Tech Roundup: Russia's Instagram Ban, Twitter Feed Toggle & More

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

• The Russian government moves to designate Meta Platforms's Facebook and Instagram as "extremist," in a bid to criminalise and ban its operations in the country, noting what it describes as "illegal calls for murder and violence against citizens of the Russian Federation"; comes after Meta announces plans to allow Facebook and Instagram users in Ukraine to express "resistance and fury at the invading military forces," in what's a temporary change to its hate speech policy.
• The European Commission and U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) formally launch an antitrust investigation into the advertising deal between Google and Meta (formerly Facebook) codenamed "Jedi Blue" to determine whether the tech giants colluded to hinder competition "in markets for online display advertising."
• Russia's military incursion into Ukraine forces two leading neon suppliers in the country, Ingas and Cryoin (which produce between 45% and 54% of the specific type of neon needed to manufacture semiconductor chips), to suspend operations, in a move that's likely to accelerate the an already-strained global computer chip supply.
• Two HBO Max subscribers take the streaming platform to court in the U.S. for sharing customer lists with Facebook without explicit consent from users in order to match the latter's profiles with their viewing habits.
• Twitter adds new toggle to its apps on Android and iOS that allows users to easily switch between its algorithmic Home feed and its Latest feed, which displays tweets in reverse chronological order.
• Google's YouTube extends blocking of access to channels associated with Russian state-funded media outlets worldwide, from just across Europe, and brings video transcriptions to its Android app; comes as Russia expands its social media censorship to prohibit Meta-owned Instagram starting March 14, affecting 80 million users in the country. (That said, WhatsApp continues to be available in Russia.)
• AR gaming company Niantic shuts down Pokemon Go in Russia and Belarus; comes amidst a wave of similar decisions from fellow gaming companies that have decided to suspend business or services in those countries after Russia's invasion of Ukraine late last month.
• Ride hailing platform Uber to add a temporary US$ .45-$.55 surcharge per trip for U.S. and Canada riders, and US$ .35-$.45 for Uber Eats amid rising gas prices following the Russo-Ukrainian war; company says "the fees will go to drivers, who are responsible for paying for gas they use."
• ByteDance's TikTok is reportedly close to finalising a deal with Oracle that would see the short-form video platform ringfencing its U.S. users' data without providing access to its Chinese parent company to address national security concerns.
• The Reserve Bank of India orders Paytm Payments Bank to stop taking new customers, pending a comprehensive audit of its IT systems.
• The U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority rules illegal the use of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency ATMs to help users buy and sell cryptocurrencies; says "Crypto ATMs offering cryptoasset exchange services in the U.K. must be registered with us and comply with U.K. Money Laundering Regulations."
• Popular messaging app Telegram Messenger updates its iPhone and iPad app with several new features, including a new download manager, redesigned attachment menu, and support for live streaming with third-party apps.
• Google once again wins lawsuit against song lyrics website Genius, which alleged that the search engine company was using its transcribed lyrics without permission in search results; court rules that the lyrics are protected by copyrights that Genius doesn't own (and actually belong to the musicians who wrote them).