U.S. Ban of TikTok Is Set to Deal a Major Blow to ByteDance, Its Chinese Owner

By: Erin Griffith

17 January 2025 at 11:18

While TikTok remains hugely popular in Brazil, Indonesia and other markets, its 170 million users in the United States are its most valuable.

The Supreme Court last week heard oral arguments over the federal law to ban TikTok in the United States.

NYT > Technology

Instagram and YouTube Prepare to Benefit From a TikTok Ban

By: Mike Isaac， Nico Grant and Kate Conger

17 January 2025 at 14:01

Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube are getting ready to welcome TikTok users, as the Supreme Court upheld a law that effectively bans the Chinese-owned app from the United States.

Meta, which owns Instagram, would most likely benefit from a ban of TikTok.

NYT > Technology

Russian Disinformation Campaigns Eluded Meta’s Efforts to Block Them

By: Steven Lee Myers and Adam Satariano

17 January 2025 at 12:10

A new report details how a covert influence operation linked to the Kremlin continued to place ads on Facebook despite U.S. and E.U. prohibitions on doing business with the organization.

Ads linked to Russian covert influence campaigns were placed by the Social Design Agency, a public relations company in Moscow.

NYT > Technology

Spain Overhauls Domestic Violence System After Criticism

By: Adam Satariano and Roser Toll Pifarré

17 January 2025 at 00:00

Spain uses an algorithm to score how likely a domestic violence victim is to be abused again. A Times investigation last year identified flaws in the system.

Screens showing the VioGén system used by the military police in Seville, Spain.

NYT > Technology

When the Word Is Not Just Flesh: Reporting on A.I. in Religion

By: Eli Tan

17 January 2025 at 11:27

A technology reporter came across a Facebook group called “A.I. for Church Leaders and Pastors,” and his interest was piqued.

Rabbi Oren Hayon, standing, and Rabbi Josh Fixler use artificial intelligence programs in their roles as faith leaders.

NYT > Technology

Goodbye TikTok, Ni Hao RedNote? + A.I.’s Environmental Impact + Meta’s Masculine Energy

By: Kevin Roose， Casey Newton， Whitney Jones， Rachel Cohn， Rachel Dry， Brad Fisher， Dan Powell and Rowan Niemisto

17 January 2025 at 10:22

“This is truly one of the funniest and most unexpected stories of the young year so far.”

NYT > Technology

TikTok Makes Last-Minute Push as Supreme Court Is Poised to Rule on Ban

By: David McCabe， Adam Liptak and Sapna Maheshwari

17 January 2025 at 12:48

With the court signaling it will release a decision on Friday, lobbyists for the app pushed lawmakers to shift course.

TikTok’s lobbyists have swarmed Capitol Hill in recent days.

NYT > Technology

What to Know About Plane Maintenance After the South Korean Crash

By: Niraj Chokshi

17 January 2025 at 05:03

Airlines have been increasingly outsourcing repair and upkeep work to other countries, but experts and consumer groups disagree about its impact on safety.

Every part of a plane, down to the nuts and bolts, is subjected to routine inspections, repair or replacement.

NYT > Technology

Apple Plans to Disable A.I. Summaries of News Notifications

By: Tripp Mickle

16 January 2025 at 23:53

The company’s Apple Intelligence system has erroneously characterized news stories, provoking a backlash from media companies.

The flawed summaries feature is the latest in a series of issues that have marred new A.I. products.

NYT > Technology

Bob Dylan Joins TikTok in What May Be Its Final Days

By: Derrick Bryson Taylor

17 January 2025 at 12:48

Dylan seemed to be in on the joke, posting an old black and white clip of himself saying “Good God, I must leave right away.”

Bob Dylan, performing in 2023. One TikTok commenter said: “bob tiktok is knocking on heaven’s door.”

NYT > Technology

General Motors Is Banned From Selling Driving Behavior Data for 5 Years

By: Kashmir Hill

16 January 2025 at 23:55

An investigation by the Federal Trade Commission determined that consumers had not been aware that the automaker was providing their driving information to data brokers.

General Motors agreed to a settlement that bans it from providing individuals’ data to some third parties.

NYT > Technology

Trump Is Said to Consider Executive Order to Circumvent TikTok Ban

By: Maggie Haberman， David McCabe and Sapna Maheshwari

16 January 2025 at 12:46

The move is under discussion as the Chinese-owned app faces a Sunday deadline to find a new buyer or shut down in the United States.

President-elect Donald J. Trump will be inaugurated on Monday, a day after the TikTok ban is set to go into effect.

NYT > Technology

On TikTok, Users Mock Looming U.S. Ban

By: Madison Malone Kircher， Sapna Maheshwari and Sheera Frenkel

16 January 2025 at 09:43

Ahead of a Supreme Court ruling, they are mocking U.S. national security concerns about the Chinese-owned app.

Many TikTok users have downloaded another Chinese social media app, Xiaohongshu, or “Red Note.”

NYT > Technology

A First-Day Trump Order: A Federal Stockpile of Bitcoin?

By: David Yaffe-Bellany

16 January 2025 at 11:14

The cryptocurrency industry has pushed President-elect Donald J. Trump to establish one, creating real political momentum behind the plan.

NYT > Technology

TikTok Refugees Get Wry Welcome on RedNote, Another Chinese App

By: Amanda Hess

16 January 2025 at 12:30

In their mass migration to the Chinese app RedNote, social media users make a gleeful mockery of the American government.

NYT > Technology

Jeff Bezos’ Successful Blue Origin Launch Silences Skeptics

By: Kenneth Chang

16 January 2025 at 11:58

The successful flight to orbit of the Amazon founder’s powerful rocket suggests it could grow into a credible competitor with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

NYT > Technology

A.I. Military Start-Up Anduril Plans $1 Billion Factory in Ohio

By: Cade Metz and Eric Lipton

16 January 2025 at 05:03

The company said its Columbus plant could eventually produce tens of thousands of autonomous systems and weapons each year.

Anduril is among a number of new tech companies focused on working with the military and intelligence communities.

NYT > Technology

What to Know About the E.V. Tax Credit That Trump Might Repeal

By: Neal E. Boudette

16 January 2025 at 05:01

Rules for a $7,500 tax break for electric vehicle purchases and leases recently changed, but more far-reaching changes are expected when President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office.

A $7,500 federal tax credit has made electric vehicles more affordable to buy and lease.

NYT > Technology

TikTok C.E.O. Plans to Attend Trump Inauguration

By: Maggie Haberman and Sapna Maheshwari

16 January 2025 at 08:28

Shou Chew will join tech moguls like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk at President-elect Donald J. Trump’s inauguration as the fate of the app hangs in the balance.

Shou Chew, the chief executive of TikTok, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee last year.

NYT > Technology

How to Download Your Videos From TikTok

By: J. D. Biersdorfer

15 January 2025 at 13:08

With a TikTok ban looming in the United States and the app’s future unknown, now might be a good time to save your work while you can.

TikTok allows you to download a copy of the data related to your account, including your direct messages and list of people you follow. The files also include a list of links to the clips you’ve posted on the site.

NYT > Technology

She Is in Love With ChatGPT

By: Kashmir Hill

15 January 2025 at 09:00

A 28-year-old woman with a busy social life spends hours on end talking to her A.I. boyfriend for advice and consolation. And yes, they do have sex.

“It was supposed to be a fun experiment,” Ayrin said of her A.I. relationship, “but then you start getting attached.”

NYT > Technology

TikTok Says U.S. Employees Will Have Jobs Even if the App Is Banned

By: Sapna Maheshwari

15 January 2025 at 11:34

The company is awaiting a decision over the constitutionality of a new law that aims to force a sale of the app to a non-Chinese owner under the threat of a ban.

TikTok’s office in Culver City, California.

NYT > Technology

Zuckerberg Will Host a Party for Trump’s Inauguration

By: Theodore Schleifer and Mike Isaac

15 January 2025 at 12:09

Mark Zuckerberg, the Meta chief executive, is one of several tech leaders expected to play a high-profile role in celebrating the new administration next week.