Keeping Kids Safe on TikTok

The company adds new age-based privacy rules

January 14, 2021 It's January 14, 2021. Day four of CES and things are starting to slow down. Have you seen all of our coverage of this big virtual tech event?     ⏰ Today's Big Stories... in 30 Seconds Today We Watched, Read, and Listened to (so you don't have to): 287 articles, 13 podcasts, 19 press releases, 591 tweets, and 6 YouTube videos 1. TikTok Promises Better Privacy for Kids As of now, all TikTok accounts with users aged 13-15 will have their accounts set to private, which protects them from random users on the service. There are some other new rules for this age group as well as more for teens. Seems like a solid plan, but there's still ways to get around the restrictions, of course. 2. Apple Reveals Programs to Promote Diversity and Racial Justice Remember that big announcement Apple made about a big announcement? Turns out, it was the company's plans to spend $100 million on its Racial Equity and Justice Initiative (REJI), led by Lisa Jackson. Money? Meet mouth. 3. Ubisoft is Making a Star Wars Game  Well, that's the end of EA's stranglehold on exclusive contract with Lucasfilm, as Ubisoft (Assassin's Creed, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon) has just revealed that it's developing a massive open-world Star Wars game that's sure to get your midi-chlorians in an uproar.  🦑 Go Deeper What happened on Day 2 of CES this year? Matthew S. Smith takes a deep dive into everything that went on, including news on Nvidia, TCL, and AMD. Buckle up and settle in for some solid details from this big tech event.     🎱 By the Numbers We're probably too old for this Data: App Ape With a demographic age range like this, it's no wonder that the Culver City, California-headquartered viral video sensation continues to help keep its younger users safe. Sure, there are a few older folks on the system (hi!), but it definitely skews young.     🔥 Today's Hot Deal There's nothing better than a smart speaker with a screen attached, and this Echo Show is now on sale for $45 off at $44.99. Get it while it's hot! Don't Miss This Deal 🤓 Nerd Out "I want to believe." -Jerri Ledford, News Editor 'Oumuamua, the comet that passed by our planet in 2017, may have actually been the work of extraterrestrials, says a top space scientist at Harvard. E.T., phone home? (Share on Twitter) 💎 You Know You Want It  It's no Jetsons' Rosie, but we'll take two. Image: Samsung There's no way we can't want this Bot Handy from Samsung, an AI-powered helper bot that can pour us a glass of wine or put dishes into the dishwasher. Will we get one soon? Probably not, but we'll be in line for it when it arrives. 🎮 Up-Down-A-B-Start Keeping our kids safe (and accountable) The ubiquity of online gaming brings with it a host of issues, not least of which are bullying and hate speech. Parents who want to monitor their kids' online behavior and protect them from cyberbullying can soon try this gadget out, which plugs right into an Xbox and listens in to the convo.      🗞 Extra! Extra! We've got you covered with the best in daily tech news! See the latest on our site or follow us on Google News. Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here. Have something you'd like us to write about? We're always open for suggestions, too. You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Tech Today newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here .   Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. A Dotdash Brand 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10036 2020 Dotdash • All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.   [View in Browser]