10 things in tech you need to know today

Facebook/Donald Trump

Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Wednesday.

1. Mark Zuckerberg defended Facebook's decision to allow Trump's post in an internal meeting, even as his employees protested and resigned. On a heated call with employees on Tuesday, the Facebook CEO refused to change course on the company's decision to allow a post by President Donald Trump that was criticized as "glorifying violence."
2. The Trump administration was hit with the first lawsuit challenging its executive order targeting social-media companies. The lawsuit on Tuesday, filed by the Center for Democracy in Technology, argues that the order violated the First Amendment. 
3.  A Facebook employee has publicly resigned over the company's handling of Trump's posts. On Monday, California-based Timothy Aveni announced on Facebook and LinkedIn that he is leaving the company in protest, at the same time as numerous Facebook employees launched an unprecedented virtual "walkout" protest to challenge leadership.
   
4. Chinese gaming company NetEase is looking to raise between $2.6 billion and $3 billion in a Hong Kong secondary offering, according to The Financial Times. NetEase is currently listed on the Nasdaq, but its share sale could trigger a wave of companies raising in Hong Kong amid Chinese tensions with the US.
5. An ex-Facebook communications executive published an open letter to employees about recent controversies the company has been embroiled in regarding its stance on freedom of expression and political content. Barry Schnitt, who served as Facebook's director of corporate communications and public policy from 2008 through 2012, said that he had been mistaken in defending Facebook's approach to free speech during his time at the company.
6. Elon Musk said witnessing SpaceX's crewed launch over the weekend — the first from US soil since NASA retired its space-shuttle program nearly nine years ago — overwhelmed him. Musk told reporters during a press call that he was overwhelmed with emotion and that it was difficult to express how he felt.
7. Google executive and DeepMind cofounder Mustafa Suleyman advised the UK's health service on its COVID-19 response, The Telegraph reported. Suleyman's role was reportedly pro bono, and he advised on how to collect patient data.
   
8. Former Reddit CEO Ellen Pao called out the site for not shutting down its notorious r/the_donald subreddit, even as the company offered platitudes about ongoing protests in the US. Pao accused Reddit of nurturing white supremacy.
9. Thousands of people are using apps to monitor police scanners during the ongoing protests in the US, Vice reported. Apps such as '5-0 Radio' overtook apps including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok as most popular paid app.
10. San Francisco-based automation startup Anvil has raised $5 million from Google's AI fund Gradient Ventures, and other backers. Anvil offers a paperwork automation platform.

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