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Social media companies like Facebook scrambled to take down New Zealand mosque shooter videos, but they couldn’t stop them from being posted in the first place. That’s because, as Peter Kafka writes, Facebook — and most other major social media platforms — are designed to “allow humans to share whatever they want, whenever they want, to as many people as they want.” As Mark Zuckerberg explained in an interview in 2017 describing how the company handled the spread of Russian propaganda on its platform, “We don’t check what people say before they say it, and frankly, I don’t think society should want us to.” The company does take objectionable content down after it is uploaded — it says it removed 1.5 million videos of the New Zealand shooting in the first 24 hours after the attack. [Peter Kafka / Recode]
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The departure of two top Facebook execs is a sign that Mark Zuckerberg is reasserting his authority. Former chief product officer Chris Cox and WhatsApp head Chris Daniels left Facebook last week after reported disagreements with Zuckerberg about his new vision for the company — specifically around the focus on private, encrypted messaging. Cox, an early employee, was a respected and well-liked leader at the company, and a close personal friend of Zuckerberg’s. His departure amid reports of tension over the new direction of the company signals that despite any disagreements within Facebook’s top ranks, it’s Zuckerberg who has final say over the future of Facebook. [Kurt Wagner / Recode]
Lyft is seeking a valuation of up to $23 billion in its IPO expected Monday, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Last year, the ride-hailing app company was valued at $15.1 billion. Tech companies like Lyft and its main competitor Uber are increasingly going public without being profitable. A valuation at $23 billion would make Lyft “one of the largest US listed new technology offerings,” according to the Wall Street Journal. And thanks to a dual-class stock structure, its founders maintain a near-majority control of the company. [Maureen Farrell / The Wall Street Journal]
Apple and Stanford released a study showing how Apple Watches can diagnose irregular heartbeats. The study, released Saturday morning, found that the Apple Watch accurately detected atrial fibrillation, a heart irregularity that often goes unnoticed. The study shows that Apple’s technology could have promising potential for commercial use in helping diagnose atrial fibrillation; however, some medical experts have raised concerns about people having too much data about their health. [Chris Welch / The Verge]
Top stories from Recode
Sen. Amy Klobuchar says she doesn’t trust Big Tech. Hear more about the 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful’s stance on big tech in her SXSW Recode Decode interview with Kara Swisher. [Kara Swisher]
European commissioner for competition Margrethe Vestager reflected on how her team of regulators have worked toward more accountability from big tech companies. Vestager spoke with Kara Swisher for a Recode Decode taping in front of a live audience at South By Southwest. [Kara Swisher]
This is cool
Is this Flintstone-themed house a public nuisance or a Californian treasure?
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
