Alexa accused of recording kids, a $200 billion injection for tech, and more top news

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Amazon may be recording kids who use Alexa devices without their consent, according to a lawsuit launched in Seattle. A federal complaint says Amazon saves “a permanent recording of the user’s voice,” regardless of who is speaking. The suit alleges the lack of consent breaks the recording laws of at least eight states. Earlier this year, advocates asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether Alexa violates children's privacy laws, alleging the tech giant is holding onto kids' personal information longer than is reasonably necessary. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Americans spend more time on digital media than ever before: 6.3 hours a day in 2018, according to investor Mary Meeker, who added that image-sharing apps such as Instagram are growing in popularity. While “privacy concerns are high … they’re moderating,” says Meeker, who releases a yearly tech trends report. With more than half of the world online, public and private investment into tech companies is at a two-decade high — nearing $200 billion last year, she said at the Recode Code Conference in Arizona. ? Here’s what people are saying.

LaCroix's parent company National Beverage is in hot water as a new lawsuit emerges. According to a suit filed by a former LaCroix executive, Albert Dejewski, National Beverage's president was going to lie about its sparkling water cans being free of the toxic chemical Bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA. Dejewski said his ex-boss wanted "to drive positive buzz and awareness for the suffering brand." Dejewski was fired after raising concerns about the claim, according to the suit. Shares of National Beverage hit a multiyear low. ? Here’s what people are saying.

The U.S. ban on selling supplies to Huawei is starting to have an impact. The Chinese telecoms equipment giant postponed the launch of its new laptop because of the restrictions, according to multiple media outlets. Huawei’s laptops run on Intel chips and Windows software from Microsoft (LinkedIn’s parent company), but is currently barred from buying U.S. components. Huawei has separately asked Verizon to pay over $1 billion in licensing fees for patents, Reuters reports, citing an unnamed source. ? Here’s what people are saying.

As the cost of living picks up, some low-paid workers are reluctant to accept a pay bump. In a dynamic called the "cliff effect," many employees fear that earning a bit more through a promotion or minimum-wage increase can reduce their standard of living if it pushes their income to a point where they lose access to public benefits such as housing vouchers or Medicaid. Calculating the overall effects of a higher income can be a challenge because benefits are administered by different agencies. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Idea of the Day: Line up the external experience to the internal one, says Beyond Philosophy CEO Colin Shaw.

"If you have happy employees, chances are you're going to have satisfied customers.”

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