Techmeme
March 15, 2024, 10:30 PM

Top News

New York Times:
The TikTok divestment bill's progress slows down in the Senate, as Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has not decided whether to bring the bill to the floor  —  Legislation to force TikTok's Chinese owner to sell the app or have it banned in the United States sailed through the House, but the Senate has no plans to move hastily.
Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo:
Lawyers warn that the bill banning TikTok unless it's sold gives POTUS unchecked power to ban any app or site the President deems a “national security threat”  —  The United States could make TikTok the first app banned by law, but technology lawyers warn it won't be the last.
Mike Masnick / Techdirt:
Elena Schneider / Politico:
Eleanor Olcott / Financial Times:
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Microsoft is again injecting pop-ups into Chrome on Windows in a bid to get users to switch to Bing, after previously pausing them citing “unintended behavior”  —  Microsoft is once again injecting pop-ups into Google's Chrome browser in a bid to get people to switch to Bing.
Jonathan Stempel / Reuters:
Apple reaches a $490M settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit that alleged Tim Cook defrauded shareholders in 2019 by hiding falling iPhone demand in China  —  Apple (AAPL.O) has reached a $490 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit that alleged Chief Executive Tim Cook …
Chance Miller / 9to5Mac:
Walmart starts selling Macs directly for the first time, partnering with Apple to sell the M1 MacBook Air for $699 a week after Apple stopped selling the laptop  —  Walmart is teaming up with Apple to sell the Mac for the first time.  In a press release today, the company said that it is now selling …
Dan Primack / Axios:
Reddit says FTC launched an inquiry into Reddit's licensing of user data to AI companies; an ex-FTC official says other companies also got such “hold letters”  —  - It also suggests that the FTC is expanding its look into AI-related deals, which previously appeared to be focused on equity investments.
Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat:
Game developer Scopely says Monopoly Go crossed $2B in revenue in February 2024, just 10 months after launching and three months after hitting $1B in revenue  —  Scopely announced that Monopoly Go has generated $2 billion in revenue just 10 months after launch and three months after hitting $1 billion.
Tom Henderson / Insider Gaming:
Leaked PS5 Pro docs mention rendering 45% faster than the PS5, 2x to 3x the ray tracing performance, and more; sources say it's set for a holiday 2024 release  —  Insider Gaming can confirm that the leaked PS5 Pro specs leaked earlier today are real and the PlayStation 5 is still tentatively targeting a 2024 holiday release.
Business Insider:
Sources: BeReal is weighing raising a Series C or being acquired, as what is left of its $90M in funding is set to run out this year and DAUs stagnate at 25M  —  - BeReal, the once-buzzy French social media app, is staring down a crossroads.  — User growth has been tough to come by …
Emma Roth / The Verge:
Uber and Lyft threaten to leave Minneapolis on May 1, after the city passed an ordinance to guarantee drivers a minimum rate of $1.40/mile and $0.5/minute  —  Uber and Lyft are pulling their services out of Minneapolis after the city council passed an ordinance that will increase drivers' pay.
Steven Levy / Wired:
Michael Seibel steps down as YC's managing director, says he did not feel disappointed when he was not tapped as CEO but would have accepted the job if offered  —  As the influential startup incubator downsizes—and navigates political pushback—managing director Michael Seibel is taking …
Bob Van Voris / Bloomberg:
Filing: prosecutors ask a judge to sentence SBF to up to 50 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 28; SBF's lawyers had suggested five to six years  —  - Prosecutors say SBF showed brazen disrespect for rule of law  — Bankman-Fried lawyers had proposed a 6 1/2-year sentence
CNN:
SCOTUS rules that public officials may block people on social media in certain circumstances, tossing aside challenges against Michigan and California officials  —  The Supreme Court ruled Friday that public officials may block people on social media in certain circumstances …

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