Author: TechBrunch
TikTok has warned of a looming shutdown in just six days, as the Supreme Court is currently weighing the law that would ban the app. So we thought it’s time to take a look at other platforms that may be able to fill the TikTok-shaped hole in our lives. The law gives TikTok parent company ByteDance until January 19 to divest its U.S. operations or face a ban in the country. TikTok is hoping for a pause to the law, but if that doesn’t happen, the app will effectively be banned in the country. There’s no 1:1 TikTok replacement, but…
Welcome to Startups Weekly — a weekly roundup of must-sees from the world of startups. Want it delivered to your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. This week's newsletter is about startups, but also about big tech companies expanding their reach through both acquisitions and investments. This week's most interesting startup stories Image credit: Alexsl / Getty Images Tech IPOs remain rare in the U.S., and M&A dominated exit news this week. Additionally, there is one new startup to track. Public market breakthrough: Blaize, an AI chip startup founded by Intel engineers in 2011 and focused on edge applications, went…
Google has announced that it has started requiring users to turn on JavaScript, a programming language widely used to make web pages interactive, in order to use Google Search. In an email to TechCrunch, a company spokesperson said the changes will “better protect” Google Search from malicious activity like bots and spam, and improve the overall Google search experience for users. He claimed that it was aimed at. The spokesperson noted that many features of Google Search don't work properly without JavaScript, and search results tend to be of lower quality. “Enabling JavaScript allows us to better protect our services…
The U.S. government has announced sanctions against Chinese organizations linked to Salt Typhoon, the hacker group that carried out the largest communications hack in U.S. history. The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Friday sanctioned a China-based cybersecurity company known as Sichuan Jixinhe Network Technology for direct ties to the Chinese-backed hacking group Salt Typhoon. announced. Salt Typhoon is said to have carried out the largest communications hack in U.S. history after infiltrating at least nine U.S. telecommunications and internet providers, including AT&T and Verizon, and accessing the private communications of U.S. government officials and politicians. Recently…
A cyberattack and data breach at U.S. education technology giant Power Schools, which was discovered on December 28, threatens to compromise the personal data of tens of millions of children and teachers. PowerSchool informed customers that the breach was related to a compromise of a subcontractor's account. TechCrunch learned of another security incident this week involving a PowerSchool software engineer. The computers in this incident were infected with malware that stole company credentials prior to the cyberattack. It is unlikely that the subcontractor mentioned by PowerSchool and the engineer identified by TechCrunch are the same person. The theft of the…
Bumble today announced that founder Whitney Wolfe Herd will return as CEO after retiring in 2023. Bumble said Wolfe Herd will replace current CEO Lydiaan Jones, who is stepping down for “personal reasons.” Jones, the former CEO of Slack, will remain in his role at Bumble until the transition takes effect in mid-March. It's not uncommon for a founder to return as CEO. Prominent examples include Jack Dorsey's return to Twitter and Steve Jobs' return to Apple. The reasons for this return vary, but founders are often a natural choice because they remain closely connected to the company's mission and…
Instagram announced a timely update to its video feature reels this morning, alongside the news that the Supreme Court upheld the law banning TikTok in the United States on January 19th. Meta says the update will make it easier for users to find content. Friends and followers will like it on the platform, encouraging users to start conversations about Reels' content. Meta said the feature will first be released in the United States. The company is poised to gain more TikTok users in the wake of the U.S. ban, especially creators who rely on social media for income. A sizable…
Just before today's Supreme Court ruling upholding the Jan. 19 law banning TikTok in the United States, Donald Trump said he had a “very good” phone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Posted on Truth Social. It also included a discussion about TikTok. The president-elect also said he would make a decision regarding TikTok in the “not too distant” future, but did not say what he would do. President Trump had previously indicated he would no longer support the ban after asking the Supreme Court to block a law requiring apps to be shut down or sold by January 19th,…
TikTok's time may be running out over the weekend after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the ban. So what's next for the video-sharing app's 170 million U.S. users? On today's episode of TechCrunch's Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Margaux MacColl, and Anthony Ha dive into the week's biggest stories, including where all the “TikTok refugees” are headed. Many people are flocking to Chinese apps like RedNote and Lemon8, and some are turning to Duolingo to find a new digital home and brush up on their Chinese. Listen to the full episode to hear: Stocks will be back next…
The Supreme Court on Sunday, January 19, upheld a law that effectively bans TikTok. The ruling ends TikTok's months-long legal battle against a law that would effectively force the ByteDance-owned app to shut down unless it sells its U.S. operations. For national security reasons. As of Sunday, it will be illegal for app stores and internet hosting services to distribute social networks. TikTok warned that the app would simply “go dark” on Sunday, but it's unclear what exactly will happen once the ban goes into effect. In an opinion released early Friday morning, the Supreme Court said it requested the…