Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter {beacon} Technology Technology   The Big Story  Tech leaders pressed on hurricane misinformation A few House Democrats called on major tech leaders to do more when it comes to the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories about hurricanes Helene and Milton.  © AP Democratic Reps. Deborah Ross (N.C.), Kathy Castor  (Fla.), Nikema Williams (Ga.) and Wiley Nickel (N.C.) sent a letter to tech companies Friday expressing concerns about the uptick in misinformation, disinformation and scams following the extreme weather in their districts.    This stream of misinformation is hindering the recovery process in the South, the lawmakers wrote, echoing comments made on the issue earlier this week by federal, state and local officials.   “Disaster response agencies, climate scientists and rescue organizations work tirelessly to provide critical information and render assistance to those impacted by catastrophic events,” the lawmakers wrote. “The lies, scams, and conspiracies widely circulating on your platforms compromise their ability to work effectively and place the lives and safety of Americans at risk.”    The letter was sent to the leaders of X, Meta, Discord, Snapchat, YouTube and Instagram.   A spokesperson for X told The Hill the company looks “forward to responding to the letter.” The platform includes a “Community Notes” crowdsourcing feature intended to fact-check false or misleading posts.   To combat misinformation on TikTok, the company said it is directing users who watch hurricane-related content to FEMA’s official website to “verify natural disaster info.”   TikTok said it does not permit misinformation that causes harm to individuals or society, or includes violent threats.     The lawmakers laid out a series of steps they believe will prevent the further spread of falsehoods.   This includes increased monitoring and removal of misinformation and disinformation, enhanced fact-checking partnerships with local agencies and disaster relief organizations and stronger safeguards against scams.   Algorithms also should be “strengthened” to better flag conspiracy theories, the lawmakers argued.     The false claims began shortly after Helene hit Florida, Georgia and North Carolina late last month, leaving widespread destruction and an extensive recovery process for hundreds of thousands of residents.     Read more at TheHill.com.   Welcome to The Hill’s Technology newsletter, we're Julia Shapero and Miranda Nazzaro — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley.   Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future:   Trump campaign, Musk coordinated to stop hacked material on X: Report Former President Trump’s campaign worked with Elon Musk’s X to prevent links to hacked campaign materials from circulating on the social media platform last month, according to The New York Times.  After independent journalist Ken Klippenstein shared a link to the materials allegedly obtained in an Iranian hack of the Trump campaign, X suspended his account and blocked links to his Substack, where Klippenstein posted …  Full Story   Senators press Commerce Department to boost transparency about CHIPS Act contracts  A group of senators are urging the Commerce Department to be more transparent regarding the terms of agreements made under the CHIPS and Science Act, arguing the agency must ensure the U.S. semiconductor industry is “safe and sustainable.” In a letter Friday to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Sens. 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He estimated that the operating cost of the Cybercab …  Full Story   The Refresh  News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics:   TikTok cuts hundreds of jobs TikTok is cutting hundreds of jobs as the popular video-sharing app plans to increase its use artificial intelligence (AI) for content moderation, Reuters reported.   Uber, Lyft drivers face lockouts in NYC Uber and Lyft have frequently blocked drivers from picking up rides in New York City, even during periods of high demand, to avoid paying millions of dollars under a new local law, Bloomberg reported.   What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Trump vows crackdown on migrant gangs at Colorado rally Former President Trump visited a Colorado city Friday that he has decried as a “war zone” to depict migrants coming into the country as a grave threat … Read more Michigan newspaper issues correction after Trump claims he won man of year award A Michigan newspaper issued a correction after former President Trump cited the paper at a speech in Detroit, claiming he was Michigan’s “Man of the … Read more     You're all caught up. 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