Apple’s board of directors has come out in opposition to a proposal seeking to end the company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. In a proxy filing, the company said the National Center for Public Policy Research (a conservative think tank) is submitting a proposal for Apple to “consider abolishing its Inclusion & Diversity program,…
Category: Government & Policy
content moderation, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Instagram, Meta, Social, TC, Threads, Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg defends Meta’s latest pivot in three-hour Joe Rogan interview
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended his decision to scale back Meta’s content moderation policies in a Friday appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast. Zuckerberg faced widespread criticism for the decision, including from employees inside his own company. “Probably depends on who you ask,” said Zuckerberg when asked how Meta’s updates have been received. The key updates…
Amazon, DEI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, jeff bezos
Amazon curbs some DEI programs
Amazon is now the latest company to curb some of its DEI programs, Bloomberg reports, after Meta announced that it, too, is ending its diversity efforts earlier on Friday. An internal memo that was sent to staffers said that the company was looking to wind down outdated programs and materials as part of a review…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Social, social media, social networking, supreme court, TC, TikTok, TikTok Ban, TikTok Hearing, Trump
TikTok ban: How both sides made their case to the Supreme Court and what the justices asked
On Friday, the nation’s highest court heard arguments on whether to uphold or block a law that could effectively ban TikTok in the U.S. The bill, signed into law by President Biden in April 2024, gives TikTok’s parent company ByteDance until January 19 to divest its U.S. operations or face a ban in the country.…
ANSYS, Enterprise, Europe, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Synopsys
EU approves $35B Synopsys and Ansys merger, subject to divestment conditions
The European Commission (EC) has given the greenlight for Synopsys to acquire Ansys, though the companies must divest some half-a-dozen products as part of the proposed remedies. Chip design software maker Synopsys revealed last January its plans to acquire Ansys, a simulation software developer that helps engineers model and analyze the physical behavior of products, such as chips,…
Apps, bytedance, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Social, supreme court, TikTok, TikTok Ban, Trump
TikTok pleads its case against sell-or-ban law before Supreme Court
A lawyer for TikTok argued before the Supreme Court on Friday that a ban on the social network would violate TikTok’s and Americans’ First Amendment rights. The Supreme Court this morning heard arguments on whether to overturn or delay a law that could effectively ban TikTok in the U.S. The bill, officially titled the Protecting…
Fintech, Global Security News, Government & Policy, India, Mastercard, Rupay, TC, visa
India’s payment push is cutting out Visa and Mastercard
As global regulators increase their scrutiny on Visa and Mastercard over merchant fees, India has chosen a different path: creating rival payment networks that are increasingly sidelining international card networks. The strategy builds on India’s Unified Payments Interface, known as UPI, a nine-year-old system that now processes more than 13 billion real-time transactions monthly, or…
Commerce, eBay, Europe, Facebook, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Meta
Facebook Marketplace to display eBay listings to appease EU regulators
Meta is set to start displaying eBay listings in its own Facebook Marketplace classifieds platform, in an effort to appease European regulators. Back in November, Meta was hit with a €798 million fine by the European Commission (EC) in Europe for breaching antitrust rules. The EC contended that Meta created “unfair trading conditions” by connecting…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy
FTC accuses gig work app Handy of misleading ads and opaque fees for workers
The FTC and New York’s attorney general have accused Handy, the gig app customers can use to book cleaners, handymen, and more, of making deceptive claims about how much workers could earn through its platform. In a complaint filed on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the FTC…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy
Trump announces $20B plan to build new data centers in the US
The data centers will primarily support AI and cloud technologies, the president-elect said. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, deepfakes, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy
UK confirms plans to criminalize the creation of sexually explicit deepfake content
The U.K. is forging ahead with plans to make the act of creating sexually explicit “deepfake” images a specific criminal offence. A deepfake refers to manipulated media, often video or audio, created using AI to make someone appear to say or do something they didn’t. The U.K. had already made sharing — and the threat…
fact checking, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Meta, misinformation, Social
Meta drops fact-checking and loosens its content moderation rules
Meta, the parent of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, today announced a major overhaul in how it’s handling content moderation on its site, taking off some of the guardrails that it had put in place over the last several years in response to criticism that it had helped to spread political and health misinformation. In a…
ces 2025, consumer tech, Gadgets, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Hardware, Tariffs
Consumer tech spending will break records in 2025 if Trump’s tariffs don’t squash it, CTA predicts
AI is leading US consumers towards a tech spending bonanza this year if tariffs don’t materialize, new research from the Consumer Technology Association finds. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, CMA, Competition and Markets Authority, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, In Brief
UK uses AI to tackle ‘bid-rigging’ collusion in public procurement contracts
The U.K’s competition authority already has a lot on its plate in terms of tackling Big Tech’s growing reach across the technological spectrum, but closer to home it’s dealing with a different kind of anti-competitive threat — one it reckons AI is well-equipped to address. As per a Financial Times’ report this week, the Competition…
Commerce, Devin Stone, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, honey, PayPal
YouTuber LegalEagle sues PayPal over ‘sleeping leech’ Honey extension
A new lawsuit alleges that the PayPal-owned browser extension Honey is cheating creators out of money. Honey, which PayPal acquired for $4 billion in 2019, works by automatically presenting users with relevant coupon codes as they shop. However, in a video posted last month, YouTuber MegaLag described Honey as a “scam” that’s “stealing money from…
Apps, congestion pricing, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Lyft
Lyft will credit NYC riders for congestion fee throughout January
New York City’s congestion pricing is scheduled to take effect Sunday — but for the first month, Lyft said it will be crediting riders who pay the fee. New York’s program, which is supposed to reduce traffic in lower Manhattan while also raising funding for mass transit, was paused by Governor Kathy Hochul in June,…
accessibe, accessibility, AI, Apps, blind, complaint, disabled, FTC, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, order, startup, Startups, web accessibility
FTC orders AI accessibility startup accessiBe to pay $1M for misleading advertising
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has fined accessiBe, a startup that claims to make websites more compatible with the screen readers blind people rely on to access the internet, for false advertising and compensating reviewers without disclosing that it sponsored the reviews. In a proposed order, the FTC would require accessiBe to pay $1 million…
Climate, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, green hydrogen, Hydrogen, inflation reduction act, tax credits
Hydrogen tax credit rules give startups clarity while boosting nuclear and carbon capture
Hydrogen startups are widely seen as a promising way to eliminate fossil fuels from heavy industry and long-haul transportation. But they have been stuck in limbo for the last couple years, waiting for official guidance from the U.S. Treasury on lucrative tax credits. The wait ended today, with the Treasury announcing final rules for hydrogen…
Global Security News, Government & Policy, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Policy, TC
Meta policy chief Nick Clegg steps down
The President of Meta’s Global Affairs team, Nick Clegg, is stepping down from his position at the company, the executive announced in a tweet on Thursday. Clegg, Meta’s politically centrist policy chief since 2018, will be replaced by one of the company’s most prominent Republican executives, Joel Kaplan. Clegg noted on X that Kaplan is…
AI, AI doom, ai safety, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, SB 1047, TC
Silicon Valley stifled the AI doom movement in 2024
For several years now, technologists have rung alarm bells about the potential for advanced AI systems to cause catastrophic damage to the human race. But in 2024, those warning calls were drowned out by a practical and prosperous vision of generative AI promoted by the tech industry – a vision that also benefited their wallets.…
Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Social, TC, Twitter, X
Elon Musk’s pro-Trump critics claim they’re being censored on X
Conservative activists claim X is censoring them for being critical of its owner, Elon Musk. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, Elon Musk, encode, for-profit, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, injunction, nonprofit, openai
Nonprofit group joins Elon Musk’s effort to block OpenAI’s for-profit transition
Encode, the nonprofit organization that co-sponsored California’s ill-fated SB 1047 AI safety legislation, has requested permission to file an amicus brief in support of Elon Musk’s injunction to halt OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit company. In a proposed brief submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Friday afternoon, counsel for…
Fintech, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Government & Policy, India, NPCI, Paytm, PhonePe, Walmart
India’s mobile payments dilemma
India’s payments regulator is set to decide as early as Monday whether to curb the dominance of Walmart’s PhonePe and Google in the nation’s fast-growing mobile payments market, a move that could reshape how its billion-plus population moves money. The decision centers on UPI, or Unified Payments Interface, a network backed by more than 50…
bytedance, Donald Trump, Global Security News, Government & Policy, North America, Social, Startups, TikTok, TikTok Ban
Trump asks Supreme Court to pause imminent TikTok ban
Attorneys representing President-elect Donald Trump have asked the Supreme Court to pause a law that would force TikTok-owner ByteDance to sell the short-form video app or see it banned from the United States. If the app isn’t sold, the ban is set to take effect in just a few weeks, on January 19. ByteDance is…
AI, Elon Musk, encode, for-profit, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, injunction, nonprofit, openai
Nonprofit group joins Elon Musk’s effort to block OpenAI’s for-profit transition
Encode, the nonprofit org that co-sponsored California’s ill-fated SB 1047 AI safety legislation, has requested permission to file an amicus brief in support of Elon Musk’s injunction to halt OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit. In a proposed brief submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Friday afternoon, counsel for Encode…
Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, mar-a-lago, SpaceX, Tesla
Elon Musk’s jets made 355 trips in 2024, including 31 to or from the Mar-a-Lago area
Elon Musk’s jets took over 355 flights this year, with 31 of those flights heading to or from near Mar-a-Lago. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy
Sriram Krishnan named Trump’s senior policy advisor for AI
Incoming president Donald Trump has confirmed reports that Sriram Krishnan, until recently a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), will serve as senior policy advisor for AI at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Trump said in a statement that Krishnan will “help shape and coordinate AI policy across government, working with…
AI, anduril, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Palantir
Palantir and Anduril reportedly building a tech consortium to bid on defense contracts
Two big defense tech players, Palantir and Anduril, are talking to tech companies including SpaceX, OpenAI, Saronic, and Scale AI about forming a consortium to bid on Pentagon contracts, according to a report in the Financial Times. The goal, the FT says, is to challenge the dominance of “prime” defense contractors like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon,…
Apps, Donald Trump, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Social, TikTok
Trump says he wants to keep TikTok around ‘for a little while’
With a US TikTok ban scheduled to take effect in less than a month, President-elect Donald Trump said Sunday that he’d like to keep the app around, according to Reuters. “We’re going to have to start thinking because, you know, we did go on TikTok, and we had a great response with billions of views,…
antitrust, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Government & Policy, US Department of Justice
Google pushes back against DOJ’s ‘interventionist’ remedies in antitrust case
Google has offered up its own proposal in a recent antitrust case that saw the US Department of Justice argue that Google must sell its Chrome browser. US District Court Judge Amit Mehta ruled in August that Google had acted illegally to maintain a monopoly in online search, with the DOJ then proposing a number…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Marc Andreessen, Venture
Sam Altman disputes Marc Andreessen’s description of AI meetings with Biden administration
Sam Altman dismissed what he called a “conspiracy theory” from a16z co-founder Marc Andreessen. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
apple dma, apple dma interoperability specification proceedings, Apps, Europe, Global Security News, Government & Policy, ios dma interoperability
EU asks for views on plan to force Apple to open up iOS
The European Commission has published draft proposals for how Apple must meet interoperability requirements flowing from the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) — inviting feedback on proposed measures targeted at areas like iOS notifications, data transfer, and device set-up by January 9, 2025. European Union regulators then have until around mid March to adopt final…
dma apple vs meta, dma interoperability, Europe, Global Security News, Government & Policy, In Brief, privacy, Social
Apple and Meta go to war over interoperability vs. privacy
Apple and Meta are warring in Europe over the balance between interoperability and privacy, Reuters reports. The fight focuses on the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), a competition regulation that requires designated gatekeepers (including Apple and Meta) not to restrict rivals’ access to so-called core platform services. In Apple’s case, this means: iOS, iPadOS,…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Social, supreme court, TikTok, TikTok Ban
Supreme Court to hear arguments over TikTok sell-or-ban law
The Supreme Court said on Wednesday that it will hear ByteDance and TikTok’s challenge to a law would ban the social network in the U.S. unless the social network divests from Chinese ownership by January 19. On January 10, the Supreme Court justices will hear argue about whether the sell-or-ban law violates the First Amendment.…
Apps, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, grubhub, In Brief
Grubhub to pay $25M for ‘deceptive’ practices against customers, drivers
Grubhub will pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul over unlawful practices, including misleading customers about delivery costs, deceiving drivers about potential earnings, and listing restaurants on its platform without their permission. The agencies claim that Grubhub hid the true cost of its delivery…
AI, automated decisioning, automation decisions, generative ai, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Government & Policy, high risk, terms, terms of use
Google says customers can use its AI in ‘high-risk’ domains, so long as there’s human supervision
Google has changed its terms to clarify that customers can deploy its generative AI tools to make “automated decisions” in “high-risk” domains, like healthcare, so long as there’s a human in the loop. According to the company’s updated Generative AI Prohibited Use Policy, published on Tuesday, customers may use Google’s generative AI to make “automated…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy
UK consults on opt-out model for training AIs on copyrighted content
The U.K. government is consulting on an opt-out copyright regime for AI training that would require rights holders to take active steps if they don’t want their intellectual property to become free AI training fodder. The rise of generative AI models that are trained on vast quantities of data has brought intellectual property concerns to…
Apps, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, junk fees, Lina Khan
FTC bans hidden junk fees in short-term lodging, live-event ticket prices
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission passed a rule on Tuesday banning hidden “junk fees” for live events, hotels, and vacation rentals. The agency says the new rule prohibits “bait-and-switch pricing,” and other practices that hide total prices and bury junk fees in the live-event ticketing and short-term lodging industries, noting that these “unfair and deceptive”…
Commerce, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, India, reliance industries, Reliance Retail, Shein, Startups
Shein must cede Indians’ data, control of local ops to re-enter India
Shein must surrender all data of Indian customers and control of its local operations to its partner, Reliance Retail, and keep operations fully local to re-enter the Indian market, according to new government disclosures that reveal how the apparel and accessories retailer secured a rare exception to India’s ban on Chinese-linked apps. In a parliamentary…
dsa tiktok, dsa tiktok election security, dsk tiktok romanian election, Europe, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Social
EU to investigate TikTok’s response to election security risks in Romania
TikTok is now subject to not one but two open Digital Services Act (DSA) investigations after the European Union announced on Tuesday that it has opened a formal proceeding focused on election risks — and specifically risks in the context of recent elections in Romania. The probe will focus on TikTok’s recommender systems — principally “risks…
cambridge analytica settlement, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, In Brief, meta cambridge analytica australia, privacy, Social
Meta to set up $50M privacy payment scheme to settle Australian proceeding
Meta has agreed to a $50 million payment program to settle a long-running proceeding in Australia related to misuse of information for political ad targeting, the country’s information watchdog OAIC announced Tuesday. The settlement concerns the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal, when data on millions of Facebook users was exfiltrated without their knowledge or consent by…
antitrust, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Kakao, Kakao Mobility, Transportation
Kakao Mobility hit with $10.5M antitrust fine for limiting rivals’ access
South Korea’s antitrust watchdog has fined Kakao Mobility, the ride-hailing unit of Korean tech firm Kakao, $10.5 million (KRW 15.1 billion) for limiting competitors’ access to its taxi app — lowering the penalty from an initial fine of $50.3 million (KRW 72.4 billion) as the earlier sanction was based on an overestimated calculation of the…
bytedance, Global Security News, Government & Policy, In Brief, North America, Social, TikTok, TikTok Ban
TikTok asks Supreme Court for a lifeline as sell-or-ban deadline approaches
TikTok and ByteDance asked the United States Supreme Court to block the law that forces TikTok to be sold off or banned in the United States, according to an emergency filing with America’s top court on Monday. The social media company requested that the Supreme Court consider blocking the sell-or-ban law passed earlier this year…
Donald Trump, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Masayoshi Son, Softbank
Softbank CEO announces a $100 billion investment into the US
On Monday, Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son announced that his company would invest $100 billion into the US over the next four years. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Social
Meta put on watch over terrorism content in the EU
Ireland’s media regulator has put social media giant Meta on watch over terrorist content takedowns again — it issued a decision against Facebook on Monday. The Coimisiún na Meán said the tech giant would have to take “specific measures” to prevent its services from being used for the dissemination of terrorist content and report back…
Europe, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Iris² satellite, Space, Starlink
EU signs $11B deal for sovereign satellite constellation to rival Musk’s Starlink
The European Union is forging ahead with plans for a constellation of internet satellites to rival Elon Musk-owned Starlink, after signing a €10.6 billion ($11.1B) deal to launch nearly 300 satellites into low- and medium-Earth orbits by 2030. The bloc wants the space tech to boost its digital sovereignty by providing secure comms to governments.…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, ofcom online safety codes, Social, uk online safety act, uk online safety act ofcom codes
UK’s internet watchdog finalizes first set of rules for Online Safety law
On Monday, the U.K.’s internet regulator, Ofcom, published the first set of final guidelines for online service providers subject to the Online Safety Act. This starts the clock ticking on the sprawling online harms law’s first compliance deadline, which the regulator expects to kick in in three months’ time. Ofcom has been under pressure to…
AI, david sacks, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Marc Andreessen, TC
Trump’s Silicon Valley advisers have AI ‘censorship’ in their crosshairs
President-elect Donald Trump has surrounded himself with Silicon Valley entrepreneurs — including Elon Musk, Marc Andreessen, and David Sacks — who are now advising him on technology and other issues. When it comes to AI, this crew of technologists is fairly aligned on the need for rapid development and adoption of AI throughout the U.S.…
AI, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Meta, openai, Startups
Meta asks California AG to block OpenAI’s conversion to for-profit
Facebook’s parent company Meta is supporting Elon Musk’s effort to block OpenAI’s conversion from a non-profit company into a for-profit one. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Meta sent a letter to California Attorney General Rob Bonta arguing that allowing the shift would have “seismic implications for Silicon Valley.” And while the company asked…
advanced technology vehicles manufacturing loan, Climate, Department of Energy, EV batteries, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Rivian, Samsung SDI, Solar Power, starplus energy, Stellantis, sunwealth, Transportation
Biden administration races to approve clean energy loans before Trump takes over — here’s who is benefiting
The Department of Energy (DOE) is on a loan-approval spree in the lead-up to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, and the winners are all companies manufacturing clean energy solutions on U.S. soil. Companies like Stellantis and Samsung, Rivian, and most recently, EVgo. Trump has promised to cancel any unspent federal dollars under President Joe Biden’s Inflation…
Climate, DOE, EV charging, evgo, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, inflation reduction act, Transportation
EVgo secures $1.25 billion loan amid Biden’s rush to approve clean energy loans
Electric vehicle charging startup EVgo is the latest company to secure funds from the U.S. Department of Energy as the Biden administration races to approve clean energy loans before Donald Trump takes over. Trump has promised to cancel any unspent funds from Biden’s bipartisan Inflation Reduction Act, including the $7,500 tax credit for new EV…
Amazon, Donald Trump, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, jeff bezos, openai, sam altman
Sam Altman and Jeff Bezos are the latest billionaires to donate $1M to Trump fund
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Jeff Bezos’ Amazon plan to donate $1 million each to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, according to reports from Fox and the Wall Street Journal. TechCrunch has confirmed Altman’s plans to personally commit the money, which is not coming directly from OpenAI. The donations from the billionaires follow plans by…
eu csam microtargeting, eu csam microtargeting epds decision, Europe, Global Security News, Government & Policy, noyb eu csam microtargeting complaint, privacy, Social
Controversial EU ad campaign on X broke bloc’s own privacy rules
The European Union’s executive body is facing an embarrassing privacy scandal after it was confirmed on Friday that a Commission ad campaign on X (formerly Twitter) breached the EU’s own data protection rules. The finding, by the EU’s oversight body the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), relates to a microtargeted ad campaign that the Commission…
AI, AI chatbots, character.ai, discord, generative ai, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, privacy, Safety, Social
Texas AG is investigating Character.AI, other platforms over child safety concerns
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday launched an investigation into Character.AI and 14 other technology platforms over child privacy and safety concerns. The investigation will assess whether Character.AI — and other platforms that are popular with young people, including Reddit, Instagram and Discord — conform to Texas’ child privacy and safety laws. The investigation…