Hey, it’s Friday eve. Writing to you from New York, I’m Jordan Parker Erb.
Before we get started: Thank you to my colleague Avery Hartmans, who will be helming the 10 Things in Tech ship while I’m out tomorrow and next week. Readers, I know you’ll be in good hands.
We’ve got a lot of news to get to today — like the fact that your Netflix subscription could be getting more expensive.
Let’s get started.
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1. What’s it like to be on the frontline of Facebook’s customer complaints? In a conversation with Insider, a Meta customer service agent working for third-party firm described what it’s like to work with customers, from torrents of abuse to insomnia from the stress. Here’s what she told us:
Read more from the employee’s account.
In other news:
2. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are fighting to win e-commerce dollars. At the start of the year, companies were determined to bring social and livestream shopping to US customers — and while some have succeeded, others have shown mixed results. Here’s the state of play so far.
3. Netflix will start charging for password sharing next year. Starting in early 2023, account holders will have to pay an additional fee for friends and family members accessing their account. See how much the price hike could be.
4. This Zoom video shows a Gopuff representative telling workers their jobs have been eliminated. More than 200 Gopuff customer service workers were let go last week. In a Zoom video posted to Reddit, a company rep told the group their positions were “terminated, effective immediately.” More on that here.
5. Oracle employees say new hiring restrictions are cratering already low morale. Hiring managers have been asked to push back start dates for new recruits, and hiring has been slashed or significantly slowed down across several business units. Read the full scoop here.
6. An actor from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” had a frustrating Tesla experience. On a podcast, Glenn Howerton said he was locked out of his Tesla when his key fob broke, and that he had a difficult time reaching customer service, saying that Tesla “lost a customer.”
7. WhatsApp is now an “urgent” growth valve for Facebook. Acquired a decade ago for $22 billion, WhatsApp has yet to become a big business for Facebook. But with the company facing slowing growth of revenue and users and a battered stock, “superapp” ambitions for WhatsApp are taking shape. Here’s what to know.
8. Jeff Bezos responded to criticism about his investments in space travel. In a speech, Bezos addressed people who ask why he invests “so much into space,” saying that traveling to space is “not to abandon our home, but to protect it.” Here’s what else he said.
Odds and ends:
9. Everything the James Webb telescope accomplished in its first 100 days. Since it began observing in July, Webb has peered deep into space, took stunning shots of faraway galaxies and glittering nebulae, and saw a spacecraft slam into an asteroid. See the most striking photos from the telescope.
10. Cadillac just took the wraps off its new electric car. The $300,000 Celestiq — which goes into production next year — comes with five screens, futuristic looks, and 300 miles of range. Get an inside look at the Celestiq.
What we’re watching today:
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Curated by Jordan Parker Erb in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email jerb@insider.com or tweet @jordanparkererb.) Edited by Lisa Ryan (tweet @lisarya) in New York.
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