Techmeme
January 2, 2025, 9:20 PM

Top News

Semafor:
Meta appoints Joel Kaplan as Chief Global Affairs Officer, replacing Nick Clegg, who is leaving the company; Kaplan is Meta's most prominent Republican  —  THE SCOOP  —  Meta is overhauling its global policy team, replacing President Nick Clegg with Joel Kaplan, his deputy and the company's …
Jonathan Stempel / Reuters:
Apple agrees to pay $95M to settle a lawsuit claiming it recorded private conversations after Siri was unintentionally activated and shared the data with others  —  Apple (AAPL.O) agreed to pay $95 million in cash to settle a proposed class action lawsuit claiming that its voice-activated Siri assistant violated users' privacy.
David Shepardson / Reuters:
A US appeals court rules the FCC did not have legal authority to reinstate net neutrality rules; incoming FCC chair Brendan Carr opposed the 2024 reinstatement  —  A U.S. appeals court ruled on Tuesday the Federal Communications Commission did not have the legal authority to reinstate landmark net neutrality rules.
Bob Van Voris / Bloomberg:
Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon pleads not guilty before a US federal judge in New York to nine counts, including wire fraud, over the $40B TerraUSD collapse  —  - Kwon was extradited from Montenegro earlier this week  — He is also facing fraud prosecution in his native South Korea
Wall Street Journal:
Many advertisers on TikTok say they will shift ad dollars if and when a US ban actually takes effect, as the yearslong saga has dulled any real sense of urgency  —  Status-quo videos still proliferate on the Chinese-owned app, and Madison Avenue remains upbeat just weeks before potential U.S. ban
Ivan Mehta / TechCrunch:
Telegram rolls out a new account verification method powered by third-parties, new search filters for private chats, and the ability to turn gifts into NFTs  —  Telegram has rolled out its first update of the year, adding a new account verification method powered by third-parties …
Yueqi Yang / The Information:
Sources: Morgan Stanley's E-Trade explores adding crypto trading, if the Federal Reserve and others approve, anticipating more favorable regulation under Trump  —  Morgan Stanley's online stock-trading arm, E-Trade, is exploring adding crypto trading in anticipation of a more favorable crypto …
Bloomberg:
Sources: China-backed hackers accessed the computers of senior US Treasury officials; the department's email system and classified data were not breached  —  - Treasury was compromised via third-party software provider  — Email system, classified data weren't breached by attackers
The Information:
Email: NYC-based Level, which raised a $27M Series A in 2021 to help companies offer staff benefits, shuts down after an effort to sell the company fell through  —  Benefits startup Level has told its clients that it is shutting down after an effort to sell the company fell through …
Michael Wayland / CNBC:
Short seller Hindenburg shorts Carvana claiming the company's turnaround is a “mirage” that's being propped up by unstable loans and accounting manipulation  —  Noted short seller Hindenburg Research disclosed a bet against Carvana on Thursday, claiming the online used car …
John Thornhill / Financial Times:
Paris is vying with London as Europe's top AI hotspot, with 34 of the 40 best-performing startups at the Station F incubator in 2024 focused on AI  —  Momentum has been slowing but the country boasts enviable technical skills and a burgeoning entrepreurial culture
More: CryptopolitanForums: r/europe

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Tom Warren / The Verge:
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