Prime number: Worst January for layoffs since 2009

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Not since the year the Black Eyed Peas released “Boom Boom Pow” has a January been this rough. According to data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, US companies cut 108,435 jobs last month—the most in any January since the global financial crisis: That’s an 118% increase from the year before. Amazon and UPS axed about 16,000 and 30,000 roles, respectively, in January. While a lot of companies have blamed AI for recent layoffs, some observers are beginning to wonder if execs are using the technology as an excuse to mask other internal issues in a phenomenon known as “AI-washing.”

 

TikTok goes American

Rafael Henrique/Getty Images

TikTok is an American company now, so everyone’s password has been changed to the high note at the end of “and the rockets red glare.” Ownership of TikTok’s US operations has officially changed hands, but your experience on the app likely won’t change much…immediately. A group of American investors closed a $14 billion deal Thursday night to acquire the US version of the short-form video app and avoid a shutdown mandated by the 2024 divest-or-ban law due to national security concerns. Under the deal, TikTok’s original parent, ByteDance, will retain 19.9% of the company while Larry Ellison’s Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi-based investment company MGX will split 45% of the company as managing investors. Most of the remaining shares of the new US TikTok entity will be owned by existing ByteDance investors. The three managing investors will own US user data and be tasked with moderating US content. ByteDance will still own its wildly valuable algorithm, but, according to a White House official, it will lease a copy to the owners of the US entity. What will 200 million Americans’ midafternoon distraction look like now? For starters, you won’t need to download a new app. But you’ve probably already seen new service terms pop up. These have alarmed some users and pushed some to delete the app, because TikTok will now collect your precise location—not just your approximate location—if you agree to the new terms. Just like in the videos, there’s controversy. TikTok bans hate speech and inappropriate content, but with the new owners moderating, its standards could change (see also: Elon Musk buying Twitter). Some critics claim that the concern that necessitated the sale—that the Chinese government could manipulate the algorithm and spread propaganda—could simply shift to worry about the messages favored by the app’s new ownership, who are pretty close with the current US president. Plus…the 2024 law demands that ByteDance have no operational relationship with the US company, leading some observers to question whether the deal fully complies.

France Just Created Its Own Open Source Alternative to Microsoft Teams and Zoom

France Just Created Its Own Open Source Alternative to Microsoft Teams and Zoom

France Just Created Its Own Open Source Alternative to Microsoft Teams and Zoom
Not only for them, but any other non-European videoconferencing software.

Sourav Rudra
30 Jan 20262 min read7 comments
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This is Not Enough



France has decided that it is done using US-based videoconferencing software across its governmental organizations. Come 2027, every French government department will use Visio instead of Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex, or any other non-European platform.

Part of the La Suite Numérique initiative, Visio has been in testing for a year now, handling 40,000 users across different departments. It is an MIT-licensed open source app that claims to offer "Zoom-level performance" with a high-quality video and audio experience.

And, not to mention that this will run on French infrastructure with them retaining full control over the data and how it is processed. Data sovereignty for the win, I guess?

When asked what their goal was, David Amiel, the Minister for the Civil Service and State Reform, stated that:
The aim is to end the use of non-European solutions and guarantee the security and confidentiality of public electronic communications by relying on a powerful and sovereign tool.

This is not the first time the French have tried to do something about the dominance of Big Tech in their country. Last year, in July, the city of Lyon started the process of ditching Microsoft in favor of ONLYOFFICE and an undisclosed Linux-based operating system.

So things are looking up. BUT.
This is Not Enough

While this move is good, it is a bit mild. Take a look over the border, and you will see that a German state is on track to save €15 million each year by ditching Microsoft 365 and opting for LibreOffice.

📋
The French estimate they will save €1 million per 100,000 users annually.

Denmark has already committed to switching to LibreOffice, while Switzerland's data protection authorities have sounded an alarm, calling for the Swiss government to reconsider their use of international cloud services for handling sensitive data.

You see how their de-Bigtechification journey is progressing?

While I am throwing shade at the French government, they could take pointers from their neighbors, can't they? If it saves taxpayer money, where's the harm in that?
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Sourav Rudra

A nerd with a passion for open source software, custom PC builds, motorsports, and exploring the endless possibilities of this world.

  

It’s been a slow season on the Vail slopes

Nick Iluzada

Good luck trying to wash your hands, your face, your hair with snow; there’s not nearly enough of it to do all that. Vail Resorts is lowering its expected 2026 earnings after some of the lowest snowpack in recorded history has cratered visits at its North American locations by nearly 20% since the start of the season through January 4. Skiers staying home is taking its toll: Vail’s ski school revenue has dropped 14.9% since the start of the season compared to last year, and dining revenue fell nearly 16%, the company said in an investor statement released yesterday. Just how dry is it? A rare polar vortex and La Niña combination dumped record amounts of snow on the East Coast this year…while starving everywhere else. The company said snowfall during November and December at its Rocky Mountain locations was down almost 60% compared to the area’s historical 30-year average. Western US resorts were faring only slightly better, with 50% less snowfall than average. On Tuesday, Vail Mountain reported its worst snowpack since it started keeping records in 1978, with just 4.4 inches. Only about 11% of Vail Resort’s terrain in the Rocky Mountains was open last month. Zoom out: The wipeout comes amid the return of CEO Rob Katz, who revolutionized the ski business by consolidating resort ownership and introducing the Epic Pass, after years of the company faltering financially without him in the C-suite.

Proton is Working on European Alternative to Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet

 Proton is Working on European Alternative to Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet - ITdaily.

Proton is Working on European Alternative to Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet.software
10.09.'25 14:46
2 minKatrien Duchène



Proton is working on its own meeting software to offer a European alternative to Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom.

Proton is known for its privacy-friendly services including Proton Mail, Proton VPN, and Proton Pass. The Swiss company recently launched its own authenticator app. Proton is currently working on a new service, Proton Meet, which is intended to be a European alternative to Google Meet, Teams, and Zoom. The company confirmed this to Tweakers a few days ago. Proton Meet is currently in a closed beta testing phase.
Proton Meet

More and more companies are focusing on data sovereignty and are turning to local or European partners more quickly, to the detriment of American technology players. The Swiss company Proton now seems to want to capitalize on this. Proton is currently working on Proton Meet, its own meeting software that aims to offer a European alternative. The company has already added a new page to their product offerings on the website with ‘Proton Meet’.

Zoom Is the First Casualty in France's War on American Big Tech

Zoom Is the First Casualty in France's War on American Big Tech

Zoom Is the First Casualty in France’s War on American Big Tech
Homebrewed video conferencing may not be a moonshot, but you gotta start somewhere.
BY ECE YILDIRIMPUBLISHED JANUARY 27, 2026

READING TIME 2 MINUTES

French President Emmanuel Macron awaits Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (not seen) at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris, France on January 23, 2026. © Photo by Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty Images
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For months now, Europe has threatened action against American big tech companies in response to Trump’s trade war with the bloc. With recent escalations over the controversial American bid for Greenland, some European countries might follow suit.

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The French government announced that it will stop using American video conferencing platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, and replace them with Visio, a French platform.

“The aim is to end the use of non-European solutions and guarantee the security and confidentiality of public electronic communications by relying on a powerful and sovereign tool,” France’s delegated minister for the civil service and state reform, David Amiel, said. “This strategy highlights France’s commitment to digital sovereignty amid rising geopolitical tensions and fears of foreign surveillance or service disruptions.”


Visio, which the French government will start using in 2027, is a part of the Suite Numérique, a set of open-source applications designed for public servants and developed by the French government in collaboration with the Netherlands and Germany. It defines itself as “the sovereign workspace” and offers tools similar to those in Microsoft Teams and Google Drive.

Once great allies, the European Union and the United States have found themselves at odds this past year over Trump’s threats and demands (like wanting to take over Greenland, for starters).


One of the central points of contention between the two superpowers has been the regulation of technology. The European Union aims to regulate digital platforms and tech companies on its own terms, having done so for years through landmark legislation such as the Digital Services Act. But the Trump administration, rallied by Silicon Valley, views these attempts as “overseas extortion” and has sought to pressure the EU to drop some restrictions via tariffs.

 

Why the value of the US dollar is shedding cents

Nick Iluzada

If Benjamin Franklin were around today, he’d probably be battling self-worth issues, as the value of the bills with his face on them plummets. The dollar has sunk 2% against a basket of foreign currencies since the start of 2026 and almost 11% in the past year in a sign that global investors are growing bearish on Uncle Sam. Dollar dampeners Earlier this week, the greenback took its biggest one-day plunge since “Liberation Day” tariffs rattled markets in April, when President Trump—who previously spoke in favor of a weaker dollar—said he’s not concerned with the currency’s slide. While it briefly rebounded the next day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration was pursuing a strong dollar, investors have longer-term dollar disquiet: Geopolitical tensions, like Trump’s recent spat with European allies over his Greenland annexation push, are causing sheepishness about America’s future role in global finance. There are also worries that the Fed’s lowering of interest rates could fuel inflation, and that the US government debt is unsustainable. And in a sign that the dollar might be losing its status as a popular hedge in times of distress, its value is falling at the same time that fellow safe-haven assets like gold and the Swiss franc surge. Who gets stronger from a weaker dollar? A dip in the dollar can help US producers export more, since their goods become cheaper for foreign buyers. It could also boost the bottom line of American multinationals with vast overseas operations—like McDonald’s—as it would inflate revenues in dollar terms, while expenses (like the salaries of stateside executives) remain stable. On the flip side, a weak dollar makes imports—say, Italian pasta or Taiwanese computer chips—more expensive. It could push up US Treasury bond yields, making it pricier for the government and Americans to borrow money. Looking ahead: While some analysts caution that the dollar might still be far from rock bottom, others argue against dollar doomerism, citing America’s enduring dominance in global markets.