Top tech news stories today: August 27, 2024

Top tech news stories today: August 27, 2024 is profiled by BTW Media because public-source evidence links it to internet infrastructure, governance, operational dependencies, or market visibility.

Fintech

1. Nigerian judge to hear money laundering case against Binance next week

A Nigerian judge will hear a money laundering case against crypto exchange Binance and two of its executives next week, more than a month earlier than planned, after defence lawyers asked for the date change. (US news)

IT infrastructure

2. Nvidia second-quarter sales likely to double, even a slight miss may hurt shares

Nvidia is likely to report on Wednesday that its second-quarter revenue more than doubled. But investors used to its blockbuster results will be expecting even more from the artificial intelligence chip giant. (Reuters)

3. MercadoLibre ramps up fight with Argentine banks over QR payments

MercadoLibre Inc. accused Argentine banks Monday of “illegally concentrating” under one payments platform as an anti-competitive tactic against the company’s fintech arm. (Yahoo Finance)

4. Uber fined in Netherlands for sending drivers’ data to the US

Ride-hailing platform Uber has been fined 290 million euros ($324 million) in the Netherlands for sending the personal data of European taxi drivers to the United States in violation of EU rules. (the Print)

Tech trends

5. Apple taps insider Kevan Parekh as CFO, replacing Maestri

Tech giant Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab on Monday named insider Kevan Parekh as its chief financial officer, replacing company veteran Luca Maestri who will transition from the role on Jan. 1, 2025. (Reuters)

6. Canada to impose 100% tariff on Chinese EVs, including Teslas

Canada announced Monday it is launching a 100% tariff on imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles, matching U.S. tariffs imposed over what Western governments say are China’s subsidies that give its industry an unfair advantage. (AP news)

7. Telegram CEO arrested over probe into child porn, drug trafficking on app

Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of messaging app Telegram, was arrested in France as part of an investigation into crimes related to child pornography, drug trafficking and fraudulent transactions on the platform, French prosecutors said on Monday. (Aol.)

8. AT&T to pay $950,000 to resolve investigation into 911 outage

The Federal Communications Commission today announced a $950,000 settlement with AT&T to resolve an Enforcement Bureau investigation into whether the company violated FCC rules by failing to deliver 911 calls to, and failing to timely notify, 911 call centers in connection with an outage AT&T experienced on August 22, 2023, in parts of Illinois, Kansas, Texas, and Wisconsin. (Telecompetitor)

9. Tesla can challenge Louisiana direct sales ban, US appeals court rules

A divided federal appeals court on Monday revived a lawsuit in which Tesla, the electric car company run by billionaire Elon Musk, challenged Louisiana’s ban on direct vehicle sales to consumers. (US news)

10. Tech giants urge Malaysia to pause plan for social media platform licenses

An Asian industry group that includes Google, Meta and X urged Malaysia in an open letter to pause a plan that will require social media services to apply for a licence, citing a lack of clarity over the proposed regulations. (CNA)

11. IBM to close China R&D department, affecting over 1,000 jobs

IBM to close China R&D amid hardware demand decline and growth market challenges. (TheHindu)

AI

12. OpenAI supports California AI bill requiring ‘watermarking’ of synthetic content

ChatGPT developer OpenAI is supporting a California bill that would require tech companies to label AI-generated content, which can range from harmless memes to deepfakes aimed at spreading misinformation about political candidates. (Reuters)

ioT

13. China robots conference spotlights the changing face of humanoids

Pliable technology will usher in robotic arms at a cost of around 10,000 yuan. (News Network)