10 things in tech you need to know today

Jay Z

Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Tuesday.

1. Facebook's business model is under scrutiny in Germany, where a local regulator will reportedly order the social network to stop collecting certain user data. German authorities don't like the way Facebook collects information about people via WhatsApp and Instagram and third-party sites.

2. Norwegian authorities are investigating allegations that Tidal's streaming numbers for Beyonce and Kanye West albums were inflated. Play counts were allegedly over-reported to make the streaming service seem more popular than it actually is.

3. US police can't force people to unlock their phones with their face or finger, according to a ruling by a federal judge. Forbes reported that it's a landmark decision to protect people's privacy.

4. Snap's 'infamous' head of HR is the latest executive to leave the company. Jason G. Halbert would reportedly share dubious stories with staff about everything from how he masturbated during his time in the military to his run-ins with organized crime in Mexico.

5. Apple's chief operating officer, Jeff Williams, said Qualcomm wouldn't provide chips for the 2018 iPhone after Apple sued. Speaking during the ongoing antitrust trial against Qualcomm, Williams indicated that Apple was forced to use Intel chips for its latest crop of iPhones.

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6. Google is launching RCS, a potential successor to SMS, on its virtual mobile network Google Fi. Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile have already rolled out the new standard.

7. The organizers of the Google Walkout are calling on the tech industry to end forced arbitration employment agreements completely. Forced arbitration is an employment practice whereby workers are required to settle any disputes with management out of court, privately.

8. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says there are two new kinds of software that are going to change everything for businesses . One category will track the performance of products as customers use them, and the other will add a layer of AI to predict occurrences like breakages.

9. Intel is still looking for a new CEO after Brian Krzanich was ousted in the summer of 2018 over an affair. The board is reportedly lining up candidates in the hope of finding someone by January 24.

10. A picture of an egg became the most-liked Instagram post of all time. It racked up more than 24 million likes, beating a post by Kylie Jenner.

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