The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) decided not to suspend Tesla's sales and manufacturing licenses for 30 days, a move that settles a nearly three-year-long case regarding the company's marketing of its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving driver assistance systems, according to TechCrunch. The decision, issued late Tuesday, allows Tesla to continue selling its electric vehicles (EVs) in California, its largest U.S. market. In other news, a new report by Amnesty International revealed that a journalist in Angola was targeted with spyware, and Jack Altman is joining Benchmark as a general partner. Ford is also planning to release a $30,000 electric truck, and Meta's internal research found that parental supervision has little impact on teens' compulsive social media use.
The DMV's decision came after Tesla stopped using the term "Autopilot" in its marketing materials within the state, according to TechCrunch. In November 2023, the DMV had accused Tesla of violating state law by using deceptive marketing practices for its advanced driver assistance systems.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International's report detailed how a journalist and press freedom activist, Teixeira Cândido, was targeted with Intellexa's Predator spyware. The journalist received malicious links via WhatsApp in 2024 and was subsequently hacked after clicking on one. The report highlights the increasing use of spyware by government customers of commercial surveillance vendors to target journalists and other members of civil society, according to TechCrunch.
In the business world, Jack Altman announced he would be joining Benchmark as a general partner. Altman has been running his own VC firm, Alt Capital, since at least 2024. Alt Capital raised a $150 million Fund I in early 2024 and a $274 million Fund II last September. Altman described the past two years as the most rewarding of his life, according to TechCrunch. Alt Capital invested in at least 52 companies, including Rippling and Antares Nuclear.
Ford is aiming to release an EV truck next year with a starting price of $30,000. The company plans to achieve this through a combination of 3D-printed parts, Formula 1 thinking, and a bounty program, according to TechCrunch. Ford took a $19.5 billion hit in December and ended production of its battery-electric F-150 Lightning. The new EV business strategy is led by a skunkworks team led by Alan Clarke, a 12-year Tesla veteran.
Finally, Meta's internal research, conducted in partnership with the University of Chicago, found that parental supervision and controls had little impact on teens' compulsive social media use, according to TechCrunch. The study also revealed that kids experiencing stressful life events were more likely to struggle with moderating their social media use. This finding was revealed during testimony at a social media addiction trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The plaintiff, identified as KGM or Kaley, is accusing social media companies of creating addictive and dangerous products.
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