Tech Roundup: India Social Media Regulation, Twitter Super Follows & More

[A recurring feature on the latest in Science & Technology.]

• Twitter teases Super Follows, letting users to charge their followers for access to additional or exclusive content for US$ 4.99/month, as it takes on Patreon and Substack; debuts Facebook Groups-like ability to create and join groups based around specific interests, and says it's planning a safety mode that would let users automatically block and mute accounts that "might be acting abusive or spammy."
• Google makes GameSnacks, a collection of 100+ lightweight HTML5 games, more accessible in Chrome, Pay, Discover, and Assistant in select countries, like India.
• Australia passes news bargaining code regulation that will require digital platforms like Google and Facebook to pay local media outlets and publishers for their content; Facebook pledges to invest US$ 1 billion in the country's news industry over the next three years in the wake of reversing a ban imposed on media companies from sharing news content on the platform.
• YouTube to roll out a "supervised" account option in beta to grant more limited access to YouTube in the coming months in more than 80 countries aimed at tweens and teens who are too old to use YouTube Kids app.
• HP acquires gaming peripheral company HyperX for US$ 425 million, giving the company a major foothold in the gaming accessory market.
• Beijing-based Didi Chuxing is reportedly considering launching in the U.K., France, and Germany by the first half of 2021 as it seeks to follow ByteDance's footsteps to establish a foothold in markets outside China.
• Microsoft adds new options that allows lets users embed Pinterest Pins into Word and OneNote documents in the form of interactive content.

• The Indian government issues sweeping rules to regulate social media firms, streaming services, and digital news outlets; mandates that social media companies acknowledge takedown requests of unlawful content within 24 hours and deliver a complete redressal in within 15 days, remove objectionable content within 24 hours for complaints involving non-consensual nude or semi-nude photos, deepfakes and revenge porn, and appoint a chief compliance officer and a resident grievance officer, besides setting up local offices in the country.
• Amazon announces general availability of Lookout for Vision, a cloud service that spots defects and anomalies in manufactured goods using computer vision.
• Google debuts new Sleep API which uses a phone's light and motion sensors and on-device AI to generate data which developers can use to build wellness apps; rolls out companion website for Google Recorder, allowing Pixel device owners to sync their recordings across devices, and begins sharing data about distortions in light waves passing through its undersea cables with seismologists to help them detect earthquakes.
• Facebook confirms it's 'looking at' facial recognition technology for upcoming smart glasses; NPE division launches BARS, a TikTok-like app for rappers to create and share their raps using professionally created beats, in closed beta.
• Apple adds iPhone and MacBook repairability scores to its online store in France to comply with a new anti-waste legislation that came into effect this year in the country.
• ByteDance-owned TikTok agrees to pay US$ 92 million to settle dozens of lawsuits, many from minors — some as young as six years old — alleging it amassed users' personal data without consent and sold it to advertisers.