Tech Roundup: Google Privacy Sandbox, Uber Privacy Center & More

[A recurring feature on the latest in Science & Technology.]

• Google announces plans to bring Privacy Sandbox to Android over the next two years, moving the mobile platform along a similar path forged by Apple on iOS last year to restrict advertisers' ability to track users across apps and websites; says "these solutions will limit sharing of user data with third parties and operate without cross-app identifiers, including advertising ID."
• The U.K. government is reportedly seeking changes to the Online Safety Bill to require platforms monitor "legal but harmful" content.
• Ride-hailing and delivery company Uber debuts Privacy Center that allows riders and drivers to view a breakdown of their ratings.
• Twitter rolls out new option that allows automated accounts on the platform to be tagged with a label to their profile to indicate that their tweets are automated; adds support for Ethereum addresses for creator Tips, following its inclusion of bitcoin addresses, as well as support for payment services like Paytm and Paga.
• Music streaming service Spotify acquires two major podcast measurement and analytics firms, Chartable and Podsights, in a move to expand its offerings to advertisers and track listeners by letting podcasters embed tags in shows.
• Microsoft teases new Windows 11 Preview that includes a customizable Start menu with folder options, Snap Layouts improvements, Live Captions for audio, and a redesign of Task Manager.
• Controversial facial recognition service provider Clearview AI says it is on track to have 100 billion photos in its database within a year, growing from 3 billion images to over 10 billion since early 2020.

• Amazon-owned Twitch updates its policy to ban usernames that include references "to sexual acts, arousal, fluids, or genitalia" and hard drugs from March 1.
• Online lodging marketplace Airbnb reports Q4 2021 revenue of US$ 1.53 billion, with 73.4 million nights and experiences booked.
• Snapchat to debut new feature that makes it possible for users to change their usernames starting February 23; partners with Ticketmaster to launch a new way for users to discover live entertainment events within the Snap Map.
• Google begins testing Discover-like cards on its desktop site for select signed-in users, including cards about weather, trending topics, stocks, what to watch, local events, and COVID-19 news.
• Twitter adds the ability for users to pin up to six direct message conversations to the top of their inbox.
• Meta's social VR platforms Horizon Worlds and Venues hits 300,000 monthly active users, up 10X since launching in December 2021.
• Google's YouTube details new efforts to stop misinformation, including stopping such content before it goes viral and limiting cross-platform sharing of misinformation.
• Bank of Russia starts a pilot of the digital ruble with three banks and reiterates its call for a total ban on other cryptocurrencies.
• E-commerce platform Amazon reaches a global agreement with payment processor Visa that "allows all customers to continue using their Visa credit cards in our stores," weeks after it threatened to stop accepting Visa cards in the U.K., citing the high fees it charges for credit card transactions.