The Download: rethinking child safety and fossil-fueled farming

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.

Child-monitoring apps might need a reboot

Digital harms have become the defining fear of American parents. In response, they’re increasingly turning to content-monitoring apps that scan their children’s texts, photos, emails, and chats, issuing alerts whenever an algorithm flags something it deems dangerous.

These tools have had genuine successes, preventing suicide attempts, intercepting predators, and averting school shootings. But they can also cause harm themselves, from false alarms and unnecessary interventions to damaged trust and anxiety.

Child-safety researchers say better approaches exist. Here’s what they think those could look like.

—Kelly Clancy

This article is from our latest print magazine, which is all about kids. Subscribe now to get every issue as soon as it lands.

Agriculture relies on fossil fuels. It’s costing us.

Fertilizer prices have been on a roller coaster this year, driven in part by trade disruptions and high natural-gas prices. That’s because natural gas is both an energy source and a chemical input in the production of ammonia, a key fertilizer ingredient.

The war in Iran has pushed natural-gas prices higher and disrupted fertilizer trade through the Strait of Hormuz—and its closure could make access harder still for some of the world’s poorest countries.

Let’s take a closer look at the surging fertilizer prices, and how a few climate-friendly alternatives could bring farmers some relief.

—Casey Crownhart

This story is from The Spark, our weekly climate tech newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday.

The must-reads

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 New York City has banned AI in elementary and middle schoolsThe one-year moratorium will affect 600,000 students. (Politico)+  It applies to any software using student-facing generative AI. (AP)+ Here’s how kids feel about AI, in their own words. (MIT Technology Review 

2 Taiwan has uncovered a hidden Chinese network targeting its chip sectorIt’s linked 166 cases to illegal operations and talent poaching. (Rest of World)+ Taiwan’s president says its chip prowess is built on democracy. (Reuters $)+ But its “silicon shield” could be weakening. (MIT Technology Review)

3 Uber has launched the UK’s first commercial robotaxi serviceIt’s using tech from UK startup Wayve and, initially, safety drivers. (Verge)+ But in the US, Uber has allied with driver unions to slow robotaxis. (FT $)+ And, back in the UK, Uber’s being sued over algorithmic pay. (Guardian)

4 Google has avoided a breakup of its ad tech businessA US judge rejected the government’s demand to force a sale. (Guardian)+ But it must change how it treats rivals and shares information. (NYT $)+ The decision is a big deal for antitrust investigations. (WSJ $)

5 Serbians have been targeted with mercenary spyware after electionsTargets included student activists, lawmakers and a local councilor. (Reuters $)

6 The Trump administration has backed OpenAI in its NYT lawsuitThe Justice Department says AI training can be fair use. (Quartz)+ It added that national security depended on US tech dominance. (NYT $)+ The US is also urging G20 countries to allow AI training on creators’ work. (Reuters $)+ Does AI know too much? (MIT Technology Review)

7 Public housing tenants are suing over sensors monitoring their homesThe devices collect minute-by-minute data on noise and motion. (NYT $)

8 Anthropic seems to have won back the Trump administration’s trustThe commerce secretary said the firm is “back on the right side.” (Axios)

9 Humble exoskeletons are proving more useful than combat supersuitsSmaller devices are assisting workers, patients, and athletes. (Economist $)

10 AI food slop has made its way onto real restaurant menusIt’s providing cheap images, which frequently look revolting. (NBC News)

Quote of the day

“I think this will be the end of an era of the US trying to break up platforms this complex. The courts remain hesitant to dismantle these really complex tech systems, even when finding conduct that is anticompetitive.”

—Nikhil Lai, a principal analyst at Forrester, tells the New York Times that Google’s legal win against antitrust enforcers trying to break up its ad business is a seminal victory.  

One more thing

COURTESY OF COLOSSAL BIOSCIENCES

Colossal Biosciences said it cloned red wolves. Is it for real?

Last year, Colossal Biosciences announced that it had cloned four red wolves, surprising scientists working to save the species and even people whose canids supplied the DNA. They also disagreed about the company’s big idea: de-extinction.

Colossal kept the location of the mystery clones secret, and even their purpose was