Tech Roundup: E.U. Digital Markets Act, Reddit Video Push & More

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

• European Union reaches a provisional agreement on the Digital Markets Act, a sweeping antitrust regulation to govern tech companies in gatekeeper roles, which will mandate messaging service interoperability, options to uninstall preloaded software on mobile devices, and prohibit self-preferencing practices, forcing Apple and Meta to open their closed messaging services to other smaller platforms or risk facing "behavioral and structural remedies" that could lead to the regulators breaking up a company.
• Reddit confirms it is exploring the idea of letting users react to videos using editing tools resembling TikTok's Stitches and Duets.
• Apple reportedly considering Pixel Pass-style monthly hardware subscription for iPhones and iPads to enable users to pay and automatically upgrade their devices in conjunction with Apple One and AppleCare bundles.
• Indian ride-hailing service Ola to acquire Avail Finance, a financial services start-up that serves the blue-collar workforce, as the company looks to expand its financial services offerings.
• Twitter rolls out expanded search features in direct messages, letting users search their inbox to "find specific messages using keywords and names."
• Mozilla launches MDN Plus, a US$ 5/month or US$ 10/month subscription for its developer network, offering notifications, article collections, offline options, and early access to new features.
• Music streamer Spotify reports 2021 royalty payments; says it paid over US$ 7 billion paid to music rightsholders, up from US$ 5 billion in 2020, with 1,040 artists making more than US$ 1 million/year and 16,500 artists making more than US$ 50,000/year.
• Google adds doctors' appointment availability to search results in the U.S.; tweaks criteria to prioritise product reviews higher in search based on helpful in-depth details provided, comparable products covered, and "come from people who have actually used the products."
• Microsoft's code repository platform GitHub adds new algorithmic "For You" feed on users' dashboards, prompting developers to make it an "opt-in" rather than "opt-out" feature.
• Spotify tests new replacement for Car Mode it shuttered in November 2021, granting users quick access to currently playing music and their music libraries by means of a car-friendly UI; to fully suspend access to its streaming services in Russia, after discontinuing its paid subscription on March 9, in light of the country's dramatic new restrictions on free speech that criminalises sharing what the government deems to be "false information" about Russia's operations in Ukraine.
• The E.U. and U.S. reach a preliminary transatlantic data flow deal to store data about Europeans users geographically within the U.S.
• Netflix acquires mobile game developer Boss Fight Entertainment, making it the platform's third studio purchase after Night School and Next Games since September 2021.