Technologies

Facebook whistleblower to testify before Congress: How to watch

Former Facebook product manager Frances Haugen has accused the company of choosing its own interests over what’s good for the public.

Former Facebook product manager Frances Haugen, the whistleblower behind a major leak of internal company documents, is set to testify before US lawmakers for the first time on Tuesday.

Haugen publicly revealed herself to be the Facebook whistleblower during an interview that the CBS television program 60 Minutes aired on Sunday. The 37-year-old gathered thousands of pages of documents and communications, some of which The Wall Street Journal used to publish a series of stories about how Facebook is aware of the harm the company’s platform can inflict, including on the mental health of teenagers.

«There were conflicts of interest between what was good for the public and what was good for Facebook. And Facebook, over and over again, chose to optimize for its own interests, like making more money,» Haugen said during the 60 Minutes interview. She worked on Facebook’s efforts to combat election interference and misinformation for nearly two years before leaving the social network in May.

Now lawmakers are trying to learn more from Haugen about what type of regulation could help keep social networks such as Facebook more accountable. The Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security is holding a hearing, titled «Protecting Kids Online: Testimony from a Facebook Whistleblower.» Tuesday’s hearing comes less than a week after Facebook’s head of safety, Antigone Davis, appeared before Congress. Facebook says The Wall Street Journal mischaracterized its research, noting that its platform also has benefits such as helping people keep in touch with family and friends. The company, which suffered a massive outage on Monday, has been plagued by numerous scandals including about data privacy.

Here’s what you need to know:

When

The hearing begins Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT.

Where

You can watch the hearing live on the subcommittee’s website or on CNET’s YouTube channel.

What to expect

US lawmakers will likely press the whistleblower for more details about what she learned while working for Facebook and other tech companies. Before joining Facebook, Haugen worked for Google, Yelp and Pinterest.

«Facebook’s actions make clear that we cannot trust it to police itself. We must consider stronger oversight, effective protections for children, & tools for parents, among the needed reforms,» tweeted Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat who chairs the Senate subcommittee hosting the hearing.

Lawmakers are trying to gather more information, including from companies outside of Facebook, as they weigh what type of regulation to pass.

Last week, Blumenthal, along with Democrats Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida, reintroduced the Kids Internet Design and Safety Act. The bill would ban features such as «likes» and follower counts for users under the age of 16 years old. The legislation also addresses other issues such as manipulative marketing and the amplification of harmful content.

Technologies

Sora Video Limits Got You Down? Pay Up for More, Says OpenAI

Sora has opened to everyone in the US, and OpenAI is now charging for extra AI video generations.

Soon after Sora dropped its invite-only requirement, OpenAI is already moving to monetize the popular AI video social media app. The company has introduced paid «video generation packs,» allowing you to purchase additional AI-generated videos after reaching the daily free limit.

Until now, you could generate around 30 videos a day for free or up to 100 for Pro accounts. Now, anyone who hits that cap will see a prompt to purchase extra «gens» through the App Store.

A small bundle of 10 extra generations costs roughly $4, according to Sora’s listing on Apple App Store, but OpenAI’s support page states that the exact credits used per video range based on factors like the video length and resolution.

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OpenAI’s Bill Peebles confirmed the change in a post on X, citing increased demand and «unsustainable» economics as reasons behind the change. He also confirms the free quota options are likely temporary.

«Eventually, we will need to bring the free gens down to accommodate growth (we won’t have enough GPUs to do it otherwise!), but we’ll be transparent as it happens,» he wrote. «[i]n the meantime, enjoy the crazy usage limits.»

Technologies

You Can Nab the Apple Watch SE 3 for a Record-Low $200 if You Act Fast

Amazon just knocked $49 off this budget-friendly wearable for the first time since its release.

Released alongside the Series 11 and Ultra 3, the Apple Watch SE 3 is the latest budget-friendly model in Apple’s lineup. Starting at $249, it already saves you $150 compared to the Series 11, and right now you can pick it up for even less.

Amazon is offering the biggest (and practically only) discount we’ve seen since this smartwatch hit shelves, knocking it down to a record-low $200. That’s a $49 discount, but it only applies to the starlight color. We also don’t expect this deal to last long, so be sure to get your order in soon.

Even at full price, CNET smartwatch expert Vanessa Hand Orellana called the third-gen SE a «$250 steal that delivers nearly everything you’d want from a wearable, with surprisingly few compromises.» It’s equipped with the same S10 processor as the Series 11 and Ultra 3, and offers many of the same features, like fast charging, 5G connectivity and new wellness tools. Plus, the vibrant 40mm display is always on, so you can check the time with a glance. Other helpful features include onboard Siri, fall detection and a durable design that’s water-resistant up to 50 meters.

SMARTWATCH DEALS OF THE WEEK

Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 46mm, Black, M/L Sports Band):

$329 (save $100)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (Bluetooth, 40mm, Cream):

$200 (save $100)
Amazfit Active 42mm Smartwatch With 14 Day Battery Life (Black):

$85 (save $25)
Garmin Vivoactive 5 GPS Smartwatch With AMOLED Display:

$200 (save $100)
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (Wi-Fi, LTE, 47mm, Titanium Silver):

$500 (save $150)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

Deals on the latest Apple tech are far and few between, which makes this Apple Watch SE 3 discount a welcome surprise. You can pick it up for a record-low $200 right now at Amazon, which is just half the price of the flagship Series 11. If you prefer a larger display, the 44mm model is also $49 off, dropping the price to $230.

You can also find plenty of other bargains on the latest and previous-gen models in our full roundup of all the best Apple Watch deals.

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Technologies

Surprise Twist: Apple’s Next iPhones Might Come in These 3 Unlikely Colors

Apple seems to be choosing a deep, earthy path for its upcoming phone colors.

From cosmic orange to coffee brown? Brown, purple and burgundy will be the available colors for the iPhone 18 Pro next September, if a leak out of China proves true.

Depending on your language translator, brown could mean simply «brown» or «coffee brown,» but you get the general idea. The tidbit comes from regular leaker Digital Chat Station’s post on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo. The post also says that black will not be an available color for the iPhone 18 Pro.

A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The iPhone 17 Pro comes in cosmic orange, deep blue and silver.

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The Apple release schedule for the iPhone 18 series has been shifting, but the latest intel reports that the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Fold will launch in September 2026. The iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e will follow in the spring of 2027.

If Digital Chat Station’s leak is accurate, the iPhone 18 Pro would be the first Pro edition in years without a color resembling black, white or silver.

Here are the colors for the iPhone Pro dating back to its introduction in 2019:

2019: iPhone 11 Pro/Pro Max: Midnight Green, Space Gray, Silver, Gold
2020: iPhone 12 Pro/Pro Max: Graphite, Silver, Gold, Pacific Blue
2021: iPhone 13 Pro/13 Pro Max: Graphite, Gold, Silver, Sierra Blue, Alpine Green (March 2022)
2022: iPhone 14 Pro/14 Pro Max: Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple
2023: iPhone 15 Pro/15 Pro Max: Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium
2024: iPhone 16 Pro/16 Pro Max: Black Titanium, Natural Titanium, White Titanium, Desert Titanium
2025: iPhone 17 Pro/17 Pro Max: Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue, Silver

Not offering any version of black for Pro models might seem counterintuitive, since the iPhone 16 Pro Max black titanium version has been a big seller, and black has also been popular with iPhone 17 shoppers. But a lack of black has not hurt iPhone 17 Pro sales.