Things That Make You Go Hmmm - 11/14/2024
A semi-regular collection of notable tech industry developments, with commentary on what actually matters.
Streaming TV Gets More Expensive, Less Good
Ars Technica highlights a growing disconnect in the streaming industry:
Subscription fees for video streaming services have been on a steady incline. But despite subscribers paying more, surveys suggest they're becoming less satisfied with what's available to watch.
Meanwhile, Amazon is shutting down Freevee completely, as reported by Deadline:
It’s official — free, ad-supported video on demand streaming service Amazon Freevee, the home of such originals as Jury Duty, Bosch: Legacy and Judy Justice, will be phased out over the coming weeks.
The streaming industry is consolidating while simultaneously raising prices and reducing value, suggesting we're entering a new phase of digital entertainment economics.
Secret Service Says They Don’t Need a Warrant For Your Location Data
The Secret Service has taken an interesting stance on location data. From 404 Media:
Officials inside the Secret Service clashed over whether they needed a warrant to use location data harvested from ordinary apps installed on smartphones, with some arguing that citizens have agreed to be tracked with such data by accepting app terms of service, despite those apps often not saying their data may end up with the authorities, according to hundreds of pages of internal Secret Service emails obtained by 404 Media.
At the same time, the FBI reports a concerning trend, via TechCrunch h/t Jon:
The FBI is warning that hackers are obtaining private user information — including emails and phone numbers — from U.S.-based tech companies by compromising government and police email addresses to submit “emergency” data requests.
The boundaries between consensual data sharing, government surveillance, and criminal exploitation are becoming increasingly blurred.
Netflix Celebrates 2 Years of Ads
Netflix shares some telling statistics:
As we celebrate two years since launching Netflix’s ads business, we continue to see positive momentum and growth across all areas of the business. We’re excited to now reach 70MM monthly active users globally and continue to see steady progress across all countries' member bases. Now, over 50% of new Netflix sign-ups are for the ads plan in ad-supported countries.
The streaming giant has successfully normalized paying for ad-supported content, potentially setting a precedent for the entire industry.
Microsoft Sunsetting Windows Mail and Calendar
Per the Microsoft support page:
Support for Windows Mail, Calendar, and People will end on December 31, 2024. We're currently in the process of moving existing users to the new Outlook for Windows. After December 31, 2024, users will no longer be able to send and receive email using Windows Mail and Calendar.
This continues Microsoft's pattern of forced migrations to consolidated services, raising questions about user choice in platform ecosystems.
FTC Takes Action Against H&R Block’s Unfair Downgrades and Deceptive Free Filing
As mentioned in the FTC press release:
A Federal Trade Commission lawsuit is leading to changes for consumers who use H&R Block’s do-it-yourself online tax filing products. A proposed FTC settlement would stop H&R Block from unfairly requiring consumers seeking to downgrade to a cheaper H&R Block product to contact customer service, from unfairly deleting users' previously entered data and from making deceptive claims about “free” tax filing.
This would represent a rare victory against dark patterns in software design, potentially setting precedents for future enforcement.
Many Right Wing Influencers Are Funded By Wealthy Donors and Political Organizations
Not really news, but interesting to see the stats. Per User Mag:
For instance, Ben Shapiro's Daily Wire has been heavily funded by wealthy Republican donors, including the Wilks brothers, Texas-based billionaires known for their oil and fracking fortune. Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, receives millions from conservative mega donors including the Koch network. Right wing content creators Benny Johnson, Tim Pool and Dave Rubin were recently getting paid $400,00 a month, at least $100,000 per YouTube video, after accepting funding from a right wing Russian influence operation. Johnson even allegedly negotiated a $100,000 signing bonus.
The scale of funding reveals how content creation has evolved from individual expression into institutional influence operations, and also appears to explain why the left can’t do the same.
Sega Removing A Bunch of Classic Games from Digital Storefronts
Per The Verge:
Steam will be affected the most, losing 62 titles including Crazy Taxi, Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine, Jet Set Radio, NiGHTS into Dreams, and Sonic 3D Blast. Sega is pulling 12 titles from the Xbox store. The Nintendo eShop and the PlayStation Store will “just” lose SEGA Genesis Classics — but that title includes more than 50 old Genesis games, so it still means a lot will be unavailable. You can see the full lists of what’s getting pulled on a Sega support page.
This latest round of delistings highlights the ongoing challenges of preserving digital gaming history and raises questions about the permanence of digital purchases.
Follow these updates via RSS or subscribe to the newsletter.