Hi, dear people, and welcome to Week in Review (WiR), TechCrunch’s regular newsletter that highlights the top tech news of the past week (or so). If you haven’t already, sign up here to get WiR delivered to your inbox every Saturday.
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Reddit’s CEO is out: Reddit CEO Steve Huffman isn’t backing down amid protests against API changes made by the platform, Evan writes. In an interview with the edge, NBC News And NPRHuffman defended the business decisions the company made to charge third-party apps, saying the API was not designed to support these clients.
Subreddits are darkened: In related Reddit news, over 300 subreddits, including r/aww, r/music r/videos, and r/futurology, went dark — preventing users from accessing them — indefinitely Reddit closed on June 14 after a major protest against the API change. Over the past several days, (June 12-14), thousands of subreddits have rallied to protest Reddit’s aforementioned API change, which will potentially shut down many third-party apps. .
Twitter has been evicted: Twitter owes three months’ rent to its Boulder, Colo., landlord, and a judge has signed off on evicting the tech giant from its offices there, court documents show. Since Elon Musk took over, Twitter’s business has been more or less in disarray and there have been numerous reports of unnecessary bills.
The caravan crashed: Carvana’s big rally now looks like a blip on the radar, Harry and Alex wrote. The company has secured billions in equity and debt financing since launching in 2013, and it has bought a few startups — namely, Car360 and Adesa. But through it all, there is company Not yet recorded a real gain.
Ransomware gang victims listed: Klopp, the ransomware gang responsible for exploiting a critical security vulnerability in a popular corporate file transfer tool, has begun listing victims of the mass hack, including several US banks and universities. A Russia-linked ransomware gang has since late May exploited a security flaw in MOVEit Transfer, a tool used by corporations and enterprises to share large files over the Internet.
Check skin condition with Google Lens: Google’s improved Google Lens, its computer vision-powered app that brings information related to objects it detects, with a useful new feature. Lens can now overlay skin conditions you see on your own skin, such as pimples and rashes — from an uploaded photo.
Minimum Wage of NYC Delivery Workers: New York City has instituted a new minimum wage for food delivery workers for platforms such as Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub and Relay. This should be a historic win for gig workers, but Rebecca writes how both delivery workers and the company are unhappy about it.
YouTube allows more users to monetize: YouTube is easing the requirements for creators to get access to monetization tools under the Partner Program (YPP). Specifically, the company is expanding its Shopping Affiliate Program to US-based manufacturers who are already a part of YPP and have more than 20,000 customers.
hearing
TechCrunch’s podcast collection is the gift that keeps on giving — although this writer may be a little biased. Equities were off this week, however The TechCrunch Podcast Revisited in Inside Startup Battlefield, a four-part series that takes you behind the scenes of TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield competition.
foundMeanwhile, Amy Brown, co-founder and CEO of Authenticx, a Midwestern startup that helps insurance companies and medical firms use AI to extract data from their call centers.
And then chain reactionPatrick Kaminsky, director of digital innovation for web3 and metaverse at L’Oreal, and Manon Cardiel, head of strategic planning and partnerships between web3 and metaverse at L’Oreal, talk about their experiences in the blockchain space.
TechCrunch+
TC+ subscribers get access to in-depth commentary, analysis and surveys — all you know if you’re already a subscriber. If you haven’t, consider signing up. Here are some highlights from this week:
Corporate America bets on AI: Hype or not, the potential of AI has attracted tech companies, and businesses large and small are betting heavily on efforts that leverage AI in some fashion to propel their growth to new heights. Alex and I investigate.
Small VCs have a diversified influence: Smaller funds — especially those with $50 million or less in assets under management — are helping to usher in a new wave of diversification within venture capital. As Dominik writes, the latest crop of investors come from historically neglected or marginalized communities who are setting up funds and then investing in those funds.
