Happy Friday! Police are using warrants to access footage from Waymo and Cruise’s self-driving cars to investigate crimes that took place nearby. Wonder if Waymo PMs took police into account as a “secondary user” 🚓

🌶 Daily highlight 🌶

Google will remove all links to Canadian news in Search, News, and Discover. Canada recently passed Bill C-18, the Online News Act, which forces big tech companies to pay publishers for news content they share. Just like Meta, Google’s decided to pull the pin rather than pay up 🧨

My take is that it’s a negotiating tactic, and just like what happened in Australia after a similar law was proposed, Meta and Google are likely to end up cutting a deal with publishers 💵

If I’m wrong, Canadian publishers stand to lose big time…

♨️ Latest launches

Big tech

• YouTube tests disabling videos for users using ad-blockers

• Microsoft adds AI-powered shopping tools to Bing 

• Snap launches chat customization features for subscribers 

• Twitter to add video ads and full-screen ads

• TikTok to launch an online retail store in the US

• Meta rolls out “Why am I seeing this” for Reels and Explore

General and early-stage

• Mastercard tests tokenized bank deposits in the UK

• HaloCar launches remotely piloted rental car deliveries in Vegas

• Worldcoin expands to Germany and adds an Okta integration

• Speakesy launches an AI product to improve API efficiency

• Electrify to add Tesla chargers to EV charging network

🔍 Other good finds

• Close the loop. How to run product review debriefs

• Other world. Virgin Galactic completes first commercial spaceflight

• Forever tryouts. MLB to scout players using 3D motion tracking

🧈 Twitter nugget

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- Amol