Earlier this week, Facebook followed through on its threats to cut a group of New York University researchers off from its platform. The researchers were part of a project called the Ad Observatory, which recruited volunteers to study how Facebook targets political ads on its platform.

In it decision to ban the researchers, Facebook repeatedly referred to its obligations to the FTC saying it was acting against the researchers “in line with our privacy program under the FTC Order” — a reference to the company’s 2019 settlement with the agency over lax privacy practices. But the social network’s actions were roundly criticized by the research community and free speech advocates, who said the company was preventing legitimate research under the guise of “scraping.” As Wired pointed out, the company’s agreement with the FTC doesn’t even prohibit what the researchers were actually doing.

Now, the FTC has weighed in, calling the company’s explanation of its actions was “misleading” and “inaccurate.” In a sharply worded letter addressed to Mark Zuckerberg, Acting Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection Samuel Levine, said that he was “disappointed by how your company has conducted itself in this matter.”

“The FTC is committed to protecting the privacy of people, and efforts to shield targeted advertising practices from scrutiny run counter to that mission,” Levine wrote. “Had you honored your commitment to contact us in advance, we would have pointed out that the consent decree does not bar Facebook from creating exceptions for good-faith research in the public interest. Indeed, the FTC supports efforts to shed light on opaque business practices, especially around surveillance-based advertising. While it is not our role to resolve individual disputes between Facebook and third parties, we hope that the company is not invoking privacy – much less the FTC consent order – as a pretext to advance other aims.”

Facebook didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Apple is facing questions about its handling of sexism in the workplace after it placed a female employee on leave following tweets about her experiences at the company. Ashley Gjøvik, a senior engineering program manager with Apple, says she has spent months speaking with Apple about unsafe working conditions, sexism and a hostile work environment.

Her comments were first reported by The Verge, which notes the company closed a previous investigation into Gjøvik's claims — apparently without taking any action. Gjøvik said Apple initially responded to her complaints of sexism by suggesting she request “disability accommodations.”

On Wednesday, she was placed on “indefinite paid administrative leave” while Apple conducts a new investigation. In a statement to The Verge, she said the company “implied they did not want me on Slack where I had been vocal about my concerns with certain policies at the company.”

In a series of tweets, Gjøvik provided several examples of interactions she brought to the attention of Apple’s employee relations, who allegedly told her the behavior was “ok.” In one exchange, a manager referred to her “tone” in presentations, and said “I didn’t hear you going up an octave at the end of your statements.” She added that comments about her tone were also included in a mid-year review at one point.

She also said that Apple employee relations told her it was “okay” after she received complaints that a diversity training she led was “too hard on the white man.” In another exchange, she said a “heartfelt email” asking leadership to show “support of women and condemn sexism and sexual assault” in 2018 was brushed off — an interaction the company’s employee relations also allegedly said was okay. 

"We are and have always been deeply committed to creating and maintaining a positive and inclusive workplace,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. “We take all concerns seriously and we thoroughly investigate whenever a concern is raised and, out of respect for the privacy of any individuals involved, we do not discuss specific employee matters.”

Twitter’s experiment with ephemeral content may have ended earlier in the week, but its take on Clubhouse is going stronger than ever. Starting this week, Spaces hosts can invite other individuals to help them with moderation duties.

With today’s announcement, a single Space can include one host, two co-hosts and up to 10 speakers. As a co-host, you can invite additional people to talk, mute and remove rowdy participants and pin tweets. However, you won’t be able to remove the original host or your counterpart, nor can you end a broadcast. Adding a co-host is done through an invite system that allows you to search for specific users.

Of course, Twitter isn’t the only company making audio broadcasts an integral part of what it offers users. Facebook and Discord quickly added Clubhouse-like features to their platforms following the app’s early post-release success. And if you believe Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, most online services are likely to add live audio as a way for their users to communicate, much like they did when it came to video and Stories.

Following a report on work the company was doing to create a tool that scans iPhones for child abuse images, Apple has published a post that provides more details on its efforts related to child safety. With the release of iOS 15, watchOS 8 and macOS Monterey later this year, the company says it will introduce a variety of child safety features across Messages, Photos and Siri. 

To start, the Messages app will include new notifications that will warn children, as well as their parents, when they either send or receive sexually explicit photos. When someone sends a child an inappropriate image, the app will blur it and display several warnings. "It's not your fault, but sensitive photos and videos can be used to hurt you," says one of the notifications, per a screenshot Apple shared. 

As an additional precaution, the company says Messages can also notify parents if their child decides to go ahead and view a sensitive photo. "Similar protections are available if a child attempts to send sexually explicit photos," according to Apple. The company notes the feature uses on-device machine learning to determine whether a photo is explicit. Moreover, Apple does not have access to the messages themselves. This feature will be available to family iCloud accounts. 

Apple will also introduce new software tools in iOS and iPadOS that will allow the company to detect when someone uploads content to iCloud that shows children involved in sexually explicit acts.  

Developing...

Microsoft will host its second ID@Xbox indie game showcase of the year on Twitch next week. The stream starts at 12pm ET on August 10th. You'll be able to watch it on the Twitch Gaming and Xbox channels.

Xbox will show off "tons" of games during the showcase, which will involve developers and publishers including Rebellion and Chump Squad. Along with updates on games such as OlliOlli World and The Artful Escape, new titles will be announced.

There will be some Xbox Game Pass news as well. During the first ID@Xbox and Twitch showcase in March, Microsoft revealed another 22 indie games that were bound for Game Pass on their release day, including S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, Boyfriend Dungeon and The Ascent, which has blown up since it arrived last week. On Tuesday, you can expect to learn about a bunch more games that have set a course for Game Pass.

The showcase isn't the only notable gaming event taking place this month. Gamescom's Opening Night Live is set for August 25th. The two-hour shindig will show off some of this holiday season's biggest titles and offer a look at "what lies beyond," according to host and producer Geoff Keighley.

After playing a few hours of Back 4 Blood, the new co-op survival shooter from Left 4 Dead studio Turtle Rock, I was left with two questions: How is this legal? And, when can I play again? Turns out, right now.

The Back 4 Blood open beta runs from August 5th to 9th, and again from August 12th to 16th, on PC, Xbox and PlayStation consoles. I got a sneak peek at what the beta has to offer on PC, with an emphasis on PvE content, since there were some technical issues with PvP modes during my playtime. Those have been resolved and I’m told PvP is ready to rock for the open beta.

Not that you should expect it to be perfect. Turtle Rock Studios is using the open beta to fine-tune Back 4 Blood ahead of its release on October 12th, and developers are serious about gathering as much feedback as possible. There’s plenty to track: The game uses a Left 4 Dead-style AI director that adjusts the difficulty level in real-time as you plow through hordes of Ridden in your own special way. There’s also a card system that allows players to build decks of class-specific perks, plus corruption cards that apply randomized effects to every level, changing up the gameplay each time. And it’s a true cross-platform game, running across console generations and PC. All of this is on top of a new PvP mode and the core PvE gameplay, which has to feel like butter if it’s going to satisfy Turtle Rock’s Left 4 Dead fans.

I’m one of those fans, and I have to say, I’m enjoying the hell out of Back 4 Blood. Left 4 Dead is a pivotal game of my past, and Back 4 Blood taps into those good feelings in a delicious way.

Turtle Rock Studios

I’m most interested in PvE, since that’s the core of my nostalgia in this case, and I ended up playing about two hours of the main co-op mode with some new friends. The open beta features two PvE maps for co-op runs and two maps for the Swarm PvP mode, where teams of four take turns fighting each other as the Cleaners (the main characters) and the Ridden (the infected former humans). A new character, Mom, joins the roster of playable Cleaners for the first time, too.

One thing that stands out in Back 4 Blood is its sense of replayability. While the levels feel familiar, they’re filled with secrets and they naturally encourage dynamic play, offering various ways to approach any single encounter. The card system adds a lovely layer of customization to the game, while the corruption cards make each new round just a little different, just a little more exciting. There’s a variety of weapons and items to gather as well, and a healthy allotment of ammo drops throughout the maps, especially if you go exploring. 

Shooting the Ridden is immensely satisfying with any gun, while getting snatched up or knocked down by a Special Ridden is shocking basically every time. Meanwhile, the dialogue among the Cleaners is cute, with references to “the new normal,” lizard people in the government and the lamestream media, to name a few joke opportunities. The protagonists of Back 4 Blood aren’t shocked and running for their lives; they’re on a mission to eradicate the Ridden and create safe zones for human life to resume. It’s a refreshing perspective twist.

I ran into a few issues during my time with Back 4 Blood’s open beta content, but nothing that felt insurmountable at this stage of development. Essentially, I trust Turtle Rock to take the feedback from the open beta and apply it to the game in the smartest, most gory way possible for its launch in October.

I actually chatted with Turtle Rock executive producer Matt O’Driscoll about the beta and what developers hope to get out of it.

"These next two weeks are so vital to us," he said. "We're gonna get so much data for how people play this. Is easy too easy? Is it too hard? Is nightmare mode impossible? Like, all these kind of little things. Or, how do people build decks? Someone's gonna build a deck that I'm sure is gonna kind of break something in the game."

You heard him, Cleaners — get to breaking.

Back 4 Blood is definitely a lot like Left 4 Dead, but updated for modern systems and sensibilities. The question for most players in the open beta will be whether it’s too much like Left 4 Dead — but personally, I say bring it on, Turtle Rock. After all, it’s not like Valve is gonna give us Left 4 Dead 3. Or any 3, for that matter.

Apple is reportedly planning an update that would allow it to scan iPhones for images of child sexual abuse. According to the Financial Times, the company has been briefing security researchers on the “neuralMatch” system, which would “continuously scan photos that are stored on a US user’s iPhone and have also been uploaded to its iCloud back-up system.”

The system would “proactively alert a team of human reviewers if it believes illegal imagery is detected” and human reviewers would alert law enforcement if the images were verified. The neuralMatch system, which was trained using a database from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, will be limited to iPhones in the United States to start, the report says.

The move would be somewhat of an about face for Apple, which has previously stood up to law enforcement to defend users’ privacy. The company famously clashed with the FBI in 2016 after it refused to unlock an iPhone belonging to the man behind the San Bernardino terror attack. CEO Tim Cook said at the time that the government’s request was “chilling” and would have far-reaching consequences that could effectively create a backdoor for more government surveillance. (The FBI ultimately turned to an outside security firm to unlock the phone.)

Now, security researchers are raising similar concerns. Though there’s broad support for increasing efforts to fight child abuse, researchers who spoke to the FT said that it could open the door for authoritarian regimes to spy on their citizens, since a system designed to detect one type of imagery could be expanded to other types of content, like terrorism or other content perceived as “anti-government.”

At the same time, Apple and other companies have faced mounting pressure to find ways to cooperate with law enforcement. As the report points out, social media platforms and cloud storage providers like iCloud already have systems to detect child sexual abuse imagery, but extending such efforts to images on a device would be a significant shift for the company.

Apple declined to comment to FT, but the company could release more details about its plans “as soon as this week.”

As a wearable device, Amazon's Halo wristband is about as no-frills of a fitness tracker you can buy. It doesn't include a display, and outside of the two microphones that enable its controversial tone detection feature, it forgoes many of the more advanced sensors we've seen make their way into devices like the Apple Watch. But starting today, you can use the Halo band to see an overlay of your heart rate across various third-party apps and fitness equipment.

At launch, the integration works with machines from brands like NordicTrack and CLBMR, in addition to software like iFit and Openfit. To enable the feature, open the settings menu in the Amazon Halo app and find the "Heart Rate Sharing" option.

While not an exact match for the Apple Watch's GymKit functionality, the inclusion of heart rate sharing should make the Halo band more versatile, and that's something the wearable desperately needs. Once you get past its more controversial features, the problem with Halo is it doesn't stand out. In fact, most of the platform's best features are found inside the accompanying Halo app.

While we await the inevitable delay of yet another big-budget game that was on the docket for this year, Sony revealed that several notable indies are coming to PlayStation consoles in the coming months. Among them is Oxenfree II: Lost Signals, which was announced for Nintendo Switch and PC in April. It's bound for PS4 and PS5. You'll once again have a radio that can pick up supernatural signals in the sequel to mystery adventure Oxenfree, which will arrive later this year.

In Carrion, you play as an amorphous monster who tries to escape from a research facility and devours anyone unfortunate to get in its way. The horror game picked up solid reviews when it was released on Switch, PC and Xbox One in 2020, and it was nominated at The Game Awards. Devolver will bring Carrion to PS4 later this year.

The ultra-charming exploration game A Short Hike will also hit PS4 by the end of the year. The pixelated adventure, which is currently available on PC and Switch, is a real gem and it's well worth checking out.

Elsewhere during its indie showcase, Sony revealed more gameplay details for the long-awaited Axiom Verge 2 (arriving later this year) and showed off crafting adventure Wytchwood (coming to PS4 and PS5 this fall). The spotlight also landed on vertical-scrolling shoot-'em-up Sol Cresta, the latest entry in the classic Cresta shoot 'em up series, which first came to light as an April Fools' joke last year. It should hit PS4, Switch and PC this year.

And then there's the small matter of Hades, which is widely considered one of the very best games of 2020. As part of the showcase, Supergiant explained the origins of its hit dungeon crawler, which lands on PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on August 13th.

Two decades after the release of Bigger, Longer and Uncut, the first and only South Park movie to date, series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone will produce 14 direct-to-streaming films for Paramount+ as part of a new deal the two signed with ViacomCBS to keep the show on Comedy Central through 2027. According to Bloomberg, the agreement is worth more than $900 million over six years, easily eclipsing the approximately $500 million AT&T subsidiary WarnerMedia spent in 2019 to secure exclusive streaming rights to the show for HBO Max.

Parker and Stone haven't made a movie together since 2004's Team America: World Police. The first two films included in their ViacomCBS deal will debut later this year. Stone told Bloomberg he and Parker plan to expand the world of South Park by using the movies as an opportunity to introduce new characters and concepts.

What the deal doesn't include is streaming rights to the South Park TV series. As mentioned above, Viacom licensed those to WarnerMedia in 2019, and that agreement is still in place. However, the $900 million investment in the brand does suggest the company will attempt to bring the series to Paramount+ eventually. 

ViacomCBS executive Chris McCarthy hinted as much in the press release announcing today's news. "Matt and Trey are world-class creatives who brilliantly use their outrageous humor to skewer the absurdities of our culture and we are excited to expand and deepen our long relationship with them to help fuel Paramount+ and Comedy Central," he said. "Franchising marquee content like South Park and developing new IP with tremendous talent like Matt and Trey, is at the heart of our strategy to continue growing Paramount+."