☕️ Tesla removes Autopilot from new vehicles in US and Canada

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In today's Techpresso:

🚗 Tesla removes Autopilot from new vehicles in US and Canada

📱 TikTok users freak out over app’s ‘immigration status’ collection

⏸️ Meta pauses teen access to AI characters

💥 Microsoft gave BitLocker encryption keys to FBI

📉 Intel stock plunges amid manufacturing struggles

💻 Chromebooks train schoolkids to be loyal Google customers

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• Tesla has removed Autopilot from new vehicles sold in the US and Canada, forcing buyers who want self-steering features to pay for Full Self-Driving instead of getting basic driver assistance included.
• Until mid-February, customers can buy FSD for a one-time $8,000 fee, but after February 14, the only option will be a $99 monthly subscription that Musk says will increase over time.
• The shift toward subscription revenue follows a broader auto industry trend, as Tesla faces falling profit margins, declining sales, and the loss of emissions credits that previously helped its finances.

• TikTok's updated privacy policy, which appeared after the company's ownership change, states that the app may collect sensitive user data including citizenship and immigration status, causing widespread alarm among American users.
• The language about collecting immigration status and other sensitive information actually existed in TikTok's policy before the ownership deal and is required by California privacy laws like the CCPA, which mandate companies disclose what sensitive data they gather.
• Legal experts say TikTok's policy means the platform may process sensitive information users share in their own videos or surveys, and the company is agreeing to handle that data according to applicable state privacy laws.

• Meta is stopping teenagers from using AI characters on all its apps worldwide, saying it wants to build an updated version with more parental controls before letting teens back in.
• The company said parents wanted more insights and control over their teens' interactions with AI characters, and the new version will give age-appropriate responses on topics like education and hobbies.
• The pause comes days before Meta faces a trial in New Mexico over accusations it failed to protect kids from sexual exploitation, while CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify in a separate addiction case next week.

• Microsoft gave BitLocker encryption keys to the FBI in a Guam fraud case, marking the first known time the company has turned over encryption keys to law enforcement despite receiving such requests for years.
• BitLocker recovery keys are uploaded to Microsoft's cloud by default, and unlike Apple and Meta, Microsoft does not encrypt these stored keys, which means the company can hand them over when served valid warrants.
• Security researchers and privacy advocates warn that millions of Windows users now face exposure because law enforcement agencies will likely increase requests after learning Microsoft will comply with warrants for BitLocker keys.

• Intel's stock dropped sharply after the company revealed it is having trouble keeping up with demand for its AI chips used in data centers.
• Executives told investors that supplies ran short because they underestimated demand, and CFO David Zinser said shortages would continue in the first quarter before improving by mid-year.
• Intel reported a net loss of $333 million in the fourth quarter and has struggled with low manufacturing yields, though CEO Lip-Bu Tan said improving output will be a focus in 2026.

• Internal Google documents from a child safety lawsuit show the company viewed Chromebooks in schools as a way to bring kids into its ecosystem and build lifelong brand loyalty.
• A 2020 presentation included quotes about getting students on an operating system early to win loyalty "potentially for life," and suggested YouTube in schools could create a "pipeline of future users."
• Google told The Verge the documents "mischaracterize" its work, saying YouTube does not market directly to schools and that administrators control platform usage while parental consent is required for students under 18.

Other news & articles you might like

• A rival smart glasses company is suing Meta over its Ray-Ban products LINK

• Leak: Nvidia is about to challenge ‘Intel Inside’ with as many as eight Arm laptops LINK

• Google Deepmind goes on acquisition spree with three AI deals in one week LINK

• The Rippling/Deel corporate spying scandal may have taken another wild turn LINK

• Farcaster to return $180M to venture backers post-Neynar acquisition LINK

• Scientists print human liver tissue in breakthrough that could save lives LINK

• Google Deepmind's D4RT model aims to give robots and AR devices more human-like spatial awareness LINK

• eBay bans AI agents from shopping, but hints at future approved bots LINK

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