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Elon Musk’s recent comments insinuating that the real-time messaging service formerly known as Twitter could file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League is merely a “threat of a frivolous lawsuit,” the nonprofit’s CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said Tuesday.

In a statement shared with CNBC, Greenblatt dismissed allegations Musk made over the Labor Day weekend, in which he claimed the ADL was “trying to kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic.” The nonprofit’s CEO added that Musk’s “behavior is not just alarming nor reckless.”

“It is flat out dangerous and deeply irresponsible,” Greenblatt said. “We need responsible leaders to lead, to stop inflaming hatred and to step back from the brink before it’s too late.”

The ADL chief’s comments come after Musk claimed on Monday that the ADL was responsible for putting “pressure on advertisers” that led to a 60% drop in X’s advertising revenue. Musk alleged that the ADL “has been trying to kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic,” ever since he bought the messaging service last fall in a deal worth roughly $44 billion.

Musk said X, the company formerly known as Twitter, would have “no choice but to file a defamation lawsuit” if the ADL continues to allegedly pressure advertisers.

Multiple civil rights groups and researchers have documented a rise in hate speech, racist comments and other inflammatory posts on X after Musk gained control of the messaging app last fall.

The Center for Countering Digital Hate nonprofit, for instance, published a report in June that claimed X failed to take action against several subscribers of Twitter Blue, now referred to as X Premium, when they posted inflammatory content.

In August, X sued the CCDH in federal court alleging that the nonprofit illegally obtained data from X using methods like data scraping to “falsely claim it had statistical support showing the platform is overwhelmed with harmful content.” X’s attorneys alleged that the CCDH’s studies were based upon “flawed methodologies” and caused advertisers to stop running promotional campaigns on the messaging service, thus damaging X’s business.

Last week, Greenblatt said in an X post that he had a “very frank + productive conversation” with newly appointed X CEO Linda Yaccarino on how “to address hate effectively on the platform,” adding that he “appreciated her reaching out and I’m hopeful the service will improve.”

Greenblatt said he would give both the former global advertising chief at NBCUniversal and Musk “credit if the service gets better… and reserve the right to call them out until it does.”

Shortly after Greenblatt commented about his conversation, #BanTheADL began trending on X as some users called for the nonprofit to be banned from the messaging platform. For instance, Nick Fuentes, a far-right livestreamer who has previously made antisemitic comments, urged his viewers to contribute to the #BanTheADL campaign.

Musk then began engaging with some of the anti-ADL posts on X, liking some of the comments and even responding to them.

“ADL has tried very hard to strangle X/Twitter,” Musk said, replying to the YouTube streamer Keith Woods, who the ADL has previously said has produced antisemitic content.

“It is profoundly disturbing that Elon Musk spent the weekend engaging with a highly toxic, antisemitic campaign on his platform — a campaign started by an unrepentant bigot that then was heavily promoted by individuals such as white supremacist Nick Fuentes, Christian nationalist Andrew Torba, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and others,” Greenblatt said. “Finally, we saw the campaign manifest in the real world when masked men marched in Florida on Saturday brazenly waving flags adorned with swastikas and chanting ‘Ban the ADL.'”

X did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC.

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Apple brings its TV streaming service to rival Android platform

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Apple brings its TV streaming service to rival Android platform

Britt Lower and Adam Scott in “Severance,” now streaming on Apple TV+.

Source:  Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is now available on Android devices as the iPhone maker on Wednesday released its video streaming service for Google’s mobile computing platform. 

It’s unusual for Apple to release Android apps. The company typically focuses on software for its own iOS and MacOS platforms, but Wednesday’s release is the latest sign that Apple won’t be limiting the growth potential of its Services division by keeping popular services like Apple TV+ exclusive to its own devices.

More people have iPhones than Android phones in the U.S., but globally, Android claims a 72% market share, according to Statcounter. Releasing Android apps significantly expands Apple’s market.

Apple’s Services business is its second largest behind iPhone sales, and Services hit a $100 billion per year revenue rate last year. In addition to subscriptions like iCloud, the unit also includes sales from advertising, search deals with Google, AppleCare warranties and payment fees from Apple Pay.

Apple TV+ is among Apple’s most popular services, and it’s best known for shows like “Ted Lasso” and “Severance.” It also broadcasts Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball games.

The company has never released viewership numbers for Apple TV+, but Nielsen estimates say it accounts for a small fraction of total American TV watching. It costs $10 per month in the U.S. and is included in several bundles alongside iCloud storage, Apple Music and other subscriptions.

Besides a few niche apps, Apple doesn’t have a long track record of making Android apps. Its last significant services app for the Google platform was a decade ago when the company released its Apple Music streaming service for Android.

The Apple TV+ app is available to download through the Google Play app store, and users will be able to pay with their Google accounts. Apple did not disclose a revenue-sharing arrangement with Google, but both companies typically take about 15% of billings from streaming services through their app stores.

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Lyft shares sink 6% on underwhelming fourth-quarter results

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Lyft shares sink 6% on underwhelming fourth-quarter results

Cheng Xin | Getty Images

Lyft shares shed about 6% after the ride-sharing app reported lackluster fourth-quarter results and offered weak bookings guidance as it lowers prices to keep up with competition.

The company reported revenues of $1.55 billion, versus the $1.56 billion expected by analysts polled by LSEG. Revenues grew 27% from $1.22 billion a year ago. Bookings, which measures the charges posed to customers for rides and services, came in at $4.28 billion, behind a $4.32 billion FactSet estimate.

“I think what the future holds is great, because it’s a huge market, and we’re doing a great job,” CEO David Risher told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Wednesday. “We got to figure out how to get the traders on the bus.”

The company did beat expectations on fourth-quarter earnings, reporting an adjusted 29 cents per share compared to the LSEG expectation of 22 cents per share. The figure excluded certain amortization and compensation charges, and a gain from terminating a lease.

Lyft also said it anticipates a slowdown in gross bookings as it grapples with a lower pricing environment. The company expects bookings to range between $4.05 billion and $4.20 billion, versus a $4.24 billion FactSet forecast.

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During the earnings call, Chief Financial Officer Erin Brewer said the company lowered prices and used discounts in the end of the year to keep up with the market. Ongoing pricing headwinds could lead to a low single-digit percentage point impact on gross bookings, she added.

Brewer also said that the end of its partnership with Delta Air Lines will weigh on rides and gross bookings in the 1% to 2% range during the second quarter.

Last week, Uber shares also declined on mixed fourth-quarter results and soft guidance. The ridesharing competitor also signaled that it may take years to build out and commercialize autonomous vehicles.

Lyft reported net income of $62.8 million for the period, or 15 cents per share. That’s compared to a loss of $26.3 million a year ago, a loss of 7 cents per share.

During the fourth quarter, Lyft also recorded 24.7 million active riders, ahead of the 24.6 million StreetAccount estimate.

Alongside the results, the company announced a $500-million share repurchase plan and said it aims to roll out its Mobileye-powered taxis as soon as 2026 in Dallas.

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Neuralink competitor Paradromics secures investment from Saudi Arabia’s Neom

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Neuralink competitor Paradromics secures investment from Saudi Arabia's Neom

Paradromics scientists at work

Source: Paradromics

Texas-based neurotech startup Paradromics on Wednesday announced a strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Neom and said it will establish a Brain-Computer Interface Center of Excellence in the region.

Neom is a developing area within northwest Saudi Arabia that’s touted as “a hub for innovation,” according to its website. The area’s strategic investment arm, the Neom Investment Fund, led the partnership. Paradromics declined to disclose the investment amount.

Paradromics is building a brain-computer interface, or a BCI, which is a system that deciphers brain signals and translates them into commands for external technologies. The company will work with Neom to “advance the development of BCI-based therapies” and set up the “premier center for BCI-based healthcare” in the Middle East and North Africa, it said in a release.

“Working together, we can accelerate the rate of innovation in BCI and expand access to impactful BCI-based therapies.” Paradromics CEO Matt Angle said in a statement.

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Paradromics is one of several companies racing to commercialize BCIs, including Elon Musk’s startup Neuralink. Earlier this month, Neuralink announced it has implanted three human patients with its technology, according to a blog post. Precision Neuroscience and Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates-backed Synchron have also implanted their systems in humans.

None of these companies have secured the FDA’s final stamp of approval.

Paradromics’ BCI, the Connexus Direct Data Interface, is an array of tiny electrodes designed to be implanted directly into the brain tissue. The system could eventually help patients with severe paralysis regain their ability to communicate by deciphering their neural signals. 

The company is gearing up to launch its first human trial this year, and announced its official patient registry in July. Paradromics’ technology has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and it still has a long way to go before commercialization. In 2023, the company received the FDA’s Breakthrough Device designation, which aims to help accelerate the go-to-market process.

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