July 2023

Mark Zuckerberg’s Threads Poses a Conundrum for Regulators

In an era of tighter antitrust scrutiny of Big Tech in the United States, in Europe and elsewhere, what questions does Meta’s effort to extend its social media reach raise about the industry’s ability to expand into new areas — even when players build new services themselves, rather than buy a smaller foe? Size matters, but it’s just one factor. Regulators will want to know how Meta is gaining market share. Data concerns loom large.  Being big doesn’t run afoul of antitrust law. “The key is network effects.”  “There’s a narrative out there that anything a tech company does is bad.”

America is Wrapped in Miles of Toxic Lead Cables

AT&T, Verizon and other telecommunications companies have left behind a sprawling network of cables covered in toxic lead that stretches across the US, under the water, in the soil, and on poles overhead. As the lead degrades, it is ending up in places where Americans live, work and play. The lead can be found on the banks of the Mississippi River in Louisiana, the Detroit River in Michigan, the Willamette River in Oregon, and the Passaic River in New Jersey, according to tests of samples from nearly 130 underwater-cable sites, conducted by several independent laboratories.