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Here's the latest tech news from the last 24 hours:

🚨 Musk threatens to sue hate-speech tracker
🚗 Toyota's upcoming EV batteries promise 900-mile range
📸 Instagram is developing an AI-generated image detector
💼 eBay charged with multiple unfair labor complaints
🔐 SEC asked Coinbase to halt all trading except for Bitcoin
🇨🇳 China’s growing tech distress as U.S. chip sanctions take effect

🚨 Musk threatens to sue hate-speech trackerLINK

The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) says that Elon Musk's lawyers sent a threatening legal letter over a CCDH article claiming Twitter fails to remove 99% of hateful tweets from Twitter Blue accounts.

Musk's lawyer critiqued the CCDH's methodology and accused them of taking money from Twitter parent X Corp.’s competitors and government entities to drive advertisers away from the platform.

The CCDH denied the claim, describing it as illogical, and their lawyer called the legal threat a transparent attempt to silence honest criticism, inconsistent with Twitter's purported commitment to free speech.

🚗 Toyota's upcoming EV batteries promise 900-mile rangeLINK

Toyota is working with Panasonic to develop solid-state batteries for electric vehicles, aiming to achieve 900 miles of range and targeting the first delivery of these batteries by 2025.

Unlike conventional batteries, solid-state batteries have more energy-dense structures, allowing for a more compact design, and are regarded as the future of EV battery technology.

Toyota is focusing on expanding its clean energy developments, including US-based EV manufacturing, and has a specific plan to create batteries capable of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) on a single charge for its electric vehicles.

📸 Instagram is developing an AI-generated image detectorLINK

Meta is reportedly using AI to develop new features on Instagram, such as labels to distinguish between AI-generated and real photos, aiming to enhance user experience and curb misinformation.

Other leaked features include direct message summaries, beneficial for influencers and content creators, and new AI-powered photo editing tools such as Restyle and AI brush to transform and edit images.

The exact release dates for these features are unknown, but the developments indicate Meta's ongoing expansion and implementation of generative AI technology within its platforms.

💼 eBay charged with multiple unfair labor complaintsLINK

eBay and TCGplayer are facing unfair labor complaints after allegedly refusing to acknowledge and negotiate with a union formed by workers at TCGplayer, a company eBay acquired in 2022 known for trading cards.

Management is accused of impeding workers' ability to negotiate a fair contract, with claims of intimidation tactics and retaining an anti-union law firm; workers report they have not received a cost-of-living raise in three years and face worsening conditions.

While TCGplayer maintains its commitment to legal bargaining obligations, the situation illustrates broader challenges in the gaming industry, where winning union elections is only the first step toward achieving a fair collective bargaining agreement.

🔐 SEC asked Coinbase to halt all trading except for BitcoinLINK

Coinbase's CEO Brian Armstrong reported that the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) asked him to halt trading in all currencies except bitcoin, a suggestion he refused and chose to fight in court.

The SEC's lawsuit against Coinbase accuses the company of operating as an unregistered securities exchange and targets Coinbase's staking program, alleging it to be an unregistered security as well.

Armstrong's refusal to comply with the SEC's guidance, citing it would have meant "the end of the crypto industry in the US," reflects broader tensions and regulatory challenges in the evolving crypto space.

🇨🇳 China’s growing tech distress as U.S. chip sanctions take effectLINK

China's tech sector is facing significant challenges due to U.S. export restrictions on cutting-edge industries, leading to a 22% fall in semiconductor imports during the first six months of 2023, with chip-manufacturing equipment imports dropping by 23%.

Chinese companies are struggling to access key components, and efforts to develop domestic alternatives face obstacles; leading regions like Taiwan, South Korea, and the U.S. account for the majority of the decline in China's chip imports.

Despite efforts to build domestic capacity and some Western companies benefiting from China's investment in new factories, further U.S. restrictions and difficulties in obtaining high-end processors threaten China's ambitions in areas like artificial intelligence and supercomputing.

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Nintendo's follow-up to the Switch may launch in 2024, with features like handheld mode and physical cartridges, possibly using an LCD screen.LINK

The SEC charged Richard Schueler with raising $1 billion through unregistered crypto securities, allegedly using millions for luxury goods.LINK

San Francisco authorities are investigating Twitter, now rebranded as X, for installing an "unsafe sign" without proper authorization or permits.LINK

Russian propaganda is utilizing popular video games like Minecraft and Roblox to spread pro-invasion messages and reenact battles in Ukraine.LINK

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