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Tech News
A new round of job cuts hit major tech firms including Apple, TikTok, LinkedIn and Netflix in August 2026, continuing a year of workforce reductions across the industry. Total layoffs for 2026 have already exceeded the full-year figure for 2025.
A daily tech digest covers a wave of regulatory and political pushback: both US parties are souring on AI data centers ahead of midterms, Dutch regulators fined Uber nearly $1 billion for automatically deactivating drivers without human review, and TikTok agreed to pay $400 million to settle a US case over collecting children's data. Separately, New Zealand is moving to ban under-16s from social media and Chinese humanoid robots reportedly broke Usain Bolt's 100-meter record at a robotics competition.
A UK minister said officials have already instructed social media companies to remove videos glorifying dangerous driving, arguing platforms understand their algorithms and the financial incentives that reward outrageous content. Downing Street backed Ofcom to enforce action against non-compliant platforms, while TikTok said it proactively removes videos breaching its rules, including an account allegedly belonging to a driver named Saddington.
A report indicates that intervention tied to the Trump administration influenced the Justice Department's approach to its antitrust scrutiny of Live Nation, softening the pressure the company faced. The same roundup notes escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada, alongside a $400 million settlement TikTok reached over a lawsuit concerning children's privacy.