Here are the latest updates on news affecting Los Angeles' startup and tech communities. Sign up for our newsletter and follow dot.LA on Twitter for more.
Today:
- Peacock Launches 24-Hour 'Road to Tokyo' Olympics Stream
- Could Twitter's QAnon Crackdown Be Followed by Others?
- 'The Interchange' Launches to Connect L.A. Startups to Potential Recruits
- LA-Based CreatorIQ Marketing Platform Picks up $24M
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Peacock Launches 24-Hour 'Road to Tokyo' Olympics Stream
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUwNTY1NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MjQ3MTgzMn0.NFt3LuCTrHqE2cH9nvKonUoz_DbozoAO5liNYPjl1C4/image.jpg?width=980" id="3b757" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="696cd780a21970cb2358d4e9a7b6af8f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />multicolored signagePhoto by Kyle Dias on Unsplash<p>As NBCUniversal prepared for its entry into the streaming wars, it looked to the 2020 Summer Olympics as a valuable tool to build interest and win over viewers. Because the company owns the rights to broadcast the games, it planned to use them to give what would ultimately be called Peacock some wind beneath its wings.</p><p>The coronavirus pandemic took the air out of those plans, but with the Tokyo Olympics having moved to the summer of 2021, the streaming service has adjusted. Peacock has launched a new 24/7 stream devoted to the games, which the service announced in a statement on Wednesday.<br></p><p>With the new "Road to Tokyo" channel, Peacock viewers will have access to continuous content "dedicated to Olympic and Paralympic classic moments, documentaries and studio programming," the statement said. This "pop-up channel" is one of Peacock's so-called linear feeds, where users tune into the channel but don't choose what they watch. Other channels include feeds centered around Saturday Night Live, The Office and Keeping Up with the Kardashians.</p><p>Peacock also announced it will feature a collection of NBC Olympics documentaries on its app, and produce three exclusive new specials "to prepare fans for what could be the most meaningful Olympics ever."</p><p>The games are now scheduled to begin on June 23, 2021. Although their delay has hindered NBCU's ability to market Peacock, the company is still turning to them as a tool to attract subscribers and goose excitement for its prized assets. </p>Could Twitter's QAnon Crackdown Be Followed by Others?
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUwNTc1NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwOTI4NDYwOX0.9DmpYpi70SJa9kxn37fFn1Ty_0Zmb7xeidmYk-f6nk4/image.jpg?width=980" id="04b31" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cafcc10c1b76c02f11477fa327eef04b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />QAnon protesters
<p>Twitter announced Tuesday evening that it began cracking down on accounts related to QAnon, the conspiracy theory that has gained traction across social media platforms. And there's a good chance other companies will follow suit, USC professor Nenad Medvidovic told dot.LA.</p> <p><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/jIXp-izYNFu6mI-mGsbJWy8IeS7FkJSMhpqmfDAXLnfHzXKWV0O_VKQYFUNeNiS6vJhmscsCte8oPGjcRXE7lUvCBHZFUk1W3l8ZcKRIUcTBksUeXEQjUIfeatOwktZLCKutfKA4"></p> <p>The company pledged to suspend accounts tweeting about "these topics that we know are engaged in violations of our multi-account policy, coordinating abuse around individual victims, or are attempting to evade a previous suspicion." </p><p>"What Twitter did is not entirely unilateral," Medvidovic, a computer science professor, told dot.LA. "There's actually a concerted effort in connection with other media platforms. The pressure definitely does build."</p> <p>Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat are independent companies that make their own decisions related to First Amendment issues, Medvidovic said. Still, it seems many of them are working off the same playbook when it comes to addressing and managing misinformation. </p> <p>QAnon is a far-right conspiracy theory that revolves around unfounded claims of a "deep state" attack against President Trump. An individual going by the name "Q" first posted his theories back in 2017. The group has since falsely accused actors and politicians of running a child sex trafficking ring. Recently, attacks fell on celebrity Chrissy Teigen after she <a href="https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/1285743767945752577" target="_blank">spoke out</a> against Twitter critics who claimed the company was wrongfully censoring users. </p> <p>Medviovic says that while QAnon is considered mostly a fringe movement, its messaging and actions are reaching the mainstream. Once it begins to incite violence, First Amendment protections are no longer guaranteed, Medviovic said. </p> <p>Plus, Twitter is a private platform that can set its own rules and restrictions. </p> <p>"I think the issue here is that it was bleeding into the real world and potentially encroaching on people's safety," Medviovic said. "I can definitely see something like QAnon being checked more consistently across the board." </p> <p>Twitter says it no longer highlights QAnon posts in search and trending topics and will block URLs associated with the conspiracy theory from being shared on its site.</p> <p>"As we work at scale to protect the public conversation in the face of evolving threats, we'll continue to lead with transparency and offer more context on our efforts," Twitter wrote. </p>
'The Interchange' Launches to Connect L.A. Startups to Potential Recruits
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUwNTg0Ni9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxOTI1NzMzOX0.30m8Kzl01kgDtJxLbqUdUha_kpPEXr3nDpuwAvzt6iM/image.png?width=980" id="1321f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5ead9a4844f7366f20d40e65c06fb5f0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>VC firm Crosscut announced Wednesday the launch of a new, free platform for L.A.-based jobseekers, built in partnership with PledgeLA and the Annenberg Foundation.</p><p>The listings of L.A. startup jobs is called the "<a href="https://interchange.la/" target="_blank">Interchange</a>." It aggregates startup jobs across the city in an effort to make early-stage tech opportunities more open and accessible.<br></p><p><a href="https://pledgela.org/" target="_blank">PledgeLA</a> is an initiative sponsored by the Annenberg Foundation and the mayor of Los Angeles to promote civic engagement and diversity within the tech community. Its 222 signatories span L.A.'s venture capital and tech community, all of whom have pledged to work toward improving equity and transparent reporting on their diversity efforts.</p><p>The Interchange uses the Monday.vc platform, which is now called Getro, to aggregate regional startup jobs rather than relying on companies to post opportunities on job boards or LinkedIn, said Calvin Selth, AnnenbergTech's program lead. The platform automatically scrapes each company's career page daily to make sure its listings are up to date.</p><p><a href="https://dot.la/pledgelas-2nd-annual-survey-finds-women-non-whites-still-lack-equity-representation-2646415502.html" target="_blank">One result from PledgeLA's 2nd annual survey</a> found that underrepresented minorities were less likely to get their jobs through referrals. Interchange is an attempt to offer "a place to direct local underrepresented jobseekers to startup opportunities here in LA," Selth said. "We felt like this was a way to increase transparency about available roles while also helping startups that need build more diverse talent pipelines."<br></p><p>The platform focuses on startups that have fewer than 1,000 employees, is primarily a tech company, headquartered or has a technical team in L.A., makes more than $1 million in annual revenue or raises more than $1 million in venture capital, was founded after 2010 and is privately held, Selth said.</p><p>Crosscut head of platform, Nick Kim, said that early-stage tech startups are often cash constrained so post jobs on their own boards or use their networks to fill the top of hiring funnels.</p><p>"For marginalized or underrepresented people looking for high growth opportunities in tech, this means they might never see the best jobs before they're filled," Kim said. "Our goal is for all communities in LA, especially those who are not well represented in tech, to have access to the opportunities tech startups are hiring for. We hope that Interchange becomes a starting point for the promising talent that might have previously had less access to opportunity."<br></p>LA-Based CreatorIQ Marketing Platform Picks up $24M
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUwNTg4My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTM5NTk0NX0.d9h2-8Rc2j9-fOg2CTOMA1FD6LXW4eY0HRcExYZ--pk/image.jpg?width=980" id="39005" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="661f98f9a85f00ad7d2a07765812beac" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>CreatorIQ is expanding their cloud after announcing today that they raised $24 million in a series C round.</p><p>The investment was led by Kayne Partners Fund with contributions from Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, L.P., TVC Capital and Unilever Ventures.</p><p>The Los Angeles-based marketing software company was founded in 2014 and recently named a leader in the "Forrester New Wave: Influencer Marketing Solutions Report." It's now among Forrester's list of rapidly growing software programs.</p> <p>CVS, Disney, H&M, Mattel, Salesforce, Sephora and Unilever are some of the many well-known companies that already use CreatorIQ's platform to collect and analyze their marketing data for discovery, workflow and privacy.</p><p>The $24 million raised will allow the company to enter new partnerships with Collectively, Digital Brand Architects, Everywhere Agency, ShopStyle Collective and Sway Group. The funds will also allow CreatorIQ to expand its current data offerings and further develop elements of their system's user experience, data science and paid media components.</p><p>"As Marketing leaders accelerate their transformation strategies to close their in-house gaps across their marketing capabilities, they are uniting best-in-class technologies with leading data providers," said Igor Vaks, CreatorIQ's founder and CEO in a press release.</p><p>The company will also soon introduce a new learning machine it said will use analytics to power visual insights and, in turn, increase brand safety, content prediction, and recommendations. Called One60, the program will allow CreatorIQ's companies to host their own technology and data in one place.</p>From Your Site Articles
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Here are the latest headlines regarding how the protests around the killing of George Floyd are impacting the Los Angeles startup and tech communities. Sign up for our newsletter and follow dot.LA on Twitter for the latest update.
Today:
- TikTok addresses 'tough but fair questions' about treatment of black creators
- L.A. VC's react
- L.A.'s top health official: racism fuels health inequities
- L.A.'s music industry will shut down for 'Black Out Tuesday'
- Hollywood, streaming services nod to Black Lives Matter
- Snap and Twitter reportedly used by ill-intentioned protesters to organize theft
- Snap CEO talks reparations and heartbreak
- Airmap's Santa Monica headquarters destroyed by looters
- Santa Monica, Beverly Hills announce 1 pm curfews for business districts
TikTok addresses 'tough but fair questions' about opportunities for black creators on the platform
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzI4MTA2NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMTI4NDc0M30.F2EmQwLKpL0bqpvqRnKtfsESZGRp-fL7HNtQzPApv1I/img.jpg?width=980" id="f162f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d10c53cd90b55e4e7c6590db465caf9f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p> TikTok sent a message out to "our black community" on Monday addressing what the company called "tough but fair questions" about whether the platform allows all creators the opportunity to have their content viewed.<br> </p><p> <a href="https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/a-message-to-our-black-community" target="_blank">In a message to its black community,</a> Vanessa Pappas, TikTok's U.S. general manager and Kudzi Chikumbu, director of creator community, said "we hear you and we care about your experienced on TikTok. </p><p> "We acknowledge and apologize to our Black creators and community who have felt unsafe, unsupported, or suppressed. We don't ever want anyone to feel that way." </p><p> The company, which is owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based internet technology company, said that on May 19 black creators and their allies changed their profile pictures and connected on the platform to speak out against how they felt marginalized on TikTok. Then, last week, "a technical glitch made it temporarily appear as if posts uploaded using #BlackLivesMatter and #GeorgeFloyd would receive 0 views." </p><p> TikTok said that the company understands that many assumed the bug to be an intentional act to suppress the black community's experiences and invalidate their emotions. It's unclear why TikTok wrote about the glitch Monday, or if had intended to do so before recent demonstrations in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. A Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck while he pleaded for his mother and to breathe.</p><p> The company, which has its U.S. headquarters in Culver City, said it is donating $3 million in honor of black creators to nonprofits that help the black community, which has been disproportionately affected by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. TikTok also said it is committing $1 million to fighting racial injustice and inequality. </p><p> TikTok said it will standing in solidarity on Tuesday by participating in Blackout Tuesday, turning off all playlists and campaigns on its "Sounds" page to observe a moment of reflection and action. The company said it is also investing in technology. and better moderation strategies with a more user-friendly appeals process. It's also establishing a creator diversity council and developing a creator portal to expand communication and opportunities. </p><p> "We know we have work to do to regain and repair that trust," the post said. </p> <pre class="redactor-script-tag" style="display: none;" async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></pre> <pre class="redactor-script-tag" style="display: none;" async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></pre><p> <em data-redactor-tag="em">-- Tami Abdollah</em> </p>Los Angeles VC's react
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjg0MTIxNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNjg3NTAxMH0.U1VUyLAY54twd9MfdUzdAJpJJSan3OtlEXdxM_MB_1A/img.jpg?width=980" id="54091" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="94a0002556c56ffba7075464172455ad" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Women in tech " />Art by Candace Navi<p> It has been notoriously difficult for people of color to break into the insular world of venture capital, where who you know and previous success are are highly prized. <a href="https://tpinsights.com/2019/08/12/black-investment-firms-gain-ground/" target="_blank">Just 2% of investment professionals are black</a>, which in turn makes it hard for black founders to get funded. Here is a sampling of some of the reaction from the Los Angeles VC community, many of whom have offices in Santa Monica near protests and looting: </p> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><script async="" src="<a href=" https:="" platform.twitter.com="" widgets.js"="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><a href="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js</a>" charset="utf-8"> </script><script async="" src="<a href=" https:="" platform.twitter.com="" widgets.js"="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><a href="<a href=" <a="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js</a>" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><a href="<a href=" https:="" platform.twitter.com="" widgets.js"="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js</a>" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><a href="<a href=" https:="" platform.twitter.com="" widgets.js"="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js</a>" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><a href="<a href=" https:="" platform.twitter.com="" widgets.js"="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js</a>" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><a href="<a href=" https:="" platform.twitter.com="" widgets.js"="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js</a>" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><a href="<a href=" https:="" platform.twitter.com="" widgets.js"="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js</a>" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><a href="<a href=" https:="" platform.twitter.com="" widgets.js"="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js</a>" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"> </script><p> <em>-Ben Bergman</em> </p>LA County public health director calls police violence "a public health issue"
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e2f358b93cf1a7b7b3b7d4f6c23fe9ac"><div class="fb-video" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=3132778153449319" data-allowfullscreen="true"></div></div><p>Los Angeles County top public health official Barbara Ferrer linked the unrest that has rocked the region to the deep health disparities that black Americans experience. Ferrer, who has been providing somber daily updates on coronavirus deaths and its spread, called police brutality a public health issue that must be addressed.<br></p><p>"It's important to comment on the connection between these two concerns the death of a black man at the hands of police and the experience of COVID-19 in L.A. County," she said in starting her briefing. "We know that black Americans fare worse than other groups on virtually every measure of health status. And it has become all too common to blame this on individual behaviors, when in fact the science is clear, the root cause of health inequities is racism and discrimination."</p><p>"Science also tells us that lifetime stress associated with experiences of daily acts of discrimination and oppression, play a major role," she said. "It starts at birth with higher rates of black infant mortality and shockingly higher rates of maternal mortality among black women and extends to adulthood, when we see black residents in L.A. County experiencing earlier onset of heart disease, hypertension and diabetes and earlier deaths."</p><p>"When I report each week that we have seen elevated numbers of black deaths in this county due to COVID-19, I am reporting on the consequences of these long standing inequities. And it's not just the direct victim of violence, the person who's beaten, or shot or asphyxiated who pays the price for brutality. It is an entire community that lives with the fear that the next time, it could be them or their son or daughter neighbor or friend. It is a consequence of that fear that we are seeing when we report instance after instance of inequality and health outcomes," she said. </p><p>"As the department responsible for public health in L.A. County and in acknowledgement of our national association, the American Public Health Association, declaring that addressing law enforcement violence is a public health issue, this rush to justice has to be part of our prescription, as well. </p><p>Los Angeles county and city declared a 6 p.m. curfew on Monday. </p><p>-<em>Rachel Uranga </em></p>L.A.'s music industry will shut down for 'Black Out Tuesday'
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM2NTIwNC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NTgxNTE3M30.8Y-F6HTO8W0CPx8s3KrT7hRwb83Z4eCk5G85GYWHktQ/image.png?width=980" id="e1efa" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="395bddc54cde2e4a77da645d5ed20d77" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p> Many organizations in the music industry are pledging to close on Tuesday as part of a 'Black Out Tuesday' campaign. Participants include the three major labels: Warner Music Group, Sony Music and Universal Music Group, along with many of their associated sub-labels.<br> </p><p> The initiative started with a pop-up <a href="https://www.theshowmustbepaused.com" target="_blank">webpage</a> calling for the music industry to shut down on Tuesday, published by Jamila Thomas, a marketing executive at Atlantic Records (owned by Warner Music Group), and Brianna Agyemang, an artist campaign manager at Platoon (owned by Apple). </p><p> "It is a day to take a beat for an honest, reflective and productive conversation about what actions we need to collectively take to support the black community," the post said. "The music industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. An industry that has profited predominantly from Black art. Our mission is to hold the industry at large, including major corporations + their partners who benefit from the efforts, struggles and successes of Black people accountable… This is not just a 24-hour initiative. We are and will be in this fight for the long haul. A plan of action will be announced." </p><p> The post includes a list of links for suggested actions to take on Tuesday. </p><p> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheShowMustBePaused?src=hashtag_click&f=live" target="_blank">#TheShowMustBePaused</a> has traveled widely through the music industry's social media. Santa Monica-based Interscope (owned by Universal Music) pledged to delay releasing new music this week. </p> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><p> <span style="background-color: initial;">Other organizations have been posting messages of solidarity to their social media accounts including </span><a href="https://twitter.com/sonymusic/status/1267171054910349316/photo/1" target="_blank">Sony Music</a><span style="background-color: initial;">, </span><a href="https://twitter.com/ColumbiaRecords/status/1267164123680440320" target="_blank">Columbia Records</a><span style="background-color: initial;"> (owned by Sony), </span><a href="https://twitter.com/UMG/status/1267256132524838912" target="_blank">Universal Music</a><span style="background-color: initial;">, and </span><a href="https://twitter.com/AtlanticRecords/status/1266850797771505664" target="_blank">Atlantic Records</a><span style="background-color: initial;"> (owned by Warner).</span><br> </p><p> <a href="https://twitter.com/Spotify/status/1266727451029319682/photo/1" target="_blank">Spotify</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AppleMusic/status/1266940744356503557/photo/1" target="_blank">Apple Music</a> have also issued brief statements on their social channels.</p><p><em>— Sam Blake</em></p>Hollywood, streaming services nod to Black Lives Matter
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM2NTIwMS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTA3MDYxM30.xZLAH8xHQPPhubNfjhkXPzcRGQfX0YO-efKO4nvE1fs/image.png?width=980" id="5ad4b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f21dfe8e913e6389f31db1ad549c2b2f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p> Over the weekend, several streaming companies took to social media to show support for the peaceful protests. <br> </p> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><p>Some streaming platforms have changed their social media profile names and descriptions to express solidarity, including <a href="https://twitter.com/hbomax" target="_blank">HBO Max</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Quibi" target="_blank">Quibi</a>. Other organizations with similar messages on their social media pages include <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCUniversal/status/1267481089431539720/photo/1" target="_blank">NBCUniversal</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Disney/status/1267224613152571393" target="_blank">Disney</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/hulu/status/1266913549512658946" target="_blank">Hulu</a>.<br></p><p> On Sunday, various Hollywood union leaders weighed in as well.<br> </p><p> SAG-AFTRA leaders Gabrielle Carteris and David P. White issued a statement. "The murder of George Floyd is deeply emblematic of a corrosive inequality and injustice at the heart of America," it began. "It's not enough to demand change. We must recognize that racism lives in our culture and only we can change that." </p><p> WGA West President David Goodman said: "As demonstrations continue today across America, our union stands with those who peacefully protest the racist, extrajudicial murders of George Floyd and other Black people...National outrage about bigotry, discrimination, and injustice is the only way we will ever see real change." </p><p> ViacomCBS <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSLA/status/1267559820787421185" target="_blank">announced</a> on Monday that several of its networks, including Nickelodeon, BET and CBS Sports Network, would go dark for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in tribute to George Floyd and "other victims of racial violence." </p><p><em>— Sam Blake</em></p>L.A.'s gaming companies express support for BLM
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM0NjQ0OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MzcxNzA2M30.RZmGsnE7xfT0iSt7f47FiD7YJlOWtBMPSFD8m2mPMZc/img.jpg?width=980" id="c72e6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="078c7039c95b61c89427ab9317e2de27" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />live.staticflickr.com <p> Several Los Angeles gaming companies have weighed in to express solidarity and sympathy with social activists. </p><p> Culver City-based <a href="https://twitter.com/JamCityHQ/status/1267552773232455680/photo/1" target="_blank">Jam City</a>, a mobile game developer founded in 2010, took to social media to stand with Black Lives Matter. Santa Monica's <a href="https://twitter.com/ATVI_AB/status/1267300339104968709/photo/1" target="_blank">Activision Blizzard</a> and West LA's <a href="https://twitter.com/riotgames/status/1267143804890513408" target="_blank">Riot Games</a> also posted on social media, as has startup <a href="https://twitter.com/EsportsOneInc/status/1266933026174324736" target="_blank">Esports</a> <a href="https://dot.la/esports-one-aims-to-provide-fantasy-sports-vibe-for-competitive-gamers-2645979049.html" target="_blank">One</a>. </p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><p> Gaming and lifestyle company FaZe Clan, based in Hollywood, published an "honest message" to its fans:</p> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><p> FaZe Clan is donating all profits from a retail campaign to a Memorial Fund created in George Floyd's name. </p><p> <em>— Sam Blake</em> </p>Snap and Twitter reportedly used by ill-intentioned protesters to organize theft; Snap CEO talks reparations and heartbreak
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM2NTA5OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNDk1MjE1MX0.y8y0C2M82toBgEbv4stcCfTp6jxNd7ZWRVU0lZ49yqY/image.jpg?width=980" id="823a5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ed739aec6f94f9e685fe42972f83f784" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Photo by Tami Abdollah
<p>Twitter has long been the social media platform of choice for people protesting an abuse of power -- during the Arab Spring uprisings it proved crucially useful as a way to get around and deal with internet blackouts.</p><p>So too has it been used this past week, by groups organizing mostly peaceful efforts to express their anger at George Floyd's death. But as Twitter has upped its efforts to counter violence on its platform, notably by placing a warning label on a tweet by President Trump for glorifying violence, those with less peaceful intentions have also taken their messages to Snapchat to urge their contacts and the broader public to engage in violence, theft and property damage.</p><p>A Snap spokesperson said the company's <a href="https://www.snap.com/en-US/community-guidelines" target="_blank">Community Guidelines</a> "prohibit content that incites or glorifies violence, hate speech and discrimination of any kind. We have in-app reporting tools that Snapchatters can use to quickly report any content that may be in violation of our guidelines to our Trust and Safety team, who then reviews the reports and takes appropriate action."</p><p><a href="https://press.snap.com/we-stand-together" target="_blank">On Sunday evening, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel sent a letter to staff</a> in which he said "we simply cannot promote accounts in America that are linked to people who incite racial violence, whether they do so on or off our platform.</p><p>"Our Discover content platform is a curated platform, where we decide what we promote. We have spoken time and again about working hard to make a positive impact, and we will walk the talk with the content we promote on Snapchat. We may continue to allow divisive people to maintain an account on Snapchat, as long as the content that is published on Snapchat is consistent with our community guidelines, but we will not promote that account or content in any way."</p><p>The self-described camera company is currently protected from financial liability for such messages by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act that that has been broadly interpreted by the courts over the years as shielding internet sites and apps from being financially liable for what user tweets, posts or generally publishes on their platforms.</p><p>Last week, <a href="https://dot.la/snap-tiktok-grindr-section-230-2646118991.html" target="_blank">Trump signed an executive order that may change all of that</a> by enabling federal regulators to punish social media companies for how they moderate content on their sites. Lawmakers and internet freedom advocates called the action illegal and improper under the First Amendment.</p><p>Such a change could have far-reaching impacts on Santa Monica-based Snap and smaller companies with an online presence that lack the budgets to moderate every single message or post on their apps.</p><p>Spiegel said he is "heartbroken and enraged by the treatment of black people and people of color in America." He called for the establishment of a diverse, nonpartisan "Commission on Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations" to investigate the criminal justice system and take action on reconciliation and reparations.</p><p><em>— Tami Abdollah</em></p>Airmap's Santa Monica headquarters destroyed by looters
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM2NTA1NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MjY0MTczMH0.-O5tmfWQ8LM1b4hNTi9Vt3GR3HQMU4JyrNvIIVKGycs/image.jpg?width=980" id="c90e6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c09777bd410d377ad598210d2c701fbf" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Greg McNeal/Twitter
<p> Airmap's headquarters on Santa Monica boulevard near the Third Street Promenade was destroyed by looters Sunday night, according to co-founder Greg McNeal, who recounted the damage in a series of Twitter posts. The company, founded in 2015, is the world's leading airspace services platform for unmanned aircraft. </p> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><p>AirMap co-founder and chairman Ben Marcus added this on Twitter: "Last night, the AirMap office in Santa Monica was consumed by fire. Thankfully, nobody was hurt. What hurts is the unending racism & injustice in America. We all must work harder to make our union more perfect. We're all brothers and sisters. Let's treat each other with love, respect, & dignity, and create opportunity for all who choose to make a positive impact." <br></p><p><em>— Ben Bergman</em> </p><script async="" src="<a href=" https:="" platform.twitter.com="" widgets.js"="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><a href="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js</a>" charset="utf-8"> </script>Santa Monica, Beverly Hills announce 1 pm curfews for business districts
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM2NDg5NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNzI3NDcyN30.oX2HPoykVnc2p7yt-G-qSQuaUpCgxJHAvjGoszbcego/image.jpg?width=980" id="ca930" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6015a8e6f6e784527f3f74b2c3ba04f9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>Santa Monica and Beverly Hills announced 1 p.m. curfews for their business districts on Monday, as shop owners and residents began sweeping the glass off the street and assessing the damage after a night of peaceful protests turned into fires, looting and vandalism over the death of George Floyd, who was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis. Citywide curfews will go into effect at 4 p.m. The chaos went to the heart of Silicon Beach, home to tech companies like Snap Inc and venture capitalists like Upfront Ventures, whose office overlooks the Pacific Ocean. </p><p>Long Beach issued a similar curfew. </p><p>"Sunday was one of the most distressing days in Santa Monica history," said Santa Monica Mayor Kevin McKeown in a statement. "We know better than to let the looters obscure the message of the protesters, who have indeed been heard."</p><p>Downtown L.A., Beverly Hills, Fairfax District and the Grove shopping center all got hit by looters over the weekend as police cars were set ablaze and the national guard was called in. News outlets reported that some chanted "eat the rich" as they marched along Rodeo Drive, one of the most expensive slices of commercial real estate in the region. </p><p>Floyd's death caused anguish in communities that have seen a number of black men die or be hurt by police officers who often suffer few consequences. Meanwhile, blacks and Latinos have higher arrest and incarceration rates. The deep disparity extends beyond the criminal justice system to education, housing and other areas.</p><p>And the frustration over it played out during the protests. Unlike the 1992 civil unrest after the release of Los Angeles police officers who beat Rodney King, demonstrations hit some of the wealthiest parts of the city. In 1992, looting and fires devastated South Central, further impoverishing an already economically disadvantaged area.</p><p>"Pretty wild to see the epicentre of this chaos at my office," Laurent Grill, an investor at Santa Monica based Luma Launch wrote on Twitter Sunday. "Quite a divide... on one side we had massive peaceful protests and 3 blocks away, people are looting & burning stores in my community. Makes me extremely sad." </p><p><em>— Rachel Uranga</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Here are the latest headlines regarding how the novel coronavirus is impacting the Los Angeles startup and tech communities. Sign up for our newsletter and follow dot.LA on Twitter for the latest updates.
- Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey donates $10 million to COVID-19 fund launched by Sean Penn
- Americans slash costs with record unemployment, chief among them cutting the cord
- L.A. County retailers open doors; as people head to trails and golf course this weekend
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L.A. County retailers open doors; as people head to trails and golf course this weekend
<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fcountyofla%2Fvideos%2F170505974293878%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe><p>Retailers across the region opened up their doors for the first time in weeks on Friday as Los Angeles County readied to open up <a href="https://parks.lacounty.gov/covid-19" target="_blank">trails, golf courses and parks over the weekend</a>. Traffic trickled into downtown early in the morning after weeks of empty streets as Gov. Gavin Newsom eased stay-at-home orders. Retailers including clothing, toy, book and music stores can now operate with curbside services and with Mother's Day around the corner, the city's downtown flower district pulled in brisk business not seen for weeks.</p><p>"I am already feeling a renewed sense of hope and excitement," said county Supervisor Kathryn Barger during a mid-day briefing. The first phase of easing stay at home orders came as the Los Angeles County's public health department <a href="http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/media/mediapubdetail.cfm?unit=media&ou=ph&prog=media&cur=cur&prid=2365&row=25&start=1" target="_blank">logged</a> 883 new cases and 51 deaths. So far, 30,296 people in the county have tested positive and 1,468 have died.</p><p>And the region is far from returning to normal. On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to send every registered voter in California a mail-in ballot for the November presidential election. Although the election is not set to be a vote-by-mail only, those that want to vote in-person can. Guidelines on how in-person voting will work have yet to be hammered out.</p><p>Dining establishments remained pickup or delivery only. </p>Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey donates $10 million to COVID-19 fund launched by Sean Penn
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzI2Njc5NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxODAzNTUwMH0._Z0w4PYNQgHQQ_oqrcyqRBZlWnRbjOnjCUs6P4RvzBA/image.jpg?width=980" id="5dba8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="48ac5b355d13c02cb58093e789d9a30c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Sean Penn is co-founder of CORE
<p>Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey donated $10 million to the Community Organized Relief Effort (<a href="https://www.coreresponse.org" target="_blank">CORE</a>), the non-profit disaster relief group co-founded by actor Sean Penn a decade ago to provide relief to hurricane-ravaged Haiti. The donation came via Dorsey's Start Small initiative, which is bankrolling more COVID-19 testing across the U.S. and Navajo Nation. CORE stated it has set up a dozen COVID-19 test sites across California over the past five weeks and completed 100,000 tests for free through its partnerships.</p><p>"CORE is an inspiring force for good. Not only in what they're doing by increasing our testing capacity, but also by how they're doing it," Dorsey said in a statement. "The open-source approach and work to be a model for others is exactly what this country and world needs right now." Co-founded by CORE CEO Ann Lee, the nonprofit's testing sites have launched in Atlanta, Detroit and will soon serve New Orleans and the Navajo Nation, focused on serving underserved communities, as well as first responders and essential workers, the nonprofit stated.</p>Americans slash costs with record unemployment, chief among them cutting the cord
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzI2Njg1MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1ODc3NjYyNX0.irjptJcSDfn16Q-mItsLyoqFNHOoKWmN3x4XFTwQnso/image.jpg?width=980" id="aea14" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1c5bb02a1302aa6b551087aab6774a2a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /> <p>With unemployment on the rise due to the economic fallout of COVID-19, American consumers are slashing costs -- and that starts with cutting the cord. The pandemic has led to a new quarterly record when it comes to pay-TV subscriber losses, according to research firm MoffettNathanson in a report released Friday.</p><p>"In the context of over 30 million unemployment claims and estimates for minus 40 percent gross domestic product, it would be unseemly to resort to hyperbole to describe the carnage in pay TV in the first quarter," analysts Craig Moffett and Michael Nathanson wrote in the report. "Better that we simply report the numbers. Traditional pay TV subscriptions fell by a record 1.8 million in the first quarter, the worst quarterly result on record, bringing the annual rate of decline to 7.6 percent, also a record."</p><p>What's worse, the numbers are expected to drop off steadily in the coming months as sports programming is likely to all but vanish from television screens. Professional and college sports have been sidelined with most states not allowing stadiums full of fans, and leagues considering teams playing in front of empty seats. The report said the "tsunami of unemployment just beginning to hit as the quarter ended, all these numbers will get worse in the second quarter." The U.S. Department of Labor reported earlier in the day that unemployment is now at a record since being tracked in 1948, with payrolls plunging 20.5 million due to the pandemic. </p>Related Articles Around the Web
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