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Top 10 Tech News Stories Today — Your Quick Briefing on the Latest Technology News, Startup Trends, and Innovation Shaping the Future It’s Tuesday, October 28, 2025, and we’re back with the Top 10 Technology News Stories for the Day. Each morning, we bring you the most important headlines driving the tech world — from billion-dollar chip bets to AI-driven shopping and fintech valuations — here are the biggest stories shaping startups and innovation over the past 12 hours. Whether you’re a founder, investor, or tech enthusiast, this daily digest keeps you informed and ahead of the curve — without scrolling endlessly through feeds. Here’s your roundup of the latest tech news making waves today. 1. Amazon to Cut 30,000 Corporate Jobs in Streamlining Push Amazon is reportedly preparing to lay off up to 30,000 corporate employees, marking its most significant job reduction since 2022. The cuts — spanning HR, AWS, and devices — are part of CEO Andy Jassy’s strategy to simplify management and automate more operations. While the reduction represents less than 2% of Amazon’s 1.5 million-plus workforce, it underscores a strategic shift toward efficiency and profitability. Analysts say this latest round is driven by automation and AI integration rather than financial distress. As Amazon pushes deeper into robotics and generative AI, departments heavy on management layers are being trimmed. For Big Tech, it’s another sign of the “AI-efficiency era,” where leaner operations are the new growth playbook. Update: “Amazon is planning to axe around 14,000 corporate jobs. The mass layoffs were expected as part of the company’s cost-cutting drive, but are smaller than the 30,000 job losses previous reports had indicated,” The Verge reported. Source: The Verge 2. Meta, TikTok, and Snap Agree to Enforce Australia’s Under-16 Ban Meta, TikTok, and Snap have confirmed they’ll comply with Australia’s new ban on under-16 social media use, which takes effect December 10. The companies called the law “technically challenging” but said they’ll begin deactivating underage accounts in the coming weeks. Executives warned the blanket rule may push teens toward unregulated platforms, but they’ve committed to comply while lobbying for better age-verification standards. The policy could set a precedent globally — regulators in the EU and U.S. are watching closely to see if Australia’s approach works or backfires. Source: Live Mint 3. SAP Mulls Higher Bid for BlackLine in Cloud Accounting Play SAP is reportedly considering a higher takeover offer for accounting software firm BlackLine after its initial $4.5 billion bid was rejected. The new offer could reach the mid-$70s per share, as SAP looks to deepen its automation footprint in finance. If successful, the deal would bolster SAP’s S/4HANA suite and strengthen its competition with Oracle and Workday. Analysts view this as part of a wider consolidation wave in enterprise SaaS, where automation and workflow optimization are driving big-ticket M&A. Source: Investing.com 4. PayPal Integrates Checkout into ChatGPT PayPal is teaming up with OpenAI to embed instant checkout directly inside ChatGPT, allowing users to make purchases without leaving the chat. Built on OpenAI’s “Agentic Commerce” protocol, the integration could transform chatbots from helpers into transactional platforms. The move immediately boosted PayPal’s stock and marked a major leap toward conversational commerce. As PayPal CEO Alex Chriss put it, this allows customers to go “from chat to checkout in seconds.” For OpenAI, it’s a monetization milestone — turning engagement into revenue while giving ChatGPT users access to PayPal’s 400 million-strong network. Source: TechCrunch 5. Clearview AI Faces Criminal GDPR Complaint in Austria Privacy watchdog NOYB, led by Max Schrems, has filed a criminal complaint against facial-recognition firm Clearview AI for allegedly scraping billions of EU citizens’ photos without consent. The filing accuses Clearview of breaching GDPR laws intentionally, opening the door to potential jail time for executives — not just fines. Clearview has faced over €100 million in penalties across Europe, but this is the first complaint seeking criminal prosecution. Schrems said the case aims to stop “mass surveillance disguised as innovation.” The outcome could set a precedent for AI companies that rely on large-scale public data scraping. Source: The Economic Times 6. SK Group Chief Warns of AI Infrastructure Bottlenecks South Korea’s SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won warned that the global race to build AI data centers is creating serious supply bottlenecks for chips, servers, and cooling systems. Speaking at APEC 2025, he said AI demand is growing faster than supply chains can keep up, calling for “global cooperation instead of protectionism.” SK Hynix, an SK subsidiary, already operates near full capacity, producing high-bandwidth memory chips used by Nvidia and cloud providers. Analysts say Chey’s warning reflects a growing risk: AI adoption could slow not because of a lack of demand, but because the world can’t manufacture hardware fast enough. Source: Reuters 7. Skyworks and Qorvo Explore $9 Billion Merger as Apple Internalizes Chips Skyworks Solutions and Qorvo are in merger talks that could create a $22 billion wireless-chip giant. Both supply critical RF components for Apple devices, but face new pressure as Apple develops its own in-house chips. The proposed merger would consolidate research, reduce redundancy, and give the combined company stronger leverage in 5G and IoT markets. Insiders say the talks remain early, but the move fits the trend of mid-tier semiconductor players joining forces to stay relevant in a tightening industry. Source: The Information 8. Foxconn to Invest $1.37 Billion in AI Compute and Cloud Expansion Taiwan’s Foxconn has approved a NT$42 billion ($1.37 billion) investment to build an AI compute cluster and supercomputing center by 2026. The facility will expand its cloud services platform and support its broader pivot from contract manufacturing to AI infrastructure. The initiative aligns with Foxconn’s partnerships with Nvidia and other AI leaders to develop high-performance data centers. By investing heavily in compute infrastructure, Foxconn is betting on long-term demand for AI workloads — positioning itself not just as a supplier but as an enabler of the AI economy. Source: Live Mint 9. Nvidia’s Jensen Huang to Headline GTC Amid U.S.–China Tech Tensions Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is set to deliver a keynote in Washington, D.C., where investors expect him to address the company’s delicate balancing act between U.S. export controls and China’s massive AI demand. Nvidia reportedly seeks $50 billion in annual China sales, despite ongoing restrictions on advanced GPU exports. The timing is strategic — coming as global leaders meet to discuss trade and tech cooperation. Analysts expect Huang to highlight Nvidia’s next-gen AI chips and government partnerships, while subtly pressing for a middle ground on export rules that won’t stall innovation. Source: Reuters 10. Gulf Fintech Tabby Hits $4.5 Billion Valuation in Private Share Sale Middle East BNPL leader Tabby has reached a $4.5 billion valuation following a private secondary share sale led by new global investors. The deal didn’t inject new capital but positions the Saudi-UAE fintech for a potential 2026 IPO, according to insiders. Tabby now serves over 15 million users and partners with major retailers, including Amazon and Shein. Its rise reflects the Gulf’s growing fintech momentum — as global venture activity cools, regional investors are pouring record sums into homegrown startups poised for IPOs. Source: Arabian Gulf Business Insight Bonus Funding Story — Mercor Raises $350 Million at $10 Billion Valuation AI hiring platform Mercor has raised $350 million in Series C funding led by Felicis, General Catalyst, and Benchmark — valuing the two-year-old startup at $10 billion. The company, founded by three Thiel Fellows, connects global talent with AI research firms and helps automate technical interviews. Mercor’s valuation jump — from $2 billion to $10 billion in under a year — highlights investor appetite for applied AI infrastructure. The platform’s blend of human screening and algorithmic matching is reshaping how AI labs and enterprises hire talent at scale. Source: TechStartups Closing Note From Amazon’s layoffs to Foxconn’s AI expansion, today’s stories point to one theme — tech is restructuring itself for the AI age. Efficiency is replacing excess, automation is replacing headcount, and compute capacity is the new oil. As giants recalibrate and startups surge, the next frontier belongs to those building the backbone — not just the interface — of intelligent systems. Until tomorrow, stay sharp.
