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Rob Dunwood (0:01)
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Rob Dunwood (1:24)
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Rob Dunwood (1:57)
These on the Daily Tech headlines for Thursday, February 26, 2026. I'm Rob Dunwood. Bloomberg reports that ebay is cutting approximately 800 jobs, or 6% of its full time workforce to better align its organizational structure with strategic priorities and allow for reinvestment. This is the third round of layoffs in three years following a 9% cut in early 2024 and a 4% cut in early 2023. Despite recent strong performance, including a 15% increase, quarter revenue and the acquisition of Depop for $1.2 billion, the Federal Trade Commission has announced a policy that will exempt companies from enforcement under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule, or coppa, if they use age verification technologies provided they adhere to specific conditions. These conditions require companies to use the age data only for verification, delete it immediately after verification, provide clear notice, ensure data confidentiality with third parties, implement strong security and use accurate verification method methods. The FTC also plans a broader review of the COPPA rule regarding age verification. Google's Gemini AI is launching a task automation feature starting on select Pixel 10 and Samsung Galaxy S26 phones, allowing it to independently execute actions like hailing an Uber or placing a doordash order from a simple prompt. The AI achieves this by virtually launching and navigating apps, though developers can also integrate via specific frameworks. Users can monitor the process or let it run in the background. Android ecosystem present in Samir Samat calls this a move toward viewing Android as an intelligent system. This automation is planned for Android 17, with an early preview available in the US and Korea for a limited number of apps, including Uber and Grubhub on the S26 and Pixel 10 models. Instagram is launching a new parental supervision feature next week starting in the us, uk, Australia and Canada that will notify parents if their teen repeatedly searches for terms related to suicide or self harm. The alert system will send notifications via email, text, WhatsApp and in app messages, including optional resources to encourage parental intervention. This is in addition to Instagram's existing policy of blocking these searches and directing users to helplines. Newark Liberty International Airport is launching a trial of self driving shuttle buses this spring involving three companies including Oceaneering, Omeo and Glideways Inc. Each company will run two week tests between March and May. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is exploring autonomous vehicles to transport passengers between terminals and the future AirTrain system opening in 2030 with the goal of issuing a Request for proposals in 2027. Port Authority chairman Kevin O' Toole highlighted the move as a focus on safe, efficient and customer first solutions, though the full implementation of driverless services still faces regulatory hurdles. OpenAI announced it's opening its largest research hub outside the US in London, citing the UK's strong technology ecosystem, talent and universities as reasons for the decision. This expansion is seen as a huge vote of confidence in the UK's goal of BEC, a leading AI superpower. The new hub will focus on the software and infrastructure needed to develop and run OpenAI's AI models. OpenAI already has a London office, which opened in 2023, and its European headquarters in Dublin, but did not reveal the investment size nor the number of new jobs for this new hub. Alphabet's Intrinsic, a company developing AI and software for industrial robots, is integrating more closely with Google, utilizing Google DeepMind and Gemini AM models and cloud services while remaining a distinct entity Intrins, which originated from Alphabet's X. The company's moonshot division in 2021, has expanded through acquisitions, launched products like Flowstate and Intrinsic Vision AI, and entered a joint venture with Foxconn to create general purpose intelligent robots for factory automation, a goal it will now pursue with Google's enhanced AI support. New York Attorney General Letitia James has sued video game developer Valve, alleging the company promotes illegal gambling and addiction, especially among children, through Loot Boxes. James claims the loot boxes are a quintessential essential gambling and violate state law. The complaint notes Valve earns billions selling keys to open the boxes, with one game mechanism likened to a slot machine. The lawsuit demands player restitution and a fine of three times Valve's alleged illegal profits, underscoring growing regulatory pressure on Loot Boxes, which also included an FTC fine against Cognosphere for misleading players about prize odds and finally, Snap is launching the Snappy awards show on March 31, hosted by comedian Matt Friend as part of a strategy to engage influencer. The awards show, which will include categories like Spotlight, MVP and Breakout Creator of the Year, follows the example of platforms like TikTok and aims to spotlight popular creators across various fields. For more analysis of the tech news of the day, subscribe to DailyTreeNewsHow.com, and if you enjoy the show, remember to tell a friend to check us out. Thanks for listening and we'll talk to you next time.