Tech: Companies react to the fall of Roe v. Wade

June 27, 2022

Tech: Companies react to the fall of Roe v. Wade

Welcome back, readers. Jordan Parker Erb here, writing to you from New York. Companies in the tech world and beyond are responding to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Let's get started.

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**Pro-life and abortion-rights advocates crowd the Supreme Court building after Roe v. Wade was overturned Friday morning.**
**Brandon Bell/Getty Images**

1. Companies are responding to the Roe v. Wade decision. The Supreme Court on Friday struck down Roe v. Wade, effectively cutting off abortion access in many parts of the US. Here's a look at how the tech industry is responding:

Amazon, which has previously said it will cover costs for employees seeking abortions in states where the procedure was made illegal, told staff to "be respectful of everyone's perspectives" after some celebrated Roe's defeat on internal Slack channels.
On Friday, Meta told its workers not to discuss the ruling on its internal system, and deleted messages that did so, The New York Times reported. Meta has also said it will reimburse employees traveling out of state for reproductive care.
Meanwhile, in the dating world, singles are using OkCupid's "pro-choice" profile badge to match with like-minded individuals. The company told Insider it will "unapologetically support this issue."
Tech firms are under pressure to protect users' information, as law enforcement could pursue access to history, geolocation, and other related data. Period and fertility tracking apps like Flo are taking steps to make the identity of users anonymous.

See how other top businesses have responded to the ruling.

In other news:

2. Job cuts are underway at Tesla. As the company begins imposing the cuts previously announced by Elon Musk, workers who started only months — or even weeks — ago have been let go, while others are seeing their offers withdrawn. Tesla employees have described being laid off.

3. Getir insiders worry the ultrafast delivery startup won't survive the year. Workers at the $12 billion startup describe a company that churns through staff, sends delivery people to the ER, and has "zero" chance at profitability. What workers told us about Getir's grueling internal culture.

4. Instagram is testing using face scans to confirm users' ages. In the trial, users who want to prove they are older than 18 can either upload a photo of their ID, ask three mutual friends to verify their age, or record a video selfie. What we know about the trial.

5. We spent a week at the Coachella of NFTs. Despite the crypto market downdraft, the NFT.NYC conference held last week was booming: Yacht parties were plentiful, VIP tickets sold for $1,999, and celebrities and CEOs mingled with guests. Get an inside look at NFT.NYC.

6. Bill Gates has apparently purchased a $13.5 million potato farm — and locals aren't pleased. North Dakotans are outraged over the purchase, and the state's attorney general's office is looking into it. Here's the latest.

7. Doorsey, a real estate startup backed by Adam Neumann, laid off more than half its staff. After struggling to raise new funding as venture investors pull back, Doorsey reduced its staff from 24 to nine people, a spokesperson confirmed. Get the rundown on Doorsey's layoffs.

8. You only have a few more weeks to watch these shows on Netflix. The streamer just announced which movies and series will be leaving in July, and they include classic films like "Forrest Gump" and series like "30 Rock." Here's everything leaving Netflix next month.

Odds and ends:

The Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX.
Mercedes-Benz

9. An electric Mercedes-Benz drove 747 miles without recharging. The Vision EQXX, Mercedes-Benz's electric concept car, beat every electric vehicle on sale today — traveling nearly twice the range of Tesla's Model S without charging. Check out the Vision EQXX.

10. Tired of the same old Slack notification? We explain how to change it. For many, the default Slack notification noise comes with a feeling of dread. But with a number of different options (including someone saying "hummus"), you can change the sound so it doesn't haunt your dreams.

What we're watching today:

The Data + AI Summit is taking place today through June 30 in San Francisco and virtually.
Nike and others are reporting earnings. Keep up with earnings here.
Black Tech NOLA kicks off today in New Orleans.

Keep updated with the latest tech news throughout your day by checking out The Refresh from Insider, a dynamic audio news brief from the Insider newsroom. Listen here.

Curated by Jordan Parker Erb in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email jerb@insider.com or tweet @jordanparkererb.) Edited by Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.

Read the original article on Business Insider