Taylor Hatmaker
TechCrunch
Portland, OR, United States
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Recent articles by Taylor:
Anduril raises $450M as the defense tech company’s valuation soars to $4.6B –
The AI-powered defense company founded by tech iconoclast Palmer Luckey has landed a $450 million round of investment that values the startup at $4.6 billion just four years in. In April, reports suggested that the company was on the hunt for fresh investment and headed for a valuation between four and five billion, up from […] → Read More
A Senate proposal for a new US agency to protect Americans’ data is back –
Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has revived a bill that would establish a new U.S. federal agency to shield Americans from the invasive practices of tech companies operating in their own backyard. Last year, Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced the Data Protection Act, a legislative proposal that would create an independent agency designed to address modern concerns around […] → Read More
Biden admin will share more info with online platforms on ‘front lines’ of domestic terror fight –
The Biden administration is outlining new plans to combat domestic terrorism in light of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and social media companies have their own part to play. The White House released a new national strategy on countering domestic terrorism Tuesday. The plan acknowledges the key role that online platforms play […] → Read More
Tech antitrust crusader Lina Khan is confirmed as FTC commissioner –
The Senate confirmed big tech critic and prominent antitrust scholar Lina Khan as FTC Commissioner Tuesday, signaling a new era of scrutiny for the tech industry. Khan was confirmed in a 69-28 vote, with Republicans joining Democrats in a rare show of bipartisan support for Khan’s ideas on reining in tech’s most powerful companies. An […] → Read More
Indivisible is training an army of volunteers to neutralize political misinformation –
The grassroots Democratic organization Indivisible is launching its own team of stealth fact-checkers to push back against misinformation — an experiment in what it might look like to train up a political messaging infantry and send them out into the information trenches. Called the “Truth Brigade,” the corps of volunteers will learn best practices for […] → Read More
Facebook changes misinfo rules to allow posts claiming COVID-19 is man-made –
Facebook made a few noteworthy changes to its misinformation policies this week, including the news that the company will now allow claims that COVID was created by humans — a theory that contradicts the previously prevailing assumption that humans picked up the virus naturally from animals. “In light of ongoing investigations into the origin of […] → Read More
Getty Images leads $16M investment in social video template tool Promo.com –
The social video tool Promo.com just raised $16 million in a Series B round led by Getty Images, the company synonymous with stock imagery. Brands, creators or whoever else might need some quick and dirty video content can search Promo.com for what they need, just like they would use a stock photography service. Getty offers […] → Read More
DC Attorney General files antitrust suit against Amazon over third-party seller agreements –
Washington DC Attorney General Karl Racine announced a new antitrust suit against Amazon Tuesday, accusing the company of stifling competition by exerting control over third-party sellers. The lawsuit, filed in DC Superior Court, alleges that Amazon fixed prices on its massive online retail platform by blocking third-party sellers from selling their products for less elsewhere. […] → Read More
Beacons raises $6 million for its link-in-bio homepage builder that lets creators monetize –
Mobile landing page builder Beacons has raised $6 million seed round to expand its vision for empowering creators to make money beyond the cramped confines of their social media profiles. The company, co-founded by Neal Jean, Jesse Zhang, Greg Luppescu and David Zeng, provides anyone who uses social media a single, mobile-optimized link hub to […] → Read More
White House teams up with dating apps to give vaccinated users free perks –
With vaccination rates slowing in the U.S., the White House is getting creative about getting shots in arms. Beyond protecting yourself and others from from a deadly disease, the latest incentive to get vaccinated could help you find love (or get laid). The White House COVID-19 response team announced Friday that a number of popular […] → Read More
US Treasury calls for stricter cryptocurrency rules, IRS reporting for transfers over $10K –
President Biden’s vision for an empowered, expanded IRS is poised to have a big impact on cryptocurrency trading. According to a new report from the U.S. Treasury Department, the administration wants to put new requirements in place that would make it easier for the government to see how money is moving around, including digital currencies. […] → Read More
A new tip line invites anyone to name and shame companies for dark pattern designs –
You may not be familiar with the term “dark patterns” but the manipulative design phenomenon is ubiquitous in the apps and services we use every day. Dark patterns nudge consumers to make choices that enrich companies, usually at their own expense. That can look like misleading wording that leads someone to sign their personal data […] → Read More
Skittish is what you’d get if you crossed Animal Crossing with Clubhouse –
If the Instagram ads feel like they’re closing in and you can’t bring yourself to toggle your Zoom camera on these days, you’re far from alone. Well into 2021, many of the social apps and virtual chat tools that kept the world connected during the pandemic feel more exhausting than the real-life interactions they’re meant […] → Read More
Discord announces Stage Discovery, a portal that connects events with communities –
If you’re new to Discord, you might be thrown off by the lack of an endless feed peppered with ads. On Discord, all of the action happens in interest-specific servers, and the company wants to make it easier for anyone to stumble across and plunge into those communities. The company launched Stage Channels, its own […] → Read More
Subaru’s first electric vehicle is called the Solterra and it’s due out in 2022 –
For Subaru diehards holding out for an electric vehicle, the wait is almost over. The Japanese automaker just announced new details about its first-ever EV, which is set to hit the streets in 2022. Subaru will call its first EV the Solterra, a fitting name for a brand synonymous with outdoor adventures and you know, […] → Read More
Facebook is testing pop-up messages telling people to read a link before they share it –
Years after popping open a pandora’s box of bad behavior, social media companies are trying to figure out subtle ways to reshape how people use their platforms. Following Twitter’s lead, Facebook is trying out a new feature designed to encourage users to read a link before sharing it. The test will reach 6 percent of […] → Read More
State AGs tell Facebook to scrap Instagram for kids plans –
In a new letter, attorneys general representing 44 U.S. states and territories are pressuring Facebook to walk away from new plans to open Instagram to children. The company is working on an age-gated version of Instagram for kids under the age of 13 that would lure in young users who are currently not permitted to […] → Read More
Twitter rolls out bigger images and cropping control on iOS and Android –
Twitter just made a change to the way it displays images that has visual artists on the social network celebrating. In March, Twitter rolled out a limited test of uncropped, larger images in users’ feeds. Now, it’s declared those tests a success and improved the image sharing experience for everybody. no bird too tall, no […] → Read More
Facebook’s Oversight Board threw the company a Trump-shaped curveball –
Facebook’s controversial policy-setting supergroup issued its verdict on Trump’s fate Wednesday, and it wasn’t quite what most of us were expecting. We’ll dig into the decision to tease out what it really means, not just for Trump, but also for Facebook’s broader experiment in outsourcing difficult content moderation decisions and for just how independent the […] → Read More
Facebook launches Neighborhoods, a Nextdoor clone –
Facebook is launching a new section of its app designed to connect neighbors and curate neighborhood-level news. The new feature, predictably called Neighborhoods, is available now in Canada and will be rolling out soon for U.S. users to test. Neighborhoods has technically been around since at least October of last year, but that limited test […] → Read More