The coronavirus crisis has Americans living in tech billionaires’ world

The risks of depending on billionaires in a crisis, the rise of telehealth, and the far-right's ties to Clearview AI ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [View on the web]( [Recode]( [Click to view images]( [These are the trade-offs we make when we depend on billionaires to save us]( The US government has repeatedly proven to be sluggish at best and impotent at worst at controlling the carnage of the coronavirus crisis. But saviors, of a sort, loom: billionaires — and tech billionaires in particular. Jack Dorsey on Tuesday promised a new $1 billion philanthropy. Apple has donated 20 million masks. Bill Gates is building factories to produce vaccines that don’t even exist yet. And other tech elites — think millionaires, not billionaires — have mobilized their networks for ambitious efforts to find equipment from around the globe or feed hospital workers in their hometowns. But for all the wealthy’s good deeds, this status quo raises alarming questions about the long-term dangers of this dependency on this private sector and its generosity, especially about the world we’ll inherit once the dust settles. Over the last week, philanthropists, wealth advisers, and billionaires discussed this uneasy bind with Recode's Teddy Schleifer. On one hand, tech billionaires are doing many helpful things. But two things can be true at once: Tech billionaires can be doing good while simultaneously revealing their power and entrenching it for the long haul. As the government struggles and the safety net crumbles, tech billionaires are reaching the apex of their influence — influence that may not recede so easily once we do manage to survive this pandemic. [Click to view images]( [6 things to know about telehealth]( Due to Covid-19, video chats with doctors are becoming mainstream. Here’s how it all works. [ Rebecca Heilweil / [Recode]( ] [Click to view images]( [Kushner’s team seeks national coronavirus surveillance system]( Critics worry about a Patriot Act for health care, raising concerns about patient privacy and civil liberties. [ Adam Cancryn / [Politico]( ] [Click to view images]( [“Kill your earnings”: Jim Cramer’s surprising take on the coronavirus crisis]( CNBC’s biggest star sounds a lot like Bernie Sanders. [ Emily Stewart / [Vox]( ] [Click to view images]( [The far-right helped create the world’s most powerful facial recognition technology]( Clearview AI, which has alarmed privacy experts, hired several far-right employees. [ Luke O’Brien / [HuffPost]( ] [Click to view images]( [Gig workers' new unemployment benefits won't come quickly]( The $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill makes contractors eligible for unemployment insurance. But states want pay stubs that ride-hail drivers don't have. [ Aarian Marshall / [Wired]( ] [This is Cool Section Title] [Why NASA quarantined the Apollo 11 astronauts]( [Facebook]( Twitter [Instagram]( [Recode by Vox]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences](, or [unsubscribe]( to stop receiving emails from Vox Media. View our [Privacy Notice]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved.