Nvidia has built location verification technology that could indicate which country its chips are operating in, according to sources familiar with the matter, a move that could help prevent its artificial intelligence chips from being smuggled into countries where their export is banned.

The feature, which Nvidia has demonstrated privately in recent months but has not yet released, would be an optional software update that customers could install. It would tap into what are known as the confidential computing capabilities of its graphics processing units (GPUs), the sources said.

The software was built to allow customers to track a chip’s overall computing performance, a common practice among companies that buy fleets of processors for large data centres, and would use the time delay in communicating with servers run by Nvidia to give a sense of the chip’s location on par with what other internet-based services can provide, according to an Nvidia official.

“We’re in the process of implementing a new software service that empowers data center operators to monitor the health and inventory of their entire AI GPU fleet,” Nvidia said in a statement. “This customer-installed software agent leverages GPU telemetry to monitor fleet health, integrity and inventory.”

The feature will first be made available on Nvidia’s latest “Blackwell” chips, which have more security features for a process called “attestation” than Nvidia’s previous generations of Hopper and Ampere semiconductors, but Nvidia is examining options for those prior generations, according to the Nvidia official.

If released, Nvidia’s location update could address calls from the White House and lawmakers from both major political parties in the U.S. Congress for measures to prevent smuggling AI chips to China and other countries where their sale is restricted. Those calls have intensified as the Department of Justice has brought criminal cases against China-connected smuggling rings that were allegedly attempting to bring more than $160 million worth of Nvidia chips to China.

But the calls for location verification in the U.S. have also led China’s top cybersecurity regulator to call Nvidia in for questioning about whether its products contain backdoors that would allow the U.S. to bypass its chips’ security features.

That regulatory cloud came to the fore again this week, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would allow exports of the Nvidia H200, the most immediate predecessor to its current flagship Blackwell chips, to China. Foreign policy experts expressed skepticism about whether China would allow companies there to purchase them.

Nvidia has strongly denied that its chips have backdoors. Software experts have said that it would be possible for Nvidia to build chip location verification without compromising the security of its offerings.

Android users can now use Google Photos in order to create highlight videos with perfectly-synced music and media, meaning users can create social media-ready reels without relying on a separate editing app.

While Google Photos was previously seen as a photo and video storage app, the new features make it easier for content creators to turn their videos into polished Reels, highlight videos, and vlogs, without a third-party tool.

In addition to this, new video templates give Android users the ability to choose pre-set formats with built-in music, custom text, and cuts that are synced already, so they can simply pick which photos and videos they want to include.

Users can access Google Photos’ music library and pick a suitable soundtrack for their highlight video on Android.

Google noted in a blog post that users can also add custom text to their videos, apart from using the redesigned editor to make quick and easy edits to individual video clips.

Apple on Wednesday (December 10, 2025) previewed its 5th retail store in India, Apple Noida, based at DLF Mall of India. This is going to be the second retail store of the iPhone-maker in Delhi NCR with Apple Saket being the first.

The U.S. based tech giant is also expected to open its 6th and the second store in Mumbai in the early 2026.

Apple Noida will go live for public on December 11 onwards where they can experience and buy Apple products ranging from the latest iPhone 17 series to Macbooks, AirPods, Watches and accessories. They can also get tips from the 80-member team of Apple representatives at the store about their devices.

For those shopping on the Apple online store can pick up their devices from the store. Customers can also order directly from any store location across the country.

Apple has been having great consecutive growth and quarters in India. As per Counterpoint Research, Apple achieved highest value growth of 28% during the Q3 2025 in India with consistent demand for iPhone 15 and 16 series and iPhone 17 series.

Simultaneously, Apple entered into the top five smartphone brands in India by volume in Q3 2025 with a 9% share. The research firm noted that India has become the third-largest iPhone market for Apple.

Similarly, IDC stated that Apple, for the first time, entered in top five smartphone brands in India with 9.7% share during the H1 2025, and became the fastest-growing brand with nearly 35% year-over-year (YoY) growth.

OpenAI, Anthropic and fintech firm Block have come together to form a new group under the Linux Foundation called the Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF) to design standards for agentic AI systems. Other members that have donated to the AAIF include Google, Microsoft, AWS, Bloomberg, and Cloudflare.

While OpenAI is adding AGENTS.md, a simple, open format with project-specific instructions for agents that can be in the repository, Anthropic is bringing Model Context Protocol or MCP, a standard for connecting AI apps and Block is contributing its open-source agent framework, Goose. 

All these tools were already freely available but now developers will be able to contribute to build on them as well.

“As more agents begin handling real responsibility, the cost of fragmentation increases. Without common conventions and neutral governance, agent development risks diverging into incompatible silos that limit portability, safety, and progress,” a blog posted by OpenAI stated. 

The AAIF will act as a “neutral home” where agent interoperability rules can be governed, discussed and changed to help benefit developers, enterprises and the open-source community. 

The Linux Foundation is a non-profit entity that already guides open-source projects including the Linux operating system. 

Consumer interest in foldable phones is set to significantly grow next year as Samsung is expected to debut a tri-fold phone and Apple is rumoured to be working on its first foldable iPhone, according to a report from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

The report noted that worldwide foldable smartphone shipments are forecast to grow 10% year-on-year (YoY) in 2025 to reach 20.6 million units.

In addition to this, the foldable phone category is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17% through 2029. This rate is less than 1% for the traditional smartphone segment, with IDC noting that consumers are keeping their phones longer and replacing them less frequently than before.

In a less active gadgets market environment such as this one, innovative handsets—like foldables—have the potential to spark customers’ interest and push them to consider a premium smartphone.

If Apple releases a new iPhone in 2026, this too could drive a surge in users buying foldable phones.

“Next year will prove exciting for the foldable category with multiple launches pushing the market to 30% YoY growth from just 6% in the prior forecast. Samsung will kick start 2026 with the Galaxy Z Trifold, introducing tri-fold innovation to mainstream global consumers, building off the momentum of the successful Galaxy Z Fold7 in 2025. Huawei’s foldables running on HarmonyOS Next will also see strong growth, with shipments expected to almost double in 2026,” said Nabila Popal, senior research director with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, adding that the real game-changer would be when Apple enters the foldable space.

According to IDC, the iPhone-maker is projected to capture over 22% unit share and 34% of the foldables market value in its first year.

Match Group said on Tuesday that Hinge founder and CEO Justin McLeod will step down to launch Overtone, an AI-powered dating venture backed by the company.

Jackie Jantos, currently Hinge’s president and chief marketing officer, will take over as CEO. Jantos has overseen the app’s expansion into Europe and Latin America and led product initiatives targeting Gen Z users.

Overtone, incubated within Hinge during 2025, will operate as an independent company focused on using AI and voice tools to create connections.

Match Group plans to lead Overtone’s initial funding round in early 2026 and hold a significant ownership stake. McLeod will serve as chairman of Overtone and remain as an adviser to Hinge through March.

The shake-up comes as dating platforms are under immense pressure to rekindle growth and race to roll out artificial intelligence tools to sharpen their matching algorithms and boost user engagement.

Rivals such as Bumble and Grindr have also stepped up investments in AI, betting on new features that improve personalization and bolster safety amid rising criticism of “swiping fatigue.”

As competition intensifies in the crowded online dating market, younger users are driving the shift by experimenting with AI-powered and niche matchmaking apps.

McLeod founded Hinge in 2011 and helped it become one of Match Group’s fastest-growing brands.

Spotify said on Tuesday it is making music videos available to premium subscribers in the U.S. and Canada, as the Swedish streaming giant challenges YouTube for market share.

Video content offers a more immersive and engaging experience than audio alone, which could help attract more users and advertisers.

Spotify’s shares were up nearly 4% in afternoon trading. The stock has risen around 28% so far this year.

Following the beta launch in nearly 100 markets last year, this move is designed to enhance Spotify’s position compared to music streaming offerings of Apple and Amazon.

Spotify said the initial video catalog will include content from artists such as Ariana Grande, Olivia Dean, BABYMONSTER and Addison Rae.

“We’ve seen that when fans discover a track with a music video on Spotify, they’re 34% more likely to stream it again and 24% more likely to save or share it in the following week,” the company said.

Music videos will be available to all premium subscribers in the U.S. and Canada by the end of the month.

Spotify recently unveiled Wrapped — its year-end roundup of users’ listening habits — that gained more than 200 million engaged users within around 24 hours, marking a 19% increase from a year earlier.

“Engagement is a very important part for sort of our measurement…sometimes, it could be an even more important than the number of users,” CFO Christian Luiga said last month at the Morgan Stanley tech conference.

The Financial Times reported last month that Spotify is expected to raise its U.S. subscription prices in the first quarter of next year.

The company already raised the cost of its premium individual plan in more than 150 markets in the September quarter, as it looks to drive earnings growth.

Spotify’s founder-CEO Daniel Ek will transition to executive chairman in January.

Australia on Wednesday (December 10, 2025) will become the world’s first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking them from platforms including TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook.

The ban is being closely watched by other countries considering similar age-based measures as concerns mount over the effects of social media on children’s health and safety.

Below is a summary of what other countries and tech companies are doing to regulate access to social media.

Australia

A landmark law passed in November 2024 forces major social media platforms to block minors younger than 16 starting on Wednesday, one of the world’s toughest regulations targeting major tech platforms. Companies that fail to comply could face penalties of up to A$49.5 million ($32.8 million).

United Kingdom

The Online Safety Act sets tougher standards for social media platforms, including age restrictions to block minors from accessing harmful content. The law was passed in 2023 and enforcement began this year. No age limit for accessing social media has been set.

China

China’s cyberspace regulator has put in place a so-called “minor mode” programme that requires device-level restrictions and app-specific rules to restrict screen time depending on age.

Denmark

Denmark said in November it would ban social media for children under 15, while allowing parents to give exemptions for youngsters down to the age of 13 to access certain platforms. A majority of parties in Parliament said they would back the plan ahead of a formal vote.

France

In 2023, France passed a law requiring social platforms to get parental consent for minors under 15 to create accounts. But according to local media, technical challenges have impeded its enforcement.

Germany

Minors between the ages of 13 and 16 are allowed to use social media only if their parents provide consent. But child protection advocates say controls are insufficient.

Italy

In Italy, children under the age of 14 need parental consent to sign up for social media accounts, while no consent is required from that age upwards.

Malaysia

Malaysia said in November it would ban social media for users under the age of 16 starting next year.

Norway

The Norwegian government in October 2024 proposed raising the age at which children can consent to the terms required to use social media to 15 years from 13, although parents would still be permitted to sign off on their behalf if they are under the age limit.

The government has also begun work on legislation to set an absolute minimum age limit of 15 for social media use.

USA

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act prevents companies from collecting personal data from children under 13 without parental consent. Several states have also passed laws requiring parental consent for minors to access social media, but they have faced court challenges on free speech grounds.

EU Legislation

The European Parliament in November agreed on a resolution calling for a minimum age of 16 on social media to ensure “age-appropriate online engagement”.

It also urged a harmonised EU digital age limit of 13 for social media access and an age limit of 13 for video-sharing
services and “AI companions”. The resolution is not legally binding.

Tech’s own regulation

Social media platforms including TikTok, Facebook and Snapchat say people need to be at least 13 to sign up. Child protection advocates say the controls are insufficient, however, and official data in several European countries show huge numbers of children under 13 have social media accounts.

($1 = 1.5099 Australian dollars).

Tech giant Meta said Wednesday (December 10, 2025) Australia’s ban on social media for under-16s is sending youngsters to less regulated platforms, making them less safe.

“We’ve consistently raised concerns that this poorly developed law could push teens to less regulated platforms or apps. We’re now seeing those concerns become reality,” the U.S. company said in a statement.

Lesser known chat and image sharing apps Lemon8 and yope, which are not currently listed in the social media ban, have shot up the download charts in Australia.

Meta said many alternative apps did not offer the same safety features, such as specialised teen accounts, that it had developed.

“While we’ll meet our legal obligations, we remain concerned this law will make teens less safe.”

Australia has become the first country to ban social media for children under 16 from Wednesday (December 10, 2025), blocking access to platforms including TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook.

Ten of the biggest platforms were ordered to block children from midnight (1300 GMT on Tuesday) or face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($33 million) under the new law, which drew criticism from major technology companies and free speech advocates, but was welcomed by parents and child advocates.

Also read | Should children be barred from social media?

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it “a proud day” for families and cast the law as proof that policymakers can curb online harms that have outpaced traditional safeguards.

“This is the day when Australian families are taking back power from these big tech companies,” Mr. Albanese told ABC News.

“New technology can do wonderful things but we need to make sure that humans are in control of our own destiny and that is what this is about,” he said.

In a video message that Sky News Australia said would be played in schools this week, Mr. Albanese will urge children to “start a new sport, new instrument, or read that book that has been sitting there for some time on your shelf,” ahead of Australia’s summer school break starting later this month.

The rollout caps a year of debate over whether any country could practically stop children from using platforms embedded in daily life, and begins a live test for governments worldwide frustrated that social media firms have been slow to implement harm-reduction measures.

Several countries from Denmark to New Zealand to Malaysia have signalled they may study or emulate Australia’s model, making the country a test case for how far governments can push age-gating without stifling speech or innovation.

‘Not our choice’: X says will comply

Elon Musk’s X became the last of the 10 major platforms to take measures to cut off access to underage teens after publicly acknowledging on Wednesday that it would comply.

“It’s not our choice – it’s what the Australian law requires,” X said on its website.

“X automatically offboards anyone who does not meet our age requirements.”

Australia has said the initial list of covered platforms would change as new products emerge and young users migrate.

Companies have told Canberra they will deploy a mix of age inference – estimating a user’s age from their behaviour – and age estimation based on a selfie, alongside checks that could include uploaded identification documents or linked bank account details.

For social media businesses, the implementation marks a new era of structural stagnation as user numbers flatline and time spent on platforms shrinks, studies show.

Platforms say they earn little from advertising to under-16s, but warn the ban disrupts a pipeline of future users. Just before the ban took effect, 86% of Australians aged eight to 15 used social media, the government said.

Some youngsters have warned the social media ban could isolate people.

“It’s going to be worse for queer people and people with niche interests I guess because that’s the only way they can find their community,” said 14-year-old Annie Wang ahead of the ban.

“Some people also use it to vent their feelings and talk to people to get help … So I feel like it’ll be fine for some people, but for some people it’ll worsen their mental health.”