The obscure Google deal that defines America’s broken privacy protections

PLUS: What Happens When Facebook Heats Your Home, and more. [View this email in your browser]( | [Manage newsletter subscriptions]( [12.20.23](   [Person sitting on couch with a blue blanket and grey mug]( BIG TECH ENERGY | 5-MINUTE READ [What Happens When Facebook Heats Your Home]( BY MORGAN MEAKER [Big Tech data centers are being used not only to power the internet but also to heat people’s homes. But who’s really winning when Facebook keeps you warm at night?](   [Person speaking into a microphone with a small crowd and the US flag behind them]( 2024 | 8-MINUTE READ [Arizona’s Secretary of State Is Already Sick of Election Conspiracy Theories]( BY WILLIAM TURTON [“At the end of the day, if you're threatening violence or committing acts of violence to achieve a political end, that's terrorism,” Arizona secretary of state Adrian Fontes told WIRED.](   [Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones]( TICK TOCK | 7-MINUTE READ [25 Last-Minute Deals on Gifts That Will Arrive by Christmas]( BY LOURYN STRAMPE [It's not too late to finish your shopping. We rounded up deals on WIRED-approved gifts that ship quickly.](   [Close-up of pixelated human eye]( REGULATORY FAILURE | 10-MINUTE READ [The Obscure Google Deal That Defines America’s Broken Privacy Protections]( BY PARESH DAVE [Google’s doomed social network Buzz led US regulators to force Google and Meta to monitor their own data use. Insiders say the results were mixed, as pressure mounts for a federal privacy law.]( ADVERTISEMENT [GET WIRED]( [LIMITED TIME ONLY. Subscribe to WIRED for only $29.99 $5. That includes subscriber-only content like Steven Levy's Plaintext column, plus](FREE WIRED stickers as a special bonus!   [People ice skating in park surrounded by high-rise buildings]( NO VACANCY | 4-MINUTE READ [New York’s Airbnb Ban Is Causing a Christmas Crunch]( BY AMANDA HOOVER [Hotel prices and tourism numbers are up as New York City goes through its first holiday season with new rules that ban nearly all Airbnbs and other short-term rentals.](   [Matic Robot Vacuum cleaning up spilled food]( CLEAN MACHINE | 5-MINUTE READ [A First Look at Matic, the Reengineered Robot Vacuum]( BY ADRIENNE SO [We spent some time with the prototype robot vacuum from two ex-Google engineers that will be available in March 2024.](   [Outline of a donkey with the Amazon logo for a smile]( ASSED OUT | 2-MINUTE READ [Sorry California, Amazon Will No Longer Sell You Donkey Meat]( BY DHRUV MEHROTRA [As part of a settlement with a horse welfare nonprofit, Amazon will no longer sell products containing “ejiao,” which is made with donkey skin.](   [Food items and tin cans]( YEAR IN REVIEW | 2-MINUTE READ [Best Cookbooks of 2023]( BY JOE RAY [This year’s best cookbooks provide tasty, well-tested instructions for grilling, fermenting, and baking. There’s even something for cocktail hour.](   [Satechi Eco Leather Deskmate with devices]( OUR ULTIMATE GUIDE | 43-MINUTE READ [Everything You Need to Work From Home Like a Pro]( BY JULIAN CHOKKATTU AND GEAR TEAM [Gear can make or break your home office setup. Here’s our ultimate list of more than 120 items, from monitors and desks to webcams and chairs.](   Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world on [jobs.wired.com](. [Program Manager]( [23andMe]( Location: Sunnyvale, CA, USA [APPLY NOW]( [Production Team Lead]( [Gemini, Inc.]( [Location: Cannon Falls, MN, USA]( [APPLY NOW]( ADVERTISEMENT [(image) WIRED Logo]( [(image) WIRED on Facebook]( [(image) WIRED on Twitter]( [(image) WIRED on Instagram]( [(image) WIRED on LinkedIn]( [(image) WIRED on YouTube]( [Podcasts]( [TikTok]( Have questions or comments? [Reply to this email](mailto:hello@wired.com?subject=WIRED Newsletter Questions, Comments or Feedback). 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]( Copyright © Condé Nast 2023. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.