TikTok US ban comes into force, Airpods to be used as hearing aids in UK
A new US law banning TikTok has come into effect, hours after the popular app stopped working across the country. Late on Saturday a message appearing on the TikTok for US users said a law banning TikTok had been enacted, meaning “you can’t use TikTok for now”. The video-sharing app was banned over concerns about its links to the Chinese government. It was given until 19 January to be sold to an approved US buyer to avert the ban. President Joe Biden had said he would leave the issue to his successor, Donald Trump. The president-elect has said he will “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a ban once he takes office on Monday. BBC
There are currently “no plans” for the UK to follow in America’s footsteps and ban TikTok, a cabinet minister said. Darren Jones said cats and dancing videos do not “seem like a national security threat”, but suggested the position could change if an issue emerges which the government is “concerned about”. The Chinese-opened app was “forced to go dark” in the US on Sunday after a Supreme Court ruling upheld a law that shut the platform down. The ban was implemented over concerns about its links to Beijing, with the social media giant given a deadline of 19 January to be sold to an approved US buyer. Sky News
Apple AirPods will be able to be used as hearing aids, under new plans. Currently, in the UK, Airpods Pro 2 are sold with the functionality to test hearing, but not to boost it. In other countries, such as the United States, they can also be used as hearing aids. On Thursday ministers announced changes that mean such devices can be used by tens of thousands of people in the UK with mild or moderate hearing loss. Apple said the software update to support it – which follows new guidance from the Department of Health and Social Care – will be introduced within weeks. Telegraph
Apps promising to help women “take control” of their sex lives by predicting the days when they are fertile are putting users at risk of unplanned pregnancy by making misleading claims. Millions of women in the UK – including 69% of 18-24-year-olds – have used smartphone apps that track their periods. Many also tell them their “fertile window”: the days when they are most and least likely to get pregnant. But the quality of the data used to make these predictions varies drastically and is often limited and unreliable, experts warn. The Guardian
Russian state-linked hackers have targeted the WhatsApp accounts of government ministers and officials around the world with emails inviting them to join user groups on the messaging app. The WhatsApp tactic marks a new approach by a hacking unit called Star Blizzard. Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has linked Star Blizzard to Russia’s domestic spy agency, the FSB, and has accused it of seeking to “undermine trust in politics in the UK and likeminded states”. The Guardian
The first half of January is already behind us. The mobile world is eagerly waiting for the Galaxy S25 launch, and the past week saw another batch of leaked renders and promo materials. The event might see three devices, as the fourth Slim member is not coming for a few months. We still expect all Galaxy S25 devices to get thinner. The Nothing Phone (3) also appeared in the rumor mill, and expectations are the device will finally be a true flagship. Meanwhile, the Poco F7 series is coming with Pro and Ultra variants, but no vanilla in sight. GSM Arena
