Vox sentences: Cuba is finally on the grid

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Internal Facebook documents reveal difficult details about social media platform operations; Cuban residents get full internet access on their mobile phones.

A baking scene looks at Facebook's operations

Omar Marques / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images

• Nearly 250 pages of internal Facebook documents, including personal e-mails exchanged between Managing Director Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg, was posted online by the British government and reveals a new low in the technology magnet's aggressiveness to make money. [Motherboard / Jason Koebler and Joseph Cox]
• The documents, previously sealed by a California court, show mainly Facebook that gives special access to their user data to companies such as Lyft, Netflix and Airbnb, while it is restricted to others following a change in company policy. [NYT / Adam Satariano and Mike Isaac]
• After competing Twitter Inc. launched Vine, a short video sharing tool that users could connect to Facebook, Zuckerberg approved to shut Vine's access to friend's function to reduce competition. [Bloomberg / Nate Lanxon and Sarah Frier]
• Emails between Zuckerberg and Sandberg also reflect little concern about leaks of users' data. In a 2012 exchange, the Facebook founder expressed gratitude that data leak to other developers had not caused any "real problem" to them. A few years later, the same attitude led to the Cambridge Analytica scandal that led to the UK survey. [Axios / David McCabe]
• Damian Collins, British parliamentary member who launched the probe and released the online documents, wrote on Twitter that they hope to show how Facebook is exercising its "dominant position in the social media market" and asking for debate about the rights of social media users. [ Twitter / Damian Collins ]
• Facebook and Zuckerberg pushed back by saying that the documents must only paint a selective image of the company that is facing a lawsuit at the moment. [Facebook / Mark Zuckerberg]
• You can find the full documents here. [Six4Three files]

Cuba runs broadband

• From this week, Cuban citizens will enjoy full internet access on their mobile devices after the country has stayed online for many years. [AP / Andrea Rodriguez]
• Cubans had until now only access state-run e-mail accounts on their phones; The use of the country's 3G network was limited to tourists, government officials and foreign business people. NPR / Bill Chappell ]
• About half of Cuba's 11.2 million residents have cellular devices, but it's unclear how many of them actually can afford internet service. A standard monthly salary is $ 30 and the cheapest package is set to cost $ 7. [Al Jazeera]
• The communist government has long made it a priority to increase the connection in the small Caribbean nation. It has previously introduced wifi hotspots around the island, although many residents complained that they had to brave the elements and insects to reach them. [Reuters / Sarah Marsh]

Miscellaneous

• After months of speculation, comedian Kevin Hart officially landed 2019 Oscars hostage, which he called "the opportunity for life". Golden Globe Awards, scheduled to fly for a month, have not yet found their presenter. [Reuters / Lisa Richwine]
• The temple of Satan has infiltrated a government: A 4 meter long satanic statue was added to a series of displays at the Illinois house – located between a Christmas tree and a menorah – to mark the holiday season. [BBC]
• Anti-Trump activists – among them Claude Taylor, a former Bill Clinton campaign – have set up a fake "Khashoggi Way" sign outside the Saudi Embassy in Washington, DC, to protest about the management of the journalist's murder. Twitter Moments ]
• A new case study published in Lancet describes the birth of the first baby by uterine transplant from a deceased donor. The child is healthy, according to a report, and will soon celebrate her first birthday. Time / Jamie Ducharme ]

Verbatim

"We are going to miss you: Your affection, sincerity and good soul will stay with us forever… The best father a son or a daughter could have. And in our sorrow, let's smile to know that dad hugs Robin and holds Mother's hand again. " [ Former President George W. Bush eulogizes his father in a funeral service held at the National Cathedral in Washington , DC / Axios ]

Watch this: Why Women's Pockets Suck

Women's tiny pockets favors fashion over function – and it sucks.

YouTube / Kimberly Mas ]

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