🤖 DeepSeek's AI Surge, Crypto Loopholes, Tech in Immigration
Good morning. It’s Monday, January 27. Today we are covering:
China's DeepSeek Tops iPhone Downloads and Spurs Asia Stocks
In China, a Cat-and-Mouse Game to Rein In Crypto
The Tech Arsenal That Could Power Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
Brazil bans Sam Altman's tech firm Tools for Humanity from paying for iris scans
Trump discussing TikTok purchase with multiple people, decision in 30 days
Let’s dive in
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China's DeepSeek Tops iPhone Downloads and Spurs Asia Stocks
By Vlad Savov via Bloomberg
Chinese startup DeepSeek's AI assistant soared to the top of Apple's iPhone download charts, raising questions about the U.S.'s dominance in AI.
The app's lower-cost AI model challenges traditional assumptions about AI development costs, impacting stocks of chip equipment makers ASML and Advantest.
DeepSeek's AI is seen as competitive with models from OpenAI and Meta, driving a ripple effect across Asia's tech supply chain.
𝕏: Deepseek R1 is one of the most amazing and impressive breakthroughs I’ve ever seen — and as open source, a profound gift to the world. - Marc Andreessen (@pmarca)
In China, a Cat-and-Mouse Game to Rein In Crypto
By Brian Spegele via Wall Street Journal
Despite China's sweeping restrictions on cryptocurrency trading three years ago, underground brokers like Chen Xin continue facilitating large-scale yuan-to-crypto conversions.
Chen, part of China's shadow financial system, regularly handled transactions exceeding $100,000, often exchanging cash for tether via overseas platforms.
Many transactions are suspected to involve illicit funds, highlighting the persistent challenges in enforcing China's cryptocurrency ban.
𝕏: China is back. Tin hat - they saw the US stupidly cracking down on crypto and made the obvious decision to go the other way. - The Wolf Of All Streets (@scottmelker)
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The Tech Arsenal That Could Power Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
By Adam Satariano via The New York Times
The Trump administration plans to leverage an expansive arsenal of surveillance tools, including GPS trackers, biometric databases, and phone-cracking technologies, to enforce its aggressive immigration agenda.
Since 2020, ICE and Citizenship and Immigration Services have spent $7.8 billion on immigration technologies, benefiting companies like Palantir, Cellebrite, and Clearview AI.
Critics warn of potential privacy violations as these tools, initially designed for criminal investigations, are repurposed for tracking and deporting migrants on a massive scale.
𝕏: Immigration & border enforcement are organized around ideas of data control since the 1970s. This is what I call the “cybernetic border”. My book published by @DukePress shows enforcement is not merely a technical issue but is also political. - Iván (@ichaarlopez)
Brazil bans Sam Altman's tech firm Tools for Humanity from paying for iris scans
India Times
Brazil's data protection authority (ANPD) banned Tools for Humanity, co-founded by Sam Altman, from compensating individuals for iris scans, citing concerns over undue influence on consent.
The ban, effective immediately, includes payments in cryptocurrency and is tied to the firm's World project, which aims to create a global identity system via biometric data collection.
The ANPD also mandated the firm to identify who is responsible for data processing on its website, following earlier scrutiny from authorities in Spain and Portugal.
Trump discussing TikTok purchase with multiple people, decision in 30 days
By Nandita Bos via Reuters
Trump confirmed ongoing discussions with multiple parties about purchasing TikTok and expects a decision within 30 days, following his executive order to delay enforcement of a law requiring TikTok's sale or ban.
A potential deal under consideration involves Oracle and U.S. investors taking control of TikTok's operations, while ByteDance retains a stake, with Oracle addressing national security concerns and overseeing U.S. data storage.
Competing bids for TikTok include groups led by Frank McCourt and Jimmy Donaldson (Mr. Beast), though these are separate from the Oracle-backed negotiations, which remain in flux.
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