🤐 Not for you

The UK House of Lords has voted to restrict → VPN access for children, aiming to prevent minors from bypassing online age-verification systems and accessing harmful content.

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☕️ Oops, we were listening

Google will pay $68 million to settle a lawsuit → over unlawful Google Assistant recordings triggered by accidental activations. Eligible users may receive up to $56 in compensation.

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🕹 We’ll wait

Rockstar may delay → the physical release of GTA 6 over leak concerns. The digital version is still set to launch on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series.

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😆 Still alive

Apple has released an update → for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 6, continuing to support the devices 12 and 13 years after their original launch.

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🤔 And here we go

France has approved → a bill to ban social media for children under 15, with President Macron pushing for it to take effect by the start of the next school year.

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😆 iPhones getting pricier?

South Korean suppliers have agreed → with Apple on a significant price increase for iPhone memory in the first quarter, as DRAM shortages continue to push component costs higher.

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💅 Better late than hacked

WhatsApp has launched Strict Account Settings, a new feature designed to boost account security.

The option will roll out → in the coming weeks and automatically restricts interactions with unknown users and tightens privacy settings.

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🤐 Adults оnly

From February 2, 2026, access → to Pornhub, YouPorn, and Redtube in the UK will be limited to users who registered and verified their age before that date.

Aylo says the move is a protest against the Online Safety Act.

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🍏 Something new to clip on

Apple is reportedly testing → its own teleconverter accessory for the future iPhone 18 Pro.

The clip-on lens would improve image quality when shooting distant subjects, reducing reliance on digital zoom.

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🤔 Android meets Chrome (again)

A video of Aluminium OS has surfaced online — a hybrid of Android and ChromeOS designed specifically for personal computers. Let’s take a look at what the new OS might look like →

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🚘 Robots over cars

Tesla will stop producing the Model S and Model X and shift its focus to humanoid robots. Elon Musk says the company plans → to manufacture up to 1 million Optimus robots per year.

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⚡️ Exclusive: Why the Telegram–Grok integration never materialized

Negotiations between Durov and Musk ran into disagreements over how to ensure the privacy of Telegram users’ data. At the same time, Grok was not the only chatbot considered for integration into the messenger.

Sources close to the talks told Durov’s Code what prevented Durov from launching the project and securing the $300 million deal.

☀ https://durovscode.com/why-telegram-grok-no-deal

😄 No face, no feed

OpenAI’s future social network → may require biometric verification to keep bots out.

Users could be asked to authenticate via Face ID, while those on other devices may need to provide an iris scan.

@durovs_code

🤐 Brainrot, out

YouTube has started removing low-quality AI content → farms. Since November 2025, 16 major AI-driven channels have been taken down or wiped clean.

Together they generated 35+ million subscribers, 4.7 billion views, and nearly $10 million a year.

@durovs_code

❤️ This weekend in #TECH

💘 OpenAI will retire GPT-4o and all of its variants in ChatGPT starting February 13, as usage shifts almost entirely to GPT-5.2.

💘 Apple is exploring a flip-style foldable iPhone, potentially adding a clamshell form factor to its future iPhone lineup.

💘 Apple dropped plans to integrate Anthropic’s Claude into Siri after the startup reportedly demanded multi-billion-dollar annual fees, opting instead for a cheaper deal with Google.

@durovs_code

☕️ Durov vs Zuckerberg

Pavel Durov recalled a 2004 exchange in which Mark Zuckerberg mocked people for trusting Facebook with their personal data.

What that remark was, and why Durov brought it up now, explained in our piece:

↖️ https://durovscode.com/durov-vs-zuckerbergs-whatsapp

😀 Grok picked WhatsApp

Following Pavel Durov’s post criticizing Mark Zuckerberg, an X user asked Grok to compare WhatsApp and Telegram.

Elon Musk’s chatbot replied that both are strong platforms and that which one is “better” depends on user needs:

“WhatsApp (3B+ users) offers default end-to-end encryption, reliable calls, and simplicity. Telegram (1B users) excels in features like large groups, channels, and bots, with encryption in secret chats.”

However, Grok added that “if privacy is key”, users should choose WhatsApp.

Previously, Durov’s Code reported exclusively on why the planned Telegram and Grok integration did not proceed.

↖️ https://durovscode.com/why-telegram-grok-no-deal

😏 Joining forces

Elon Musk confirmed active talks to merge SpaceX and xAI, as the AI company’s development → is reportedly costing around $1 billion per month and requires significant funding.

@durovs_code

🤔 So this is you

A well-known insider has revealed → new details about Apple’s first foldable smartphone, offering a closer look at what the long-rumored iPhone Fold could look like.

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⚡️ French authorities search X’s Paris office

French law enforcement officers conducted → searches at X’s Paris office. The operation was led by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor’s office.

Pavel Durov criticized the move, writing:

"French police is currently raiding X’s office in Paris. France is the only country in the world that is criminally persecuting all social networks that give people some degree of freedom (Telegram, X, TikTok…). Don’t be mistaken: this is not a free country."

@durovs_code