Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Monday, Apr 27, 2026

Blackouts, China pressure and Facebook's libra unravels: What happened in Silicon Valley this week

Blackouts, China pressure and Facebook's libra unravels: What happened in Silicon Valley this week

Much of the Bay Area lost power, a big crypto project lost its mojo and big companies lost the meaning of free speech.

Facebook’s hot cypto project looked to be unraveling as quickly as it rose to popularity.

Questions about free speech were everywhere.

Even by Silicon Valley standards, this was a weird week.

A battered and beaten down WeWork opened swanky new offices, much of the Bay Area lost power and Facebook’s crypto project witnessed the sudden withdrawal of a bunch of marquee members before it even launched.

It was one of those weeks when the real-life technology industry felt more absurd than anything Mike Judge could cook up for his HBO satire “Silicon Valley,” which just so happens to begin airing its sixth and final season this month.

The power outage likely won’t make its way into the show, but it won’t be for a lack of dramatic effect. PG&E, which filed for bankruptcy in January after last year’s North Bay and Camp Fires, cut off power for hundreds of thousands of Bay Area residents, citing the fire risks associated with high winds and dry weather.

Though most tech companies weren’t directly affected, local schools shut down and cities enacted curfews as early at 7 p.m. Surrounded by companies working on alternative energy sources and touting their resourcefulness, the irony was rich, but it was no laughing matter, especially for residents who rely on electric medical devices.


‘Neutral’ platforms

Silicon Valley prides itself on free speech. Platform companies say they’re neutral, especially when confronted with bias from regulators. However, there was some blurring of the lines this week.

Apple removed an app from its App Store called HKmap.live, which protesters in Hong Kong had been using to track police amid ongoing pro-democracy protests. CEO Tim Cook justified the move by saying it threatened law enforcement and endangered the public.

Alphabet also removed a game from the Google Play store at the request of the Hong Kong police because it allowed players to assume the role of pro-democracy protesters. The company told the Wall Street Journal that the game violated its policies that prohibit profiting from “serious ongoing conflicts or tragedies through a game.” Bloomberg’s Mark Bergen noted that Google Play still holds dozens of games and books in its store that would suggest otherwise.

Former Reddit CEO Ellen Pao, who gained national prominence when she sued former employer Kleiner Perkins for sexual harassment, tweeted “Tech companies: We tolerate harassment and hate so we can enable political dissent, public squares, free speech. Also tech companies: Censor the Hong Kong protestors and kill all their communication channels.”

Microsoft also faced controversy as GitHub employees wrote an open letter to the company, objecting to its role in working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying that philanthropy can’t make up for the damage to individuals and families. A year earlier, as Slate pointed out, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella sent a note to staff stating, “I am appalled at the abhorrent policy of separating immigrant children from their families at the southern border of the U.S.”


Good deals gone bad

Crypto was once the hottest thing in techland, promising to displace the banking system with decentralized digital currencies.

While Facebook was an unlikely hero, its libra project quickly gained a following after the company announced plans in June to create a currency and a digital wallet. Now, libra faces an unraveling, with partners eBay, Visa, Mastercard and Stripe all jumping ship, following the departure of PayPal. Dan Primack of Axios tweeted, ″Leaving Libra is the new joining Libra.”

By the end of the day on Friday, David Marcus, who leads the project, was left defending it on Twitter, urging “against reading the fate of Libra into this update” and suggesting that we “stay tuned for more very soon.”

As if that’s not enough, Android co-founder and disgraced ex-Google executive Andy Rubin broke his silence Thursday announcing a new smartphone. That’s despite being paid $90 million by Google to reportedly avoid competitors. The launch and its subsequent mixed reactions showed it’s getting more difficult for the public to disassociate products from their creators, according to Wired’s Lauren Goode. Rubin was fired for sexual misconduct allegations. Rubin got axed from his own company Playground Global recently, according to a new Buzzfeed article, which states he received another payout –this time worth $9 million.

Finally, after a failed IPO attempt, WeWork has been in cutback mode. However, this week it opened the doors of swanky new offices in Palo Alto, one of the nation’s priciest cities for real estate, according to The Silicon Valley Business Journal. The new location will include 744 desks and 12 private offices.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
News Roundup
Strategic Saudi-Bahrain Causeway Closed Amid Security Concerns as Trump Deadline Approaches
Saudi Arabia Keeps Red Sea Oil Exports Flowing Despite Regional Tensions
Pipeline Attack Cuts Significant Share of Saudi Arabia’s Oil Export Capacity
Saudi Business Leader Abudawood Appointed Chairman of Merit Incentives Group
TotalEnergies Confirms Damage at Saudi Refinery Following Security Incident
Saudi Arabia Launches Early Construction Phase for King Salman Stadium Project
Saudi Shift Away from Longstanding Dollar Oil Framework Gains Attention Amid Iran Conflict
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Resolve Long-Running Transit Visa Dispute
Saudi Oil Capacity and Pipeline Flows Reduced as Supply Risks Intensify
TotalEnergies Reports Damage to Saudi SATORP Refinery Following Security Incidents
Gulf States Assess Prospects of U.S.-Iran Truce as Regional Stability Efforts Intensify
South Korea Resumes Honey Exports to Saudi Arabia Following Sanitary Approval
Saudi Arabia Carries Out Sentences in Eastern Province Following Security Convictions
Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Backs King Street’s Regional Credit Strategy
Saudi Arabia Secures World Cup Return as Egypt Celebrates Landmark Qualification
Iran and Saudi Arabia Intensify Diplomatic Engagement Amid Regional Tensions
Russia and Saudi Arabia Open Visa-Free Travel Corridor for Citizens
Saudi Oil Output Capacity Reduced by 600,000 Barrels Per Day Amid Regional Conflict
Saudi Arabia Suspends Operations at Select Energy Sites as Precautionary Measure
Saudi Arabia Halts Operations at Multiple Energy Facilities Amid Heightened Tensions
Global Markets Jolt as Iran Signals Ceasefire Breakdown and Rising Regional Tensions
King Street Aligns with Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund to Expand Alternative Investments in Middle East
Attack on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Petrochemical Hub Raises Global Supply Concerns
Debate Emerges Over Saudi Strategic Decisions as Gulf Cooperation Council Dynamics Come Into Focus
Saudi Arabia Expands Full Workforce Localisation to 69 Professions in Major Labour Reform
Emerging Alliance of Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia Signals New Regional Power Dynamic Amid Iran Conflict
Iran Linked to Strikes Across Gulf States Following Refinery Attack Escalation
Saudi Arabia Voices Concern Over Fragile US–Iran Ceasefire Stability
Starmer Warns Sustained Effort Needed to Ensure US–Iran Ceasefire Holds
Saudi Arabia’s Key East-West Oil Pipeline Targeted Following Ceasefire Announcement
Iran Targets Saudi Arabia’s East-West Oil Pipeline in Escalating Regional Tensions
Trump Warns of Civilizational Stakes as Iran Halts Negotiations
Saudi Companies Expand Remote Work Measures Ahead of Iran-Related Security Concerns
Iran Warns of Strikes on Saudi Energy Infrastructure if US Targets Its Facilities
Iran Urges Civilians to Form Human Shields Around Nuclear Sites as Diplomatic Deadline Approaches
Saudi Arabia Raises Oil Prices to Record Premiums Amid Supply Pressures Linked to Iran Conflict
Key Saudi-Bahrain Causeway Closed Amid Heightened Security Concerns Linked to Iran
Formula One Calendar Gap Explained as Fans Await Next Grand Prix
Growing Strain on the Petrodollar System Comes Into Focus Amid Iran Conflict
Reported Strike on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Complex Raises Global Energy Supply Concerns
FedEx Introduces New Digital Tool to Streamline Imports into Saudi Arabia
Iran Claims Strike on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Petrochemical Complex Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Taiwan to Source Oil Shipments from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Ports
Saudi Arabia Evacuates Riyadh Financial District as Precaution Amid Regional Tensions
Saudi Arabia Balances Ambitious Economic Vision Amid Regional Tensions and Financial Pressures
Budget Saudi Arabia Reports Strong Full-Year 2025 Financial Performance
Saudi Arabia Expands Investment in Capcom With Stake Reaching Six Percent
Saudi Arabia Assesses Significant Economic Impact From Regional Conflict Involving Iran
US Beef Secures Expanded Market Access in Saudi Arabia
×