Federal election regulators are scaling back a major digital ad transparency measure after an effort to speed it through the regulatory process drew intense internal and external pushback, records show.
Why it matters: A little-noticed, two-word change to a proposed Federal Election Commission regulation could exempt wide swaths of digital ads from new rules designed to step up disclosure in a fast-growing segment of political advertising.
A pro-China Twitter-based disinformation campaign is actively targeting a human rights group that exposed a secret Beijing operation, researchers at NewsGuard first tell Axios.
Why it matters: Twitter is struggling to grapple with an influx of Chinese-language accounts spreading disinformation following company staff reductions.
"Stay" by The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber is the top global song of the year, Apple Music announced Tuesday.
Why it matters: Apple Music released its top charts and user-listening habits ahead of Spotify, which usually dominates the end-of-year conversation through the Spotify Wrapped tool.
A massive Twitter staff exodusin the first month of Elon Musk's ownership is only exacerbating the company's long list of existing data security problems, experts tell Axios.
Why it matters: While Twitter's list of cybersecurity challenges hasn't appeared to change yet, dwindling staff numbers mean the company could struggle to fix security flaws or respond in the event of a massive hack.
A decade after voice assistant technology captured the world's imagination, Alexa and Siri appear to be on the wane.
Why it matters: Alexa's rise and fall shows that for every winner in the tech industry's neverending game of "dominate the next platform," there are multiple money-incinerating losers.
The "chief metaverse officers" hired at big companies around the world in recent months are spending their days crafting big-picture strategy and evangelizing for the underlying technology, even as the metaverse itself — meaning shared, interconnected virtual worlds — remains a fragmented dream.
Why it matters: Proponents say the metaverse — essentially the internet made immersive, thanks in part to virtual and augmented reality — is the next big thing in connectivity and commerce.
Wordle has an editor now — every day's solution has been programmed by Tracy Bennett, who curates the word list. The result has not made everybody HAPPY (which was Sunday's answer).
Why it matters: Bennett picked themed solutions for the long Thanksgiving weekend. Wednesday's answer was DRIVE; Thursday's was FEAST; and Sunday's was HAPPY.
Kraken, a U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange, has agreed to pay $362,159 in a settlement over apparent violations of the U.S. Treasury Department's sanctions program.
Driving the news: "Kraken processed 826 transactions, totaling approximately $1,680,577.10, on behalf of individuals who appeared to have been located in Iran at the time," Treasury said in a statement.
Why it matters: The tweets are part of a broader narrative Musk is trying to paint that Apple is a monopoly and uses its power to censor voices and charge "a secret 30% tax" on transactions in its App Store.
A company called Joipaw is taking reservations for a video game system that it says will "unleash your dog's cognitive potential."
The Joipaw console will include "a dog-tailored touchscreen, a height-adjustable stand and an automated treat dispenser," plus "running interactive puzzle games that are constantly new and challenging."
It works in conjunction with a wearable activity tracker and app.
Elon Musk is promising to reinstate more banned Twitter accounts even as a coalition of groups is out with a fresh warning that online hate is on the rise.
Why it matters: It's another risky bet by Twitter's "free speech"-espousing owner that he can dial back enforcement of content rules without releasing a torrent of racism, anti-semitism and anti-LGBTQ speech that could further erode the service's already shaky advertising base.
Dozens of human rights and LGBTQ+ organizations wrote to members of Congress Monday opposing a kids' online safety bill they argue would not actually help make the Internet a better place for children and teens.
Driving the news: The letter comes asSenate sponsors of the Kids Online Safety Act push for passage in the lame-duck session of Congress, calling it an important way to hold social media platforms accountable for harm to children in the absence of a broader U.S. online privacy law.
As Amazon prepares to debut its long-delayed Prime Air drone delivery service, it's also showing off a smaller, quieter drone that will be ready in 2024 and could be making regular deliveries in major cities by the end of the decade.
Why it matters: Consumers want their stuff fast, and under Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' vision, they could get it delivered in as little as 30 minutes while helping the environment by taking CO2-emitting trucks off the street.
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