The US government has issued an ultimatum to the Chinese owners of the popular video-sharing app TikTok, demanding they sell their stake in the app or face a US ban. Internal data from the app suggests that the number of monthly active users in the US has jumped by 50% in the past three years, with 100 million people now using the app regularly. The Biden administration is now following in the footsteps of the Trump administration in its attempt to rein in the app, and the response to the ultimatum and the testimony of TikTok's CEO will be closely watched.
Posts published in “Tech”
The US Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into Chinese tech giant ByteDance, the parent company of the popular social media app TikTok, over allegations of improper access to the personal information of US citizens. The investigation involves a subpoena to ByteDance and interviews by the FBI, and follows the firing of four ByteDance employees in December. The Biden administration is now considering a possible nationwide TikTok ban if ByteDance does not divest itself from the app. The investigation is ongoing, and it is unclear what the outcome will be.
YouTube has restored former President Donald J. Trump's channel, more than two years after it was suspended for inciting violence. The decision was made after careful evaluation of the risk of real-world violence and the chance for voters to hear from major national candidates. This is the latest move by major tech companies to restore access to Trump's accounts, with certain restrictions.
Key takeaways: YouTube announced that it will restore former President Donald Trump’s channel, which has been suspended since the weeks following the January 6th attack…
Virgin Orbit Announces Operational Pause and Furloughs Nearly All Employees Amid Financial Struggles
Virgin Orbit Announces Operational Pause and Furloughs Nearly All Employees Amid Financial Struggles
Virgin Orbit, founded by Richard Branson in 2017, is pausing operations and furloughing nearly all of its employees in an effort to shore up the company's finances. This operational pause will have a major impact on the company's operations and Virgin Orbit is hoping to secure a funding lifeline in order to continue providing its services. An update on go-forward operations is expected in the coming weeks.
The Biden administration has issued an ultimatum to TikTok, a popular social media app with over 100 million US users, to be sold by its Chinese owners or face a ban across the US. The move is in response to security concerns posed by the app's Chinese ownership, and marks a possible turning point in the long-running negotiations between federal officials and the company. TikTok has expressed disappointment with the ultimatum, and it remains to be seen how the company will respond.
NASA and Axiom Space have unveiled a new design for the next generation of spacesuits, which will provide astronauts with greater flexibility and protection from the moon's harsh environment. The suits will come in a wider range of sizes, allowing astronauts of different body types to find a comfortable fit. The prototype unveiled is a stark contrast to the puffy white suits worn by Moonwalking astronauts, and is designed to be ready for use by the first woman and person of color to walk on the moon.
T-Mobile has announced the acquisition of budget wireless provider Mint Mobile, which is backed by actor Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds will remain in his creative role on behalf of Mint, and the acquisition is expected to close in the first half of 2021. The purchase is part of T-Mobile's plan to expand its customer base and offer more competitive prices.