YouTube’s Privacy Problem

We all know that tech companies track people’s online behavior to sell ads and make money. But here’s a twist: It’s illegal to collect the personal data of children under 13 without a parent’s consent, and the internet hasn’t exactly been checking IDs. Now Google must pay a record $170 million fine to settle charges that it knowingly harvested personal information from children watching videos on YouTube and then used it to target them with ads that were a little too age appropriate. The company promised to do better, but stopped short of admitting any wrongdoing. Critics are skeptical that the settlement will change much, especially since the fine is peanuts considering Google’s billions in ad revenue.

Dorian’s Aftermath

After devastating the Bahamas, Hurricane Dorian pummeled the Carolinas, where it caused power failures , business closings, tornadoes and general mayhem. The cost of the damage remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: Residents shouldn’t count on much help from the government or insurance companies. The Trump administration is sitting atop tens of billions of dollars in unspent recovery money allocated to help Americans rebuild after major disasters like this one, which may explain why many Carolinians are still digging out from last year’s Hurricane Florence. And the number of Americans with flood insurance is on the decline (fewer than 15 percent of homes in floodplains have it), even as major storms become more frequent.

Image Credit... Giacomo Bagnara

What’s Next? (Sept. 8-14)

Back to the Table

Markets around the world rejoiced at the news that trade talks between China and the United States would resume (again) in early October. But there’s little reason to believe that this round of negotiations will go better than before — which is to say, anywhere at all. Both countries imposed yet more tariffs on imports from each other last Sunday, and plan to raise them again in December if no deal comes about. (Picture a global game of chicken, with a lot of collateral damage.) Adding to China’s headaches: Pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong have been gumming up the city’s international airport, a major hub for Asian business travelers.