WSJ Tech News Briefing

The CEO of secure identity company Clear says in the future verifying your age, employment history, and even hotel booking will be much easier using biometrics. But that kind of tech, which can scan your face or fingerprint, raises lots of privacy questions. Clear CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker spoke with WSJ tech columnist Christopher Mims at the WSJ’s Future of Everything Festival. Zoe Thomas hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How will generative AI tools, like ChatGPT, change the education system? That’s the question on a lot of parents' and teachers’ minds. At this year’s Future of Everything festival, the founder of Code.org talked about how the next generation of students will live and learn in an AI-enabled world. We bring you highlights from that conversation. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Local and national governments in the U.S. and Europe want social media companies to do more to keep children off their platforms. Efforts to require age verifications come as evidence shows companies aren’t effectively enforcing their own policies, limiting what children see and do on social media. WSJ reporter Sam Schechner joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss the new laws and the challenges to implement them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk opened up about his goals for Twitter, balancing advertiser concerns with his desire to support free speech and interviewing presidential candidates. He spoke at the Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council Summit with WSJ editor for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa Thorold Barker. Zoe Thomas hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Until last year, an antiabortion group was using location data gathered from cellphones to send people who visited Planned Parenthood targeted advertising. WSJ reporter Byron Tau joins host Zoe Thomas to explain how the group got the information, the legality of these steps, and more about the group behind the effort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A global scavenger hunt for classified documents is underway and it's pitting the U.S. government against online gamers. WSJ national security reporter Jessica Donati joins host Zoe Thomas to explain how the race to find secret military information began. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tesla’s CFO Zach Kirkhorn has a reputation for working quietly behind the scenes to execute Elon Musk’s vision for the electric carmaker. But as Musk’s attention gets pulled in several different directions, investors are focusing more on Kirkhorn and how he’s helping run the company. WSJ Tesla reporter Rebecca Elliott joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Montana’s Governor signed the county’s first statewide ban of TikTok on Tuesday. And calls are growing to ban the app nationwide. But a bigger worry for parents may be the dark content the app serves up to teens. TikTok says it has a content-moderation team of more than 40,000 people and removes posts that violate its community guidelines. However, a recent study shows teen users are still being shown a stream of content on self-harm, eating disorders, and suicide. WSJ family and tech columnist Julie Jargon joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI the company behind ChatGPT, told lawmakers they should create licensing and safety standards for advanced artificial intelligence systems . But Congress has historically had a tough time when it comes to regulating technology. WSJ tech policy reporter Ryan Tracy joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss what happened during the Senate subcommittee hearing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk is trying to run his social media company, Twitter, like his rocket company, SpaceX. WSJ aerospace reporter Micah Maidenberg joins host Zoe Thomas to explain the leadership structure and management choices at both operations. Plus, tech reporter Sarah Needleman discusses what the EU approval of Microsoft's plan to buy Activision Blizzard means for the deal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk has named a new CEO to replace him at Twitter. WSJ reporter Alexa Corse joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss why he chose an advertising exec. Plus, WSJ reporter Aaron Tilley explains why Apple is breaking its own rules for product debuts with the launch of a new headset. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A growing number of young people are being hit by online shopping scams that originated on social media. WSJ family and tech columnist Julie Jargon joins host Zoe Thomas to explain what victims have gone through and how to protect yourself. Plus, WSJ gaming reporter Sarah Needleman explains why designing for avatars may be the next style trend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google is making a show of force to its rivals in the hardware and artificial-intelligence sectors. At its developer conference, the company unveiled its new AI search feature and announced plans for other AI tools. WSJ Google reporter Miles Kruppa breaks down the announcements, and WSJ personal tech columnist Nicole Nguyen discusses Google’s new Pixel Fold. Zoe Thomas hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Billionaire Richard Branson founded Virgin Galactic nearly two decades ago. But despite sending him to the edge of space and selling tickets to would-be space tourists, the company has struggled to launch its commercial space flights. Now it says it's ready to do so. WSJ aerospace reporter Micah Maidenberg joins host Zoe Thomas to explain what’s behind the delay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The potential of generative artificial intelligence has venture capitalists racing to invest. But in their rush to get in on the ground floor, are investors making the mistakes of the past? WSJ startups reporter Berber Jin joins host Zoe Thomas to explain. Plus, reporter Miles Kruppa discusses Google’s new approach to presenting search results. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For at least a year, some employees at TikTok were able to access what they described internally as a list of users who watched gay content on the app, according to former employees. TikTok says it's changed the way it handles this kind of data. But this is an unusual practice among tech companies and it's adding to questions about the company's handling of user information. WSJ social media reporter Georgia Wells joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss what happened. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For children who appear in monetized content online, like vlogs and social media posts, there are currently no laws to protect them or ensure they get a cut of the money they help earn. Now, some state lawmakers are fighting to change that. Tech News Briefing producer Zoe Kuhlkin joins host Zoe Thomas to explain why Illinois may be the first state to cross the finish line. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The FTC proposes barring Meta’s from earning money on the data it collects on young users. TikTok launches a new advertising product. Also, Israel’s tech sector says political turmoil in the country is making it hard to raise money. WSJ reporter Dov Lieber joins host Zoe Thomas from Tel Aviv to explain the impact the unrest is having on “startup nation.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marissa Mayer, CEO of Sunshine, says artificial intelligence can be used to help improve more mundane tasks. The former Yahoo boss spoke at this year’s WSJ Future of Everything Festival. Plus, why users are flocking to Bluesky Social as an alternative to Twitter. Zoe Thomas hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can pay companies to create video and audio versions of yourself using generative artificial intelligence. But how well does it work? WSJ senior personal tech columnist Joanna Stern joins host Zoe Thomas to explain what it was like to work with her AI clone, and why it has her worried. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices