New book says smartphones and social media are making our kids anxious and depressed

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Social psychologist Professor Jonathan Haidt writes that over the past ten years, he has seen “the radical transformation of childhood into something inhuman: a ­phone-​based existence.” According to The New York Post, Haidt has written a book that is due to be released soon titled “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.”

To back up his statement about children’s phone-based existence, he points out that teen girls are spending 20 hours a week on social media which makes browsing and posting on these platforms a part-time job for these girls. The book will be out on March 26th and Haidt says that the combination of smartphones and social media is causing children to suffer from sleep deprivation, social deprivation, attention fragmentation, addiction, and spiritual degradation. The psychologist calls this the “great rewiring” of childhood.

Smartphones and social media are making kids depressed and anxious

The bottom line is that these kids are becoming the most depressed and anxious generation in history although girls and boys are being affected differently. Consider how the former are impacted by social media platforms. “Social media really does a number on girls,” Haidt told The Post. “It takes all the worst parts of middle school — social comparison, focusing on your looks, insecurity — and multiplies them by ten.” You can imagine how comments made about such topics on social media might impact the mind of a teen girl.

The professor says that he has found a link between heavy social media usage and poor mental health outcomes in girls. He writes, “For boys, the story is less clear. There’s no one smoking gun. They’ve just experienced a progressive withdrawal from the real world, where boys have historically exerted effort.” He adds, “The trend is really accelerating as the virtual world becomes so magnificently enticing and attractive.” When boys do withdraw from the real world, their destinations are often porn and video games states the psychologist.

Haidt says kids shouldn’t get a smartphone until they are 18

With a 14-year-old daughter and a 17-year-old son, Haidt has many of the same arguments with his kids over their phones as others do. “We still have the same problem that all parents have, which is just trying to say stop spending so much time on your screens,” he said. “There is still a constant, a chronic tug of war over usage.” Because his children walk to school in New York City, he gave his son a phone in the fourth grade and his daughter one in the sixth grade. While they both received smartphones, in retrospect, he wishes that he had given them flip phones instead.

He suggests that parents keep their kids off of social media until they are 16, and keep them away from smartphones until they are in high school. “We have to delay the phones but also give them engaging activities in the real world. [Parents] have under-protected children online but we’ve also overprotected them in the real world. And we need to address both halves. Kids need to be anchored in the real world with real relationships, real responsibilities, real love. Virtual activities don’t substitute.”

Haidt’s book offers many solutions for parents and he told The Post, “We can solve this problem most of the way within a year if we just work collectively. These are collective action problems, and we can solve them with collective action, even if we don’t get help from our lawmakers.”

The professor says that members of Gen Z have been receptive to what he is saying. “They see the problems of their phone-based childhoods. They see that it’s a huge waste of their time. But when I ask them why they don’t get off TikTok and Instagram, they say they can’t because everyone else is on them.”


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Google Calendar transitions Appointment Slots to Appointment Schedules

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Google Calendar undergoes a major transformation as it moves away from the traditional “appointment slots” feature in favor of the new “appointment schedules.” The company has announced this change aiming to provide users with advanced and streamlined scheduling services.

New Appointment Schedule Features for Google Calendar

Appointment scheduling, brought to replace appointment slots, makes it possible for users to create booking pages that they can share through a link. Integrated into Google Calendar, these pages help create a conflict-free scheduling system. Moreover, users can have their timetables customized by allowing buffers between appointments and setting limits on appointments per day.

Google claims that Appointment Schedules offer a smoother way of booking coupled with more robust functionalities than those enabled by appointment slots. Consequently, as of July 18, 2024, appointment slots will come to an end, completely giving rise to Appointment Schedules. After this date, there will be no more appointment slot booking pages thus pushing users towards adopting this new system.

However, existing appointment slots will still be functional until the transition date but they will not automatically migrate to appointment schedules. People should recreate their setups using appointment schedules to ensure consistency in their scheduling process.

Detailed instructions and guidance about features and setup processes for Appointment Schedules can be found on the Google support page where Users can see a step-by-step guide in the tab on the right side.

Who can use the appointment scheduling feature?

Moreover, Google has announced that there is now support for appointment scheduling among Google Workspace Business Starter customers. The availability expansion covers various plans within Google Workspace such as Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, Teaching and Learning Upgrade, Nonprofits, and Google Workspace Individual customers.

Also, people with a Google One Premium subscription can take advantage of this feature. These changes aim at offering users an efficient and comprehensive scheduling solution tailored to various educational institutions or corporate organizations’ needs.


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The DOJ files a lawsuit against Apple for monopolizing the smartphone market

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It’s no little-known fact that Apple is one of the biggest companies in the entire world, and this makes it a big target for antitrust lawsuits. Well, this is what’s happening now between the American Department of Justice (DOJ) and 16 State Attorneys General. The US DOJ has filed a massive lawsuit against Apple over monopolizing the smartphone market.

This is the second massive anti-competitive lawsuit the DOJ has filed against a tech company in recent history. Very recently, the DOJ sued Google for operating an illegal Monopoly. The case has since wrapped up, but the ruling will come in May this year.

The DOJ files a massive lawsuit against Apple

This lawsuit came about because of Apple’s dominance in the smartphone market. In a press release, the DOJ stated “Apple undermines apps, products, and services that would otherwise make users less reliant on the iPhone.” This is what most people refer to as the ecosystem lock-in. This is where a company does everything it can to lock a customer into one specific ecosystem and not stray away.  “Apple exercises its monopoly power to extract more money from consumers, developers, content creators, artists, publishers, small businesses, and merchants, among others” the statement continues.

This is a case that we should have seen coming as Apple has come under scrutiny from several companies including Epic Games and Spotify over its handling of the App Store. Recently, Apple came under fire for blocking music streaming apps on the App Store from offering cheaper services through different payment systems. Also, Apple has long blocked third-party app stores from being implemented into iOS.

Messaging

This lawsuit extends far beyond apps and the App Store. It also involves the way iOS handles messaging between iPhones and Android devices. The DOJ alleges that the messaging experience between iPhones and Android devices has been greatly diminished compared to the messaging experience between iPhones.

One example that was given was the fact that media shared from an iPhone to an Android device is extremely grainy. Also, we can’t forget about the whole green bubble versus blue bubble war that’s been going on.

Accessories

In the lawsuit, the DOJ alleges that Apple makes its devices seem more appealing on the iPhone by diminishing the experience of third-party devices. For example, allegedly, Apple restricts the functionality of third-party smartwatches in order to make its Apple Watch look more appealing. Another example has to do with air tags and third-party trackers. These devices have limited access to the iOS software, so they’re not as effective or usable as Apple’s first-party devices.

Obviously, Apple is going to fight this

“[This lawsuit] threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets,” stated Apple spokesperson Fred Sainz, “We believe this lawsuit is wrong on the facts and the law, and we will vigorously defend against it.”

In a case this big, obviously, Apple is going to defend itself in court. The lawsuit aims to bring Apple into the light over allegedly malicious and predatory practices. Well, if Apple has to change the way that it operates, it could potentially compromise its position as the largest tech brand. However, it’s much more important that proper competition thrive than one company being able to dominate.

This is a developing case

Right now, we’re at the beginning of what could be a very long case. We have no idea if it’s going to last for months or even over a year. Information about this case is going to arise as time goes on, so stay tuned for more information on this case. It could have major ramifications for Apple and the tech world at large


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Galaxy S21 FE, A14 5G & A13 get March update in the US

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Earlier this week, Samsung released the March security update for the carrier-locked variants of the Galaxy S21 FE in the US. The new security patch is now available for unlocked units. The company is also rolling out the update to the Galaxy A14 5G and Galaxy A13 stateside.

Galaxy S21 FE is widely getting the March update in the US

Samsung started updating Galaxy smartphones and tablets to the March SMR (Security Maintenance Release) on the first day of the month. The Galaxy S24 series kicked off the proceedings. Since then, the company has updated all flagship models launched in 2021 and beyond, including foldables, to the latest security release. It has also pushed the new SMR to most of the eligible budget and mid-range models.

The Galaxy S21 FE joined the party a few days back. Samsung released the new SMR for international and US versions of the phone around the same time. In the US, it initially only updated carrier-locked units. SamMobile confirms that the March security patch is now available for the factory-unlocked variants of the phone. The new firmware build number is G990U1UESAFXC1.

Like all other Galaxy devices, the March update for the Galaxy S21 FE is also all about this month’s security fixes. Don’t go deep looking for new features or improvements. The phone will get the Android 14-based One UI 6.1 update in a few weeks or months with several goodies. Hopefully, Samsung will bring some AI features and camera improvements from the Galaxy S24 to the Galaxy S21 FE.

For the time being, you must be content with a security patch. The March 2024 SMR for Galaxy devices addresses 46 security vulnerabilities. 37 of those are Android OS patches from Google. The Android maker fixed two critical and dozens of high-severity vulnerabilities this month. The remaining nine patches pertain to security issues exclusively to Samsung Android products.

Galaxy A14 5G and Galaxy A13 are also getting these security fixes

These security fixes are also rolling out to the Galaxy A14 5G and Galaxy A13 in the US. These budget phones are picking up the update on carrier-locked variants with the build numbers A146USQS6CXC1 and A135USQS7DXB6, respectively. A wider release should be just around the corner. The former has already received the update in international markets, while it’s the initial rollout for the latter. The Galaxy A14 5G and Galaxy A13 may not get Samsung’s One UI 6.1 update.


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Google’s AI can predict floods a week in advanced

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Nowadays, technology can do a ton of amazing things, from generating content to providing information. However, we’re now at a point where we’re starting to find real-world applications where AI can be helpful. For example, Google released a paper explaining that AI can predict floods up to seven days in advance.

Despite numerous missteps that Google suffered with its AI endeavors over the past year, its technology has proven to be rather powerful. For example, Apple is in talks with Google over implementing Gemini Nano into future iPhones. So, Google is poised to basically own the AI market. It even owns the domain ai.com, which redirects to Gemini.

Google AI can predict floods a week in advance

At this point, we’re not quite sure when Google plans on rolling out actual flood-predicting technology to the masses. However, the company posted a new blog post explaining its research on how its AI technology can predict floods. The full blog post is chock-full of useful and meticulous information, so you can read that if you want to learn all of the ins and outs of this technology.

Many rivers and bodies of water around the world have tools put into place to monitor the water levels called streamflow gauges. However, that’s not the case for all bodies of water. There are many bodies of water around the world where no one can properly predict when a flood is going to happen because they don’t have access to streamflow gauges. This, as you can imagine, can lead to devastating outcomes.

Well, what Google’s AI technology will be able to do is take the existing data that we have from the gauges available. It will then use powerful machine learning to come up with a clear picture of when floods typically occur and what conditions are the most conducive for them. Google will then apply this information to bodies of water without streamflow gauges.

So, this is very much Google using software to solve a hardware problem. Places that don’t have access to these physical gauges will still be able to properly predict floods. And, using Google’s powerful AI, they could be able to predict them up to a week in advance.


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Android 15 Dev Preview 2 launch lines up improved NFC and more

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Google has officially announced the launch of the Android 15 Developer Preview 2. While the first dev preview focused on privacy and security, preview 2 promises to bring improvements to various communication-related functions. This includes at least a few features that revolve around NFC including tap to pay. As well as extended platform support for satellite connectivity.

Google says that this extended platform support also includes improvements to UI elements. These are meant to “ensure a consistent user experience across the satellite connectivity landscape.” There are other changes in the second preview as well, but it’s worth remembering that this is still just a developer preview. And the keyword there is “developer.” Most or all of these changes aren’t intended for end users. But that doesn’t mean what’s included won’t give you a glimpse at what to expect from the software down the road. Say, during the beta.

For starters, the satellite support is being updated to provide better awareness of when a device is connected to a satellite network. In this preview, this isn’t necessarily something you would see on the front end. But Google says it’ll provide apps the ability to use the non-terrestrial network to detect when a device is connected to a satellite.

Android 15 will also allow connection to satellite networks for SMS/MMS apps and RCS apps. Once this is fully online, it would enable those apps to send messages via satellite connections. Again though, this is something that app developers would need to implement. Still, it will eventually give users an avenue of staying in communication when they might otherwise have no network connection.

Android 15 Satellite Network Connectivity

The Android 15 Developer Preview 2 launch will improve tap to pay

Another main change with this preview is the improvements to NFC services. Google specifically highlights tap to pay here. Stating that it aims to make tap to pay “more seamless and reliable.” The idea is to essentially make using the tap to pay at checkouts more efficient and thereby faster. Google says that in many cases, these updates can result in a one tap transaction.

“On supported devices, apps can request the NfcAdapter enter observe mode, where the device will listen but not respond to NFC readers, sending the app’s NFC service PollingFrame objects to process. The PollingFrame objects can be used to auth ahead of the first communication to the NFC reader, allowing for a one tap transaction in many cases.”

Think about all the times you use tap to pay at stores with your phone. Then think about any times you may have had to tap the phone more than once to complete the transaction. By the sounds of it, Android 15 aims to lessen the number of times this might happen.

Expanding support for app visibility to more screens

This change will be big for users who own flippable devices, such as the Galaxy Z Flip 5 for example. With Android 15, developers can “declare a property” that Android 15 uses to allow apps or activities to be displayed on smaller cover screens. Like that of the Galaxy Z Flip 5. Google says these screens are too small to be considered compatible targets for apps to run on. Android 15 will change this a bit though, and allow developers to opt their apps into support for these screens. This means that some of your favorite apps might soon have more of a presence on these smaller cover displays.


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Neuralink’s first human patient plays chess by thinking

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In a groundbreaking development, Neuralink, the brain chip company founded by Elon Musk, has successfully enabled its first human patient to play chess online using only their thoughts. This incredible achievement marks a significant milestone in the field of neurotechnology and brings hope to individuals with paralysis. Let’s delve deeper into this revolutionary breakthrough and its implications.

The person in the video showcasing this incredible feat is Noland Arbaugh, who tragically became paralyzed below the shoulders following a diving accident. Despite his physical limitations, Arbaugh’s determination and resilience have been unwavering. With the help of Neuralink’s innovative technology, he can now interact with the digital world using only his mind.

He stated that “The surgery was “super easy” and he had to learn how to differentiate “imagined movement versus attempted movement” to learn to control a cursor on a screen.” Moreover, “A lot of what we started with was attempting to move.” Furthermore, “I would attempt to move, say, my right hand left, right forward, back. And from there, I think it just became intuitive for me to start imagining the cursor moving.”

How does Neuralink’s brain chip work?

Neuralink’s brain chip implant works by interfacing directly with the brain’s neurons, allowing for seamless communication between the brain and external devices. Through a series of electrodes implanted in the brain, Neuralink can decode neural signals and translate them into commands for computers or other devices. This technology opens up a world of possibilities for individuals with paralysis, offering them newfound independence and freedom. In the case of Noland Arbaugh, the brain chip allows him to play chess online by simply thinking about his moves.

The implications of this technology

The implications of Neuralink’s brain chip technology are vast and far-reaching. For individuals like Noland Arbaugh, it offers a new sense of independence and autonomy. Being able to control devices with nothing but one’s thoughts opens up a world of possibilities for individuals with disabilities.

As Neuralink continues to develop and improve its technology, the future of brain-computer interfaces looks bright. Imagine a world where individuals can communicate, interact, and navigate the world around them using only their thoughts. With advancements in this field, we may soon see a day where disabilities are no longer barriers to leading fulfilling and active lives.

To conclude, Neuralink’s first human patient, Noland Arbaugh, has shown us the incredible potential of brain chip technology. By playing chess online with nothing but his thoughts, Arbaugh has demonstrated the power of Neuralink’s innovation in the field of brain-computer interfaces. As this technology continues to advance, the possibilities for individuals with disabilities are endless.


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Pwn2Own 2024 Awards $700k as Hackers Pwn Tesla, Browsers, and More

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Pwn2Own 2024 Awards $700k as Hackers Pwn Tesla, Browsers, and More

The Pwn2Own 2024 hacking contest saw a record-breaking first day as participants exposed critical vulnerabilities in Tesla vehicles, popular browsers, and operating systems – This highlights the ongoing challenge of securing our technology and the importance of bug bounty programs.

The Pwn2Own 2024, a hacking contest organized by Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative in Vancouver, saw participants earn over $700,000 on the first day through successful exploits against Tesla cars, browsers, and Linux and Windows systems. 

French cybersecurity firm Synacktiv’s hackers earned $200,000 for an integer overflow exploit targeting the Tesla ECU with CAN bus control and also won a new Tesla Model 3. It is worth noting that this was the only scheduled hacking attempt for Tesla cars for this contest. 

However, this isn’t the first time Synacktiv has dominated Pwn2Own – they previously won a car in Pwn2Own Automotive 2024. 

Pwn2Own 2024 Awards $700k as Hackers Pwn Tesla, Browsers, and More
Tesla pwned (Screenshot: ZDI)

About the Vulnerability

While the specific details of the exploit remain undisclosed, as per Pwn2Own rules to allow for vendor patching, the competition organizers confirmed that a single integer overflow flaw was used. This vulnerability allowed the team to gain control of the Tesla’s CAN BUS, a crucial communication system within the car. Synacktiv exploited a Tesla ECU with Vehicle (VEH) CAN BUS Control using a single integer overflow flaw to secure their second victory in Pwn2Own competitions. 

Day One Highlights

On day one of the Pwn2Own contest, participants were awarded $732,500 by ZDI for reporting 19 unique zero-day vulnerabilities. Here’s the breakdown of the rewards.

Independent white-hat hacker Manfred Paul received $102,500 for remote code execution on Apple Safari using an integer underflow bug, and a PAC bypass exploiting a flaw in the same browser. Paul also executed a double-tap exploit on Chrome and Edge browsers using a rare CWE-1284 vulnerability in round two of the competition.

South Korean team Theori earned $130,000 by combining an uninitialized variable bug, a use-after-free (UAF) vulnerability, and heap-based buffer overflow to escape a VMware Workstation and execute code as system on Windows OS.

Oracle VirtualBox was targeted by REverse Tactics researchers, earning $90,000 and two researchers received $20,000 for their respective Oracle VirtualBox exploits. 

Other Pwn2Own participants earned rewards for Chrome and Edge, Safari, Adobe Reader, Windows 11 local privilege escalation, and two Ubuntu local privilege escalation exploits. 

Seunghyun Lee, AbdulAziz Hariri, and the Devcore Research team successfully exploited Google Chrome, Adobe Reader, and Windows 11 bugs, earning them $60,000, $50,000, and $30,000 respectively. Lee successfully executed an exploit on Google Chrome, Hariri completed a code execution attack, and the Devcore Research team successfully executed a local privilege escalation (LPE) attack.

Pwn2Own 2024 Awards $700k as Hackers Pwn Tesla, Browsers, and More
Chrome browser pwned (Screenshot: ZDI)

Participants will attempt to hack various software on the second day, including VMware Workstation, Oracle VirtualBox, Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Ubuntu, Windows 11, and Docker Desktop. The three-day event is offering a total of $1.3m in cash and prizes.

  1. Whitehat hacker bypasses SQL injection filter for Cloudflare
  2. Hackers Crack Tesla Twice, Rake in $1.3 Million at Pwn2Own
  3. White hat hackers infect Canon DSLR camera with ransomware
  4. Whitehat hacker shows how to detect hidden cameras in hotels
  5. White hat hacker infects smart coffee machine with ransomware

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Galaxy A55, Fold 2 & more get the March security update

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Less than a week after its market release, Samsung‘s Galaxy A55 is receiving a software update. The new premium mid-range phone is picking up the March 2024 security patch. The latest security update is also available for the Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy A73, Galaxy A52s, and Galaxy A52.

Galaxy A55 gets the latest security patch with its first update

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy A55 on March 11. The device hit the market a few days later. Today, it is receiving the March security update in India and its neighboring countries. The new firmware build number for the phone is A556EXXS1AXC1. The company should soon release the update in other markets where the Galaxy A55 is available.

According to Samsung’s official changelog, the device is getting the latest security fixes with this update. It doesn’t bring anything more. The Galaxy A55 is still very new. Early buyers may have yet to notice major bugs or issues if there are any. If reports surface in the coming weeks, Samsung may address the issues with the next update.

The Galaxy A55 will likely get monthly security updates for at least a couple of years. Samsung will then likely drop it to quarterly updates. Like most other Galaxy devices, it is eligible for five years of security patches and four major Android OS updates. Debuted with Android 14, the mid-range phone will get updates up to Android 18.

Other Galaxy devices are also getting the new security patch

Samsung’s March 2024 SMR (Security Maintenance Release) is also available for a few more Galaxy devices. As said earlier, it is rolling out to the Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy A73, Galaxy A52s, and Galaxy A52. The 2020 foldable is getting this update widely in Europe and a few Asian countries. The new build number for the device is F916BXXS5KXC1.

For the Galaxy A73, the rollout has begun in Asia. It is getting the update with firmware version A736BXXS6DXC3. The Galaxy A52s is picking up the March SMR in Europe and Latin America with the build number A528BXXS6FXC1. Finally, the March update for the Galaxy A52 (4G) is available in Europe and Asia with firmware version A525FXXS6EXC2 or A525FXXS6EXC3.

None of these Galaxy smartphones is receiving new features or improvements with the March update. Samsung is only pushing the latest security fixes to the devices. The company’s March 2024 SMR fixes 46 vulnerabilities, including a couple of critical Android OS flaws. The remaining eligible devices will also get the update soon.


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Reddit CEO’s $193 million compensation draws tough scrutiny

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Reddit co-founder and CEO Steve Huffman’s compensation package for 2023 was a staggering $193 million. This has not only shocked the Reddit community but many internet users for quite a few reasons.

Reddit revealed Huffman’s pay package, which mostly includes stock options, in the mandatory U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing late last month. As the company nears its IPO (Initial Public Offering), this handsome figure has drawn severe criticism. Interestingly, Huffman has defended his compensation via a Reddit AMA.

Steve Huffman has justified his compensation package

As expected, Reddit CEO Huffman’s compensation package has drawn widespread criticism, especially on Reddit. It is important to note that moderators, who essentially manage and run the sub-forums, called sub-Reddits, continue to remain unpaid.

Specifically speaking, moderators have always been considered volunteers. They contribute as per their schedule. While there are strict rules about moderation, it is the moderators who ensure the sub-Reddits remain civil and active.

AM(almost)A answers, but make it video
byu/rddt_IR inRDDT

While avoiding justifying his salary while Reddit’s moderators remain unpaid, Huffman answered why he was awarded $193 million last year. It is interesting to note Reddit has officially admitted that “its results and user experience could be harmed if it were unable to keep a sufficient number of volunteer moderators.”

Could Steve Huffman’s compensation package hurt Reddit’s IPO?

Steve Huffman is Reddit’s CEO and co-founder. He goes by his Reddit username “spez” on the social media platform. He co-founded Reddit with his college roommate, Alexis Ohanian, in 2005.

Condé Nast acquired Reddit for a mere $10 million in 2006. Although this made Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian multimillionaires both have expressed regret at selling for such a small amount at the time.

Reddit rehired Huffman as CEO in 2015. Although the platform was growing, his primary objectives were to further propel the company, create a clear content policy, and stabilize infrastructure.

Since then, Reddit has banned thousands of communities for hate speech. The platform underwent a major redesign, and Huffman’s growth propelled him into Fortune’s 40 Under 40 list.

All this success for Reddit, however, hasn’t trickled downwards to its moderators, who continue to remain unpaid. They are still volunteers, who are slogging away for free to maintain the platform.

Hence, Reddit CEO Huffman’s handsome compensation package may invariably be compared to the lack of profit-sharing or compensation for moderators, threatening and occasionally even arm-twisting them. This may impact Reddit’s upcoming IPO.


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