Friday, January 17, 2025

Welcome to TC PM! Today we look at the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the TikTok ban and how you can prepare; we learn that there may have been more than one security breach at PowerSchool; and we found the tech angle in Donald Trump's plans to buy Greenland. Have a great weekend!

TechCrunch Top 3

Image Credits: Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto/Getty Images

⏳ Tick tock, TikTok: The Supreme Court upheld a law that will ban TikTok on Sunday. This means that starting on Sunday, it will be illegal for app stores or internet providers to distribute the app. Will it actually be banned on Sunday? There is still reason to believe it won't! Read more

☕️ JavaScript time: Google will now require users to turn JavaScript on to use Google Search. The company claims this will help improve Google Search results and weed out spam and bots, but this requirement could pose issues for people using accessibility tools. Read more

👎 An "F" in security: TechCrunch has been covering the security breach at edtech PowerSchool for the last few weeks. Now we've learned that PowerSchool likely had another security incident prior to the December 28 breach, which brings its security practices into question. Read more

A Message from Dataiku

Discover the 5 GenAI trends that will shape 2025 and beyond

Step into 2025 with confidence as we unveil 5 GenAI trends backed by extensive industry research. From insights into AI agents transforming decision-making to governance challenges and investment shifts, this report provides a data-driven roadmap for success. Don't miss the key stats and strategies shaping the future of AI innovation.

Download Here

Afternoon must-reads

Image Credits: Bumble

🎙️ TikTok chitchat: This week on Equity, the hosts dove into the impending TikTok ban and where TIkTok users are heading. They also looked at a colossal raise for Colossal Biosciences, a decentralized venture fund, and more. Listen here

🇬🇱 There is always a tech angle: Donald Trump has been talking about potential plans for the U.S. to buy Greenland for some reason. If he does pursue it, "PayPal Mafia" member Ken Howery would be involved — he's Trump's pick for ambassador to Denmark. Read more

🎞️ Reels is rising to the occasion: Instagram's Reels is clearly looking to capitalize on the TikTok ban. Today it released new features that are designed to help users better discover the content their friends and followers are liking on the platform. Read more

🐝 A CEO comeback: Whitney Wolfe Herd will be returning to Bumble in March to serve as CEO again. Wolfe Herd left the company back in 2023 and will be rejoining at a time when Bumble is experiencing sluggish growth. Read more

😬 Too close for comfort: The U.S. government announced sanctions against Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology, a China-based cybersecurity company with ties to Salt Tycoon, which was responsible for the largest telecoms hack in U.S. history. Read more

Around the web

👾 Brilliantly boring: Nintendo announced the Nintendo Switch 2 console device yesterday, and we noted that it looks like a supersize version of the original Switch. The Verge argues that not straying from this form factor is exactly what the company needs right now. Read more

🫢 Antitrust concerns: The Federal Trade Commission released a report today saying that Microsoft's $13 billion investment in OpenAI raises antitrust concerns. The report also questions Amazon's and Google's partnerships with Anthropic. Read more

Before you go

Image Credits: Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto / Getty Images

🤳 Just in case! While it's not entirely clear if TikTok will end up getting banned this weekend or not, it never hurts to be prepared! We've got a guide for how to download and store your TikTok content. Read more