Good morning readers. If you own a Hyundai or Kia, listen up. Hyundai and Kia models have seen a staggering 10-fold surge in thefts over the past three years, primarily due to social media's role in exposing their vulnerabilities. Data from the Highway Loss Data Institute highlights a 1000% increase in theft claims for these vehicles between early 2020 and 2023. Particularly at risk are models from 2015 to 2019 with key ignitions (less expensive versions of vehicles such as the Hyundai Santa Fe, Tucson, Kia Forte and Sportage), lacking basic anti-theft technology like electronic immobilizers. This alarming trend, fueled by social media tutorials using USB cables for theft, has led to soaring vandalism and theft rates, with some states experiencing significant spikes.

…so what you’re saying is those old USB cables hiding at the bottom of my drawer still serve a purpose? 👀 

Let’s jump into today’s storylines.

In today’s digest:

• Google is getting rid of cookies in Chrome

• Headline Hustle: Sixth-grader killed in Iowa school shooting, Trump’s businesses got millions from foreign governments while he was president, Islamic State claims responsibility for deadly bombings in Iran

• Logan Paul commits to refunding users in CryptoZoo project, with a catch

• Pulse Points: What’s Trending

TECHNOLOGY

Say goodbye to your not-so-favorite cookie

If you thought getting rid of those pesky third-party cookies on your browser was as easy as skipping dessert, think again. Google’s latest plan to eliminate third-party cookies from Chrome, a browser that commands a hefty 65% of internet traffic, is shaking up the $600 billion online advertising industry faster than you can clear your browsing history.

Starting with a nibble, testing on just 1% of Chrome users, Google plans to fully banish these digital trackers by year's end, all in the name of enhancing user privacy.

The ad world’s big players aren’t happy

This move, long in the making, is causing a stir among advertisers, tech firms, and web publishers. Despite Google's introduction of new tools (called Topics) to help ease the transition, there's widespread concern about the readiness of the market. Critics argue that the timeline is too rushed, particularly with the full ban set to coincide with the year's most critical advertising period.

Google's initiative is part of its broader Privacy Sandbox project, aimed at balancing business objectives with consumer privacy. Yet, this radical change is raising some eyebrows over potential market impacts. The worry is that phasing out cookies might reinforce Google's already formidable market position, as alternative tracking technologies could centralize more functions within its ecosystem.

Keeping a watchful eye. Overseeing this cookie revolution is the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority, ready to slam the oven door shut if things get too hot. Google, for its part, promises fair play, vowing to treat its products the same as everyone else's. But only time will tell if this cookie crumble will lead to a sweeter internet or just a different flavor of the same old dough.

Big picture: Google's bold move could be a watershed moment for online advertising, stirring up a recipe that balances privacy needs with those ever-hungry targeted ads. As the industry braces for change, all eyes are on Chrome's cookie jar.

Headline Hustle

🚨 Sixth-grade student killed in Iowa shooting. In a tragic turn of events, a 17-year-old student, Dylan Butler, unleashed terror at Perry High School in rural Iowa, killing a sixth-grader and injuring five others. Armed with a shotgun and a handgun, Butler's rampage ended in his own death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The injured, including an administrator and four students, are recovering, with one in critical but stable condition. Perry, a small community of 8,000 near Des Moines, is reeling from this incident, marking the fourth school shooting in 2024. As the state and nation mourn, authorities continue their investigation, having discovered and defused an improvised explosive device at the scene.

🤑 Trump’s businesses got millions from foreign governments while he was president. Amidst the political whirlwind, a report has surfaced showing that during Donald Trump's presidency, his businesses earned a staggering $7.8 million from foreign governments, with China and Saudi Arabia leading the pack. This revelation, unearthed by the House Oversight Committee and backed by documents from Mazars USA, raises alarming questions about potential conflicts of interest, especially as Trump eyes a second term. Countries like Malaysia and Saudi Arabia splurged on Trump's properties, intertwining global politics with personal business, spotlighting the blurred lines between diplomatic relations and financial gains.

💣️ Islamic State group claims responsibility for deadly Iran bombings. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the deadliest attack in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, targeting a commemoration event in Kerman and killing 84. The attack occurred amid rising regional tensions, with ongoing conflicts in Gaza and heightened U.S.-Israel-Iran frictions. This assertion dismisses earlier suspicions of Israeli involvement. U.S. officials, distancing themselves, see no Israeli link, while Iran vows revenge. The complexity of the situation is heightened by a recent U.S. airstrike in Baghdad and escalating violence across the Middle East, including Israeli military actions in Lebanon and Syria, adding to the geopolitical volatility of the region.

SOCIAL

Logan Paul promises CryptoZoo refunds, you just can’t sue him

As the sun sets on Logan Paul's NFT venture CryptoZoo, the influencer is throwing a Hail Mary with a refund program, but it's not all sunshine and rainbows for the former players.

How it all started

Launched in 2021 as a Pokémon-esque game, CryptoZoo became the center of controversy after allegations of fraud swirled around its digital ecosystem. Paul is now attempting to patch things up, offering over $2.3 million to buy back the "Base Eggs" and "Base Animals" from his failed project. But if you own one of the "hybrid" animals, a core feature of the game, you won't see a penny of this refund.

Here's the catch: to grab this olive branch, claimants must vow not to sue Paul over the CryptoZoo fiasco, essentially trading their legal rights for a slice of the refund pie. And just when you thought it couldn't get more complicated, Paul has the final say on which NFTs make the cut for the refund, with rejected ones disappearing into the digital abyss. The clock's ticking, too, with the offer expiring on February 8.

Meanwhile, Paul is entangled in a class action lawsuit, accused of hyping up a game that turned out to be vaporware, benefiting from the crypto boom. He's firing back with allegations of his own, claiming he's just another victim tricked by "nefarious trading activity" and pointing fingers at associates he calls "con artists."

Another influencer led project in the dumps. With CryptoZoo's dreams dashed and its minigames and metaverse promises unfulfilled, players and spectators alike are left navigating the murky waters of NFTs and influencer-led projects. As Paul's refund offer dangles like a carrot, the saga serves as a cautionary tale about the glittering but sometimes unstable world of digital investments.

SNIPPETS

Pulse Points

• A second set of court documents linked to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were revealed in New York on Thursday. See the names mentioned on the list here.

• The NCAA and ESPN have agreed on an eight-year media rights contract valued over $115 million per year, tripling the annual value of the current deal.

• OpenAI’s app store for GPTs, custom applications built on its text-generation AI models, including GPT-4, will launch next week.

• Microsoft aims to designate 2024 as the "year of the AI PC" and has unveiled a new physical key for Copilot that will be added to keyboards alongside the Windows key, Control key, Alt key, and Insert key.

• Illinois and Massachusetts voters have submitted motions to exclude Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot, contributing to the growing number of states where the former president is facing challenges to his candidacy based on the 14th Amendment's insurrectionist ban.

• British actress Glynis Johns, renowned for her portrayal of the feminist character Mrs. Banks in the 1964 film "Mary Poppins," has passed away at the age of 100.

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