In the days after the US Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion, tech companies rushed to show their support for employees living in states where the procedure is now banned. Meta promised to cover the costs of employees who have to travel from their home state to have an abortion. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, told employees they could apply to be relocated from states that ban abortion.
These companies have not given their users the same kind of support amid growing concerns that a digital footprint — including websites visited, location data from a phone, or private messages on a social platform — could be used to frame a criminal case against someone for an abortion strive.
MIT Technology Review asked five major tech companies — Alphabet, Meta, Reddit, TikTok, and Twitter — how their policies banning content that promotes illegal activity apply to posts that advocate for access to abortion or help those who are… now have to travel abroad for the procedure. Their answers, when provided, have been contradictory. Read the full story.
—Abby Ohlheiser and Hana Kiros
The US only has 6,000 electric vehicle charging stations. Here they all are.
The United States has around 150,000 gas stations to replenish its fleet of fossil fuel vehicles. Despite the rapid growth of electric vehicles in America — 400,000 of which were sold in 2021, up from just under 10,000 in 2012 — the country only has 6,000 DC fast charging stations, the kind that can quickly charge a battery-powered car.
A look at America’s charging map reveals an abundance of charging deserts, especially outside of major cities. This makes sense as electric vehicles still account for less than 3% of new car sales. But while it illustrates how far America’s charging infrastructure falls short of what’s needed for the entire country’s transition to electric driving, there’s still time to catch up. Read the full story.
– Andrew Moseman
How green steel made with electricity could clean up a dirty industry
The news: Startup Boston Metal recently installed a new reactor at its headquarters, a significant step in its quest to produce zero-emission steel. Since its inception in 2013, the company has developed a process to produce green steel. The new reactor, along with an upcoming round of fundraising, represents the next step for the company as it seeks to scale up.
