News Roundup: Top Five News of the Week, From TikTok’s Ban to New AI tools from Google and OpenAI.

Did you miss the most important headlines this week? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a quick look at the five most important headlines of this week.

TikTok is Offline for US Users.

TikTok is offline for US users around 10:45 pm. ET on Saturday. Users who try to access the app see this message:

“A law banning TikTok was enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, this means that you can’t access TikTok right now. We are fortunate to have President Trump indicate that he is willing to work with us in order for TikTok be reinstated once he assumes office. Please stay tuned.”

Trump has not yet taken office and therefore it is currently out of his hands to stop the ban. Trump, who supported the ban in his previous role as president, has publicly stated that he wants to save the applicationIn June, Trump posted his own TikTok video, confirming his position.

It is therefore very likely that TikTok will see some relief once he becomes president, perhaps a ninety-day extension?

Biden was urged by several lawmakers to delay the ban. In that case, he would need to show Congress that the parties involved with the purchase of the company have made significant advances towards the deal. As we know, Bytedance has been adamantly opposed to the sale up until now. So obtaining such documents will be difficult.

The reason we say ByteDance was against sale “up to now” brings us the second possibility. After being against selling TikTok throughout the year, China and ByteDance may be considering selling at least part of the US versionto Elon Musk.

Although there hasn’t yet been an official confirmation, there are many reasons to believe the news. Both parties will benefit from this deal.

TikTok can keep its valuable US Market by handing the reins over to someone who is close to Trump and a TikTok Supporter. Elon Musk, who calls himself a defender for free speech, will be able to strengthen his position if he can save a company that has been banned from the US market due to alleged First Amendment violations.

Google is the first company to be investigated under the UK’s new antitrust law

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has launched a probe into Google’s conduct in accordance with the newly-launched Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act. This law is designed to stop any company from gaining a competitive advantage in the digital industries. The law was officially implemented on January 1, 2025.

This investigation is primarily focused on Google’s search services. It will seek to determine whether Google has a “strategic marketing status” (SMS). If it does, then several changes will be made to the way the company conducts business in the country.

Note : SMS refers to those companies that have a turnover of more than £1 billion in the UK or more than £25 billion annually globally.

Google’s dominant position in the country has become a matter of concern for the authorities. More than 90% of all general queries in the UK are directed through Google. Similarly, its advertising tool is used by more than 200,000 advertisers in the country.

Sarah Cardell, the CMA’s chief executive, feels that there should be a level playing field for everyone in the industry to foster economic growth. Hence, big companies like Google need to be under check.

Google has addressed the news and said it has no issue with the investigation. It’s more than happy to comply with the authorities and see what changes are to be made.

“We look forward to engaging constructively and laying out how our services benefit UK consumers and businesses, as well as the trade-offs inherent in any new regulation” the statement read.

Read More: Google Has Illegal Monopoly over Internet Search, US Judge Rules

Google Workspace Suite Now Offers Free Access to Google Gemini

Now you can access Google Gemini for free from all Workspace Suite apps, including Gmail, Docs Sheets and Meet. Until now, Gemini was only available to subscribers to Google One AI Premium, priced at $19.99/month. Now, anyone can enjoy the benefits of AI for free.

While this is great news, you should also note that Google simultaneously increased the price of all Workspace suite plans by around $2. For instance, the starter plan went from $12 to $14.

Now the question is whether Gemini is worth the extra $2. The answer is a loud YES!

Microsoft’s Copilot chat for Businesses is Here

Microsoft released a new feature on Wednesday called Copilot Chat allows you to create AI agents that can take over mundane daily tasks. This feature is fully integrated with Microsoft 365, allowing businesses automate a variety of tasks.

Here’s how these agents can automate all mundane, repetitive tasks.

The service is free for now and can easily be created through natural languages like English and Mandarin. However, some features like creating PowerPoint slides and transcribing Teams calls require an additional $30 Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription.

Why is Microsoft launching a free Copilot chat?

Although the company has invested heavily in its AI venture, there are concerns about adoption rates. Microsoft is trying topush the uptake of its AI venture by offering it free. The future of the service is still uncertain.

OpenAI’s “Tasks” feature lets you schedule work

OpenAI recently released an interesting new feature. “Tasks”for ChatGPT will allow users to schedule tasks such as reminders, alerts, and updates. It’s easy to schedule the task – simply use natural language and enter commands like you would for a search query.

You can say, “Please remember to cancel my Netflix membership this Sunday“. You’re done! ChatGPT will remind to cancel your subscription before the deadline.

Not just one-off reminders – you can also schedule repeated reminders to be sent every day. Once done, ChatGPT will automatically keep doing it unless you ask it to stop.

This comes after OpenAI launched a Search feature to compete with Google. Another interesting feature is that based on the interaction you are having with the bot, it might suggest some task automation. It’s up to you whether you want to accept these suggestions or not.

The “Tasks” feature is currently in beta modeand is slowly being rolled out to paid subscribers which includes users on the Plus, Team, and Pro plans. By the end of the year, it might also be extended to free users.

For those who are eligible to use this feature, you need to select “GPT-4o with scheduled tasks” when you are picking the model. You can set up tasks through any platform, but they can only be managed and modified through the web version.