Roundup: Streamers undercutting writers and CEOs learning from Musk

Read to the end of a cool transport proposal

Strike sign at WGA picket targeting Apple. Source: Writers Guild of America

The tech industry going after workers is a big theme in this week’s roundup, but also how that just makes everything worse in service of companies’ bottom lines. I highlight an interview with an Apple executive who admits the industry wants to cut writers’ pay and replace union crews with non-union workers, then dig into how the big changes coming to Reddit are in part inspired by Elon Musk’s deep cost-cutting measures at Twitter. His fellow CEOs were watching and furiously taking notes!

Plus, as always, a bunch of recommended reads, labor updates, and other stories you might have missed. Definitely check out the ones by Alex Pareene and Émile Torries! If you want to get the full roundup and support the work that goes into writing Disconnect, make sure to become a paid subscriber!

Over on Tech Won’t Save Us, I have a great interview with

Molly White

to unpack the Securities and Exchange Commission’s recent lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase, and what the action might mean for the struggling crypto industry.

Enjoy the roundup, and have a great week!

— Paris

PS— If you’re in Edmonton, I’ll be in town for an event on June 24!

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Streamers want to pay writers as little as possible

In an interview published earlier this month on All Your Screens and republished yesterday by

Strikegeist

, an anonymous Apple executive gave some pretty candid thoughts on the writers strike and the ultimate goals of streaming companies. No surprise: they don’t sound great for labor!