US and Poland Urge For Tougher 5G Checks
The US and Poland want suppliers of 5G equipment evaluated for foreign government control. In a joint declaration signed on Monday, this comes as an attempt to prevent China from accessing 5G networks. “All countries must ensure only trusted and reliable suppliers participate in networks,” the declaration, signed by U.S. Vice President Michael Pence and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Warsaw, said.
In the declaration, the countries say that “it is important to ascertain whether a supplier is subject to control by a foreign government, has a transparent ownership structure and transparent corporate practices”. Recently, Chinese company Huawei has been under pressure from Polish authorities over spying.
Boxing Champ Pacquiao Launches Cryptocurrency
Another entry in the latest cryptocurrency craze is Phillipine’s boxing champ Manny Pacquiao’s. He launched it last Sunday, after serenading nearly 2,000 fans to increase interest in the product. The 40-year-old boxer hopes to cash in on his “Pac” tokens. They will allow fans to buy his merchandise and interact with him on social media.
In addition, it is the worlds first celebrity cryptocurrency. “We are not here to raise a lot of money but to build an ecosystem,” CEO Jeffrey Lin said. “Pacquiao is idolized by many. People will be encouraged to check this innovation,” Aaron Baetiong, 38, who attended the concert, also said of the “Pac” tokens.
Twitter CEO’s Account Hacked
Hackers accessed Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s account on Friday afternoon. The hackers sent public tweets and retweets including racial slurs and curse words to nearly 4 million followers before Twitter secured the account. Twitter said that the phone number associated with Dorsey’s account was compromised.
Twitter deleted the tweets and retweets less than an hour after the incident. In addition, Twitter suspended some accounts named in the tweets and retweets. However, Twitter’s shares were down 1% in trading.
Google To Pay $200M To FTC
Google will pay up to $200 million to settle an FTC investigation into YouTube’s alleged violation of a children’s privacy law. The FTC will announce the settlement next week. Plus, it is the largest fine the FTC has imposed for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule. This prevents the collection of personal information from kids without parental consent.
China To Exempt Tesla From Purchase Tax
China will exempt Tesla’s electric vehicles from its purchase tax, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said on Friday. Currently, Tesla sees China as one of its most important markets, and this exemption will lower Tesla prices by almost $14,000.
“It is pretty clear Tesla is committed to China, with the investment in the Shanghai Gigafactory. Those relationships probably helped Tesla lobby for a successful exemption from the tax,” Roth Capital analyst Craig Irwin said.
