Welcome to The Compiler, a daily curation of tech news.

TikTok's potential US ban reaches critical juncture. The Supreme Court is set to decide TikTok's fate by January 19th, with options ranging from forced sale to outright ban. Meanwhile, China is reportedly considering Elon Musk as a potential buyer for TikTok's US operations. The tech world's watching closely as this could reshape social media landscapes and US-China tech relations.

Tech insight: If Musk acquires TikTok, expect rapid integration with X's recommendation algorithms and a potential clash of content moderation philosophies.

• US splits world into AI chip tiers, playing geopolitical Jenga with semiconductors. New regulations set numerical limits on AI chip exports, with first-tier countries facing no restrictions. This could accelerate the balkanization of the global AI ecosystem and spark a new arms race in chip development.

  Read more

• WordPress's open-source future hangs in the balance as Automattic slashes contributions from 4,000 hours/week to just 45. This drastic reduction could lead to a community fork, potentially fragmenting the ecosystem that powers 43% of the web. Are we witnessing the slow death of the web's most popular CMS, or the birth of a truly community-driven WordPress?

  Read more

• Starlink now cheaper than local ISPs in some African countries, potentially revolutionizing internet access across the continent. Read more
• Microsoft forms new CoreAI division led by ex-Meta exec, signaling an aggressive push into AI platform development. Read more
• Moto G Power 2025 brings IP69 water resistance to a $300 phone, democratizing rugged tech. Read more

As TikTokers bid farewell to their "personal Chinese spies," it's worth pondering: In our digital age, is choosing your preferred surveillance capitalism overlord the new definition of freedom?

Thanks for reading!