WhatsApp is rolling out optional usernames so users can chat without sharing phone numbers. The Meta-owned app says the feature will be introduced globally over the coming months and will not include a public username directory.
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A JetBlue pilot reported hitting a drone above the cockpit while approaching JFK Airport, but the flight landed safely and inspectors found no damage. The FAA has opened an investigation into the reported collision.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that geofence warrants seeking cellphone location data can violate Fourth Amendment privacy protections. The case arose from a Virginia bank robbery investigation that used Google location records to identify Okello Chatrie.
South Korea plans more than $1 trillion in investments to expand chipmaking, AI data centres and robotics infrastructure. President Lee Jae Myung says the effort is aimed at securing AI leadership and reviving regions beyond Seoul.
Australia plans to double the maximum fine for social media platforms that fail to keep under-16s off their services, raising penalties to A$99 million. The government says children are still bypassing the ban and regulators are investigating Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.
Trump said any country that imposes a digital services tax on American companies would face an immediate 100% tariff on all goods sent to the United States. The warning comes amid trade talks with the European Union and continuing tensions over taxes aimed largely at U.S. tech firms.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing a federal minimum tax on billionaires and a national AI equity fund while opposing a billionaire tax on California’s November ballot. He says wealth taxes should be handled nationally and that AI gains should help support workers and public programs.
Apple raised prices on several MacBook, iPad and other devices, blaming surging memory and storage costs linked to AI data center demand. Microsoft’s Xbox division also announced console price increases as chip costs climb.