Tech

The New York Times sued AI startup Perplexity in the Southern District of New York, alleging it scraped the newspaper’s articles, videos and podcasts to produce answers that are “identical or substantially similar” to its copyrighted content. Perplexity, known for its AI‑powered search engine, denies wrongdoing, likening the case to historic tech disputes. The suit follows other high‑profile copyright actions against AI firms, raising questions about licensing, data‑sourcing practices and the future cost structure for generative‑AI development.

the summary).Foxconn, traditionally a smartphone assembler, is now a key Nvidia partner, producing AI‑optimized server racks that drove a 26% YoY revenue rise to NT$844.3 bn (≈US$27 bn) in November. AI server sales offset a 6% monthly dip in consumer electronics, boosting Q3 profit 17% YoY. The firm launched a Taiwan AI manufacturing hub with Nvidia, invested in data‑center specialist TECO, and partnered with OpenAI on hardware. This pivot promises higher margins, greater capital spend, and geographic diversification, lifting its share price 26% YTD and positioning Foxconn as a central player in the expanding AI infrastructure market.

words.The EU has fined X (formerly Twitter) €120 million for breaching the Digital Services Act, citing a misleading blue verification badge, an opaque advertising repository, and denial of researcher access to public data. X has 60 days to redesign the check‑mark UI and 90 days to overhaul its ads API and provide secure data endpoints, or face additional penalties. The sanction coincides with an EU antitrust probe of Meta and highlights the bloc’s tough stance on “big tech,” prompting X to address compliance, advertiser trust, and technical challenges quickly.

answer.Netflix will acquire Warner Bros. Discovery’s film library and HBO Max for $27.75 per share, valuing the deal at about $82 billion, with closing slated for Q3 2026 after a Discovery spin‑off. Meta cut its metaverse budget by up to 30%, boosting its stock 3% as it refocuses on core ads and AI. Ulta Beauty beat Q3 estimates, raising full‑year guidance on strong omnichannel sales and a 30 million‑member loyalty program. The GAO launched a probe into FHFA Director Bill Pulte over alleged political misuse of mortgage‑fraud accusations. Tesla climbed to #10 in Consumer Reports’ 2026 auto‑brand ranking, driven by improved reliability across its models.

words.Cloudflare deployed a fix for a dashboard bug that briefly disrupted high‑traffic sites such as LinkedIn, Coinbase and Shopify, triggering a 4.5% pre‑market stock dip before shares recovered to about 2% below the prior close. This is the company’s second major outage in a month, underscoring the systemic risk of relying on a few CDN providers. Analysts note the incident highlights the need for multi‑provider strategies and improved testing, while Cloudflare’s growth prospects remain strong amid expanding edge‑security services.

Yi He, a former product leader from Jiangsu with a computer‑science degree, became Binance’s co‑CEO in early 2024. Rising from Head of Global Business Development to President of Consumer Business, she drove partnerships, launched Binance Earn, Pay and a DEX, and grew users from 12 M to 32 M. As co‑CEO she focuses on three pillars: (1) regulatory resilience through a “Compliance‑by‑Design” framework and a public Regulatory Dashboard; (2) technological innovation via Layer‑2 scaling, cross‑chain bridges, and institutional DeFi products; (3) market diversification with tokenized stocks, NFT marketplaces and crypto‑backed credit. The dual‑CEO model blends CZ’s vision with He’s disciplined execution, positioning Binance to navigate regulatory pressure, competitive threats, and market volatility while expanding globally.

.Taiwan has imposed a one‑year ban on Chinese social‑media app Xiaohongshu (Rednote) after linking it to around 1,700 fraud cases costing NT$247.7 million. The Interior Ministry ordered ISPs to block the platform, citing failure in all 15 cybersecurity criteria and difficulty obtaining investigative data. The move, criticized by opposition as a crackdown on internet freedom, follows previous restrictions and a demand for remediation that went unanswered. The ban highlights growing geopolitical and regulatory risks for Chinese tech firms, prompting brands to diversify digital strategies and urging Xiaohongshu to overhaul security and fraud‑prevention measures.

.Moore Threads, a Beijing GPU maker dubbed “China’s Nvidia,” surged over 400 % on its Shanghai IPO, trading at roughly five times the issue price after raising $1.1 billion. The funds will finance new AI‑training and inference chips and expand working capital despite the firm’s current losses and 2023 U.S. sanctions. Its rollout of 7‑nm‑class GPUs, backed by domestic fabs and government subsidies, reflects China’s broader push to replace imported AI chips in a market projected to exceed $150 billion by 2028.

Apple announced the retirements of General Counsel Kate Adams and VP for Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson. Meta’s chief legal officer Jennifer Newstead will assume Apple’s general counsel role in March, with Jackson’s government‑affairs team reporting to her next year. Adams, who joined from Honeywell in 2017, oversaw litigation and antitrust challenges, while Jackson—formerly EPA administrator—led diversity, climate and the Racial Equity and Justice Initiative. The reshuffle aims to tighten legal‑policy coordination amid rising global regulation, while preserving Apple’s ESG momentum and supporting its AI and innovation agenda.

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SoFi announced a $1.5 billion common‑stock offering, sending its shares down nearly 6% in after‑hours trading. The proceeds will bolster its capital position, fund digital‑banking expansion, a new crypto‑trading platform, and AI‑driven underwriting tools. In Q3, SoFi posted $961.6 million in revenue (up 38% YoY), net income of $139.4 million, and $3.25 billion in cash. The raise improves leverage ratios and gives flexibility for acquisitions, but dilutes shareholders and trims its price‑to‑sales multiple toward peer levels. Success hinges on converting the extra capital into sustainable growth while managing execution and regulatory risks.