Big Tech may be dragged into America’s gun control debate
Silicon Valley firms have historically shied away from the topic, but yesterday’s tragic events may change that.
The news: A woman fired shots at YouTube’s offices in San Bruno, California, yesterday afternoon. She injured three people—one critically, one seriously, and the third was said to be in fair condition—and then killed herself.
More: Police have identified the shooter as Nasim Aghdam. Her father told the Bay Area News Group that she “hated” YouTube. Online posts believed to be written by Aghdam appear to accuse the firm of suppressing her videos on its site. Police have now confirmed that they believe Aghdam’s anger at the company to be her motive.
Bigger picture: To date, most tech firms have avoided the topic of gun control. Then last month YouTube banned firearm demos from its site. And yesterday’s attack prompted some tech CEOs to speak out about gun rules. Silicon Valley firms may finally be entering the fray.
Plus: The tragedy could also cause tech firms to rethink their open, campus-style HQs in order to improve security.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
This startup wants to copy you into an embryo for organ harvesting
With plans to create realistic synthetic embryos, grown in jars, Renewal Bio is on a journey to the horizon of science and ethics.
This artist is dominating AI-generated art. And he’s not happy about it.
Greg Rutkowski is a more popular prompt than Picasso.
VR is as good as psychedelics at helping people reach transcendence
On key metrics, a VR experience elicited a response indistinguishable from subjects who took medium doses of LSD or magic mushrooms.
This nanoparticle could be the key to a universal covid vaccine
Ending the covid pandemic might well require a vaccine that protects against any new strains. Researchers may have found a strategy that will work.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.