• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

2

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

3

The stock market is about to suffer a 'snapback' and will lose much of this year's gains as 'speculation is hitting extreme levels,' BofA warns

1

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

2

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

3

The stock market is about to suffer a 'snapback' and will lose much of this year's gains as 'speculation is hitting extreme levels,' BofA warns
TechData Sheet

Why Facebook, Google, and Twitter Must Clean Up Their Act—Data Sheet

By
Adam Lashinsky
Adam Lashinsky
and
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Adam Lashinsky
Adam Lashinsky
and
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 16, 2019, 8:07 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

This is the web version of Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the top tech news. To get it delivered daily to your in-box, sign up here.

Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the hate-speech fighting Anti-Defamation League, delivered a powerful challenge to Facebook, Google, and Twitter Monday at Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech conference.

“There’s something different going on,” he said, explaining how white supremacist ideology has been nurtured by the social-media platforms, leading to real violence. As for the companies that host the filth that infects our society, “they haven’t done more because they don’t see it as their responsibility,” Greenblatt said. “These are businesses plain and simple,” he said, asserting that the Silicon Valley triad could kick off miscreants from their networks just as easily as Shake Shack or the registration desk at the St. Regis hotel, where the conference is underway in Aspen, Colo., would toss out a customer who said vile things in their establishments.

Greenblatt, a former tech entrepreneur who has run teams of engineers, offered five specific remedies the tech companies could follow:

  1. Re-set algorithms to diminish the prominence of harmful messages.
  2. Slow down the postings of all content to give artificial-intelligence software time to review it and then hand off problematic content to human moderators.
  3. Stop profiting, via advertising revenue, from hateful posts.
  4. Eject or label bots, which have no place on the platforms to begin with.
  5. Commit to third-party audits of their efforts to police the platforms.

It was a powerful talk, and I urge you to watch it.

Other memorable moments:

  • Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said he admires Amazon’s speed and innovation. And he denied there are tensions among his company’s U.S. e-commerce business and the rest of Walmart.
  • Microsoft quantum computing executive Krysta Svore said the software giant has open-sourced its quantum-related software because it can’t possibly hire all the talent it needs to make the new technology a reality.
  • Stitch Fix CEO Katrina Lake explained her company’s methodical use of data and revealed that she still occasionally works as a stylist for Stitch Fix customers.
  • RBC analyst Mark Mahaney on the proliferation of Internet TV services: “I think Pringles potato chips is going to launch a streaming service.”
  • Singer-songwriter FLETCHER on her relative financial success, partly due to the exposure and analysis she gets from Spotify: “I’m a baller on a budget.”
  • Slack’s Stewart Butterfield, speaking just as his company’s post-direct listing “quiet period” expired, explained why history is on his company’s side in its fight with Microsoft. He also showed a video of his mom ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange. It turned the hard-bitten crowd of tech big shots to mush.

Suffice it to say it was a good day. Most of the event is livestreamed on the web beginning at 9:15 a.m. Mountain time today.

Adam Lashinsky

On Twitter: @adamlashinsky

Email: adam_lashinsky@fortune.com

NEWSWORTHY

What did I say. Along with Greenblatt's remarks, a lot of people noticed that President Trump tweeted something racist on Sunday, but Twitter did not label the tweet as violating the company's standards. "I have to wonder: What would it take? What would he have to say to fall within the scope of their policies?” Malkia Devich-Cyril, executive director of advocacy group MediaJustice, told The Washington Post.

Follow the money. Leading ride sharing service Uber released its annual diversity report on Monday, showing that the percentage of woman in leadership roles rose to 28% from 21% a year ago. Uber also tied the 2022 compensation of top execs, including CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, to meeting diversity and inclusion goals.

Follow the money, part two. Stock market investors should get a chance to invest in a few more well-known tech and tech-ish companies this year. Airbnb, iHeartMedia, and the company formerly known as WeWork (now called the We Company) are among the top candidates to go public soon, along with Peloton, Postmates, Robinhood, and Casper.

On the outside. Program manager Meredith Whittaker is leaving Google. One of the company's most vocal employees criticizing its policies, Whittaker helped organize last year's walkout of workers to protest the way Google handled sexual harassment complaints.

Antivirus. The rumored acquisition of cybersecurity firm Symantec by chipmaker Broadcom is now rumored to be dead. Shares of Symantec fell 11% on Monday.

Nabbed. App install advertising company Vungle is being acquired by private equity firm Blackstone for a reported price of $750 million. As part of the acquisition, Vungle and Blackstone reached a settlement in the wrongful dismissal lawsuit filed by founder and former CEO Zain Jeffer.

Informing the masses. If you want more in-depth coverage of artificial intelligence, don't forget to subscribe to our weekly Eye on A.I. newsletter. The newest issue comes out later today.

ON THE MOVE

Anish Acharya will join Andreessen Horowitz as a general partner focused on fintech investing. Acharya most recently served as the vice president of product management at Credit Karma...Walmart lost its e-commerce chief revenue officer, senior vice president Scott Hilton, Bloomberg reports. No word on a replacement yet...Former YouTube and Vine executive Jason Toff is joining Facebook as product management director for the company's new NPE unit...Care.com said CFO Michael Echenberg is resigning effective at the end of August and Michael Goss, VP of Finance, will be named acting CFO.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Some see the solution to Google's Internet domination in a break up of the tech giant. But pursuing that option would be legally difficult and have many unintended consequences. Robert Epstein, senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, has a different idea, as he explains in a Bloomberg piece. Epstein's proposal is to force Google to share it gigantic index of the web with other companies via a simple API. Here's what would happen next, he writes:

Within a year or two, thousands of new search platforms might emerge, each with different strengths and weaknesses. Many would target niche audiences—some small, perhaps, like high-end shoppers, and some huge, like all the world’s women, and most of these platforms would do a better job of serving their constituencies than Google ever could. These aren’t just alternatives to Google, they are competitors—thousands of search platforms, each with its special focus and emphasis, each drawing on different subsets of information from Google’s ever-expanding index, and each using different rules to decide how to organize the search results they display.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Teens Who Spend More Time on Social Media Have Increased Depression: Study By Chris Morris

Serena Williams and Mark Cuban Invest in Startup Fighting Maternal Mortality By Emma Hinchliffe

Microsoft Quantum Algorithm Boosts Medical Imaging By Jeremy Kahn

Move Over ‘Little Mermaid,’ ‘Barbie’ Movie Will Also Cast Minority Actors, Mattel CEO Says By Jen Wieczner

Economist Luigi Zingales: To Limit Big Tech’s Power, Regulations Should Be Tailored By Danielle Abril

Verizon Tops the Speed Charts in Latest RootMetrics Study By Don Reisinger

Is Facebook Libra a Betrayal of Satoshi Nakamoto’s Vision? By Timothy Massad

BEFORE YOU GO

We've previously told you to watch the third season of Netflix's Stranger Things, as has Jeff Bezos. If you've already streamed it, you know that a fictional version of the classic 1980s-era shopping mall plays a prominent role. New York Magazine's Vulture site has an interesting essay strolling down memory lane to examine the mall in the show and pop culture. Worth a read.

This edition of Data Sheet was curated by Aaron Pressman. Find past issues, and sign up for other Fortune newsletters.

About the Authors
By Adam Lashinsky
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Exclusive: Xbox’s CEO on 3,200 layoffs, four studios cut, and her blunt warning that ‘we spread ourselves too thin’
Big TechMicrosoft
Exclusive: Xbox’s CEO on 3,200 layoffs, four studios cut, and her blunt warning that ‘we spread ourselves too thin’
By Sebastian HerreraJuly 6, 2026
6 hours ago
‘Our business today is not healthy’: 1,600 Xbox employees among the 4,800 laid off by Microsoft as it looks to ‘reset’ gaming division
Big TechMicrosoft
‘Our business today is not healthy’: 1,600 Xbox employees among the 4,800 laid off by Microsoft as it looks to ‘reset’ gaming division
By The Associated PressJuly 6, 2026
7 hours ago
EasyJet’s stock shows Castlelake bid is far from a done deal
InvestingEasyJet
EasyJet’s stock shows Castlelake bid is far from a done deal
By Kate Duffy and BloombergJuly 6, 2026
10 hours ago
Torsten Slok holds his hands apart as he speaks on stage.
AIProductivity
Top economist says AI just hasn’t delivered on the productivity hype—and it means a ‘painful repricing’ of markets is very possible
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 6, 2026
10 hours ago
In this photo illustration, a Microsoft logo is displayed on a smartphone with Artificial Intelligence (AI) symbols on the background.
AICFO Daily
Microsoft’s Frontier push aims to turn AI spending into measurable returns
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 6, 2026
11 hours ago
A businesswoman uses a smartphone in modern conference room.
NewslettersFortune Workplace Innovation
The tech attention crisis has hit the workplace. One company thinks AI is the cure
By Kristin StollerJuly 6, 2026
11 hours ago

Most Popular

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
AI
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 5, 2026
1 day ago
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
Success
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
3 days ago
The stock market is about to suffer a 'snapback' and will lose much of this year's gains as 'speculation is hitting extreme levels,' BofA warns
Investing
The stock market is about to suffer a 'snapback' and will lose much of this year's gains as 'speculation is hitting extreme levels,' BofA warns
By Jason MaJuly 5, 2026
1 day ago
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
Law
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressJuly 2, 2026
4 days ago
Gen Z was 'jaded about employment before we ever entered the workforce'—now psychologists say the stare has hardened into something worse
Economy
Gen Z was 'jaded about employment before we ever entered the workforce'—now psychologists say the stare has hardened into something worse
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 6, 2026
16 hours ago
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
AI
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 3, 2026
4 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.