Organs on demand and covid scams in China

Right now, China is being plagued by an unprecedented wave of covid infections. The country’s healthcare system is under strain, covid treatments are in high demand and many people are worried about themselves and their loved ones.

It is in this context that scammers find new opportunities. They are taking advantage of this wave of anxiety and fear in China by claiming on social media to sell covid treatments, in particular Paxlovid, the drug developed by Pfizer that has been most effective in preventing severe covid symptoms.

Demand for the drug has skyrocketed since authorities eased the country’s tough zero covid policies, and scammers are reaping the benefits. Read the full story.

—Zeyi Yang

Zeyi’s story is taken from China Report, his weekly newsletter that shines a light on everything happening in China. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Tuesday.

The unavoidable

I’ve scoured the internet to find you today’s funniest/important/scariest/fascinating stories about technology.

1 It Could Take A Decade To Clean Up FTX’s Mess
US bankruptcy courts have never faced a disaster of this magnitude before. (Economist $)
+ Oddly, Sam Bankman-Fried invested in the fund that backed his own business. (FT$)
+ The founder faces eight counts. (Corner Telegraph)
+ What’s next for crypto. (MIT Technology Review)

2 Germany wants to hold Big Tech to account
This is at the heart of Europe’s attempts to clamp down on anti-competitive behavior. (FT$)
+ The European Commission also wants to survey telecommunications providers. (Reuters)
+ The EU wants to regulate your favorite AI tools. (MIT Technology Review)

3 Tesla’s “full self-driving” software doesn’t live up to its promises
Footage of a dangerous pileup in San Francisco shows just how flawed it is. (The Interception)

4 What will it take to make the United States a chipmaking powerhouse?
Extremely skilled employees and prohibitively expensive machinery are just some of the hurdles. (Slate $)
+ On-chip collaboration could be considered for the United States, Canada and Mexico. (The register)