google

In January 2026, the technology landscape witnessed a critical pivot in digital governance as Google announced a comprehensive reversal of its account "graduation" policies for teenagers. This shift was precipitated by intense public scrutiny and advocacy regarding the transition of minors from supervised to independent digital environments. Historically, Google’s Family Link service operated on a framework where minors reaching the age of thirteen—the standard legal age of digital consent—were encouraged via direct email to unilaterally assume full control of their accounts. This practice effectively permitted adolescents to bypass parental oversight, including screen time limits and content filters, without parental notification or consent. The perceived bypass of parental authority sparked a viral backlash, led by advocacy groups such as the Digital Childhood Institute, which argued that such policies fundamentally undermined the protective role of guardians during a vulnerable developmental period.
The revised policy introduced in early 2026 represents a departure from the previous model of adolescent digital autonomy toward a framework of collaborative family decision-making. Under the updated protocols, the transition to an unsupervised account no longer occurs as an automatic or unilateral "opt-out" for the minor. Instead, Google now mandates explicit parental approval before supervision features can be deactivated for users between the ages of thirteen and sixteen. This systemic change ensures that the removal of safeguards such as app-blocking, downtime schedules, and location tracking remains a deliberate choice made by both the guardian and the teenager, rather than an administrative default triggered by a birthday. By shifting the burden of consent from the child to the parent, the platform has effectively re-aligned its technical architecture with the socio-legal expectation that parents remain the primary stewards of their children's digital safety.
From a developmental and academic perspective, this policy reversal addresses the inherent tension between adolescent autonomy and the need for risk mitigation in complex online ecosystems. Critics of the previous policy contended that a sudden cessation of oversight at age thirteen failed to account for the neurobiological and psychological realities of early adolescence, a period characterized by heightened impulsivity and a developing capacity for long-term risk assessment. By extending the duration of parental mediation by default, Google’s new policy acknowledges that digital maturity does not automatically coincide with legal age milestones. Furthermore, the inclusion of more granular controls, such as the ability for parents to restrict specific features like YouTube Shorts while maintaining other account functionalities, reflects a move toward "scaffolded" autonomy. This approach allows for a gradual expansion of digital privileges, fostering a more nuanced transition into independent digital citizenship.
#Google $BTC $ETH $BNB

US House Democrats pressure the #SEC to explain why it has suspended several crypto enforcement cases.
A bill by West Virginia lawmakers allowing state treasuries to invest in cryptocurrencies has been sent to legislature for consideration.
Cathie Wood: #Bitcoin will become an effective portfolio diversification tool in the coming years.
#Google will remove unregistered overseas #cryptocurrency exchange apps from its South Korean app store starting January 28.
British media: Damaged Federal Reserve independence threatens the global financial "lifeline."
#CoinRank

Google has introduced the Personal Intelligence feature for its AI assistant Gemini, enabling the algorithm to access users' personal data from Gmail, Google Photos, YouTube, and other company services. In exchange for a personalized experience, users must agree to allow their data to be used for training generative AI models.

Google has launched the Guided Learning feature in its AI assistant Gemini, transforming conventional chatbots into personal tutors. The new feature creates customized learning courses and helps users truly understand the material, rather than just receiving ready-made answers.
How does the personal mentor work

Pakistan Central Bank will partner with the #Trump family's crypto project #WLFI to explore cross-border payments using $USD1 .
Animoca Brands has completed its acquisition of digital collectibles and gaming company SOMO.
Visa and BVNK have partnered to launch a stablecoin payment service.
#Bitget collaborates with World Cup champion Julian Álvarez to release a promotional video outlining the strategic vision of UEX.
#Google requests the dismissal of its antitrust lawsuit against media AI search summary services.
#CoinRank

Larry and Sergey can’t stay in California since the wealth tax as written would confiscate 50% of their Alphabet shares.

Each own ~3% of Alphabet's stock, worth about $120 billion each at today's ~$4 trillion market cap.

But because their shares have 10x voting power, the SEIU-UHW California billionaire tax would treat them as owning 30% of Alphabet (3% × 10 = 30%). That means each founder's taxable wealth would be $1.2 trillion.

5% wealth tax on $1.2 trillion = $60 billion tax bill, each.

That's 50% of their actual Alphabet holdings—wiped out by a "5%" tax.

Section 50303(c)(3)(C) of the 2026 Billionaire Tax Act states: "For any interests that confer voting or other direct control rights, the percentage of the business entity owned by the taxpayer shall be presumed to be not less than the taxpayer's percentage of the overall voting or other direct control rights."

This means if a founder holds shares representing only 3% of economic interest but 30% of voting control (through Class B supervoting shares), the tax would presume their ownership stake is at least 30% for valuation purposes, not 3%.

The wealth tax is poorly defined and designed to drive tech innovation out of California.
#California #Google

This is not an experience improvement.
It's a change in the architecture of how buying and selling are done.

Google has just moved AI from the assistant…
at the center of commercial decision-making.

🔍 What's really happening

The new intelligent agents don't just recommend products.
Now they can:

• Analyze purchase intent in real time
• Compare prices and conditions automatically
• Optimize inventories and dynamic offers
• Interact with customers without human friction

Buying stops being a conscious act