Weekend edition—Facebook’s challenge, PwC’s millennial rebellion, killer eyewear

[Quartz - qz.com]( Sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! If this was any other week, a tragic and historic first—a human killed by an autonomous car—might have dominated the headlines. Instead, a massive backlash against Facebook reduced an [Uber vehicle that killed a pedestrian]( in Arizona to a mere ripple in the news cycle. The reaction to both stories says a lot about current perceptions of Silicon Valley, which has developed cutting-edge technologies while also tapping into psychological desires. Consider: Facebook (to be liked); Twitter (to be heard); Instagram and Snapchat (to be seen); Uber (to be carried… or maybe shuttled around in mom’s minivan). If you just consider the basic facts of Facebook’s scandal—that political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica violated the social network’s rules for third-party apps by obtaining the profile data of tens of millions of users, and Facebook responded ineptly—it’s hard to understand the current level of outrage and disgust. Similarly, the Uber incident, while surely tragic, pales in comparison to astronomical auto deaths [involving only humans](. Instead, consider how these stories feel—a much better barometer for a company like Facebook, which has thrived on its deft manipulation of human neurochemistry and emotion. The outrage that’s driving the [#DeleteFacebook movement]( with its predecessor, [#DeleteUber]( fueled not by rational evidence, but by visceral concerns about the growing power, suspect motives, and dubious ethics of the tech firms involved. And, of course, just because the feelings are visceral doesn’t mean they’re ill-founded. Mark Zuckerberg, while ending a painful five days of silence after the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke, “paused for a really long time” when the New York Times asked him if he felt any guilt about how his platform is being used. He [eventually answered]( (paywall) that when he was back in his Harvard dorm room, he didn’t see any of this coming. No doubt that’s true, but it does little to answer a much more important question: Can Silicon Valley’s technological wonders—now that we’ve seen what they can really do—ever make us feel warm and fuzzy again?—Adam Pasick Sponsor content by EY Banking is changing for good. Are you ready for the revolution? New open banking regulation that gives customers control of their data, as well as the ability to easily share it, is starting to roll out. With the potential to better serve their customers, a banking revolution could soon be here. Find out what this means for you and how EY’s Digital Passport can help [you manage the change.]( Five things on Quartz we especially liked A brief history of car crashes—human-powered or not. Following a death caused by an Uber self-driving vehicle, Michael Coren looks back at how it took us 90 years to get a 90% drop in human-driven vehicle fatalities. Meanwhile, in these early stages of autonomous cars, Americans seem unwilling to accept from machines [even the slightest room for error](. The one constant in US trade policy. Donald Trump’s slew of new tariffs—formed after end-runs around domestic lawmakers to impose rules on behalf of corporations—makes him an outlier in recent US trade policy. But Tim Fernholz’s closer look shows Trump is still following [his predecessors’ playbook](. Deadly lead. When it became clear that pollution from a lead-battery recycling facility was poisoning her community—including her own child—Phyllis Omido went looking for answers. Zoë Schlanger tells the story of the woman [taking on Kenya’s government]( in her fight for environmental justice. The millennial revolt at PwC. New recruits at the firm have long been expected to sign away their rights to any semblance of a social life in exchange for the shot at a lucrative career. Corinne Purtill [chronicled a rebellion]( by its young employees, who wanted to create more flexible schedules, and a happier work culture for everyone. Facebook faces the music. During an awful week for the social network, Mike Murphy and Hanna Kozlowska asked whether [we should delete Facebook]( Nikhil Sonnad [used some fancy code]( to totally block Facebook; and Joon Ian Wong demonstrated the Facebook-owned Whatsapp founders’ [very different feelings]( about Facebook. Five things elsewhere that made us smarter America destroyed his country. This week marked the 15th anniversary of the start of the US-led invasion of Iraq. In [the New York Times]( (paywall), Iraqi novelist Sinan Antoon movingly relates a harsh truth: “I never thought that Iraq could ever be worse than it was during Saddam’s reign, but that is what America’s war achieved.” Killer eyewear. Why do we think serial killers all wear the same glasses? [For Racked]( Tori Teller looks into the accepted iconography around society’s most monstrous people and why we’ve come to associate murderers with glasses. By the way, did you know you can search for “serial killer glasses” on Amazon? Inside the brutal aftermath of accidental shootings. Around 50 times a year, a person shoots a family member, friend, or emergency responder who they think is an intruder. Albert Samaha and Sean Campbell trace, [for BuzzFeed News]( the lasting consequences for several people who have shot someone by mistake. How to exploit data with style. Alexander Nix, the self-assured, Eton-educated chief executive of Cambridge Analytica, exploited Facebook and Cambridge University with flair, mixing an air of high-minded academia with the grubbier business of advertising. “One lesson here is to beware executives with posh accents and good suits,” writes John Gapper [for the Financial Times]( (paywall). The loneliness of Japan’s elderly shoplifters. A quarter of Japan’s population is 65 or older and some of those seniors, particularly women, are turning to petty theft in order to find a place of unexpected community and stability: prison. Shiho Fukada tells their stories [in Bloomberg Businessweek]( and explores the touching reality behind an odd trend. Correction: In yesterday’s brief, we incorrectly reported that the “March for Our Lives” gun-control event is taking place on Sunday; it is actually taking place on Saturday. Our best wishes for a relaxing but thought-filled weekend. Please send any news, comments, retro eyeglasses, and PwC employee handbooks to hi@qz.com. You can follow us [on Twitter here]( for updates throughout the day, or download [our apps for iPhone]( and [Android](. Today’s Weekend Brief was edited by Kabir Chibber. Enjoying the Daily Brief? Forward it to a friend! 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