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Technology |
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Instagram's Threads gets user boost |
Nearly 35 million new users flocked to Instagram's Threads this month as the platform seeks to capture users leaving X and keep an edge over emerging platform Bluesky. |
© Richard Drew, Associated Press |
The growth rate for Threads ramped up in mid-November, with 20 million of this month's new users signing up over the past 10 days, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone told The Hill. About 15 million users signed up between Nov. 1 and 14, Stone added. The burst comes as thousands of users have quit or deactivated their accounts on X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, citing a "toxic" or "disturbing" environment in the wake of the presidential election. A number of departing users have included prominent figures on the left, some of whom have blamed Musk's leadership and promotion of certain political stances. President-elect Trump's win and his alliance with Musk have intensified those concerns, repelling users who have grown uncomfortable or exhausted with the political climate on X. Threads still has a way to go before it could reach X's usership, though the burst suggests it could emerge as a stronger rival to X in the future. Threads has about 275 million active users, a company spokesperson confirmed, while Musk's site reportedly has around 588 million accounts. Amid the exodus from X, another microblogging rival, Bluesky, has seen a surge in usership this month. The platform's total user base surged by more than 500 percent after the election and is up to more than 22.5 million users as of Tuesday. Read more at TheHill.com |
Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter, we're Julia Shapero and Miranda Nazzaro — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. |
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How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future: |
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The Biden administration has preliminarily said it would give a $6.6 billion loan to electric vehicle (EV) maker Rivian for a plant in Georgia. The administration said the loan would support the construction of a facility where Rivian will make up to 400,000 "mass-market" electric SUVs and crossovers. Specifically, it will support construction of Rivian's R2 and R3 models, which the company says will be sold at a "significantly … |
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Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) wants to “propel” the nation in the "technological space race" through his new ALFA Institute. "As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, our nation faces an inflection point—with a new type of a technological space race underway," he wrote in a founding letter on the institute's website. "Advancements in industries such as manufacturing, defense, energy, and … |
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Intel will receive about $7.86 billion in funding from the CHIPS and Science Act to build new semiconductor manufacturing facilities across four states under its finalized agreement with the Biden administration. The final award is over $600 million less than the $8.5 billion initially announced in March, after the chipmaker received a separate $3 billion contract with the government in September. "The CHIPS for … |
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News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: |
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Trump considers naming AI czar |
President-elect Trump is considering naming an artificial intelligence (AI) czar for his incoming administration, a role that will not be filled by close Trump ally and tech billionaire Elon Musk, Axios reported. |
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Tech giants ask Australia to delay social media ban |
Google and Meta have asked the Australian government to delay a bill that would ban children under 16 from using social media, arguing they should wait until a trial of age verification technology has been completed, Reuters reported. |
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Branch out with other reads on The Hill: |
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Lauren Boebert Cameo page disappears amid House ethics concerns |
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) briefly offered videos on Cameo, a website on which public figures sell personalized videos to fans, before the page went offline amid questions about whether it would have violated House ethics rules. An introductory video from Boebert was visible on Cameo as of Monday morning, and a screenshot posted by a Semafor reporter showed her charging $250 per video. "Hey, Cameo, it’s your girl from … |
Former White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney called the inaugural Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) a "PR campaign," in a Monday interview, but said he respects the efforts by its appointed leaders, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, to reform the federal government. "Look, I have nothing but respect for what these gentlemen are trying to do," Mulvaney said in an interview on NewsNation's "The Hill," referring to Musk … |
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Two key stories on The Hill right now: |
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Tom Homan, President-elect Trump’s pick for “border czar,” said he is willing to put Denver Mayor Mike Johnston (D) in jail over … Read more |
| President-elect Trump's legal strategy of delay is paying off, with his election victory changing the trajectory of his four criminal prosecutions. … Read more |
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Opinion related to tech submitted to The Hill: |
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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