MeToo
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Senate passes bill that would ban forced arbitration in sexual misconduct cases
Google, Facebook, Microsoft and other tech companies have ended the practice in recent years.
Apple rewrote Siri to dodge questions about feminism and #MeToo
Siri may be in favor of equality, but just don't call her a feminist. That's the gist of multiple internal Apple documents obtained by The Guardian that instruct employees to program the digital assistant to avoid and deflect questions about "sensitive topics" like feminism and the #MeToo movement. The documents date to June 2018 and were leaked to The Guardian by one of the contractors that worked for Apple's Siri "Grading" program, which the company suspended in August.
Emerging from the shadow of GamerGate
On August 26th, game developer Nathalie Lawhead published a blog post accusing legendary Skyrim composer Jeremy Soule of rape. It's a detailed account of the events leading up to and after the alleged assault, which Lawhead says took place in 2008, when she was in her mid-20s and trying to break into the video-game industry. Soule was already a major name in games, and according to Lawhead, he used his influence and the veneer of mentorship to manipulate, silence and sexually assault her. By the 28th, another woman, vocalist Aeralie Brighton, had come forward with her own story about Soule. She said Soule sent her a video of him masturbating, and then cut her out of projects when she expressed that she wanted to keep their relationship professional. Soule denies the accusations from both women.
Twitter's 2018 was dominated by protests and K-pop
If you thought Twitter would settle down after the tumult of 2017, you might be in for a surprise. Twitter has posted its 2018 year in review, and there was an ample amount of passion both for superstars and social change. Korean pop dominated the landscape, with megagroup BTS (followed closely by Exo) earning some of the most liked and quoted tweets in addition to being the most-discussed celebrities and musicians. They even helped fuel one of the bigger memes of 2018, with one member taking up the "In My Feelings" challenge and dancing to Drake.
Google reportedly paid Andy Rubin $90 million after misconduct probe
Android co-founder Andy Rubin left Google in 2014 and while it seemed at the time that he left on his own accord and that the split was amicable, reports surfaced last year that depicted a different situation. The Information, citing multiple sources, said that Rubin's departure was due to an investigation into an inappropriate relationship he had with a subordinate, a woman who later filed a complaint against Rubin with Google's HR department. While details of those claims and Rubin's exit were sparse, the New York Times now reports that Rubin was paid $90 million on his way out, despite the company finding the woman's claims credible.
CBS CEO Les Moonves faces sexual misconduct investigation
The CBS board of directors will investigate allegations of sexual misconduct laid against CEO Les Moonves. The New Yorker published an exposé from investigative reporter Ronan Farrow detailing the accusations of six women who say that between the 80s and mid-aughts, the executive sexually harassed them. Four of them, including the actress Illeana Douglas said they were forcibly touched or kissed during business meetings, while two accused him of employing physical intimidation and threats to derail their careers. The report also contains claims of harassment against other men in the CBS and CBS News divisions, including 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager.
The video game industry is finally asking where the women are
Ubisoft is participating in the Women in Gaming Rally at GDC this week. It's one of the first things the 20 or so journalists pooled between the open bar and the canapes on the second floor of Hotel Zetta were told -- mentioned right after the evening's embargo information and just before spokespeople split the reporters into three groups and shepherded them to their appropriate meetings. There were three sessions, each 20 minutes long and covering distinct topics: Online ecosystems, artificial intelligence, and new studio openings. After each session, the groups would rotate to see the next presentation, for an hour total of on-the-record, Ubisoft-centric back-patting and glad-handing.
Amazon secures movie rights for Alafair Burke’s thriller ‘The Wife’
Amazon Studios is ramping up its efforts in the streaming space lately in a push to focus on bigger movies and television shows. The company hired NBC's Jennifer Salke as its new head executive to take the place of the disgraced Roy Price, and has picked up some high-profile content, like Ian M. Banks' well-regarded Culture novels for a television series. Now Amazon won the rights to Alafair Burke's novel The Wife, which is heavily influenced by the current #MeToo zeitgeist.
