Technologist

Online "battle royale" survival video game, Fornite, has captured global attention since its release in 2017 by software developer Epic Games, Inc. Boasting over 350 million registered accounts, Fortnite has a dedicated base of players across multiple gaming platforms.

Over the weekend, Zoom Video Communications agreed to pay $85 million and increase its security measures to settle a proposed class-action lawsuit—although Zoom still denies any wrongdoing. It's no surprise that Zoom saw a huge increase in business during the pandemic—more than four times as much—but that spike didn't come without some growing pains.

According to Comcast's recently released 2020 network data, streaming video remains – by far – the largest use of the internet in the home. This is true despite more people than ever using video conferencing technology while working from home. On the other hand, there's not that much to do anymore after work but see what's on Netflix, right? Netflix, unsurprisingly, is aware of how much people rely on video streaming services.

There are several reasons to expect a bigger worker push to unionize in 2021, particularly in the tech industry. For one, the new Biden administration is expected to promote more labor-friendly policies, including a shift in the National Labor Relations Board. Secondly, the forced work-from-home policies that continue to dominate the workplace have made it easier for unions to communicate with workers.

Attorneys general from ten states, led by Texas, filed suit against Google this week over its digital advertising tactics. It's the second major lawsuit filed against Google in recent months challenging the tech giant's alleged monopoly power. The first, filed by the Justice Department, alleges that Google maintains its role as the dominant search engine by forcing other companies into exclusivity arrangements.

President Trump has won a small court victory in his ongoing attempt at Section 230 reform. Section 230 protects social media companies from liability when they remove offensive content. Despite the win, however, it appears that President Trump will not have been able to make significant changes to Section 230 during his term.