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8 Dec, 4 tweets, 1 min read
I was at VivaTech when Hancock and Zuckerberg had their secret meeting. Hancock had another meeting that day with Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. It was in the VIP green room. What neither of them realised was I was sitting at the other end of the table pretending not to listen...
Hancock sounded very impressed by Uber's flying taxi plans. He clearly wanted to present himself as friendly to big tech. Hancock was very fawning – lots of smiling and hanging on Khosrowshahi's every word.
It was fascinating to watch Hancock fawn over Uber and see how eager he was to be friendly with Khosrowshahi. He came across more like an excited teenager than a senior government minister. The content of the meeting was inconsequential. But the tone wasn't.
Shortly after the conversation ended security had to clear the room for the arrival of Mark Zuckerberg. Now we all know what happened next thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2020-1…

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More from @jtemperton

James Temperton Profile picture
7 May
People who believe the 5G coronavirus conspiracy theory are still attacking key workers. I've got new data showing the scale of the problem.

One person was spat on, they've now got coronavirus. Another was stabbed. There have now been 77 arson attacks wired.co.uk/article/5g-cor…
The data shows a clear spike in attacks in early April, but there have been dozens of attacks and attempted attacks in the last couple of weeks. More here: wired.co.uk/article/5g-cor…
Openreach is also getting caught up in this 5G hysteria. As its engineers are more visible – working in city centres and on residential streets – they've been targeted with some really vile abuse.

I've spoken to engineers about what they're going through wired.co.uk/article/5g-cor…
Read 4 tweets
James Temperton Profile picture
27 Mar
Airbnb property moguls are furious that their businesses are collapsing in the wake of coronavirus.

In the UK, it's creating a sudden surge in bargain-basement long-term rentals. New listings on Rightmove were up 78% in Bath last week. In London, up 45%

wired.co.uk/article/airbnb…
For the short-term rental industry, the collapse of Airbnb is a disaster. Many people don't own the properties they list on Airbnb, they rent them. They still have to pay those rents to landlords. But now they have no tenants
Alex Milburn, who has a number of properties listed on Airbnb and also featured in WIRED’s recent investigation into rogue Airbnb hosts, claims to have already lost £35,000 due to cancelled bookings
Read 7 tweets
James Temperton Profile picture
11 Feb
There's a huge Airbnb scam hiding on the streets of London. I uncovered a network of accounts that had been pumping out fake reviews and fake listings for years. The scam encompasses more than 200 listings, 2,100 reviews. And it's really weird wired.co.uk/article/airbnb…
At the centre of the scam is this apartment block in Battersea that is being run as a de facto hotel. When I stayed there I was put in the wrong apartment. One group in the building complained of a missing bed. Another of an empty kitchen. I decided to investigate.
I soon discovered the scam was far bigger than one building. The Airbnb accounts I uncovered had spent years posting fake host and guest reviews, fake listings, and had used pictures of, amongst other people, the chief executive of a Brazilian wireless carrier. It gets weirder.
Read 9 tweets
James Temperton Profile picture
11 Feb 19
This week on @WiredUK we're taking an in-depth look at how technology is changing love, sex and relationships.

First up, what the alleged Jeff Bezos dick pic teaches us about online intimacy wired.co.uk/article/jeff-b…
@WiredUK When my partner and I found out we were expecting our first child last February, we resolved to keep it a secret from the internet. We quickly found that in the eyes of Facebook and Google, our child was a product that needed to be ruthlessly monetised wired.co.uk/article/the-in…
From China, @LuHai_Liang writes on the strange world of romance video games – where imaginary men, some with magical powers, are replacing real-life love for some women looking for a different kind of companionship wired.co.uk/article/china-…
Read 7 tweets
James Temperton Profile picture
29 Nov 17
One obvious upside to the Royal Wedding: it will expose quite how farcically complex and expensive it is to keep someone you love in the UK. Meghan and Harry will breeze through this process no problem, but for many it is a huge financial and emotional burden. (1/15)
To start that process, Meghan will need to fill in a FLR(M) form. This is the standard form for a spousal visa. She can only make an application once she’s married to Harry. They’ll need to prove their relationship is genuine. The list of evidence required is extensive. (2/15)
The initial application will cost £993, plus a £200-per-year NHS fee. The application can take months and she will need to surrender her US passport during this time. She will be unable to leave the UK until the application has been processed. (3/15)
Read 15 tweets

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