1. Uber prepares to test self-driving cars
Uber said Thursday that it would start testing self-driving cars in Pittsburgh within weeks. Users will be able to hail rides in modified Volvo sport utility vehicles. Uber also announced that it had bought Otto, a startup launched by two former Google engineers that is developing technology for self-driving transport trucks. The news came as a federal judge in San Francisco rejected a $100 million proposed settlement between Uber and drivers. The case centers on whether Uber can continue treating drivers as contractors rather than employees.
2. Twitter cracks down on abuse
Twitter on Thursday announced new measures to prevent people from abusing its micro-blogging site. The company said it had suspended 235,000 accounts in the last six months for promoting terrorism, saying it is "committed to eliminating the promotion of violence or terrorism on our platform." Twitter also said it was beefing up its review teams to speed up the process of looking into reported violations, and making it harder for banned users to get back onto Twitter. It also is introducing new quality filters to help users avoid abuse.
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3. Olympic TV ratings drop for first time since 2000
Prime-time broadcast viewership has fallen by about 17 percent for the Rio Olympics, compared to the 2012 London Games. The decline marked the first Olympic ratings slip since 2000. One reason for NBC's troubles — despite gripping gold-medal performances by U.S. athletes such as gymnast Simone Biles and swimmer Michael Phelps — has been a 25 percent drop in viewership by the 18-to-49-year-old age group coveted by advertisers. NBC paid $12 billion for exclusive U.S. Olympic broadcast rights through 2032, and plans to make the investment pay off by continuing to offer young viewers more opportunities to watch on their own terms, using streaming video.
4. Viacom CEO to leave as part of settlement
Viacom's board of directors reportedly voted Thursday to oust Philippe Dauman as CEO, marking a victory in an attempt by billionaire media mogul Sumner Redstone and his daughter, Keryn Redstone, to reassert their control over the company. The long battle between Dauman and the Redstones has been a damaging distraction. Dauman, one of the nation's best-paid CEOs, reportedly will get a $72 million severance deal. Redstone reportedly was not happy with Dauman's performance, including his plan to sell Viacom's minority stake in Paramount Pictures.
5. Univision to shut down Gawker website next week
Spanish-language TV network Univision is shutting down Gawker.com, one of seven websites it acquired after winning an auction for Gawker Media. A bankruptcy judge still has to approve Univision's $135 million bid before the sale is finalized. Gawker's demise, expected next week after a 14-year run, comes after the news site outed billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel as gay, and Thiel secretly bankrolled wrestler Hulk Hogan's invasion of privacy lawsuit over a sex tape. The lawsuit resulted in a $140 million judgment that bankrupted the company.
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