FTC Loses Appeal to Block Microsoft’s Acquisition of Gaming Giant Activision Blizzard
The FTC has lost its appeal of a ruling in its case against Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of gaming giant Activision Blizzard.

The FTC has lost its appeal of a ruling in its case against Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of gaming giant Activision Blizzard.
Peloton shares stumbled in early trading after the company reported a 13 percent year-over-year drop in revenue for the fiscal third quarter, marking the third straight quarter of declining sales.
Apple Senior Vice President of Services Eddy Cue defended the company’s $20 billion a year deal with search monopoly Google during the remedy phase of the internet giant’s antitrust trial in Washington, DC. Cue also testified that rapid advancements in AI could disrupt Google’s search monopoly more effectively than court intervention.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Instagram platform used automated algorithms that suggested children for groomers and predators to follow on the app, according to a 2019 internal company document presented by the FTC during the ongoing Meta antitrust trial.
In an unprecedented use of AI in the courtroom, the family of a man killed in a road rage incident in Chandler, Arizona, used AI to create a victim impact statement delivered in the deceased’s own voice and likeness. The AI video told the man’s killer, “In another life, we probably could have been friends.”
Google’s search chief, Elizabeth Reid, testified that the DOJ’s proposed changes to the company’s search practices could “deeply undermine user trust” and slow down innovation in the search industry. This claim comes after the company censored conservatives on its search engine throughout the Trump era — which clearly undermined user trust in the company.
TeleMessage, an encrypted messaging app used by top government officials, has temporarily suspended its service after a reported cyberattack, raising concerns about the security of sensitive communications.
OpenAI’s decision to partly walk back its plan to restructure as a for-profit business “changes nothing,” according to Elon Musk’s attorney, indicating that the billionaire may continue his legal battle against the AI startup.
As the September trial date approaches for the next phase of the DOJ’s antitrust case against Google’s ad tech practices, both sides have outlined their proposed remedies to address the tech giant’s monopoly over digital advertising.
Mr. Deepfakes, the internet’s largest repository of nonconsensual deepfake pornography, has announced its permanent closure due to the loss of a critical service provider and data.
In a disturbing trend, people are falling victim to spiritual fantasies and delusions sparked by interactions with AI chatbots like ChatGPT. Social media users are describing it as “ChatGPT induced psychosis,” as AI chatbots feed into disturbing fantasies and mental illness. When one user told ChatGPT he felt like a “god,” the AI replied, “That’s incredibly powerful. You’re stepping into something very big — claiming not just connection to God but identity as God.”
A federal judge has ruled that Ian Moses, the man accused of firebombing a Tesla Cybertruck and causing explosions at a Tesla service center in Mesa, Arizona, will be held in custody until his trial scheduled for July.
Aurora has become the first company to successfully operate a commercial driverless trucking service on public roads. The company’s autonomous trucks are driving Texas highways between Dallas and Houston.
AI giant Nvidia and startup Anthropic are engaged in a rare public dispute over U.S. chip export restrictions set to take effect on May 15. The restrictions are designed to keep powerful AI chips out of the hands of the Chinese.
A California judge has ruled that Elon Musk can proceed with fraud claims against AI startup OpenAI as part of his lawsuit alleging the company broke its promise to operate as a public charity when CEO Sam Altman decided to become a for-profit enterprise.
Apple reported its highest March-quarter revenue in over two years, reaching $95 billion, as customers rushed to purchase devices ahead of potential new U.S. tariffs. As a result of the ongoing trade war with China, the tech giant announced that the majority of U.S. iPhones would come from India, while iPads and other devices would be imported from Vietnam.
TikTok has been hit with a massive $600 million (€530 million) fine by the Irish Data Protection Commission for violating the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by sending European users’ data to servers in China.
In a federal court hearing on Wednesday, Google CEO Sundar Pichai argued that the government’s proposed measures to address the company’s illegal monopoly in online search would severely impact its ability to innovate and invest in new technologies.
In a significant legal setback for Apple, a federal judge has blasted the tech giant and CEO Tim Cook for “willfully violating” her previously issued injunction in the long-running App Store antitrust case. Now, the judge has ordered Apple to stop collecting massive fees on payments made outside the App Store.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has strongly denied a Wall Street Journal report suggesting the company’s board is seeking to replace him, as the EV giant faces significant challenges following is disappointing first quarter. Musk called the the Journal’s reporting a “DELIBERATELY FALSE ARTICLE” and “EXTREMELY BAD BREACH OF ETHICS.”
Google CEO Sundar Pichai is set to take the stand on Wednesday morning in the remedy phase of the internet giant’s search monopoly trial to defend his company from changes that could fundamentally reshape the internet landscape.
SpaceX competitor Firefly Aerospace suffered a major setback Tuesday as its sixth Alpha rocket launch ended in failure, with the rocket and payload plunging into the Pacific Ocean. This is the fourth failure in six Alpha launches by Firefly.
In a discussion at Meta’s inaugural “LlamaCon” AI developer event, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shed light on the growing role of artificial intelligence in software development within their respective companies. Nadella claims that up to 30 percent of Microsoft’s code is now written by AI.
A recent survey reveals that over 40 percent of Tesla owners say they have experienced vandalism targeting their vehicles, but less than 20 percent regret buying a car from Elon Musk.
Engineers from software giant Oracle mistakenly triggered a five-day software outage at hospitals in the Community Health Systems system, forcing the facilities to temporarily revert to paper-based patient records. According to trade publication Becker’s Hospital Review, 45 hospitals were impacted by the epic tech blunder.
Researchers from the University of Zurich secretly ran a months-long experiment in psychological manipulation using AI-generated comments on leftist echo chamber Reddit to test the persuasiveness of AI chatbots.
A Wall Street Journal investigation has revealed that Meta’s AI chatbots on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp are empowered to engage in “romantic role-play” with users that can turn sexually explicit, even with accounts belonging to children. In a statement to Breitbart News, the social media giant says it has “taken additional measures”
Waymo’s autonomous vehicles have become the subject of online ridicule as social media users share videos documenting the cars’ bizarre behavior and frustrating experiences.
An overnight fire at a Tesla dealership in Mesa, Arizona, is being investigated as a potential case of arson, according to local police. One of the most curious aspects of the crime is that the perpetrators spray-painted “THEIF” on the side of the building, demonstrating that some domestic terrorists can’t spell.
Slate Auto, a new American EV startup reportedly backed by Jeff Bezos, has unveiled its first electric vehicle, the Slate Truck, with a starting price of less than $20,000 after federal incentives and a claimed range of 150 miles.
The CEO of AI company Perplexity has revealed that the company’s upcoming browser, Comet, will track users’ online activities to sell highly targeted advertisements.
The closure of two schools founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan has left the inner city families they were designed to help questioning how their children will achieve an education.
Justin Fisher, the former federal government bureaucrat accused of vandalizing multiple Tesla vehicles in Washington DC with his wife, faces only misdemeanor charges for his crime spree. He was released on his own recognizance after pleading not guilty to the minor charges.
Apple plans to move the assembly of all iPhones sold in the US from China to India by the end of 2026, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke with the Financial Times.
As the remedy phase of the Google search monopoly case continues, a witness from AI startup Perplexity testified that the search giant’s exclusivity contracts prevented smartphone maker Motorola from setting Perplexity AI as the default assistant on its new devices. The AI executive says Google’s exclusive agreements are like a “gun to your head” from the perspective of device makers.
A group of former OpenAI employees is calling on the attorneys general of California and Delaware to prevent the company from transitioning from a nonprofit to a for-profit company, citing concerns over the control and accountability of its powerful AI technology.
An 83-year-old man has been accused of causing $23,000 in damages to five Tesla vehicles at a Long Island shopping mall, ranting to police about his disdain for Tesla CEO Elon Musk and President Trump who he said should “fucking die.”
A letter signed by 29 Republican state attorneys general urges the Trump administration to crack down on the flood of illegal Chinese vaping products in the United States. The state AGs believe only a “coordinated national effort” can combat the plague of Chinese vapes aimed at American teenagers.
As the remedy phase of Google’s search monopoly antitrust trial unfolds, AI giant OpenAI has emerged as a potential buyer for Google’s Chrome browser, with plans to transform it into an AI-centric experience.
Two climate extremists wound up in handcuffs Tuesday after they allegedly vandalized a Manhattan Tesla dealership as part of Extinction Rebellion NYC’s Earth Day protest against CEO Elon Musk.