The Download: restoring Iran’s internet, and justice for a Chinese-American scientist

The must-reads

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

1 Crypto exchange FTX used customers’ money to fund its risky bets 
 Things are going from bad to worse for the exchange’s customers. (WSJ $)
+ The company is now essentially worthless. (The Guardian)
+ Its legal boss told employees he’s trying to preserve it. (Bloomberg $)
+ Some of FTX’s assets have been frozen by a securities regulator. (FT $)
+ Here’s where it all started going wrong for FTX. (Protocol)

2 Mass surveillance isn’t making us feel safer
It isn’t necessarily reducing crime, either. (Coda Story)
+ Marseille’s battle against the surveillance state. (MIT Technology Review)

3 Scientists edited cancer patients’ immune systems to attack tumors
The encouraging CRISPR trial’s results could pave the way to more personalized treatment. (BBC)
+ Edits to a cholesterol gene could stop the biggest killer on earth. (MIT Technology Review)

4 Big Tech’s layoffs are a cruel reminder that you are more than your job
These companies demand loyalty, but rarely return the favor. (Recode)
+ Social media is facing a reckoning right now. (The Atlantic $)
+ It’s too late for tech’s biggest bosses to apologize. (WSJ $)

5 Amazon is one step closer to automating its warehouses
Its new robotic arm can identify and sort items without humans. (Insider $)
+ It’s also created a delivery drone that can fly in the rain. (Bloomberg $)
+ iRobot, which was recently acquired by Amazon, has laid off 100 workers. (Boston Globe $)

6 How Cambodia became the world’s scam capital
Illegal gambling and online fraud companies traffic workers into the vast crime networks. (Rest of World)

7 Science is changing how we define parenthood
Combining the genomes of same-sex couples to create babies is on the horizon. (Neo.Life)
+ A contraceptive gel for men is seeking FDA approval. (Fast Company $)
+ A three-parent technique could help trans men have babies. (MIT Technology Review)

8 Uyghur-language apps are riddled with spyware
Security researchers suspect they’re being used to relay information to China. (Bloomberg $)

9 Who are anti-bullying apps really helping?
Most of the time, it’s another burden for the victim to bear. (Wired $)

10 AIs prefer talking to one another over humans
Try not to be offended. (New Scientist $)

Quote of the day