• At China’s Internet Conference, a Darker Side of Tech Emerges (nytimes.com) The World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, China, has long showcased flashy new tech. This year, discussions also dealt with counterterrorism, data breaches and surveillance.

  • China’s state-run press agency has created an ‘AI anchor’ to read the news by James Vincent (The Verge) But the agency’s new host isn’t any more sophisticated than a CGI puppet

  • How MTV Alumni Came to Rule Digital Media by Jessica Toonkel (The Information) MTV is trying to re-establish itself as the network for millennials. What would help is if it could hire back just a few of the many executives it has lost over the past decade to internet firms like Facebook, Spotify and YouTube.Perhaps…

  • A Contract for the Web (A Contract for the Web) The web was designed to bring people together and make knowledge freely available. Everyone has a role to play to ensure the web serves humanity. By committing to the following principles, governments, companies and citizens around the world can help protect the open web as…

  • Designing, laws, and attitudes. — ethanmarcotte.com (ethanmarcotte.com) What would happen if the law required us to design fast websites?

  • The business value of design (McKinsey & Company) How do the best performers increase their revenues and shareholder returns at nearly twice the rate of their industry counterparts? The value of design comes from top management rigor, company-wide teamwork, rapid iteration, and relentless user-centricity.

  • We Need to Have an Honest Talk About Our Data (WIRED) VR pioneer Jaron Lanier talks with WIRED about why the original architecture of the internet forced us into a kind of information trickery, and how we can fix it—to everyone’s benefit.

  • China is making the internet less free, and US tech companies are helping by Shannon Liao (The Verge) While doing business in China, US tech companies must play by local rules — or face getting kicked out.

  • The Chinese Farmer Who Live-Streamed Her Life and Made a Fortune (The New Yorker) Liu Mama, a loud-mouthed, ruddy-cheeked Northern farmer with millions of online followers, is one of many Chinese streamers participating in a virtual gold rush.

  • Measuring Performance With Server Timing (Smashing Magazine) The Server Timing header provides a discrete and convenient way to communicate backend server performance timings to developer tools in the browser. Adding timing information to your application enables you to monitor back-end and front-end performance all in one place.