TikTok to sue Trump administration

TikTok has confirmed this weekend that it will file a lawsuit against the Donald Trump administration over the executive order demanding ByteDance sell its US division of the popular app.

The company says it will pursue legal action as the executive order deprived them of its due process.

In a statement published by The Verge, TikTok spokesperson Josh Gartner said the company has sought for nearly a year “to engage in good faith to provide a constructive solution”.

“What we encountered instead was a lack of due process as the administration paid no attention to facts and tried to insert itself into negotiations between private businesses,” he added.

Both Microsoft and Oracle are said to be in talks to buy the US division of TikTok.

Former Uber security boss accused of covering up hack

Uber’s former chief security officer has been charged with obstruction of justice in the US and accused of trying to cover up a data breach in 2016.

Joseph Sullivan, 52, was fired in 2017 when the data breach was found but has now been formally charged.

The breach reportedly exposed details of 57 million Uber drivers and passengers.

Uber has previously admitted to paying hackers a $100,000 ransom to delete the data.

The US Department of Justice says Sulliven took “deliberate steps” to prevent the Federal Trade Commission from finding out about the hack.

He has reportedly denied the charges.

BlackBerry to launch 5G smartphone with physical keyboard in 2021

BlackBerry has announced it will launch a 5G Android phone, with a physical keyboard, to be released in 2021.

OnwardMobility will work with manufacturer FIH Mobile to create the new 5G BlackBerry running Android software.

The new phone will have a focus on security and privacy.

“BlackBerry smartphones are known for protecting communications, privacy, and data. This is an incredible opportunity for OnwardMobility to bring next-generation 5G devices to market with the backing of BlackBerry and FIH Mobile,” Peter Franklin, CEO of OnwardMobility, said in a statement.

TCL Communications was the last company to produce a BlackBerry but its license lapsed in February 2020.