Latest news with #Emarketer
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Trump delays the TikTok ban once again
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up As the extensions continue, it appears less and less likely that TikTok will be banned in the U.S. any time soon. The decision to keep TikTok alive through an executive order has received some scrutiny, but it has not faced a legal challenge in court — unlike many of Trump's other executive orders. Advertisement Jeremy Goldman, analyst at Emarketer, called TikTok's U.S situation a 'deadline purgatory.' Advertisement The whole thing 'is starting to feel less like a ticking clock and more like a looped ringtone. This political Groundhog Day is starting to resemble the debt ceiling drama: a recurring threat with no real resolution.' For now, TikTok continues to function for its 170 million users in the U.S., and tech giants Apple, Google and Oracle were persuaded to continue to offer and support the app, on the promise that Trump's Justice Department would not use the law to seek potentially steep fines against them. Americans are even more closely divided on what to do about TikTok than they were two years ago. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that about one-third of Americans said they supported a TikTok ban, down from 50% in March 2023. Roughly one-third said they would oppose a ban, and a similar percentage said they weren't sure. Among those who said they supported banning the social media platform, about 8 in 10 cited concerns over users' data security being at risk as a major factor in their decision, according to the report. Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the Trump administration is once again 'flouting the law and ignoring its own national security findings about the risks' posed by a China-controlled TikTok. 'An executive order can't sidestep the law, but that's exactly what the president is trying to do,' Warner added.
Tahawul Tech
11-06-2025
- Business
- Tahawul Tech
Threads to test direct messaging feature
Meta's Threads app announced it would begin rolling out direct messaging, features long offered by rivals, in a bid to attract more users. Users in select markets, including Hong Kong and Thailand, will get a dedicated inbox for direct messages on the app as part of the test, eliminating the need to switch to Instagram's messaging platform. Meta said messages on Threads will not be encrypted for now. Threads and Instagram have long been intertwined as part of Meta's plans to leverage the image and video sharing platform's massive user base to better compete with services such as X, TikTok and Reddit for digital ad dollars. Meta announced the expansion of advertising on Threads to all eligible advertisers globally in April. However, the company has said it did not expect Threads to be a 'meaningful driver' of revenue growth in 2025. Research firm Emarketer expects Threads' U.S. monthly active users will grow 17.5% to 60.5 million by next year, surpassing X, whose user base is expected to decline 14.4% to 50 million. U.S. trade restrictions and the rise of AI‑powered ad targeting have pushed social media platforms to enhance their offerings, adding distinctive features and sharper user experiences to stand out in a saturated market. Source: Reuters Image Credit: Stock Image
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Meta's Threads to test direct messaging feature in select markets
HighlightsMeta Platforms will begin rolling out direct messaging on its Threads application to select markets, including Hong Kong and Thailand, in an effort to attract more users. Threads, launched in 2023 as a competitor to Elon Musk's social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), has quickly gained popularity, boasting over 350 million monthly active users. Research firm Emarketer predicts that Threads' U.S. monthly active users will increase by 17.5% to 60.5 million by next year, surpassing the anticipated decline in users for X. By Jaspreet Singh Meta Platforms said it would start rolling out direct messaging on its Threads app, adding a feature long offered by rivals, in a bid to attract more users. Users in select markets, including Hong Kong and Thailand, will get a dedicated inbox for direct messages on the app as part of the test, eliminating the need to switch to Instagram's messaging platform, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday. Meta said messages on Threads will not be encrypted for now. Threads and Instagram have long been intertwined as part of Meta's plans to leverage the image and video sharing platform's massive user base to better compete with services such as X, TikTok and Reddit for digital ad dollars. Launched in 2023 as a competitor to Elon Musk's X, then known as Twitter, following his chaotic takeover of the platform, Threads quickly attracted consumers and now boasts over 350 million monthly active users . Meta announced the expansion of advertising on Threads to all eligible advertisers globally in April. However, the company has said it did not expect Threads to be a "meaningful driver" of revenue growth in 2025. Research firm Emarketer expects Threads' U.S. monthly active users will grow 17.5% to 60.5 million by next year, surpassing X, whose user base is expected to decline 14.4% to 50 million. U.S. trade restrictions and the rise of AI-powered ad targeting have pushed social media platforms to enhance their offerings, adding distinctive features and sharper user experiences to stand out in a saturated market.
NDTV
10-06-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Apple Plays It Safe On AI Despite Wall Street Pressure
Apple on Monday remained on its cautious path to embracing generative AI even as rivals race ahead with the technology and Wall Street expresses doubts over its strategy. The pressure was on Apple not to disappoint at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) a year after the iPhone juggernaut made a promise it failed to keep -- to improve its Siri voice assistant with generative AI. The annual WWDC is addressed to developers who build apps and tools to run on the company's products. Despite last year's disappointment, Apple insisted on Monday it was still very much in the AI race, announcing incremental updates to its Apple Intelligence software, including the ability for app makers to directly access a device's AI capabilities. This would allow users to engage with apps using generative AI while offline, letting them interact ChatGPT-style with a hiking app, for example, while in remote areas without a connection. Apple CEO Tim Cook briefly mentioned that Siri's AI makeover was still under development and "needed more time to meet our high quality bar," which includes Apple's standards on privacy and data security. "We are making progress, and we look forward to getting these features into customers' hands," he added. For Gadjo Sevilla, senior analyst for Emarketer, "the delays to Apple's in-house AI efforts will continue to draw scrutiny." "Especially since rivals like Google and Samsung are moving ahead by introducing new on-device AI capabilities, or partnering with AI startups like Perplexity (in Samsung's case) to provide users with AI features," he added. The biggest announcement at the event was the renaming of Apple's operating systems so that releases better match their release year. The next operating system will be iOS 26 and will be available across all of Apple's devices -- including the Mac, Watch and Vision Pro headset -- in the fall, in time for the likely release of the next iPhone 17. Today, Apple's operating systems have vastly different nomenclatures across devices, including the current iOS 18 for the iPhone or macOS 15 for Mac computers. Apple also announced that the new operating system will be the first major iOS redesign since 2013, calling the new look "Liquid Glass." - Wall Street divided - The relationship between Apple and app-making developers has been strained in recent years, with developers chafing at the iPhone maker's high fees for getting access to the App Store. A marathon lawsuit by Fortnite maker Epic Games ended with Apple being ordered to allow outside payment systems to be used in the US App Store. Adding to doubts about Apple's direction is the fact that the legendary designer behind the iPhone, Jony Ive, has joined with ChatGPT maker OpenAI to create a potential rival device for engaging with AI. Apple also has to deal with tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump in his trade war with China, a key market for sales growth and the place where most iPhones are manufactured. Trump has also threatened to hit Apple with tariffs if iPhone production wasn't moved to the US, a change which analysts say would be impossible given the costs and capabilities required. Wall Street analysts remain divided on Apple's prospects, with the stock down about 17 percent since the start of the year, wiping over $600 billion from its market value and far outshone by its Big Tech rivals. While some analysts remain optimistic about Apple's long-term AI monetization potential, others worry the company's cautious approach may prove costly in the longer term. WWDC "was void of any major Apple Intelligence progress as Cupertino is playing it safe and close to the vest after the missteps last year," said Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities. "We have a high level of confidence Apple can get this right, but they have a tight window to figure this out," he added.
Japan Today
09-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Apple plays it safe on AI despite Wall Street pressure
By Glenn CHAPMAN and Alex PIGMAN Apple on Monday remained on its cautious path to embracing generative AI even as rivals race ahead with the technology and Wall Street expresses doubts over its strategy. The pressure was on Apple not to disappoint at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) a year after the iPhone juggernaut made a promise it failed to keep -- to improve its Siri voice assistant with generative AI. The annual WWDC is addressed to developers who build apps and tools to run on the company's products. Despite last year's disappointment, Apple insisted on Monday it was still very much in the AI race, announcing incremental updates to its Apple Intelligence software, including the ability for app makers to directly access a device's AI capabilities. This would allow users to engage with apps using generative AI while offline, letting them interact ChatGPT-style with a hiking app, for example, while in remote areas without a connection. Apple CEO Tim Cook briefly mentioned that Siri's AI makeover was still under development and "needed more time to meet our high quality bar," which includes Apple's standards on privacy and data security. "We are making progress, and we look forward to getting these features into customers' hands," he added. For Gadjo Sevilla, senior analyst for Emarketer, "the delays to Apple's in-house AI efforts will continue to draw scrutiny." "Especially since rivals like Google and Samsung are moving ahead by introducing new on-device AI capabilities, or partnering with AI startups like Perplexity (in Samsung's case) to provide users with AI features," he added. The biggest announcement at the event was the renaming of Apple's operating systems so that releases better match their release year. The next operating system will be iOS 26 and will be available across all of Apple's devices -- including the Mac, Watch and Vision Pro headset -- in the fall, in time for the likely release of the next iPhone 17. Today, Apple's operating systems have vastly different nomenclatures across devices, including the current iOS 18 for the iPhone or macOS 15 for Mac computers. Apple also announced that the new operating system will be the first major iOS redesign since 2013, calling the new look "Liquid Glass." The relationship between Apple and app-making developers has been strained in recent years, with developers chafing at the iPhone maker's high fees for getting access to the App Store. A marathon lawsuit by Fortnite maker Epic Games ended with Apple being ordered to allow outside payment systems to be used in the U.S. App Store. Adding to doubts about Apple's direction is the fact that the legendary designer behind the iPhone, Jony Ive, has joined with ChatGPT maker OpenAI to create a potential rival device for engaging with AI. Apple also has to deal with tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump in his trade war with China, a key market for sales growth and the place where most iPhones are manufactured. Trump has also threatened to hit Apple with tariffs if iPhone production wasn't moved to the US, a change which analysts say would be impossible given the costs and capabilities required. Wall Street analysts remain divided on Apple's prospects, with the stock down about 17 percent since the start of the year, wiping over $600 billion from its market value and far outshone by its Big Tech rivals. While some analysts remain optimistic about Apple's long-term AI monetization potential, others worry the company's cautious approach may prove costly in the longer term. WWDC "was void of any major Apple Intelligence progress as Cupertino is playing it safe and close to the vest after the missteps last year," said Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities. "We have a high level of confidence Apple can get this right, but they have a tight window to figure this out," he added. © 2025 AFP
