This is catfishing on an industrial scale

PLUS: The Plastic Crisis Finally Gets Emergency Status, and more. [View this email in your browser]( | [Manage newsletter subscriptions](newsletter=wir) [05.16.23](   [plastic bottle]( BOTTLED UP | 5-MINUTE READ [The Plastic Crisis Finally Gets Emergency Status]( BY MATT SIMON [Plastic pollution costs the world up to $600 billion a year. A new UN report provides a road map for drastic action.](   [Young person lighting a candle at the scene of a Buffalo, NY mass shooting]( TWISTS AND TURNS | 6-MINUTE READ [A New Lawsuit Puts the Online White Supremacy Pipeline on Trial]( BY JUSTIN LING [The families of victims of a mass shooting in Buffalo are challenging the platforms they believe led the attacker to carry out a racist massacre.](   [3D illustration of browser windows on a pink backdrop]( WINDOW PAINS | 3-MINUTE READ [Tame Your Tab Jungle With Vivaldi 6 Workspaces]( BY SCOTT GILBERTSON [Every web browser offers ways to keep tabs organized, but Vivaldi's tools have always been superior. The latest update improves them even more.](   [Rows of red hearts on a green background]( TAINTED LOVE | 9-MINUTE READ [This Is Catfishing on an Industrial Scale]( BY LAURA COLE [Hired as customer service reps, these freelancers were instead tasked with luring in the lonely and lovestruck through a network of dating and hookup sites.]( [GET WIRED]( [Get WIRED for just $29.99 $5. That includes subscriber-only content like Steven Levy's Plaintext column, plus free stickers!]([Subscribe now.](   [Photo collage of machine gears, a briefcase, and the FTC building]( IDEAS | 3-MINUTE READ [Unfair Automated Hiring Systems Are Everywhere]( BY IFEOMA AJUNWA [Algorithms can exacerbate employment discrimination. It's time for the US Federal Trade Commission to regulate them.](   [Collage of an OPCraft scene, hands on a keyboard and mouse, and game commands]( WIRED30 | 5-MINUTE READ [Autonomous Worlds Aim to Free Online Games From Corporate Control]( BY MIKE ORCUTT [Multiplayer titles like Minecraft encourage creativity, but prototype games built on the blockchain claim to give players more meaningful independence.](   [people wearing masks in NY]( SAFETY FIRST | 5-MINUTE READ [The Pandemic Isn't Over. Here's How to Stay Safe]( BY DAVID COX [Even though the CDC and WHO are downgrading Covid-19, it's still killing people. Here's what you should know heading into this new phase.](   [Photo collage of kids watching tv in the 60's, a kid using an iPad to do homework, and clocks]( IDEAS | 8-MINUTE READ [Hey Parents, Screen Time Isn't the Problem]( BY PHILLIP MACIAK [Chats with the grandparents over FaceTime are important. All the panic about kids' devices is really about childhood itself.](   [Weber Jumbo Portable Grill]( HOT STUFF | 13-MINUTE READ [The 10 Best Portable Grills You Can Buy]( BY SCOTT GILBERTSON [We barbecued for weeks to find the right charcoal and propane grills for road trips—or just for smaller homes.](   Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world on [jobs.wired.com](. [Technical Program Manager]( [Apple]( Location: Cupertino, CA, USA [APPLY NOW]( [Full Stack Cloud Software Developer]( [Siemens]( [Location: Chicago, IL, USA]( [APPLY NOW]( [(image) WIRED Logo]( [(image) WIRED on Facebook]( [(image) WIRED on Twitter]( [(image) WIRED on Instagram]( [(image) WIRED on LinkedIn]( [(image) WIRED on YouTube]( [Podcasts]( Have questions or comments? [Reply to this email](mailto:hello@wired.com?subject=WIRED%20Newsletter%20Questions,%20Comments%20or%20Feedback). This email was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our email address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( or [Manage your newsletter subscriptions](newsletter=wir) Copyright © Condé Nast 2023. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.