Hashtag Trending – Uber drivers, riders must wear masks; WFH burnout; Patriot Act amendments

Uber says all of its drivers and passengers have to wear masks, longer workdays for people working remotely is leading to burnout, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants the FBI to collect records on Americans’ web-browsing and search histories without a warrant.

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Uber says it will require all of its drivers and riders in the U.S., Canada and several other countries to wear masks starting this week Monday as the company sets out new guidelines to limit the spread of the coronavirus. This means drivers won’t pick up passengers until photo-recognition software in the app verifies they are wearing a mask and drivers have confirmed they have disinfected their cars and washed their hands. Passengers will also be given the right to cancel rides if a mask is not worn and report any mask removals to Uber. Oh, and no more sitting in the front seat either.

Are you working from home but feel like even more is expected of you because that pesky commute to work has been cut out from your day? You’re not alone. Pandemic-induced burnout is on the rise, and some reporting from Bloomberg points to a combination of confinement, greater family care responsibilities and a longer workday as the biggest contributing factors. Digital anthropologist Rahaf Harfoush says the lines between home and work have been blurred, and many employers assume workers have more time available to be productive since they’re at home. But Harfoush makes a great point – don’t let the endless “busyness” become the norm in your home. You don’t need to schedule endless appointments into the night. What you do need to do often is recharge your batteries, because that can be just as valuable as the work itself.

And lastly, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is pushing forward with an amendment that would let the FBI collect records on Americans’ web-browsing and search histories without a warrant this week. The Daily Beast first reported on the news, and detailed how the amendments would block the FBI from accessing the content of people’s web-browsing history but allow them to access records detailing which sites and search terms people entered. As of this recording, the topic on Reddit garnered nearly 80,000 upvotes and 4,000 comments.

That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home daily briefing.

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Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

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