Twitter appears to be unhappy with the runaway success of Threads, Meta's Twitter alternative that launched last night. Threads has amassed more than 30 million users in under 24 hours, making it the biggest threat to Twitter to date. According to Semafor, Twitter lawyer Alex Spiro yesterday sent Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg a letter [PDF] accusing Meta of "systemic, willful, and lawful misappropriation of Twitter's trade secrets and other intellectual property." Twitter claims that Meta hired "dozens" of former Twitter employees that "had and continue to have access to Twitter's trade secrets and other highly confidential information." The company further says that the employees "improperly retained Twitter documents and electronic devices," and that Meta took advantage of this to have…

ICYMI, Elon Musk spent $44 billion in 2022 to buy Twitter and fire most of the company. A lot has happened since then, to say the least. Now Twitter is threatening to sue Meta for hiring employees that Musk fired and building a competitive platform. more… The post Twitter spooked by Threads, threatens to sue Meta for hiring employees after Musk fired everyone appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Popular third-party Reddit app Apollo was updated today with an option for users to decline a refund for their remaining subscription time ahead of the app shutting down. Users who do not exercise this option will automatically receive a pro-rated refund. "If you've been happy with the service I've provided over the years, please consider declining the refund as they are refunded out-of-pocket," said Apollo developer Christian Selig, who previously estimated that the refunds could cost him around $250,000. "It's been the pleasure of a lifetime building Apollo for you over the last nine years. I thank you so much for your kindness, input, and generosity over the years." Starting on July 1, Reddit plans to begin charging for its…

Apple is the Online Safety Bill as it could be used to force encrypted messaging tools like iMessage, WhatsApp, Signal and other to scan messages for, ostensibly, child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Apple’s opposition comes as 80 organizations and tech experts have written to UK Technology Minister Chloe Smith urging a rethink. Chris Vallance for The Beeb: Apple told the BBC the bill should be amended to protect encryption. Police, the government and some high-profile child protection charities maintain the tech – used in apps such as WhatsApp and Apple’s iMessage – prevents law enforcement and the firms themselves from identifying the sharing of child sexual abuse material. But in a statement Apple said: “End-to-end encryption is a critical capability…

Benjamin and Chance discuss all the changes in iOS 17 beta 2, and the release of the first-ever visionOS SDK, with the Simulator giving us a first glimpse at the Vision Pro operating system. Plus, Apple execs talk about why third-party watch faces for Apple Watch haven’t happened (yet), and the EU threatens new regulation around replaceable batteries in devices — but Apple might already be in compliance. Sponsored by Masterclass: Unlimited access to 180+ classes delivered in bite-sized lessons. Sponsored by Zocdoc: Go to Zocdoc.com/happyhour and download the Zocdoc app to sign-up for free and book a top-rated doctor. Many are available as soon as today. more… The post 9to5Mac Happy Hour 439: iOS 17 beta 2, visionOS Guest Mode, Apple execs discuss third-party…

A ransomware group that hacked into Reddit's servers back in February is threatening to release stolen data if Reddit does not walk back its planned API changes, reports Bleeping Computer (via The Verge). At the time of the hack, no one took credit, but ransomware group BlackCat yesterday said that it was responsible. 80GB of compressed data was stolen through a phishing attack, and BlackCat says that the data will be made public unless Reddit pays $4.5 million and withdraws the API pricing changes that will go into effect on July 1. The group claims to have "interesting confidential data" that includes information on how Reddit tracks users and censors people. BlackCat does not anticipate Reddit cooperating, and says that…