X Ad Spyware And RFK Jr Scandals

Generated on September 05, 2026 at 00:03 UTC

📝 Overview

The NBA has imposed a severe punishment on the Clippers, levying a $30 million fine, stripping five first-round draft picks and banning Steve Ballmer for a year. In technology, X has shut down Nitter and Xcancel, closing off widely used ways to view posts without tracking, while Apple has also fixed a TestFlight sorting bug. Politics is dominated by disputes over government conduct and media strategy, including allegations that the USPS defied a court injunction in building a ballot-blocking system and calls for RFK Jr. to resign after further questions about his confirmation testimony.

Business

Vinted is an eBay-like marketplace for buying and selling used clothing, founded in Lithuania and already popular in Europe. It is now gaining more attention in the United States.
Source: Daring Fireball • Published: September 05, 2026
John Ternus is presented as Apple’s incoming CEO, while Tim Cook says goodbye in a lengthy farewell memo to employees. The piece uses satire to contrast Cook’s exit with Ternus’s brief first-day message.
Source: Six Colors • Published: September 04, 2026

Culture

Marcin Wichary writes about a remarkably long Super Metroid FAQ by rs1n that was formatted to be fully justified without extra spaces, hyphenation, or other tricks. The piece highlights the challenge of writing naturally under such a strict constraint.
Source: Daring Fireball • Published: September 05, 2026

Health

A law professor argues that U.S. health privacy rules under HIPAA cover less data than many people assume, leaving information from apps, searches, DNA services and wearables exposed. The piece warns that government efforts to collect health data rely on weak anonymization and insufficient safeguards.
Source: Techdirt • Published: September 04, 2026

Other

This is a promotional offer for an Adobe graphic design bundle covering Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. The package is on sale for $50.
Source: Techdirt • Published: September 02, 2026

Politics

The piece argues that some lawsuits against social-media companies are being driven by financial motives rather than genuine harm claims, citing discovery material from cases involving teenagers. It says recent case withdrawals and internal evidence raise doubts about the credibility of some plaintiffs and lawyers.
Source: Techdirt • Published: September 04, 2026
A whistleblower says the US Postal Service defied a court injunction while building an untested system aimed at blocking mail ballots. Postal staff reportedly described the process as chaotic, and the effort is tied to Trump’s push to restrict mail voting.
Source: Techdirt • Published: September 02, 2026
A Brevard County, Florida deputy was named Deputy of the Year before an internal investigation uncovered serious misconduct allegations, including racist behaviour and misuse of surveillance tools. He later retired as criminal charges approached.
Source: Techdirt • Published: September 02, 2026
Republican committees are asking the Supreme Court to let them use cheaper TV ad rates in the midterms after a lower court blocked the FCC’s rule change. The case reflects a wider push to expand partisan spending power on broadcast media.
Source: Techdirt • Published: September 02, 2026
Senators are calling for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign or face investigation after new emails reportedly suggest he misled lawmakers during his confirmation hearings. The allegations relate to his account of a 2019 trip to Samoa.
Source: Techdirt • Published: September 02, 2026

Safety

A report says immigration officers, including some from ICE and CBP, have been implicated in a wide range of criminal cases involving abuse of power. The findings raise further concerns about oversight and screening during the government’s hiring surges.
Source: Techdirt • Published: September 01, 2026

Sports

Mike Vorkunov reports that the NBA imposed its largest-ever penalty on the LA Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer after finding they circumvented salary-cap rules to aid Kawhi Leonard. The team was fined $30 million and will lose five first-round picks, and Ballmer was suspended for one year.
Source: Daring Fireball • Published: September 05, 2026

Technology

Apple released TestFlight v4.3.1, which fixes a sidebar sorting bug introduced in the previous update. The problem affected only some users, including the writer and John Siracusa.
Source: Daring Fireball • Published: September 05, 2026
Mike Masnick and Ben Whitelaw discuss recent online-speech and AI stories in an episode of Ctrl-Alt-Speech, including a probe into a service selling driver’s licences data and OpenAI’s new ChatGPT for teens tools. The episode also highlights broader debates over AI safety and platform policy.
Source: Techdirt • Published: September 04, 2026
CyberTraining 365 is offering an online cybersecurity course bundle for $80, with modules covering malware analysis, penetration testing, threat intelligence and reverse engineering. The training aligns with the NICE cybersecurity workforce framework and is marketed as a deal for individuals or teams.
Source: Techdirt • Published: September 04, 2026
Monitor makers are increasingly pushing ads, tracking software and “smart” operating systems onto consumers’ displays. Critics say the trend mirrors the privacy problems long associated with smart TVs.
Source: Techdirt • Published: September 01, 2026
X has shut down Nitter and Xcancel, two services that let people view posts without logging in or being tracked by Elon Musk’s platform. The move further tightens control over access to the network.
Source: Techdirt • Published: September 01, 2026