10 things in tech you need to know today

Reuters

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Monday.

1. An American researcher has been arrested for allegedly teaching North Korea about blockchain technology. Virgil Griffith is believed to have given a presentation in North Korea in April on how blockchain technology could help the country and taken part in a discussion that touched on using it to evade economic sanctions, Vice reports.
2. China is trying to shape global standards for facial recognition technology, according to leaked documents obtained by the Financial Times. The newspaper says firms such as ZTE and China Telecom are trying to set world standards in the UN's International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for facial recognition, video monitoring, city and vehicle surveillance.
3. The EU is carrying out preliminary investigations into Google's data collection practices. The European Commission told Reuters it wants to know how and why Google is collecting data.
4. Intel says it sold its modem business to Apple at a 'multi-billion dollar loss' because Qualcomm 'strangled competition'. Intel said it was forced out of the market because of Qualcomm's patent licensing practices.
5. Facebook has complied with Singapore's fake news law by flagging a post said to contain false info. On Friday, the Singapore government asked Facebook to issue a "correction notice" on a post that contained accusations of election rigging and the arrest of a purported whistleblower, Reuters reports.
6. Chinese telecoms carriers are now required to use facial recognition tech on buyers of SIM cards. According to Bloomberg, the new law comes after a notice issued in September by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information.
7. State regulators in China have announced strict new rules about content created with virtual reality or AI. Use of AI or VR in online video or audio content must be clearly marked, with the rules coming into force on January 1.
8. Thousands of people across Europe went on strike and protested against Amazon on Black Friday. Unions in the UK, France, and Spain staged protests outside Amazon warehouses on Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
9. The PlayStation 5 is still a year away, but game developers already have their hands on an early prototype. Video game creators already have their hands on Sony's upcoming hardware, and an image of the PS5 prototype surfaced on social media.
10. Legendary iPhone designer Jony Ive has been hanging out with celebs, models, and designers since announcing his departure from Apple. Ive has been spotted at various creative and tech-related events in the UK this year.

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