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10 things in tech you need to know today

FILE PHOTO: SpaceX founder and chief engineer Elon Musk speaks at a post-launch news conference to discuss the SpaceX Crew Dragon astronaut capsule in-flight abort test at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. January 19, 2020. REUTERS/Joe SkipperReuters

Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Friday.

  1. Elon Musk said on Twitter his factories are "working on ventilators" for a possible shortage caused by coronavirus. On Thursday, Musk signalled that plans for production were already underway, tweeting: "We're working on ventilators, even though I think there will not be a shortage by the time we can make enough to matter."
  2. Facebook expanded its ad ban to include hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes and COVID-19 test kits to discourage pandemic price-gouging. The move comes weeks after Facebook banned ads for face masks as well as ads for coronavirus cures.
  3. Twitter will crack down on tweets about fake coronavirus treatments and misinformation. In a blog post, the company said it will require users to remove tweets that deny expert guidance, encourage the use of fake treatments, or contain misleading content purporting to be from experts.
  4. After days of going back and forth with authorities, Tesla will shut down its Buffalo and Fremont plants — both of which are in states hard hit by the coronavirus. Operations will cease at the end of the day on Monday, March 23rd.
  5. Netflix will reduce the quality of its streams in Europe to avoid straining the internet during the coronavirus outbreak. The company announced Thursday it would reduce bit rates for 30 days across Europe after CEO Reed Hastings spoke with EU Commissioner Thierry Breton about reducing traffic to European networks.
  6. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with healthtech startups Babylon and Thriva to discuss scaling up coronavirus testing. Those present offered the government suggestions on how they could help scale up the number of coronavirus tests available to the public.
  7. Amazon's Prime Pantry service is temporarily closed after orders spiked. Prime Pantry is one of many grocery-delivery services that are experiencing a spike in demand as more people stay at home due to the virus.
  8. The US's top doctor called on Kylie Jenner and other influencers to help young people understand the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic. Even as the number of coronavirus cases reported in the US nears 10,000, some young adults have been ignoring calls to avoid large crowds and isolate themselves to stem the spread of the disease.
  9. SoftBank is reportedly looking to raise $10 billion to support startups reeling from the coronavirus outbreak. The Japanese conglomerate is reportedly seeking $5 billion from outside investors, which it will match with its own $5 billion.
  10. Grubhub announced last week that it will suspend up to $100 million in commission fees for independent restaurants impacted by the coronavirus, but the deal comes with some major caveats. To get their fees deferred, restaurants must commit to partnering with the online delivery company for an additional year.

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