Tech Roundup: India Data Protection Law, Wickr Shutdown & More

By Ravie Lakshmanan 20.11.22

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

Indian government proposes new draft regulations for a comprehensive data protection regulation in the country that penalises companies for exposing customer data.
Twitter says "newly created Twitter accounts will not be able to subscribe to Twitter Blue for 90 days"; adds that it may impose waiting periods for new accounts in the future without advance notice, in an attempt to cut down on scams and impersonator accounts.
Meta launches Yellow Pages-style directory on WhatsApp to help find businesses from within the messaging app in Brazil, the U.K., Indonesia, Mexico, and Colombia after a September 2021 pilot in São Paulo; tests a dedicated video mode to its built-in camera app.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) introduces new rules that requires ISPs to display easy-to-read-and-understand "nutrition labels" showing key facts about their products, including prices, speeds, data allowances.
India to follow the European Union by shifting to USB-C as a common charger for all smart devices in an attempt to reduce electronic waste.
Epic Games, maker of Fortnite, claims Google paid the equivalent of US$ 360 million and US$ 30 million to Call of Duty developer Activision Blizzard and League of Legends developer Riot Games respectively as part of a broad agreement that included a promise the gaming companies would not create a rival app store; Google says the deal "does not prevent developers from creating competing app stores."

Microsoft brings back SwiftKey keyboard on the iOS App Store based on customer feedback after delisting the service in October.
1Password unveils "passkey" support for secure user logins to apps across different platforms, including iOS and Android.
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba reports Q3 2022 revenue up 3% to ~US$ 29 billion and a surprise US$ 2.9 billion net loss amid heightened regulation and competition.
Wickr Me, the free consumer-facing encrypted messaging app acquired by Amazon AWS in 2021, to shut down on December 31, 2023; to stop accepting new users at the end of 2022 and focus on "securing our business and public sector customers' data and communications with AWS Wickr and Wickr Enterprise." (The development also come as the service came under fire earlier this June for not doing enough to prevent sharing child sexual abuse material, effectively becoming an outlet for criminals. Cash App, likewise, is fighting similar child exploitation claims, what with the service becoming the payment tool of choice for trafficking or sex.)
JD.com reports Q3 2022 revenue up 11% YoY to ~US$ 34.2 billion and a net income of ~US$ 843 million, compared to a ~US$ 394 million net loss in Q3 2021.

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