The Download: crypto in the Congo, and a chip design milestone

The must-reads

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 China is strengthening its control over online content
By taking “golden shares” in major tech companies Alibaba and Tencent. (FT $)
+ Didi ride-hailing apps are being reinstated. (Reuters)
+ China wants to censor online comments. (MIT Technology Review)

2 The US is suing two crypto exchanges 
Genesis and Gemini are accused of selling unregistered securities. (The Block)
+ Another exchange, Crypto.com, is slashing its workforce. (TechCrunch)

3 An AI chatbot has learnt to sexually harass people
Its unsolicited, aggressive advances have appalled users. (Motherboard)
+ The viral AI avatar app Lensa undressed me—without my consent. (MIT Technology Review)

4 Why other viruses may have been suppressed during the pandemic
Partly because they can take turns to dominate a host. (Knowable Magazine)
+ People in China are traveling to Hong Kong for private covid boosters. (The Guardian)

5 Google says changed to Section 230 could “upend the internet”
The tweaks will spell an end to moderation as we know it, it claims. (WSJ $)

6 Deaths from cancer in the US have fallen significantly
Better treatment and lower smoking rates could be among the contributory factors. (CNN)

7 The gas stove debate is snowballing out of control
We know they’re bad for our health and the climate. But ban proposals sparked a major backlash that refuses to die. (Slate $)
+ Here’s everything you need to know about the ongoing debate. (Vox)
+ Welcome to the new culture wars. (Motherboard)

8 Mexico’s subway drivers have to communicate over WhatsApp 
They’re forbidden from using cellphones, but conductors say they have no choice. (Rest of World)

9 The Indonesian village that’s birthing YouTube sensations
Tapen is at the heart of the country’s burgeoning YouTube scene. (Wired $)

10 Why traveling to space is so bad for us
It’s a major health hazard. (WP $)

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