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Social Media Safety

Meta Enhances Safety Measures for Instagram Accounts Featuring Children

Meta is implementing stricter safeguards for Instagram accounts primarily featuring children to prevent abuse. These accounts will have the strictest message settings and the 'Hidden Words' feature enabled.

Meta will also prevent suspicious adults from finding these accounts and is rolling out new safety features for teen accounts, including safety tips, display of account creation date in chats, and a combined block and report option.

The company has removed numerous accounts sexualizing children and reports high usage of its nudity protection filter in DMs.

Agriculture Technology

Bacterial Innovation Aims to Reduce Synthetic Fertilizer Use in Agriculture

NetZeroNitrogen is developing bacterial strains to reduce synthetic fertilizer use by up to 50%. These bacteria enable plants to obtain nitrogen from the atmosphere, offering a precision approach compared to traditional fertilizer application.

The company recently secured $6.6 million in seed funding from World Fund and Azolla Ventures. Their non-GMO bacteria are applied directly to seeds and are designed to die off once the plant completes its life cycle.

NetZeroNitrogen plans to launch its first product for rice crops, taking advantage of the pre-planting soaking process to apply the bacterial strains. The company aims to sell its solution for at least $50 per hectare less than synthetic fertilizers, potentially offering a 30% to 40% discount in regions like Southeast Asia.

While not yet a complete solution, NetZeroNitrogen's approach offers a significant step toward reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers and their environmental impact.

Business Messaging and AI

Gupshup Secures $60M to Fuel AI Agent Expansion and Eyes Potential IPO

Gupshup, a business messaging platform, has raised over $60 million in equity and debt financing to expand its presence in high-growth markets and enhance its AI-driven products. The funding round, led by Globespan Capital Partners and EvolutionX Debt Capital, will support the deployment of AI agents across messaging platforms like WhatsApp and RCS.

The company, which achieved unicorn status in 2021, is focusing on revenue growth and profitability, with plans to explore an IPO in the next 18-24 months. Gupshup is considering listing on Indian stock exchanges due to its strong presence and understanding of the market, particularly with WhatsApp integration. With a customer base of over 50,000 across 100+ countries, Gupshup aims to empower businesses with customizable AI solutions.

Technology

Amazon's Acquisition of Bee: A Step into Wearable AI

Amazon has acquired Bee, an AI wearables startup known for its Fitbit-like bracelet and Apple Watch app that record conversations to create reminders and to-do lists. The acquisition signals Amazon's interest in expanding into wearable AI devices, a departure from its voice-controlled home assistants like Echo speakers.

Bee's device, priced at $49.99 with a $19-per-month subscription, aims to provide personal, ambient intelligence. While other companies have struggled in this space, Bee's affordable price point makes it accessible to consumers.

The acquisition raises privacy concerns, as these devices record everything around them. Bee's current policies state that users can delete their data, and audio recordings are not saved or used for AI training. However, it's unclear if these policies will change under Amazon's ownership, given Amazon's past handling of user data from Ring security cameras.

Cybersecurity

iPhones of Iranian Citizens Compromised by State-Sponsored Spyware, Researchers Report

Apple has recently notified over a dozen Iranians about government spyware targeting their iPhones. This information comes from security researchers and digital rights organizations.

Miaan Group and cybersecurity researcher Hamid Kashfi have spoken with Iranians who received these notifications within the last year. Miaan Group's report highlights three instances of government spyware attacks against Iranians, with alerts issued in April.

Amir Rashidi of Miaan Group suggests Iran is likely behind the attacks, though further investigation is needed. Kashfi assisted victims with preliminary forensics but couldn't confirm the specific spyware maker. Many victims were hesitant to continue the investigation due to fear and sensitivity.

Apple has been sending notifications about potential spyware attacks to users globally since 2021 and recommends that victims contact AccessNow for assistance. The company has identified such attacks in over 150 countries but does not disclose specific country names or the total number of affected users.

Business & Commerce

Etsy Under Fire: User Boycott Over Controversial 'Alligator Alcatraz' Merchandise

Etsy is facing a boycott from its users due to its decision to allow the sale of 'Alligator Alcatraz'-branded merchandise. This merchandise celebrates a controversial ICE detention center in Florida, where detainees are allegedly held in inhumane conditions.

Etsy users argue that the platform is violating its own Discrimination and Hateful Content Policy, which prohibits discriminatory content based on immigration status. The boycott has gained traction on social media platforms like Threads and Reddit, with many users threatening to close their shops and accounts.

While Etsy has not responded to requests for comment, other platforms like Amazon have defended their decision to host similar merchandise, citing their policies on controversial products. This isn't the first time e-commerce platforms have faced backlash for hosting controversial content, with previous incidents involving Shopify and Amazon.

Software Updates

Apple Refines iOS 26 with Beta 4: Liquid Glass Enhancements and AI News Summaries Return

Apple has released iOS 26 beta 4 to developers, featuring tweaks to the Liquid Glass redesign and the re-introduction of AI-powered notification summaries for news.

The beta includes a new "Welcome" splash screen, introductory screens for features like Siri and its AI summaries, and a revamped Camera app.

Liquid Glass sees further refinement with updates in apps like the App Store, Photos, and Apple Music, while the Notification Center gains a dynamic tint during scrolling.

The update also includes a new dynamic wallpaper and new CarPlay wallpapers.

Alongside iOS 26 beta 4, Apple also released new versions of its other betas, including iPadOS 26 beta 4, macOS 26 beta 4, watchOS 26 beta 4, tvOS 26 beta 4, visionOS 26 beta 4, and Xcode 26 beta 4.

Business & Commerce

Etsy Under Fire: Users Boycott Over Controversial 'Alligator Alcatraz' Merchandise

Etsy is facing a user boycott due to its decision to allow the sale of 'Alligator Alcatraz'-branded merchandise, which critics argue violates the platform's Discrimination and Hateful Content Policy. This policy prohibits discriminatory content related to immigration status.

The merchandise refers to a controversial ICE detention center in Florida, where detainees are reportedly held in harsh conditions. Boycotters argue that Etsy's allowance of such items contradicts its own guidelines against content that contains violent or degrading commentary against protected classes.

The boycott has gained traction on social media platforms like Threads and Reddit, with numerous users expressing their disapproval and threatening to close their shops or accounts. Other platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Shopify also host this merchandise, but Etsy has faced particular scrutiny due to its stated policies.

While Amazon defended its decision citing its policy on controversial products, Etsy has not responded to requests for comment. This situation highlights the ongoing challenges e-commerce platforms face in balancing free speech with the need to address potentially offensive or discriminatory content.

Technology

Telegram Unveils Crypto Wallet for 87 Million US Users

Telegram is extending access to its crypto wallet, built on the TON blockchain, to its 87 million users in the U.S.

The TON wallet is integrated directly into the Telegram app, aiming to simplify the onboarding process for new crypto users.

Telegram has offered crypto wallets to international users since 2023, but regulatory uncertainty prevented its U.S. rollout until now.

Over 100 million global users activated their wallets last year, representing about 10% of Telegram's 1 billion active users. The TON blockchain processes approximately 334,000 transactions per day.

Photography

VSCO Expands Capture App Globally and Acquires The Freelance Photographer

VSCO has globally launched its iOS camera app, Capture, after initial testing in select countries. The app offers a range of presets, real-time effects, and manual camera controls.
In addition, VSCO has acquired The Freelance Photographer, a platform offering workshops and guidance for emerging photography professionals. This acquisition aligns with VSCO's focus on supporting professional photographers, complementing its existing services like VSCO Hub and VSCO Sites.
The Freelance Photographer provides courses with prices starting at $208 per month.