Media & Telecom

Meta is being sued by 26 former and current employees who claim the company used AI systems to conduct layoffs in a way that discriminated against workers on medical leave and those with disabilities (CNBC). The plaintiffs say Meta's AI tools tracked metrics like "token consumption" and productivity scores that couldn't be accumulated by anyone absent for protected reasons. Meta denies the allegations, saying human managers made the decisions—but the lawsuit underscores a real anxiety about whether algorithmic decision-making can unfairly target vulnerable workers, especially when those algorithms are blind to context.

Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order making New York the first state to bar construction of data centers using 50 megawatts or more of power, citing concerns about grid strain and soaring electricity bills (CNBC, TechCrunch). New Yorkers' residential electricity prices have climbed 68% since 2019, and the governor refuses to let tech companies pass those costs to ordinary residents. The moratorium lasts roughly a year while the state conducts an environmental review—but signals a potential clash with the Trump administration, which has backed data center development via fast-track grid interconnections.

Frontier Airlines and four other budget carriers—including Mexico's Volaris and Europe's Wizz—will roll out SpaceX Starlink internet service starting early 2027 (CNBC). Starlink has now signed deals with over 40 airlines globally; Frontier was a holdout partly because adding the equipment adds weight. The move is a competitive necessity: budget carriers are under pressure to go upmarket as legacy airlines capture revenue growth from premium cabins, and customers now expect home-quality internet in the sky.