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Signal makes Google strike organizer Meredith Whittaker its first president
Privacy-focused messaging app Signal has hired former Google manager and tech critic Meredith Whittaker as its first president.
Mozilla pauses crypto donations following criticism over climate impact
After announcing that it would accept cryptocurrency donations last week, the Mozilla Foundation has put them on hold following critical comments.
Google will turn some of its offices into COVID-19 vaccination sites
Google will convert some of its facilities into COVID-19 vaccination sites starting in New York City, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Kirkland, Washington.
Instagram is testing personal fundraisers in the US, UK and Ireland
The feature will be available on Android at first, and iOS later.
Bandcamp will make annual Juneteenth donations to the NAACP
Bandcamp has announced that this Friday, June 19, it will donate 100 percent of its share of sales to the NAACP legal defense fund -- and that it will do so annually. In its announcement, the music publishing platform cited the killings of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Sean Reed, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and “ongoing state-sanctioned violence against Black people in the US” as the impetus for the move. In addition to making donations every Juneteenth, Bandcamp said it’s allocating an additional $30,000 per year “to partner with organizations that fight for racial justice and create opportunities for people of color.”
Spotify’s COVID-19 Music Relief page makes it easy to donate to artists
Since the coronavirus pandemic began, forcing music venues to close and cancel shows, the music industry has been looking for ways to adapt. Several streaming giants have pledged to contribute to the MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund, entertainers have pivoted and platforms like Bandsintown and Twitch are helping artists make money via streaming. Now, Spotify wants to make it easier for everyone to donate to the organizations supporting the music community.
Facebook pledges $100 million to small businesses impacted by coronavirus
Until now, Facebook's response to the coronavirus outbreak has focused on fighting the spread of misinformation -- by offering free WHO ads and banning ads that promote false 'cures.' Now, Facebook plans to invest $100 million in 30,000 small businesses in over 30 countries where its employees work and live. Facebook is also giving $1,000 bonuses to each of its employees, CNBC reports.
New Amazon donation program gives unsold products to the needy
Following reports that Amazon often destroys unsold and unwanted products stored in its warehouses, the company is launching a donations program that will help distribute goods to people in need, according to a report from CNBC. The program, called Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) Donations, will distribute products to non-profit organizations through Good360 in the United States and Newlife and Barnardo's in the United Kingdom.
Github lets you donate to your favorite developers and apps
GitHub announced today that it is opening up the beta of GitHub Sponsors, a new feature that will let users financially support their favorite developers and open source applications. The digital tip jar will operate similarly to Patreon, with donors able to select a certain sponsorship tier and set up monthly recurring payments. For the first year of the program, GitHub is offering to match contributions up to $5,000 through its GitHub Sponsors Matching Fund.
Putting eyes on a donation jar made people more charitable
A recent paper published in International Journal of Behavioural Biology found a novel way to make people more generous. All it takes is some eyes. Researchers found by sticking eye images on charity donation jars in a supermarket resulted in people giving 48 percent more compared to standard, undecorated buckets. The findings could indicate a way to get people to respond more positively in certain situations, including reacting to robots.
Airbnb introduces Donations to help with temporary housing
Airbnb announced a new initiative designed to help displaced people find housing solutions. The company launched a new Donations tool that will let Airbnb hosts kick back a portion of their income to organizations designed to help people who are in need of temporary housing. Airbnb hosts will be able to select a percentage of fares that they would like to give, and 100 percent of those donations will give to nonprofits. Donors will get regular updates to let them know how their contributors have helped others find places to stay.
Hiding in plain sight: The YouTubers' crowdfunding piracy
I never imagined I would be watching Kitchen Nightmares, starring the world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay, in my downtime on YouTube. I knew of Ramsay and his ruthlessness from shows like Hell's Kitchen, but I had never heard of Kitchen Nightmares until a few weeks ago, when an episode popped up on YouTube's Trending section. Next thing you know, I'm hooked and watching full episodes of it on my phone instead of the usual sneaker videos. But aside from Ramsay's rants at owners of filthy restaurants, something else caught my attention -- these uploads weren't from Fox, which owns the rights to the show in the US. Instead, they were from an unofficial channel called "Kitchen Nightmares Hotel Hell and Hell's Kitchen." And as if that wasn't brazen enough, the owner explicitly asked viewers for donations to fund the uploading of copyrighted content.
Facebook Gaming launches charity livestreams
Just in time for Giving Tuesday, Facebook is introducing new features for charity livestreaming on its Facebook Gaming platform. Gamers who broadcast on Facebook Gaming will be able to set up fundraising programs to raise money for a variety of worthwhile causes. A handful of popular streamers will be using the feature today, and Facebook will make it available to gaming creators in the near future.
Facebook opens up donations for personal needs
Last year, Facebook announced a tool to help you create fundraisers for 501c3 nonprofits verified by the company. The social network even extended those donations to live videos. Today, Facebook is giving you the chance to raise money for causes that hit a little closer to home. With what it's calling personal fundraisers, the company will allow you to accept donations to cover expenses for education, medical, pet medical, crisis relief, personal emergency and a funeral or loss.
You can now use Apple Pay to donate to 22 UK charities
Apple has partnered with 22 UK charities to let iOS users pledge donations using Apple Pay. The feature, which rolled out in the US last November, operates inside the Safari browser and lets anyone with a supported iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch securely send money to their favourite organisation using only their fingerprint.
Samsung to change donation policies amid bribery scandal
In the last six months, Samsung has been no stranger to scandal. Since September, it's hurriedly dealt with the fallout from its Galaxy Note 7 recall, and in recent weeks has been thrust into an investigation over bribery claims involving some of its top executives. After staying mostly silent on the South Korean monetary probe, the electronics giant today issued a statement outlining steps to stop it from finding itself in similar position in the future.
Facebook is adding donate buttons to charity Live videos
After spending a week battling a fake news epidemic, getting to grips with privacy regulators in Europe and dealing with another admission of misreporting ad data, Facebook finally has some good news to share. In a bid to do more "social good," Mark Zuckerberg and his team have announced a new round of updates to community tools aimed at keeping users safe and allowing them to help others.
Twitch introduces 'Cheering' emotes for tipping streamers
Twitch, the popular game-streaming site, has a funding problem. Not related to the company -- it's owned by Amazon and is just fine -- but its streamers. Like on other video platforms, creators are paid based on ad views and subscriptions, and by all accounts not at a very high rate. While popular streamers make a living -- helped in part by sponsorship deals and the like -- it can be hard for smaller channels to make ends meet. That's why the sub-economy of donations and tips exists, and today, Twitch is trying to formalize that economy with a new feature it calls "Cheering."
Google will match your donations to migrant and refugee relief
As you're no doubt aware, Europe is facing a crisis: it's struggling to accommodate scores of migrants and refugees coming to the continent in search of a better life. If you're wondering how you can help, you'll be glad to hear that Google is making things easier. It just launched a campaign that will see it match donations until it raises a total of €10 million ($11.3 million) toward migrant and refugee relief. Any money you send will be distributed to four nonprofits (Doctors Without Borders, International Rescue Committee, Save the Children and the UN) providing food, security and shelter to those in need. Google's effort won't solve everything, but it's worth checking out if you previously felt powerless to help. Update: (9/19): Google announced that it has reached the €10 million goal, and its website has links for those still interested in donating to contact the programs directly. [Image credit: AP Photo/Selcuk Bulent]
Square accepts your political donations with a tweet
You can now donate to a political candidate without leaving Twitter, thanks to a new venture between the social network and payment company Square. Once candidates have registered with Square, they just need to tweet a "$Cashtag," which will automatically add a "contribute" button to the tweet. When Twitter users click the button, they'll be able to choose an amount, add a debit card number, then send the donation or retweet the $Cashtag to followers. According to the WSJ, Republicans Ben Carson and Rand Paul have already agreed to sign up, as has Democrat Bernie Sanders.
