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Received yesterday — 13 February 2026

Homeland Security Demands Social Media Sites Reveal Names Behind Anti-ICE Posts

✇NYT: Technology
By:Sheera Frenkel and Mike Isaac
13 February 2026 at 18:24
The department has sent Google, Meta and other companies hundreds of subpoenas for information on accounts that track or comment on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, officials and tech workers said.

© Victor J. Blue for The New York Times

The Department of Homeland Security is expanding its efforts to identify Americans who oppose Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

F.T.C. Chair Warns Apple Against Bias in Apple News

✇NYT: Technology
By:Cecilia Kang
13 February 2026 at 13:59
Andrew Ferguson of the F.T.C. said in a letter to Apple that it might be violating consumer protection law by stifling conservative speech in its news aggregation service.

© Jim Wilson/The New York Times

Trump-appointed leaders of federal agencies have been using consumer protection laws to punish media and tech companies for perceived left-leaning bias.

Meta Plans to Add Facial Recognition Technology to Its Smart Glasses

✇NYT: Technology
By:Kashmir Hill · Kalley Huang and Mike Isaac
13 February 2026 at 05:03
In an internal memo last year, Meta said the political tumult in the United States would distract critics from the feature’s release.

© Lucia Vazquez for The New York Times

The maker of Meta’s smart glasses said it sold more than seven million pairs last year.

Iran Turns to Digital Surveillance Tools to Track Down Protesters

✇NYT: Technology
By:Adam Satariano · Paul Mozur and Farnaz Fassihi
13 February 2026 at 05:00
As Iranian authorities restore some online services after crushing antigovernment demonstrations, they are using a technological dragnet to target attendees of the protests.

© Getty Images

Antigovernment protesters blocked a road last month in Tehran. Iran is using facial recognition and phone data to track and detain people involved in political opposition activities.
Received before yesterday

Anthropic Is Valued at $380 Billion in New Funding Round

✇NYT: Technology
By:Cade Metz
12 February 2026 at 17:38
The artificial intelligence start-up raised another $30 billion, and its valuation more than doubled since its last funding round in September.

© Karsten Moran for The New York Times

Anthropic was founded by Dario Amodei, right, and his sister, Daniela Amodei, who had parted ways with OpenAI.

Gail Slater Leaves Role as Justice Dept.’s Antitrust Chief

✇NYT: Technology
By:David McCabe
12 February 2026 at 14:30
Her departure follows months of mounting tension over her division’s work to determine whether companies violated antitrust laws.

© Pete Kiehart for The New York Times

Abigail Slater was in the job as assistant attorney general for the antitrust division for roughly a year, after her confirmation in March.

Anthropic Donates $20 Million to Super PAC Operation to Counter OpenAI

✇NYT: Technology
By:Theodore Schleifer
12 February 2026 at 09:33
Anthropic and OpenAI now have their own well-funded political groups that will square off in the midterm elections over artificial intelligence safety and regulation.

© Karsten Moran for The New York Times

Dario Amodei, a co-founder and chief executive of Anthropic, formerly worked at OpenAI.

OpenAI’s Biggest Challenge Is Turning Its A.I. Into a Cash Machine

✇NYT: Technology
By:Cade Metz and Mike Isaac
11 February 2026 at 11:01
The maker of ChatGPT hopes to triple its revenue in the coming year because it is planning to spend tens of billions of dollars. The clock is ticking.

© Aaron Wojack for The New York Times

OpenAI’s offices in San Francisco. The start-up’s fast expansion means it has to quickly find new ways to make money.

YouTube Argues It Isn’t Social Media in Landmark Tech Addiction Trial

✇NYT: Technology
By:Eli Tan and Cecilia Kang
10 February 2026 at 16:28
The app said in opening statements that it was more of an entertainment platform. The lawsuit claims social media companies design products that cause personal injury.

© Pete Marovich for The New York Times

Neal Mohan, left, the chief executive of YouTube, in 2024. The company’s lawyers argued in court on Tuesday that YouTube was an entertainment platform, not a social media platform.

After Merging xAI and SpaceX, Elon Musk Hopes He Can Win Over Wall Street

✇NYT: Technology
By:Kate Conger and Jack Ewing
7 February 2026 at 20:27
The billionaire’s decision to merge his A.I. start-up with his rocket company will test investors’ interest in giant combinations of unalike businesses.

© Meridith Kohut for The New York Times

SpaceX’s launchpad near Brownsville, Texas. In addition to rockets and satellites, Elon Musk’s company now includes artificial intelligence and social media businesses.

TrumpRx: What to Know About Insurance Benefits, Pricing and Savings

✇NYT: Science
By:Rebecca Robbins
6 February 2026 at 13:18
People may be able to pay less for prescriptions with their insurance rather than via the new government website. The Trump drugstore is meant to help people buy medications using their own money.

© Saul Loeb/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

President Trump; Dr. Mehmet Oz, who oversees Medicare and Medicaid; and Joe Gebbia, who oversees the design of government websites, unveiled TrumpRx at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Thursday.

Google Workers Demand End to Cloud Services for Immigration Agencies

✇NYT: Technology
By:Tripp Mickle
6 February 2026 at 13:52
More than 800 employees delivered a petition to management, condemning the Trump administration’s use of Google technology in immigration enforcement.

© David Guttenfelder/The New York Times

Federal agents leaving the area where Renee Good was killed in Minneapolis.

Fear of AI Replacing Software Makers Hits Stocks. Here’s What to Know.

✇NYT: Technology
By:Mike Isaac · Joe Rennison and Maureen Farrell
6 February 2026 at 15:11
The prospect of disruptions from artificial intelligence has hung over the economy for years. But this week advances in software tools precipitated a sell-off on Wall Street.

© The New York Times

Europe Accuses TikTok of ‘Addictive Design’ and Pushes for Change

✇NYT: Technology
By:Adam Satariano
6 February 2026 at 07:06
European Union regulators said the app’s infinite scroll and personalized algorithm led to “compulsive” behavior, especially among children.

© Patrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

TikTok and other social media companies are under mounting pressure globally for hooking young users.

Amazon’s $200 Billion Spending Plan Raises Stakes in A.I. Race

✇NYT: Technology
By:Karen Weise
5 February 2026 at 18:51
The company reported a strong holiday quarter on Thursday. But its spending, like that at other big technology companies, is starting to make investors nervous.

© Emily Kask for The New York Times

Amazon is looking to increase automation, like at its operation in Shreveport, La.

Files Reveal Epstein’s Money Mingled with Silicon Valley’s Tech Start-Ups

✇NYT: Technology
By:Ryan Mac · Erin Griffith and Matthew Goldstein
5 February 2026 at 12:07
The disgraced financier regularly courted tech industry figures not just for their prestige but also for access to promising companies.

© Department of Justice, via Associated Press

Last week’s disclosures of Jeffrey Epstein’s communications offer insight into how he made his money as an investor after his 2008 conviction.

Google Plans to Double Spending Amid A.I. Race

✇NYT: Technology
By:Tripp Mickle
4 February 2026 at 19:43
Profits jumped 30 percent to $34.5 billion last quarter, and the tech giant is increasing its capital spending this year to as much as $185 billion.

© Lucia Vazquez for The New York Times

A Google ad in Times Square.

Waymo Raises $16 Billion to Fuel Global Ambitions

✇NYT: Technology
By:Natallie Rocha
2 February 2026 at 19:21
The self-driving car company, an arm of Google’s parent company, is rapidly expanding its service beyond a handful of cities.

© Caitlin O'Hara for The New York Times

Waymo, Alphabet’s driverless car outfit, said it was now valued at $126 billion.

Move Fast, but Obey the Rules: China’s Vision for Dominating A.I.

✇NYT: Technology
By:Meaghan Tobin and Xinyun Wu
2 February 2026 at 02:30
Beijing wants to lead the world in developing cutting-edge artificial intelligence, but it also wants companies to adhere to an increasingly complex set of rules.

© Tommy Wang/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Executives at Zhipu AI, one of China’s most promising A.I. start-ups, alongside others, at a launch event at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange last month.

Elon Musk Merges SpaceX With His A.I. Start-Up xAI

✇NYT: Technology
By:Ryan Mac · Kate Conger · Maureen Farrell and Rob Copeland
2 February 2026 at 21:22
The deal further intermingles Mr. Musk’s companies and creates the most valuable private company on earth.

© Callaghan O'Hare for The New York Times

SpaceX’s rocket facility in Boca Chica, Texas.

A Social Network for A.I. Bots Only. No Humans Allowed.

✇NYT: Technology
By:Cade Metz
2 February 2026 at 14:47
A new website called Moltbook has become the talk of Silicon Valley and a Rorschach test for belief in the state of artificial intelligence.

© Jason Henry for The New York Times

Just two days after the social network Moltbook was launched, more than 10,000 “Moltbots” were chatting with one another on the site.

A Social Network for A.I. Bots Only. No Humans Allowed.

✇NYT: Technology
By:Cade Metz
2 February 2026 at 05:02
A new website called Moltbook has become the talk of Silicon Valley and a Rorschach test for belief in the state of artificial intelligence.

© Jason Henry for The New York Times

Just two days after the social network Moltbook was launched, more than 10,000 “Moltbots” were chatting with each other on the site.

Tesla’s Model S, Soon to Be History, Changed the Auto Industry

✇NYT: Technology
By:Neal E. Boudette
30 January 2026 at 10:52
The company’s chief executive, Elon Musk, said this week that it would stop making the car, an electric pioneer in 2012, as well as the Model X.

© Philip Cheung for The New York Times

“The Model S was a breakthrough and ushered in quite a number of technologies people hadn’t seen before,” said Sam Abuelsamid, an executive at Telemetry, a Detroit communications and research firm.

Apple Reports Record iPhone Sales Amid Holiday Bump

✇NYT: Technology
By:Kalley Huang
29 January 2026 at 16:59
New phone designs, coupled with robust holiday spending, continued to lift iPhone sales in the quarter and drove the company to record profits.

© Lucia Vazquez for The New York Times

Apple has achieved record sales in its most important business, the iPhone, even though it has lagged other tech giants in the A.I. race.

OpenAI in Talks to Raise as Much as $100 Billion

✇NYT: Technology
By:Cade Metz and Karen Weise
29 January 2026 at 15:53
OpenAI’s discussions with Microsoft, Nvidia, Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and others could value it at $750 billion or more.

© Aaron Wojack for The New York Times

OpenAI’s San Francisco offices.

Amazon and Google Eat Into Nvidia’s A.I. Chip Supremacy

✇NYT: Technology
By:Cade Metz
29 January 2026 at 11:12
The rivals made billions of dollars in the business over the past year, showing other companies that Nvidia isn’t the only game in town.

© Christie Hemm Klok for The New York Times

Google’s chips for artificial intelligence are increasingly being used by companies other than Google.

Microsoft Continues to Spend Big on A.I. While Profit Jumps 60%

✇NYT: Technology
By:Natallie Rocha
29 January 2026 at 13:53
The company said on Wednesday that revenue in the most recent quarter was $81.3 billion, but its share price dropped more than 7 percent in after-hours trading.

© Jeenah Moon for The New York Times

Microsoft continues to spend billions on building out its data center capacity as the demand for A.I. computing power outweighs its available supply.

Meta Forecasts Spending of at Least $115 Billion This Year

✇NYT: Technology
By:Eli Tan and Mike Isaac
28 January 2026 at 18:24
That would be a major jump from $72 billion last year, as the tech giant aims to compete in the artificial intelligence race.

© Christie Hemm Klok for The New York Times

Meta’s Eagle Mountain Data Center in Utah. The bulk of Meta’s new A.I. spending will be on infrastructure like data centers.

With AlphaGenome, Researchers Are Using A.I. to Decode the Human Blueprint

✇NYT: Technology
By:Carl Zimmer
29 January 2026 at 21:59
AlphaGenome is a leap forward in the ability to study the human blueprint. But the fine workings of our DNA are still largely a mystery.

© Volker Steger/Science Source

DNA electrophoresis in a lab. Scientists at Google DeepMind have trained their A.I on a vast wealth of molecular data, enabling it to make predictions about thousands of genes.

With AlphaGenome, Researchers Are Using A.I. to Decode the Human Blueprint

✇NYT: Science
By:Carl Zimmer
29 January 2026 at 21:59
AlphaGenome is a leap forward in the ability to study the human blueprint. But the fine workings of our DNA are still largely a mystery.

© Volker Steger/Science Source

DNA electrophoresis in a lab. Scientists at Google DeepMind have trained their A.I on a vast wealth of molecular data, enabling it to make predictions about thousands of genes.

Amazon to Cut 16,000 Jobs in Latest Round of Layoffs

✇NYT: Technology
By:Karen Weise
28 January 2026 at 06:19
The e-commerce giant has been cutting costs while pouring resources into building data centers to compete in the race to dominate artificial intelligence.

© Jovelle Tamayo for The New York Times

Amazon’s headquarters campus in Seattle.

TikTok Settles Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Ahead of a Landmark Trial

✇NYT: Technology
By:Cecilia Kang
27 January 2026 at 14:17
The settlement means TikTok will avoid a trial where plaintiffs had planned to argue that social media platforms are inherently defective and subject to personal injury liability.

© Daniel Cole/Reuters

TikTok’s offices in Culver City, California.

Meta Campaigns to Change Opinions on Data Centers

✇NYT: Technology
By:Eli Tan
27 January 2026 at 16:23
The tech giant has spent more than $6 million on TV ads in state capitals and Washington, with the message that data centers create jobs.

The Social Media Addiction Trials: What to Know

✇NYT: Technology
By:Cecilia Kang
27 January 2026 at 12:01
Landmark trials beginning this week will test a new legal strategy claiming that Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube caused personal injury through addictive products.

© David Gray/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The lawsuits are for the first time putting social media companies on the spot for creating harmful products, exposing them to new kinds of liability.

Social Media Giants Face Landmark Legal Tests on Child Safety

✇NYT: Technology
By:Cecilia Kang
27 January 2026 at 11:58
Starting this week, a series of trials will test a new legal strategy claiming that Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube caused personal injury through addictive products.

© Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Jury selection is expected to start Tuesday for the first trial in a series of lawsuits that target social media companies with a strategy that had success against tobacco giants.

New Videos of the Beckham Feud Are Fake. Nobody Seems to Care.

✇NYT: Technology
By:Tiffany Hsu
26 January 2026 at 10:32
A.I.-generated content of Victoria Beckham has spread as wedding drama has engulfed the celebrity clan and the public has clamored for receipts (even fabricated ones).

© Dave Benett/Getty Images

Brooklyn Beckham, center, the eldest son of David Beckham, left, and Victoria Beckham, right, openly criticized his famous parents last week.

Silicon Valley Wants to Build A.I. That Can Improve A.I. on Its Own

✇NYT: Technology
By:Cade Metz
26 January 2026 at 05:02
Ricursive Intelligence, founded by two former Google researchers and valued at $4 billion, is among several efforts to automate the creation of artificial intelligence.

© Cayce Clifford for The New York Times

Anna Goldie and Azalia Mirhoseini, the founders of Ricursive Intelligence, at the start-up’s offices in Palo Alto, Calif.

Yann LeCun, an A.I. Pioneer, Warns the Tech ‘Herd’ Could Hit a Dead End

✇NYT: Technology
By:Cade Metz
26 January 2026 at 05:01
Yann LeCun helped create the technology behind today’s chatbots. Now he says many tech companies are on the wrong path to creating intelligent machines.

© Victor Llorente for The New York Times

Yann LeCun’s early research paved the way for many of today’s A.I. systems.

Will I Have to Download a New TikTok App? And Other Big Questions About The Deal.

✇NYT: Technology
By:Emmett Lindner
22 January 2026 at 22:36
The popular short form video app has a new corporate structure in the United States, which could result in some changes for the 200 million Americans who use TikTok.

© José A. Alvarado Jr. for The New York Times

It is unclear how much, if anything, will change for TikTok’s 200 million American users.

Here’s Who Just Bought TikTok

✇NYT: Technology
By:Emmett Lindner
22 January 2026 at 22:32
Several big companies and investment firms are part of the new American TikTok. Many have ties to one another and President Trump.

© Andres Kudacki for The New York Times

Five Ways People Are Using Claude Code

✇NYT: Technology
By:Natallie Rocha
23 January 2026 at 19:40
Claude Code generates computer code when people type prompts, so those with no coding experience can create their own programs and apps.

© Don Feria/Associated Press

Dario Amodei, chief executive of Anthropic, at the Code With Claude developer conference in San Francisco last year.

Why iPhone and Android Weather Apps Are Freaking Out About Winter Storm Forecasts

✇NYT: Technology
By:Judson Jones
22 January 2026 at 19:22
A foot of snow in New York? Two feet? Well, it’s complicated.

At one point on Wednesday morning, Apple’s weather app was predicting up to 17 inches of snow in New York on Sunday, while other forecast sources were suggesting far less. By Thursday evening, the app was predicting eight to 10 inches of snow.
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