TikTok is introducing a data portability API to help it comply with new European regulations designed to rein in Big Tech’s market dominance through various obligations and restrictions. The European Union (EU) assigned “gatekeeper” status to six tech companies last September, with TikTok parent Bytedance placed in the regulatory firing line alongside Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, […]
India reverses AI stance, requires government approval for model launches
India has waded into global AI debate by issuing an advisory that requires tech firms to get government permission before launching new models. India’s Ministry of Electronics and IT issued the advisory to firms on Friday. The advisory, not published on public domain but a copy of which TechCrunch has reviewed, also asks tech firms […]
Spotify launches a $9.99/mo standalone audiobooks service for its free users
After adding 15 hours of free audiobooks listening to its subscription plan late last year, Spotify today is introducing a $ 9.99 per month option that will allow its free users to also access its audiobooks collection. The company announced on Friday its new “Audiobooks Access Tier,” which, similar to the service offered to subscribers, […]
India lays foundations for a new spaceport dedicated to smaller launches
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has received the go-ahead to construct a new spaceport in Tamil Nadu, with which it aims to help private players launch small rockets in space with less fuel consumption. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the second spaceport, located on an island named Kulasekharapatnam […]
COTU Ventures launches $54M fund for pre-seed and seed startups in MENA
Dubai-based early-stage venture capital firm COTU Ventures is announcing that it has raised $ 54 million for its inaugural fund to support startups in the Middle East from pre-seed to seed stages. With a final close achieved last year, COTU Ventures, which identifies and backs founders from the inception to post-product launch, invests between $ […]