The Weekly 📰 HUBdate 📰

Hello, hello wonderful people! Happy Friday!

Yes, I’m in a good mood today 😝

There’s so much that’s happened for me to talk about since our last edition- it’s like the months are getting shorter and more happening as they pass! Insane! Except this edition’s updates make it seem like the end of the world.

Before we dive into all the good stuff, riddle me this: What do you think the impact of TikTok getting banned would be? In terms of marketing, the creator world, etc etc.

Drop your answers in the comments 👇 I’m so curious, lol.

Let’s get into it!

Tick, Talk, TikTok

TikTok, checkmate? Maybe not- they’re definitely on a countdown though.

Kesha might have been onto something- this time, it's not just beats per minute ticking away, but the days until TikTok could face potential oblivion in the US. Can you sayyyy… prophet?

After years of geopolitical eyebrow-raising and privacy concerns, the US government has triggered a 269-day countdown for TikTok. The Chinese-owned app now needs to find a new American owner or risk being sidelined from the US market entirely.

Think of this as a high-stakes chess game: The White House has made its opening gambit, aiming to push TikTok off American smartphones with a forced sale or complete ban.

As the bill zipped through the House and heads to a Senate floor greased by a hefty $95 billion foreign aid package, TikTok's future in the US looks… precarious to say the least.

President Biden's signature has already dried on the bill, making the countdown official. TikTok’s CEO, Shou Chew, was quick to jump into action, assuring users in a freshly posted video, “Rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere.”

But with legal battles on the horizon and a sale price tag that could choke a billionaire, TikTok might need more than a good filter to keep looking sharp in the US market.

TikTok plans to challenge the sale mandate, citing everything from free speech rights to financial fallout for its army of creators. The US, on the other hand, is ready to argue that national security trumps viral dances and lip-sync battles.

In the center of this tug-of-war is TikTok's golden goose- their algorithm- which Beijing isn’t keen on parting with, making any potential sale complex. So as the clock ticks down, TikTok is not just trying to save face but potentially its face filters and more (I think I’m hilarious).

Amazon Espionage

Amazon went undercover to gather intel on rivals. There, I said it.

Amazon has reportedly gone full incognito mode to scoop up intelligence on its competitors. Dubbed initially as "Project Curiosity" and later softened to "Small Business Insights," this operation was no small feat.

According to The Wall Street Journal, back in 2015, Amazon set up a covert scheme using burner emails, a shell company named Big River Services International, and even had its employees attend conferences undercover to gather data on rivals like Overstock, Etsy, Alibaba, and Walmart.

Despite these James Bond-style moves, Amazon maintains it was just doing thorough competitor research. The real intrigue lies not just in the tactics, but in the financials: the operation was hardly a cash cow, with revenues not nearly covering the hefty operating costs in markets like India.

The tech giant defends its secrecy, claiming it was necessary to ensure its team was treated like any other seller. However, this episode adds another layer to the ongoing narrative of Big Tech's relentless pursuit for dominance, echoing similar tactics by companies like Meta, as revealed in their own "Project Ghostbusters.”

Ok, quick break because what I’m about to do next is give you a little brain-dump of events that have happened that are important enough for you to know about, but don’t reallyyyy need to have their own section- let’s call them quick sips 😉

Quick Sips

🤖 Apple Swaps Engines for Androids : Moving on from its electric car fiasco, Apple is now flirting with the idea of a robo-companion- guys, we got pet robots before GTA VII.

🐦 X’s Identity Crisis Giveaway : X (formerly Twitter) is doling out blue checks like unsolicited advice, ensuring everyone feels just a bit more verified.

💳 Pay-Per-AI : Google might start charging for its AI-enhanced searches, a move that could turn every query into a microtransaction. This potential paywall reflects a broader trend in tech where cutting-edge tools, once free, could now have a price tag, making us wonder: will our digital assistants soon ask for a tip?

🎤 AI’s New Harmony : The music scene is getting an algorithmic remix with Udio, the latest AI that's impressing ears and sparking debates across the music world. It’s not just making waves, it’s composing them 😉

anddddd….

❤️ RCB finally won! A slay in my books. Bangalore, you can finally breathe.

HUB Weekly Highlights🔦

Until next week, my lovely readers!

Signing off!