Tech Roundup: Apple Third-Party App Stores, Twitter Blue Relaunch & More

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

• Apple is reportedly planning to allow third-party app stores on iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 in the E.U., due to impending regulatory requirements (i.e., the Digital Markets Act, which comes into effect on March 6, 2024) that mandate companies in gatekeeper roles to open up their ecosystems and allow sideloading. (The move could mark a dramatic shift from Apple's long-standing position that third-party app stores and sideloading apps from outside the App Store would pose security and privacy risks.)
• Meta introduces new open source Hasher-Matcher-Actioner (HMA) content moderation tool in an effort to combat the spread of terrorist content online.
• Microsoft acquires a 4% stake in the London Stock Exchange, valued at ~£1.6 billion, as part of a 10-year deal to provide next-generation data and analytics; purchases Lumenisity, a U.K.-based startup developing "hollow core fiber (HCF)" technologies primarily for data centers and ISPs.
• Meta gets sued for US$ 2 billion over accusations that the social media platform's algorithms promote hateful and violent content for engagement.
• TikTok is testing a new horizontal full screen mode with select users globally, continuing the platform's steady encroachment into YouTube territory.
• Google-owned YouTube expands its tools to curtail toxic comments, sending users a notification when their comment is removed for violating platform rules and even temporarily banning repeat offenders from commenting for 24 hours.

• Meta's Instagram rolls out Group Profiles, which will allow multiple users to share posts and stories through a dedicated, shared profile, Notes, letting users share short posts that can include up to 60 characters; begins testing BeReal-like Candid Stories in South Africa.
• Twitter officially relaunches Blue on December 12 for US$ 8/month on the web and US$ 11/month on iOS (to offset Apple 30% cut on in-app purchases), offering a checkmark after account review (requires users to confirm their phone numbers), 1080p uploads, edit button, and other features.
• Apple and Ericsson reach a licensing agreement over "patented cellular standard-essential technologies" and more, ending a protracted legal battle that began in 2015.
• Meta shutters its Connectivity arm almost 10 years after launching the initiative in 2013 with the goal of subsidising internet connections in developing countries and regions. (Remember the Internet.org and Free Basics efforts that raised net neutrality comcerns?)
• Twitter's Community Notes, the crowd-powered feature to fact check tweets previously known as Birdwatch, starts rolling out to all users globally.
• Apple releases iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2 and macOS Ventura 13.1 update with encrypted cloud backups, Freeform whiteboard app, improved always-on display, and a host of security features.
• Oracle reports Q2 2022 revenue up 18% YoY to US$ 12.28 billion, as cloud services revenue jump 14% YoY to US$8.6 billion and revenue from health data provider Cerner hits US$ 1.5 billion.