Consumer Protection Agency orders US tech giants to hand over data on payment systems

What just happened? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has ordered several of the largest tech companies in the US to hand over information about how they use personal payments data and manage access to consumers’ payment information so the agency can ensure consumers are being adequately protected. Request were initially sent to Apple, Amazon, Facebook, PayPal, …

Apple decides to allow ‘reader apps’ to link to external payment portals and Tim Sweeney is not happy

In a nutshell: In agreement with the Japan Fair Trade Commission, Apple will allow some apps to link to their respective websites to set up subscriptions without going through its payment system. While it seems to be a step in the right direction, the rule sets up a double standard that Epic's Tim Sweeney is not …

Tesla now accepts Bitcoin as a payment method in the US

Editor's take: Perhaps the most interesting admission of all is that Bitcoin paid to Tesla will be retained in that form factor. Pretty much every other major company I can think of that accepts crypto as a form of payment immediately converts it to fiat to avoid the roller coaster that is the crypto market. Tesla …