Raji and Joy Buolamwini have warned for years that the technology is immature and clearly demonstrates biased performance," she said. "Amazon tried to discredit the authors, and deny their results. Today we should celebrate the hard work that led to Amazon's decision."

Buolamwini welcomed the news in a statement on Twitter.

Amazon's one-year suspension followed an announcement by IBM that it would halt sales of "general purpose" facial recognition. To Kaltheuner, big companies turning away from the tech under activist pressure is a good sign.

"The tide is turning against law enforcement use of face recognition and this is a good thing. There are many other, lesser known companies that sell face recognition (and other invasive and problematic technology) to law enforcement around the world. These companies operate completely under the radar. That's why a moratorium on inaccurate and risky tech is the right move," she said.

SEE ALSO: IBM wins praise for halting sales of its facial recognition tech, but experts say it may have left itself a loophole

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• Workplace communications startup Spike has raised $8 million in a funding round backed by Insight Partners, Wix, and Zoom CEO Eric Yuan. 
• The Tel Aviv-based firm promises to combine the best features of email, Slack, Zoom, and Google Docs in a single platform. 
• CEO Dvir Ben-Aroya told Business Insider the firm had seen a surge in demand as COVID-19 forced millions to work from home. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Spike, the workplace communications app, has raised $8 million in a Series A fundraising round backed by Insight Partners and Zoom CEO Eric Yuan. 

The firm, founded in 2017 by Israeli entrepreneurs Dvir Ben-Aroya and Erez Pilosof, promises users a seamless experience with email, instant messaging, video calls, and task management combined in a single platform. 

"We use so many applications to keep track of our work now," Ben-Aroya told Business Insider. "Emails, Slack, Zoom, Google Docs, calendars, and so on. We thought it made much more sense to put them in the same place." 

Spike previously raised $5 million in a seed round last March, backed by Yuan, website design firm Wix, and venture capital firm NFX. 

While the company declined to release specific numbers, Ben-Aroya said Spike's usage began to skyrocket in February, as millions around the world were forced to work from home due to COVID-19. 

He added that this period of growth had been "entirely organic", with no additional spend on advertising. 

"Right now, we're just 14 people based here in Tel Aviv," he said. "But, with the money we've raised today, we hope to double that within the next 12 months." 

Daniel Aronovitz, VP at Insight Partners, told Business Insider: "We are an extremely passionate group of software experts and operators and it was the passion with which Dvir walked us through the company vision that helped persuade us to partner with the talented Spike team. 

"We were fortunate to receive strong recommendations from a handful of our early talent scouts in Israel who raved about the product and strength of their team, furthering our conviction." 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Tax Day is now July 15 — this is what it's like to do your own taxes for the very first time

• On Wednesday, Amazon announced it would suspend police use of its controversial facial-recognition technology, Rekognition, for one year.
• Amazon last week put out a statement against police brutality and systemic racism, but advocates pointed out Amazon works with many police departments and that studies have shown Rekognition is biased against Black people and other people with darker skin.
• Amazon still plans to sell Rekognition to groups that help rescue human-trafficking victims.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Amazon announced Wednesday that it would suspend police use of its controversial facial-recognition technology for one year after advocates and workers slammed the company for supporting the George Floyd protesters while still promoting its technology to police.

Amazon Web Services has sold its facial-recognition software, called Rekognition, to police departments across the country, but numerous studies have found bias in the software that disproportionately targets Black people and other people with darker skin. Last week, Amazon made statements against police brutality and systemic racism amid protests against police brutality that erupted after the killing of Floyd.

This rang hollow to many advocates, as AWS had still been working with police departments despite studies showing that Black people are more likely to be stopped, searched, or killed by police. A study led by MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini in 2019 showed Rekognition had difficulty in identifying gender in faces with darker skin and female faces.

The American Civil Liberties Union found in 2018 the software incorrectly matched 28 members of Congress with people who have been arrested for a crime and that false matches were disproportionately of people of color, including six members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Amazon still plans to allow organizations like Thorn, the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and Marinus Analytics to use Amazon Rekognition to help rescue human-trafficking victims, it said. The company also said it advocated for governments to add stronger regulations governing how facial-recognition technology could be used.  AWS declined further comment when Business Insider asked in what ways the company was advocating with the government.

"We hope this one-year moratorium might give Congress enough time to implement appropriate rules, and we stand ready to help if requested," an Amazon blog post said.

Amazon's move follows IBM's decision to stop selling facial-recognition software and call for a "national dialogue" on the way the technology is used for law enforcement. 

Several advocacy groups, including the ACLU and MediaJustice, had already called on Amazon to stop selling the software to law enforcement. Amazon still works with more than 600 police departments across country to enable officers to request video footage from people's Ring devices in the area of a suspected crime. On Tuesday, police pinned to the ground and arrested a Black Amazon delivery driver who authorities said parked the wrong way in Warren, Michigan, and the officers' department uses Ring, FOX 2 Detroit reported.

In the past, AWS CEO Andy Jassy dismissed employees' concerns about selling Rekognition to law enforcement. He said the company's terms of service would prevent its software from being used for bad purposes, though in a recent interview, he said the company wasn't aware of how police are using it, or even how many police departments have access.

Do you work at AWS? Got a tip? Contact this reporter via email at rmchan@businessinsider.com, Signal at 646.376.6106, Telegram at @rosaliechan, or Twitter DM at @rosaliechan17. (PR pitches by email only, please.) Other types of secure messaging available upon request. 

SEE ALSO: Tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Salesforce are taking a stand against systemic racism, but their work with law enforcement could contradict their stances

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NOW WATCH: Why electric planes haven't taken off yet

Android 11’s first public beta has arrived today, and it brings a bunch of big new features to Google’s operating system — including a few that should look pretty familiar to iOS users who have had similar functionality for some time.

It’s the eternal cycle of software platforms: Apple’s good ideas will almost always end up on Android at some point, even as the next version of iOS will, no doubt, crib some ideas from Android.

OS-level smart home control

One of the most noticeable new changes in Android 11 is the availability of smart home controls on an OS-level at any time through Google’s new long-press power button menu. Much like on iOS (which added HomeKit device control to Apple’s Control Center menu in iOS 10), you’ll be able to...

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Despite the popularity of remote work, some employers aren't sold on the idea, worried that employees will slack off. Enter: productivity monitoring.

• Google is gearing up to start bringing employees back to offices on July 6, but as CEO Sundar Pichai described last month, it will "look and feel different" to the office Googlers are used to.
• In a recent all-hands meeting, insiders say that Google outlined some of its plans to bring the workforce back. They include arrival slots, packed lunches, and a ban on perks like office gyms and sleep pods.
• Google is thinking carefully about bringing employees back to the office while following social distancing and health guidelines.
• Do you work at Google? Contact this reporter securely using encrypted messaging app Signal (+1 628-228-1836) or encrypted email (hslangley@protonmail.com).
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Like many big tech companies right now, Google is plotting to bring its vast and sprawling workforce back to the office.

But it will be a gradual easing back, starting with just a fraction of employees, as the company makes sure it's complying with health and safety guidelines around the world.

Last month, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai announced in a memo that the company will begin returning to offices on July 6, but it will be in a very limited capacity.

In fact, Google intends to return to the office with just 10% occupancy, hoping to increase that to 30% by September.

Several Google employees, who spoke to Business Insider on the condition of anonymity, said that the company shared further details on what the return to offices might look like during a recent all-hands meeting.

During the video call, Mark Wrightson, Google's VP of global security and resilience operations, told employees what they could expect when they return to the office. While some of these changes will apply to all Google locations, employees were told to expect some variations depending on the guidelines set out in their specific country. It was also pointed out that some of these plans could change before offices re-open.

In the meeting, employees were told that Google will introduce arrival slots at its offices each day to prevent many people entering enter a building at one time.

Google said employees coming to the office may be asked to take their temperature at home, but that they will also have to go through a temperature check on arrival. These temperature checks will be self-administered unless local authorities require otherwise. It is also considering offering full COVID-19 nasal swab tests in certain offices, employees were told.

Once they're in, Googlers will be spread out across desks to ensure they are far apart. In eating areas, meeting rooms, and in office break-out spaces, seating will also be spaced out by 6 feet to ensure employees are following social distancing rules.

Masks will be required in shared spaces, including eating areas, but employees were told that Google would provide these. 

Free meals are one of the most lauded perks for Googlers, but employees won't be greeted by the usual bountiful kitchen spread. Instead, they will be provided with lunch boxes, and the company won't be offering breakfast or dinner services, as per its current plans.

Employees were also told that there would be no access to office gyms, no massages, and no access to the sleep pods.

When approached for comment, a Google spokesperson pointed Business Insider to Sundar Pichai's public memo on the company's plans and reiterated that Google's return to the office will be gradual.

The spokesperson also underlined that the company is working in accordance with health guidelines that apply to its various global offices.

Apple recently said it will also be offering optional swab tests in its offices, and that employees will be required to wear masks. And like Googlers, Apple employees also will be required to have temperature checks when they arrive at the office.

In early May, Google CEO Sundar Pichai told employees to expect to work from home for the rest of the year, and while the company is starting to return with just a small number of employees, increasing that percentage will depend on several factors, some of which are outside of Google's control.

Meanwhile, employees working remotely are being given $1,000, or the equivalent in their national currency, to expense home office equipment.

But remote work means missing out on many of the perks that have long attracted talent to Google, and for those who do return to offices in the coming weeks and months, most of those benefits will still be off the table.

SEE ALSO: n a massive executive reshuffle, Google's core business just found its new MVP. But it also comes as search and ads face a building antitrust storm

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IBM will no longer offer general purpose facial recognition or analysis software, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said in a letter to Congress today. The company will also no longer develop or research the technology, IBM tells The Verge. Krishna addressed the letter to Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Reps. Karen Bass (D-CA), Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).

“IBM firmly opposes and will not condone uses of any [facial recognition] technology, including facial recognition technology offered by other vendors, for mass surveillance, racial profiling, violations of basic human rights and freedoms, or any purpose which is not consistent with our values and Principles of Trust and Transparency,” Krishna said in...

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• IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said the tech giant will no longer offer facial recognition software and said there should be a "national dialogue" on the technology's use in law enforcement.
• Krishna announced the change in a letter to members of the US Congress, including Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, in which he also called for policing reforms in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.
• "IBM firmly opposes and will not condone uses of any technology, including facial recognition technology offered by other vendors, for mass surveillance, racial profiling, violations of basic human rights and freedoms," he said in the letter.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories

IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said Monday that the tech giant will stop offering facial recognition software and called for a "national dialogue" on the way the technology is used for law enforcement.

Krishna unveiled the change in a letter to key members of the US Congress in which he also called for major policing reforms in the wake of the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a white policeman.

"IBM no longer offers general purpose IBM facial recognition or analysis software," Krishna said in the letter addressed to congressional leaders, including Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. "IBM firmly opposes and will not condone uses of any technology, including facial recognition technology offered by other vendors, for mass surveillance, racial profiling, violations of basic human rights and freedoms," 

Krishna said it was also time to "begin a national dialogue on whether and how facial recognition technology should be employed by domestic law enforcement agencies."

Krishna's letter underscored the broadening impact of the killing of George Floyd, which has sparked global protests against systemic police abuse in the United States. Floyd, who was African American, died after a white Minneapolis policeman apparently choked him to death by kneeling on his neck while taking him into custody.

Krishna said the tech giant hoped to help the US Congress in the quest for new policies to hold police "more accountable for misconduct."

He cited several proposals that other advocacy organizations have already raised, such as modifying "the qualified immunity doctrine that prevents individuals from seeking damages when police violate their constitutional rights."

Got a tip about IBM or another tech company? Contact this reporter via email at bpimentel@businessinsider.com, message him on Twitter @benpimentel or send him a secure message through Signal at (510) 731-8429. You can also contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop.

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SEE ALSO: Meet 12 power players on new IBM CEO Arvind Krishna's team as he navigates the toughest leadership transition in the tech giant's history

SEE ALSO: Here are 9 companies IBM could buy given that new CEO Arvind Krishna said that it will get back to its 'acquisitive strategy' in a few months, according to experts

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• Experts say the 2003 SARS epidemic played a valuable role in shaping consumer shopping habits and highlighting how valuable online shopping could be, which ultimately helped to propel China's e-commerce market forward. 
• In 2003, e-commerce was still in its infancy in China but in the decade that followed, it grew at a rapid pace, overtaking the US in 2013. 
• In the past few months, parallels have been drawn between the impact that SARS had on China and the impact that coronavirus is having on the US.
• Online sales have surged during the lockdown and experts are now wondering whether this will stick long-term and who's best and worst positioned if it does.  
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

When the 2003 SARS epidemic struck, e-commerce was still in its infancy in China.

Online superpower Alibaba existed only as a business-to-business marketplace for US buyers looking for Chinese suppliers and JD.com, its main competitor, merely consisted of a dozen brick-and-mortar electronics stores in Beijing with no online presence. 

Major cities around China turned into ghost towns as millions of people were trapped at home for days and weeks on end shielding themselves from the virus.

This period is often seen as a turning point for these two companies, and for the e-commerce sector in general in China, as it played a valuable role in shaping consumer shopping habits and in showing JD.com and Alibaba executives just how valuable online shopping could become.

The rapid rise of online shopping wouldn't have been possible if other factors weren't at play, however. Specifically, that SARS coincided with the increased availability and falling cost of broadband connections, which bought the internet into more people's homes after previously being reserved to internet cafes and offices. 

It "came to represent the turning point when the Internet emerged as a truly mass medium in China," Duncan Clark writes in his book, "The House That Jack Ma Built," which tells the story of the rise of Alibaba. 

It "convinced millions of people, afraid to go outside, to try shopping online instead," he said.

Read more: POWER PLAYERS: Meet the 8 PayPal execs shaping the payment giant's future as its stock rockets to record highs and e-commerce surges

JD.com, or as it was formerly known – 360buy, saw sales quickly plummet and was forced to shutter stores when the SARS epidemic hit. When this happened, founder Richard Liu started to ship electronics directly to customers and took the company online in 2004. Liu admitted in a 2012 interview with The Financial Times that he "wouldn't have entered e-commerce hadn't it been for SARS."

"SARS marked a new era," and "set the scene for the take-off of e-commerce," Clark said in an email to Business Insider. 

At that time, Alibaba was spurred on to launch Taobao, a consumer-to-consumer marketplace that is often compared to eBay and that would become paramount to its future success. "Alibaba's business grew 50% that year and was seeing daily revenues skyrocket," Brian Walker, chief strategy officer at digital commerce experience software provider Bloomreach, wrote in an email to Business Insider.

"At the time, the number one e-commerce marketplace in China was eBay, but within two years, Alibaba was #1, and JD.com #2.

"The rest is history," he said.

In the decade that followed, China's e-commerce market grew at a rapid pace, overtaking the US in 2013, to become the world's largest. Today, online retail sales in China make up around $1.5 trillion a year. By comparison, the US sees around $600 billion in online sales.

Over the past few months, experts have drawn parallels between the impact that the SARS epidemic had on China nearly two decades ago and the impact that the coronavirus pandemic is having on the US currently.

Online sales have surged in the US in the past few months as shoppers that are trapped at home, or unwilling to visit stores, shift to shopping online in droves. Experts are speculating as to whether we will begin to see a permanent shift in consumer shopping habits after the country emerges out of lockdown and ultimately whether this will turbocharge the already growing e-commerce market in the US over the next few years. 

'The growth we're seeing is unlike anything we have seen since the early days of the Internet'

Before COVID-19 hit the US, online retail was in growth mode – rising gradually over the past decade to account for 16% of total retail sales in 2019.

But since stay-at-home restrictions have been in place, online sales have surged. According to Adobe's Digital Economy Index, e-commerce sales were up 49% in the US in April versus early March before the lockdown started.

Read more: An eBay exec and former Walmart VP shares his predictions for how the pandemic will forever change e-commerce and retail

E-commerce marketing platform Klaviyo said that it's anticipating the sector to top more than $1.1 trillion this year based on data from Digital Commerce 360, whose pre-pandemic estimate for online sales in the US for the year was $691 billion. That translates as a nearly 60% increase of what was previously expected.

"There's no doubt that COVID-19 is propelling the e-commerce market in the US," Walker told Business Insider. "The growth we're seeing is unlike anything we have seen since the early days of the Internet."

The US online grocery sector has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the coronavirus-driven shift to online commerce. Before the pandemic started, online grocery sales in the US accounted for a small portion of overall sales – around 3% of grocery spend occurred online and around 10% of US consumers were using these services frequently. In a recent deep-dive into the industry, Business Insider Intelligence estimated that by the end of June 2020 as many as 43% of US consumers will have purchased groceries online, up from 24% at the start of the year. 

The spike in online grocery sales has already seen some of the major players in the market – Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, and Target – scramble to meet demand in recent months.

In a recent interview with Credit Suisse, Instacart president Nilam Ganenthiran compared the demand on its app during the month of April as being the equivalent of Black Friday every day. "We are now achieving our biggest days every day," he said, adding that order volumes were at levels that the company had previously forecasted for the next two to four years.

Consumer shopping habits are ingrained in the US 

When SARS hit, China was in a completely different position to that of the US pre-COVID-19. Alibaba's consumer-facing Taobao launched during the SARS outbreak when consumers were trying out online shopping for the very first time.

It "was more of an embryonic, fast-growing consumer economy," Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, told Business Insider. "That meant changes and habits were established very quickly and there were lots of opportunities for companies to exploit."

Meanwhile, the US is considered to be a mature retail market where consumer shopping habits are ingrained and the default retail model is still brick-and-mortar. So while the online market has been growing, there is less room for explosive growth.

Read more: The shift to even more e-commerce spending in the US just accelerated by at least 2 years because of COVID-19, according to a chart from Morgan Stanley

It's also not yet clear whether Americans will keep clicking to buy once lockdown restrictions ease.

"The honest answer is some of it will [stick] and some of it won't," Saunders said. "The idea that e-commerce penetration will remain at the levels seen when almost all non-essential stores were closed is a non-starter. However, there is also no doubt that online penetration will be higher than it was before this crisis hit."

Much of this depends on the user experience and whether online providers can offer a smooth shopping experience to keep these shoppers loyal. This will be especially important for non-traditional e-commerce players, who have the added pressure of adapting their business model and infrastructure to meet this new demand.

While the larger retailers had massive warehousing, shipping, and delivery infrastructure in place before the pandemic. For smaller retailers, shifting to online businesses can be costly.

"If not managed well, this could be the determining factor for the survival of traditional retailers," Chengyi Lin, an affiliate professor of strategy at INSEAD business school, told Business Insider. 

Some retailers are using 'make-shift' methods to meet the demand at the moment, he said: "For example, instead of digital warehouse technologies, store employees pick and pack items by hand, which is both costly and slow. These may continue to widen the gap between pure e-commerce players and traditional retailers."

Companies that enable retailers to sell online are well-positioned

Like Alibaba and JD.com in China, e-commerce giants like Amazon have dominated the US market. But now, smaller retailers are also looking for ways to scalably shift their businesses online. And to compete, retailers need to provide consumers with the same levels of speed and convenience they've grown accustomed to with the likes of Amazon.

"Amazon and Shopify, as well as the merchants selling on those platforms, are clear winners because they've invested in e-commerce infrastructure and the right tools for quite some time already," Ker Zheng, an international marketing and partnership manager at Azoya, which helps international retailers expand into China, told Business Insider.  

E-commerce enabling players, like Shopify, for one, are well-positioned to grow as the tech platforms that power smaller retailers.

Read more: $85 billion e-commerce giant Shopify is trying to make banks irrelevant for small businesses. Its chief product officer lays out why.

Shopify has long been known for powering the online stores for brands like Allbirds, Bombas, and Rebecca Minkoff. It offers plug-and-play platforms to launch e-commerce websites and in-store point-of-sale tech. As of 2019, Shopify supports over one million merchants.

And Shopify has been on a product launching spree. In the last month, it rolled out a new point-of-sale that helps brick-and-mortar retailers adapt to omnichannel sales — meaning a seamless experience between online and in-store shopping. It also launched a consumer-facing brand discovery app called Shop and a business bank account for its merchants.

While Shopify's merchants saw in-store purchases decline by 71% between March 13 and April 24, they were able to make up 94% of those lost in-person sales with online transactions, according to Shopify's first-quarter earnings. Shopify's stock is up 50% at $730 since the beginning of March.

Not-so-glamorous delivery and fulfillment tech are an area to watch

Beyond helping merchants launch online stores, startups that offer back-end retail tech, from warehouse management and order fulfillment to one-click checkouts, are also well-positioned to gain customers. 

"Anyone that can streamline your backend is going to be super well-positioned, and there aren't many of them," Steve Sarracino, founder and partner at Activant Capital, told Business Insider. 

Sarracino's investing focuses on commerce infrastructure, which was a well-established space for incumbents and startups, alike. Activant's portfolio includes companies like one-click checkout startup Bolt and payments-as-a-service fintech Finix. 

Now, Sarracino is expecting investors to start eyeing the space a bit sooner than anticipated. Fast, another one-click checkout startup, raised $20 million in March. And payments players AvidXchange and Stripe both raised capital in April. 

Read more: One-click checkout startup Fast used this pitch deck to nab $20 million from investors like fintech giant Stripe. Here's a look at its vision for taking on Apple Pay.

"I don't think there's going to be any cataclysmic change on the e-commerce tech side. It's just going to really compress what we thought would be a 40-year run," said Sarracino. 

"I was looking at the next 10 years of investing in some of the best assets, and now we only have two or three years before everyone else is going to catch up, if they haven't already, in terms of other investors."

Social media platforms, too, are eyeing online shopping

Social media, too, has become an increasingly important way for retailers to reach consumers. And while advertising and influencer marketing spend has dropped amid the coronavirus pandemic, these platforms still have massive user bases and are looking for ways to monetize beyond advertising. 

In May, Facebook launched Shops, where retailers can set up online stores on the platforms (both on Facebook and Instagram) where users can shop without having to leave the apps. 

While shopping directly on social media hasn't yet caught on in the US, in markets like China, live commerce on social media platforms is surging. Apps like Alibaba's Taobao, China's largest e-commerce platform, and Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok allow brands and influencers to stream video featuring products for sale, from apparel to cosmetics to food. And influencers' effectiveness can easily be measured through user engagement with the videos and real-time purchasing in the apps.

"It allows someone who already has an audience to now monetize that outside of traditional brand sponsorship or ads," Connie Chan, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, told Business Insider.

China's mobile-centric market paved the way for these app-based live streams to catch on. While the US is still a very PC-centric market, social media apps are well-positioned to enter the live commerce space.

And the entertainment factor is key, Chan said. Live commerce is not typically designed for users to search for specific products. Rather, it's more like the experience of window shopping in a mall. 

"Live streaming is a very natural evolution of that because it is doing something that's transactional in nature, but making it very entertaining," Chan said.

While timelines for the adoption of live commerce in the US are unknown, it's clear that it could be a natural next step in the changing ways that consumers shop. 

Read more: 

• Here are 8 companies, from giants like Shopify to seed-stage startups, that are getting a massive boost as shops and restaurants embrace curbside pickup
• Shopify's CEO says his team had to 'delete' all existing plans amid COVID-19 because the future of retail just arrived 10 years early
• Dollar General's strategy was to go where Walmart wasn't, and it's paid off massively during the pandemic

SEE ALSO: $85 billion e-commerce giant Shopify is trying to make banks irrelevant for small businesses. Its chief product officer lays out why.

SEE ALSO: The coronavirus pandemic is pushing more people online and will forever change how Americans shop for groceries, experts say

SEE ALSO: POWER PLAYERS: Meet the 8 PayPal execs shaping the payment giant's future as its stock rockets to record highs and e-commerce surges

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's what it's like to travel during the coronavirus outbreak

For the last few years, broadband customers have complained that Frontier Communications, the nation's third-biggest telco, has been charging its customers a $10 per month rental fee for modems they already purchased and own. Normally, you're supposed to be able to buy your own modem instead of paying your ISP a rental fee upwards of $10 per month. To nab some extra dough from captive customers, Frontier basically decided to charge its customers a rental fee anyway, giving them a polite, though giant, middle finger when they complained.

And because the Trump FCC is a glorified rubber stamp for the industry's biggest players, consumers who complained to the agency received little more than a glassy eyed stare.

Fast forward to last January when the problem was fixed, shockingly enough, by the US Congress. A massive US government spending bill approved by Congress and signed by President Trump (who I'd all but guarantee didn't understand the scope of what he was signing) not only included some updates to the Communications Act cracking down slightly on bullshit cable TV fees, but also included a little noticed provision that formally bans the nonsense Frontier has been engaged in.

Here's the wrinkle. While that law was supposed to take effect this month, a clause included in the measure gave the FCC the right to delay the restriction by six months. So that's precisely what the FCC did. And the FCC justified the move by claiming that the pandemic simply made it too onerous for a big ISP to stop ripping people off:

"As the nation tackles the COVID-19 pandemic, multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) and providers of fixed broadband Internet access service are among the entities that are integral to the Commission's ongoing, nationwide effort to keep Americans informed and connected during this national emergency. So that these service providers may focus their resources on this critical effort, we provide appropriate flexibility for MVPDs and providers of fixed broadband Internet access service to fulfill their obligations under the Television Viewer Protection Act of 2019 (TVPA)... we find that good cause exists for granting a blanket extension of section 642's effective date until December 20, 2020."

Several things here. One, keep in mind this FCC did absolutely nothing for nearly two years as a major telecom monopoly charged users $10 for absolutely nothing. And the very first time they take substantive action on the issue, it involves delaying implementation of a law that actually helps. This is, for those playing along at home, the kind of "hands off approach" to regulation that the FCC loves to (falsely) claim spurs investment and innovation. In reality, finding creative new ways to rip off captive customers is as innovative as US telecom tends to get.

Two, there's really nothing about a pandemic that would make it difficult to stop charging people bullshit fees. Three, the FCC's effort to "keep people connected" during this crisis consists of an entirely voluntary, temporary pledge to not kick users offline during the pandemic. It's a pledge many ISPs are simply ignoring, knowing full well the FCC just gutted much of its authority over telecom as part of the net neutrality repeal.

Keep in mind the only reason anybody is doing anything about this is thanks to a law that required a miracle to pass. More often than not, a campaign cash slathered Congress blocks such legislative fixes unless they're buried in broader legislation (which was the case here). And because the FCC just neutered its authority over telecom at lobbyist behest, there's a universe of issues just like this the FCC can't and won't address. Keep in mind the Trump FCC has even been trying for several years to ban states from protecting consumers' privacy (again at telecom industry behest). And because there's little to no competition in many broadband markets, there's no "market solution" here either. Surely you can see the problem forming here?

As of now, this particular law cracking down on bogus cable fees and bullshit surcharges won't take effect until December. Even then, you'd need this FCC to actually enforce it, and there's been absolutely zero indication so far this agency is capable of standing up to telecom monopolies.

• The best way to clean a USB-C port is with a can of compressed air and a shaved toothpick.
• Blasting it with compressed air will shake loose dirt, which you can then clean out with the toothpick.
• If a USB-C port isn't working, or the cable won't fit anymore, it likely needs to be cleaned.

USB-C ports — especially USB-C ports on smartphones — are constantly at risk of getting filled with dust, dirt, and other debris.

It's not hard to understand why. If you frequently put your phone in your pocket or a bag port-side down, loose debris can be forced into the small opening.

If this is the case for you, you might notice that the USB cable doesn't confidently snap into place anymore, or you might have trouble charging your phone. If so, it's time to clean the USB-C port. 

Here's how to do just that, without damaging your device.

Why is it important to clean a USB-C port?

Ensuring that your USB-C port stays clear of debris is important for ensuring that the port functions properly and that you don't inadvertently damage your device.

USB-C port connections that aren't clean may interfere with charging or device function.

How to properly clean a USB-C port

If you need to clean your USB-C port, do so with care. Never insert metal objects like knife blades or safety pins, as metal can scratch delicate contacts and even short out your device.  

Instead, what you'll need is a can of compressed air and a toothpick or plastic dental floss pick.

1. Start with the can of compressed air. Use the straw-like attachment to blast air into the port in short, controlled bursts; hold the can straight up so you don't blow any of the liquid contained in the can.

2. If the compressed air doesn't expel all the debris, move on to a toothpick. Start by whittling it thinner with a knife (a modeling knife is ideal). A standard toothpick is too thick to fit in the port.

Quick tip: If you prefer, a disposable plastic dental pick also works well. The pick at the end of disposable dental floss is usually much thinner than a toothpick, and is ideal for the job.

3. Carefully insert the thinned toothpick or dental pick in the port and use it to snag and pull out debris on both sides of the central electrical contact in the middle of the port. Work carefully and be sure you don't bend or damage the electrical connection.

4. Finish by blowing compressed air into the port one more time to eject any debris you loosened with the toothpick or dental pick.

How to keep your USB-C port clean in the future

If you have frequent problems with your USB-C port getting dirty, try changing the way you carry or transport your device. The easiest solution is to insert it in your pocket or bag upside down, so the port goes in last and isn't being driven towards dirt and debris.

Some people apply a small length of tape over the port to keep it clean when it isn't in use. Alternatively, here's a more elegant but inexpensive solution: You can buy a plug that you can insert in the USB-C port to keep out debris.

There are a number of options available, such as this 10-pack of USB-C anti-dust plugs from innoGadgets.

To really use your high-speed service, you’re going to have to pay up

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The unemployment rates for tech occupations showed signs of improvement in May, dropping to 3.7% from 4.3% in April, according to CompTIA data. 

• White collar employees around the world suddenly began working remotely en masse as the coronavirus pandemic closed offices.
• While workers are already being asked to return in some states, offices in hotspots are working on potential solutions for offices that make social distancing difficult. 
• Designer Mohamed Radwan's prototype adds hexagonal pods and air purifiers to offices.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Offices are probably going to look very different as workers return after working remotely during the coronavirus. Open floor plans, shared snacks, and even places for napping or hanging out were once markers of trendy places to work, but now safety is a concern as well.

Egyptian architect and designer Mohamed Radwan created a system of office pod for the post-COVID-19 workplace, for a project called "Q.workntine." The design was recognized with an award in the Responsible Design category at the DNA Paris Design Awards. 

Spurred by the coronavirus, advanced in remote working technology might make offices less important, and some experts predict that they might only be used for especially collaborative work. Google and Uber are among tech companies that have already extended work from home through the summer of 2021.

Some companies, of course, may want to preserve a workplace culture. Several Bay Area design firms described their plans to Business Insider, including extra separation between workstations, one-way hallways, and handwashing stations.

Radwan's design uses some similar ideas, creating individual pods for workers.

Here's how it works. 

SEE ALSO: A tiny 3-inch smartphone the size of a credit card runs Android 10, and will only cost $200 — take a look

Radwan says that the pod system can maintain the same number of employees

Each pod is like a cubicle in a pre-COVID-19 office, but sealed off from other employees.

Inside, the workspace looks like any typical cubicle.

Pods each have automatic doors that operate with facial recognition, so there's no need to touch and contaminate them.

Ventilation fans with built-in air purifiers prevent the virus spreading among coworkers.

The door is acrylic, with an airtight seal.

Hexagonal pods are arranged in a hive shape that can accommodate different office layouts.

Compared to a regular office layout, they take up about the same amount of space.

The pods can also be made larger to fit different office needs, like for executives.

The pods will be made of a non-porous material for easy disinfection.

The pods could be a relatively safe solution for workers whose jobs are difficult or impossible to do at home.

• Facebook was embroiled in controversy again this week as employees revolted against its decision not to take action against a post from President Trump about the George Floyd protests.
• Facebook's standpoint is that it should not fact-check or meddle with political speech on its platform to allow for as much free expression as possible.
• But Facebook has come under much scrutiny for such choices, which all tie back to the notion that it blurs the line between being a platform and a publisher.
• Now, Facebook's handling of Trump's activity on the platform are causing internal turmoil as employees are speaking out publicly, have staged a walkout, and resigning publicly in at least one scenario.
• Are you a Facebook insider with insight to share? Contact this reporter via encrypted email (lisaeadicicco@protonmail.com), standard email (leadicicco@businessinsider.com), or Twitter DM (@lisaeadicicco). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a nonwork device to reach out.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Facebook has found itself at the center of yet another controversy this week as employees rallied against the company's policies regarding fact-checking, free speech, and political content.

Some employees staged a virtual walkout on Monday in response to the company's decision not to take action against a post published by President Trump in reference to the George Floyd protests that included the phrase: "when the looting starts, the shooting starts."

At least one Facebook employee has publicly resigned over concerns about the company's values, and a group of former Facebook employees have written an open letter to the company urging it to change its policies.

The backlash is culminating in what's shaping up to be a powder-keg moment for Facebook. But it stems from a long-standing view that Zuckerberg and Facebook have held that it should not be an "arbiter of truth" and should therefore allow as much free expression as possible.

The company does have policies in place for cracking down on misinformation, spam, fake accounts, and violent or abusive content. However, it does not fact-check advertisements from politicians, a decision that has resulted in a deluge of concerns and criticisms from lawmakers. 

"We don't do this to help politicians, but because we think people should be able to see for themselves what politicians are saying," Zuckerberg said during a speech at Georgetown University in October. "And if content is newsworthy, we also won't take it down even if it would otherwise conflict with many of our standards."

Here's a closer look at the backlash that's erupted this week and what's behind it. 

Facebook's identity crisis — the ongoing debate about whether it's a platform or publisher

At the center of Facebook's decisions regarding freedom of expression is its view that that the social network is a platform, not a publisher — a debate that has rattled the company for years.

But the dilemma reached a fever pitch in recent years as incidents like the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the revelation that Russian influence reached 126 million people through Facebook ads during the 2016 campaign have demonstrated how the social network's massive platform can be used in nefarious ways.

Facebook has made many moves to be more transparent and give its users more control over their data as well as the amount of political ads they see. But in terms of handling content, including that found in political ads,  Facebook considers itself a platform for free expression above all else.

The company has repeatedly said that it does not want to and shouldn't be the "arbiter of truth," which is the standpoint that's driven its decision not to interfere with Trump's controversial post.

When it comes to that particular post, Zuckerberg said it decided to take no action because it interpreted the content as a "warning about state action."

"I disagree strongly with how the President spoke about this, but I believe people should be able to see this for themselves, because ultimately accountability for those in positions of power can only happen when their speech is scrutinized out in the open," Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post explaining the company's rationale.

Facebook's position came up yet again in the prior week just before President Trump signed an executive order targeting a federal law that's shielded social media companies for being held liable for posts published on their platforms. 

"I believe strongly that Facebook shouldn't be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online," Zuckerberg said to Fox News' Dana Perino, largely seen as a jab at Twitter's decision to fact-check Trump's tweets about mail-in ballots. "I think in general, private companies shouldn't be, especially these platform companies, shouldn't be in the position of doing that."

Of course, Facebook is a social media website and app, not a news organization. But as the company has grown to become an increasingly important distributor of news and information in recent years, decisions about how it handles content are critical — forcing Facebook to examine these questions more closely than ever.

About two-thirds of Americans get their news from social media, with four in 10 adults in the U.S. turning to Facebook for news, according to data from the Pew Research Center published in 2018. 

Facebook has even expressed conflict about whether it considers itself to be a platform or a publisher. Public remarks from company executives indicate that the company thinks of itself as the former. But in 2018, Facebook lawyers argued in court that the company's decisions about the content and data it chooses to publish should be protected like that of a traditional publisher.

Do you work at Facebook? Contact Business Insider reporter Lisa Eadicicco via encrypted email (lisaeadicicco@protonmail.com), standard email (leadicicco@businessinsider.com), or Twitter DM (@lisaeadicicco). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a nonwork device to reach out

The controversy is rooted in Facebook's decision to not fact-check political ads

Facebook's inaction around President Trump's posts regarding the George Floyd protests is far from being the first time the company has come under scrutiny over its handling of political content. Facebook doesn't fact-check political ads because, it says, the public should freely see what politicians are posting.

That policy came to light in October, drawing widespread criticism from employees and lawmakers alike.

It drew ire from the likes of Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as well as Facebook's own employees. Hundreds of Facebook employees petitioned Zuckerberg in October to change the policy, as The New York Times reported; Ocasio-Cortez and Warren backed the petition. 

Facebook's decisions around political speech are under a microscope now than ever before as the CEOs of both Twitter and Snapchat parent Snap Inc. have taken action against the president's recent posts. Twitter placed a warning label on Trump's post indicating that it violated the platform's rules about glorifying violence, although the tweet still remains accessible. Snap, meanwhile, has decided not to promote President Trump's account in the Discover section of Snapchat to avoid amplifying "voices who incite racial violence and injustice."

The new revolt inside Facebook

Now, Facebook employees are speaking out louder than ever before against the company's policies. Many employees have spoken out on Twitter about their disapproval of the company's decision over the course of the past week. 

"I work at Facebook and I am not proud of how we're showing up," Facebook employee Jason Toff tweeted. "The majority of coworkers I've spoken to feel the same way. We are making our voices heard."

Dozens of Facebook employees staged a virtual walkout on Monday by taking the day off in protest. Those who participated in the walkout also added a message to their emails saying they were out of the office to take part in the demonstration. As many as 400 employees may have participated in the protest, according to The Verge.  Facebook employees also challenged the decision at an internal company meeting on Tuesday, where Zuckerberg stood by the company's decision. 

The Washington Post reported on Friday that employees felt the company was being tested by Trump, and failed. A Facebook software engineer even publicly resigned over the company's response.

"Mark always told us that he would draw the line at speech that calls for violence," Timothy J. Aveni, the engineer who resigned, wrote in a post on Facebook. "He showed us on Friday that this was a lie. Facebook will keep moving the goalposts every time Trump escalates, finding excuse after excuse not to act on increasingly dangerous rhetoric."

It's not just current Facebookers that are taking a stand. Several former employees who worked at the company in its early days also wrote an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg urging the social media giant to change its policies, The New York Times reported. 

Facebook may not want or intend to be the "arbiter of truth." But what this week's events have shown yet again is that while Facebook may not consider itself a publisher, its size, reach, and influence means it certainly has many of the same responsibilities, decisions, and dilemmas as publishers.

Whatever way Facebook sees itself has shown, time and time again, to be different from the way it's seen by everyone else. Zuckerberg may not care about the distinction, but it's clear his employees are starting to.

SEE ALSO: People who left Facebook reveal the reasons they haven't returned even as a pandemic moves most social connection online, from better competitors to distrust of Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Pathologists debunk 13 coronavirus myths

Lenovo has announced a new 11-inch Chromebook 3, which is now available on the company’s website for $229. The device joins a sizable lineup of budget Chrome OS products from Lenovo, including its $279 Chromebook Duet and its $359 Flex 5.

The new model supersedes the existing 14-inch Chromebook 3, which was in turn a refresh of its Chromebook S340. That model sold for $249, but it’s not currently available on Lenovo’s store.

The 11’s screen is smaller, but a few of its specs are actually upgrades from those of the 14. The display is a bit brighter (rated for 250 nits, as opposed to the 14’s 220), and storage has been bumped from 32GB to 64GB. The...

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Slack recently deleted one of the company's own blog posts that explained how a local police department used the chat platform to share intelligence.

The move came after some Black Slack employees flagged the blog post years ago, one employee suggested on Twitter. Slack removed the post in the past few days in the wake of widespread protests about police brutality after a white police officer killed unarmed Black man George Floyd.

"These days, the Hartford Police Department’s intelligence sharing is primarily coordinated over Slack with more than 450 investigators and officers from all over the state," the blog post read, referring to Hartford, Connecticut, according to archived and cached versions viewed by Motherboard.

The post explained how the police department used Slack to post updates in a #department-wide channel, and use other channels such as #narcotics, #crimes, and #BOLO (be on the lookout). Sometimes the officers used Slack to track specific crimes, such as ATM robberies, the post added. The Slack team hosted over 450 members across 75 agencies and states, according to the post.

Do you work at Slack or did you used to? Do you know more about how Slack works with the police? We'd love to hear from you. Using a non-work phone or computer, you can contact Joseph Cox securely on Signal on +44 20 8133 5190, Wickr on josephcox, OTR chat on jfcox@jabber.ccc.de, or email joseph.cox@vice.com.

On Tuesday, Slack tweeted, "We are horrified and sickened not only by George Floyd’s murder and the larger context of police brutality against Black people, but also by the pattern of violent response to largely peaceful protests. We stand in solidarity with our Black employees, customers, and community." The company added that its CEO, Stewart Butterfield, initially distributed a message internally about the issue, before the company published it publicly.

"We commit to following up publicly with the actions we will be taking. And in the meantime, we hope you all stay safe, that the current violence ends quickly, and that this crisis can be the start of structural change, finally, after hundreds of years. #BlackLivesMatter," the company Twitter account added.

In response, Megan Anctil, a former Slack employee, tweeted, "is one of those actions going to include taking down the blog post about working with the police that I and other black employees diplomatically asked to have removed three years ago that’s still up?"

Butterfield responded it was, and said Anna Niess, product design at the company, had also raised it internally that day.

In emails to Motherboard, a Slack spokesperson repeatedly declined to say whether Slack still has a relationship with the Hartford Police Department.

"The Hartford Police still uses Slack. It is an important role in information sharing within our agency, as well as some of our neighboring partners," a Lt. Paul C. Cicero, major crimes division and media relations, told Motherboard in an email.

Slack has contracts with the Executive Office of the President, the State Department, the Department of the Air Force, and other government agencies, according to public procurement records.

Update: This piece has been updated to include comment from the Hartford Police Department.

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Telegram has released a new update adding video editing tools and allowing you to add animated stickers to any photo or video you send on the mobile messaging app.

The new update allows you to edit videos and adjust various elements like brightness and saturation. You can manually tweak the video to your preference, or you can tap your screen twice to have Telegram adjust it automatically.

Though Telegram already introduced stickers, you can now add them to any photo or video. The GIF panel received some new features, including a Trending section that shows the most popular GIFs on the app, in addition to emoji-based sections that provide relevant GIFs for emojis like the heart eyes or thumbs-up.

In April, Telegram reached 400 million...

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During Q1, Slack onboarded an additional 12,000 new paying customers.

• AWS is partnering to use Amazon infrastructure for Slack tools.
• As part of the deal, Slack is increasing its commitment to AWS to $425 million from $250 million.
• Amazon will also start rolling out Slack to its employees, and Slack for the first time publicly proclaimed AWS as its "preferred cloud provider."
• Do you work at Microsoft? Contact this reporter via encrypted messaging app Signal (+1-425-344-8242) or email (astewart@businessinsider.com).

• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Amazon Web Services and Slack announced on Thursday a partnership to use Amazon infrastructure for Slack tools including audio, video, and screensharing. As part of the deal, Amazon will start rolling out Slack to its employees, and Slack for the first time publicly proclaimed AWS as its "preferred cloud provider."

Securities filings reveal Slack upped its commitment to AWS to $425 million from $250 million. The company's annual committment to AWS increased to $75 million from $50 million and will increase by $5 million every year until 2025.

"We're both the innovators and leaders of our respective areas coming together," Slack's business development chief Brad Armstrong told Business Insider, adding that the partnership "illustrates the fallacy of the argument that only an integrated solution can come from a monolithic vendor that's providing all things. We are the best at what we do."

AWS and Slack said the partnership is not targeted at competing with any company in particular, but Armstrong's comments appear to refer to what's often said to be an advantage of Microsoft's chat and collaboration app Teams — which integrates tightly with Office 365, Microsoft's suite of ubiquitous business apps.

Microsoft recently said Teams has reached 75 million daily active users, up from 44 million in mid-March.

The partnership also comes after Zoom teamed up with Oracle to support a surge in users during the pandemic, although AWS CEO Andy Jassy during a recent virtual speech made sure to clarify "the vast majority of Zoom's cloud infrastructure runs on AWS and it will for foreseeable future."

Slack and AWS have worked together for years, but Armstrong said this is the first time Slack has made a public statement to "reveal we are designating AWS as our cloud provider."

Slack has relied on its own technology to power voice and video calls from within its app, but by its own admission falls short of the standards in teleconferencing set by apps like Microsoft Teams or Zoom.

Amazon has its own, lesser-known online meeting, videoconferencing, and chat app called Chime. As part of the deal, Slack will use the software development kit from Chime to power its audio, video, and screensharing capabilities in Slack calls. 

Analysts have also suggested that Amazon could turn to acquisitions to bolster its efforts in the collaboration space — and have named Slack as one of its most likely targets, should it go that route.

While Chime doesn't appear to be as widely used as Slack or Teams, the partnership shows interest in Chime as a developer service. Market share information isn't available for Chime, but as one analyst recently told Business Insider: "I cannot recall attending a Chime meeting that wasn't related to or hosted by Amazon."

Eron Kelly, general manager of AWS compute infrastructure and applications, told Business Insider that Chime will still be available to end users, but that Amazon has in the past six months seen a lot of interest in Chime's software development kit.

"Customers are really interested in taking advantage of the scale, reach, reliability that the AWS platform can provide, not only for compute, storage, and database services, but also for video and voice services," Kelly said. "We are seeing people want to have collaborative experiences like voice and video in the context of the work they are doing."

Amazon will start rolling out Slack to its employees. Kelly said, "We are now making it available as part of this partnership and we will be able to roll it out across the company but it's early stages."

Are you a Microsoft employee? Contact this reporter via email at astewart@businessinsider.com, message her on Twitter @ashannstew, or send her a secure message through Signal at 425-344-8242.

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