Windows adds RAR support, Netflix cracks down on passwords, and Meta lays off workers

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Welcome folks to Week in Review (WiR), TechCrunch’s regular column summarizing the week in tech news. I don’t know about you, but it felt like a long one, and I’m thankful for the extended weekend. For those who observe Memorial Day, enjoy. Those who don’t, take time off where you can. We all need rest here and there.

First, some public service announcements.

This week, TechCrunch live hosted Flint Capital and Sensi.AI, a startup that uses audio-based software to monitor patients and help medical staff and family members with care. To those of you who tuned in, thank you very much. But if you missed it, don’t worry, we will have the recording shortly.

Then in September there is Interrupt, TC annual conference. Whether you’re a startup newbie learning, a seasoned investor looking for the next big thing, or a founder hell-bent on changing the world, Disrupt will give you the tools, knowledge, and connections to help you get there.

Now, we go with the news.

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After 28 years, Windows gets RAR support: Devin writes about Microsoft adding native support for the RAR file format to Windows. Miraculously, it took the better part of three decades for the .rar file to finally be compatible with Windows without any additional software. That’s the longest I’ve been alive, dear readers, not to date myself!

Netflix begins cracking down on passwords: After a delayed launch, Netflix’s crackdown on password sharing is now beginning to roll out to subscribers in the US and other global markets. The streamer had originally planned to introduce paid share to US subscribers in the first quarter of this year, but pushed the start date back to the summer after seeing cancellations in markets where it had already rolled out the changes.

More layoffs in Meta: Meta is waging its latest round of layoffs on Wednesday, estimated to affect some 6,000 people. These cuts are part of the so-called Efficiency Yearin which Meta is massively restructuring to save money and flatten the structure of the organization.

The EU orders the suspension of Meta: In other Meta news, Meta this week received a formal stop order requiring it to stop exporting user data from the EU to the US for processing. Today the European Data Protection Board announced that Meta has been fined 1.2 billion euros (about $1.3 billion), which the Board confirmed is the largest fine ever issued under the bloc’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Goal forced to sell: Dominating headlines again this week, Meta has sold Giphy, the animated GIF search engine that acquired for $400 million three years ago, to Shutterstock. The sale was not necessarily voluntary; Seven months ago, the UK antitrust authority issued a final order Meta to sell Giphy, claiming that the merger reduced competition.

WhatsApp adds message editing: WhatsApp announced one of the app’s most anticipated features this week: message editing. WhatsApp users can now modify a message within 15 minutes of sending the message. Edited messages will have an “edited” tag next to the timestamp to mark the change.

The problem with paid verification: The fake Pentagon attack hoax that went viral this week shows the dangers of Twitter’s paid verification scheme. The essence? Combining paid blue checks and generative AI it makes it all too easy to spread misinformation, and quickly.

Invest in India: Amazon plans to invest $12.7 billion in its cloud business in India by 2030, the e-commerce group said on Thursday, as it moves to expand AWS infrastructure in the key foreign market at a time when it has cut several other services in the region.

Bigger and better: Amazon launched its biggest tablet this week. Called the Fire Max 11, it has an 11-inch screen. The company is pricing the device at $229.99, offering a cheaper option for users than the 10.9-inch iPad and the new pixel tablet with a similar size screen.

AI to build websites: This week at its annual Build conference, Microsoft released Copilot in Power Pages, an AI-powered assistant to Microsoft’s low-code business website building tool, in preview for US customers with prompts, Copilot can generate text, forms, chatbots, and web page layouts, and can create and edit images and site design themes.

TechCrunch (virtually) in Atlanta

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin (Opens in a new window)

On June 7, TechCrunch will present City Spotlight: Atlanta. We have an incredible lineup of programming planned, including a fireside chat with Ryan Glover, co-founder of fintech Greenwood, as well as a panel examining the ecosystem of companies within the Atlanta region and identifying the best ways to nurture and meet with local venture capitalists. But that is not all. If you are an early-stage founder based in Atlanta, please apply to be on our panel of investors/guest judges for our live presentation competition; the winner gets a free booth at TechCrunch Disrupt this year to showcase their company in our startup alley. Register here.

Audio

Do you need a podcast (or several)? You’ve come to the right place – there’s no shortage of options outside of TC HQ. this week in FoundThe team was joined by Sarah Sandnes, co-founder and CTO of SafetyWing, which is building a global safety net for remote workers. Tech Crunch livemeanwhile, he featured Intel Capital’s Mark Rostick and MinIO’s Garima Kapoor, a startup that found a niche selling object storage while directly competing with Amazon S3.

TechCrunch+

TC+ subscribers get access to detailed feedback, analysis and surveys, which you know about if you’re already a subscriber. If you’re not here consider signing up. Here are some highlights from this week:

Return on growth: In this article by Kate, five investors explained their mantra for South Korean startups. Kate spoke with select investors investing in the South Korean market to hear their predictions for 2023, their investment strategy, which sectors they are excited about and more.

Cybersecurity Downfall: Alex writes about how, thanks to pretty strong earnings reports and valuations, public cybersecurity companies are outperforming the broader tech segment. However, funding for cybersecurity startups has stalled.

Startups in the business AI race: Another article by Alex explores whether startups have a chance in enterprise AI. Given how lucrative it can be to sell software to large corporations, he points out, players aren’t chasing a small market.