Fanbase, founded in 2018 by Isaac Hayes III, is rapidly climbing the charts in the App Store. The Atlanta, GA-based social media company allows users to not only create content but also get paid through various mediums, including video, photos, audio, and stories, its website mentions. Additionally, through subscriptions valued from $2.99 to $99.99, users can further support creators in exchange for exclusive content. “For people who value content and community, Fanbase is a free-to-download, free-to-use, next-generation social network that allows any user to earn money from day one,” the company website reads. Moreover, users not only have a chance to participate in Fanbase but can also opt-in to become an investor. For a minimum amount of $399, users make an investment that will be “speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk , including the possible loss of your entire investment.” “I’m the only Black-founded start-up social media app that’s currently in existence...

Users are already looking to find new social homes to replace TikTok. Is TikTok Going Away? As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the platform is on the brink of a potential ban following President Joe Biden’s signing of a law in April 2024, which requires ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, to sell the platform to a U.S.-based company within a year “For years, the Chinese government has sought to build detailed profiles about Americans – where we live and work, who are friends and coworkers are, what our interests are, and what our vices are,” Elizabeth Barchas Prelogar, the 48th Solicitor General of the United States, told the Supreme Court during a hearing on Friday Jan. 10, 2025, according to CNN. She also stated TikTok’s “immense data set” gives China “a powerful tool for harassment, recruitment and espionage.” If ByteDance refuses those terms, the application will no longer be available in the United States on Jan. 19, 2025. “Absent such relief, the Act will take effect on Jan. 19,...

Faith is the cornerstone of D’Janae Robinson’s life, shaping both her personal journey and professional endeavors. From our first conversation on LinkedIn, it was clear that her belief in God shapes her outlook on life and drives her decisions. Robinson has always felt a higher calling, though she admits the path forward wasn’t always clear. Raised in a family rooted in spirituality, Robinson grew up under the influence of her praying great-great-grandmother. This gave her an early understanding of God’s presence in her life. However, like many, her faith journey has had its highs and lows — a testament to the complexities of staying grounded while navigating life’s uncertainties. Through it all, Robinson’s unwavering trust in a higher purpose continues to guide her as she discovers how to align her life with her calling. “It wasn’t always easy being a believer, and I can say with my chest because I’ve been delivered from it. I didn’t always believe. I didn’t always believe that I...

Meta has joined the ranks of major companies that are scaling back or, in its case, terminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. In a memo sent on Friday, Jan. 10, through Meta’s internal communications tool Workplace, Janelle Gale, the company’s vice president of human resources, announced updates to “our hiring, development, and procurement practices,” effective immediately, according to Axios. “The legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing,” Gale wrote in the memo. “The Supreme Court of the United States has recently made decisions signaling a shift in how courts will approach DEI. … The term ‘DEI’ has also become charged, in part because it is understood by some as a practice that suggests preferential treatment of some groups over others.” Going forward, Meta will no longer have a dedicated DEI team. Maxine Williams, the company’s standing chief diversity officer, will transition to a new...

The days of TikTok in the United States may be numbered. CNN reported on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, that after more than two hours of oral arguments from TikTok lawyers, users, and representatives of the Biden administration, a majority of the conservative-majority Supreme Court appeared likely to uphold the ban . The court’s reasoning focused less on First Amendment implications and more on addressing the potential foreign control of an app used by 170 million Americans. On April 24, 2024, President Joe Biden signed a law mandating that ByteDance sell TikTok to a U.S. company within a year or face a ban due to concerns about the app’s ties to China. Currently, the app is slated to be unavailable in the U.S. starting Jan. 19, 2025. Friday’s Supreme Court hearing came a day after Kevin O’Leary and Frank McCourt entered the race to acquire TikTok, as reported by Fortune. On Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, a group of investors, including “Shark Tank” star O’Leary, McCourt, and his nonprofit...

The Supreme Court convened at 10 a.m. EST on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, to hear arguments regarding a law that could potentially ban TikTok in the United States. According to NBC News., lawyers for TikTok, some of its users, and the Biden administration are presenting their oral arguments before the conservative-majority court’s nine justices. A preliminary decision may be reached within days, if not hours, after the oral arguments conclude. Chinese Internet entrepreneur Zhang Yiming co-founded TikTok in 2012 as part of technology company ByteDance, per its website. The social media platform’s algorithm provides users with short-form video content tailored to their interests. NBC reported that Yiming launched TikTok in the U.S. in 2018. It has since become increasingly popular, boasting 170 million American users. Following concerns that the app was a national security threat, the U.S. government, with broad bipartisan support, passed a law requiring ByteDance to divest from the company...

Corporations are still advancing technologies without ensuring diverse perspectives are represented at the table. Inconsistencies have surfaced regarding a now-abandoned technology from Meta. As AFROTECH previously reported, in September 2023, Meta launched an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant that allowed users to retrieve information “in real time,” accompanied by images relevant to prompts. The bots also adopted the likenesses of several well-known personalities, including Snoop Dogg, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul. “Our journey with AIs is just beginning, and it’s not just about building AIs that only answer questions,” the company stated at the time. “We’ve been creating AIs that have more personality, opinions, and interests, and are more fun to interact with. Along with Meta AI, there are 28 more AIs that you can message on WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram. You can think of these AIs as a new cast of characters, all with unique backstories.” During the test run for the AI...

Companies and products are often designed with younger generations, like Gen Z and Millennials, in mind. However, this emphasis often causes the industry to overlook older generations who also need technology tailored to their needs. One would think this would be an obvious market, given that Gen X and Boomers hold more wealth than younger generations. That wealth alone makes them an attractive customer base because they can afford the products and services being developed. Even so, there hasn’t been much focus from tech investors or founders on creating solutions for this demographic. How often have you come across a founder or investor saying, “We’re building this for Gen X or Boomers”? Rarely, if ever. This is a massively overlooked opportunity. One reason for this lack of attention is that the tech industry is perpetually focused on the future. Rarely does it look to the past. When developing new products or companies, the goal is often to capture the next generation of users,...

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Overhyped tech sectors of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence have seen a recent resurgence in the past year. Most of AI’s rise can be attributed to the hype and fear that surrounds its use. If you ask OpenAI CEO Sam Altman his thoughts, he’ll tell you that AI is needed to bring us into the future, but to scientists like Dr. Joy Buolamwini who approaches the use of AI cautiously, its lack of regulation can prove harmful to people of color. Despite doubts about the use of AI technology, it’s become almost ubiquitous in culture. Students have used ChatGPT for essay assignments, workers are using ChatGPT to write emails , and others have suggested using AI to create something as simple as grocery lists and corresponding menus. But even as AI and cryptocurrency continue to experience unprecedented growth, experts predict that AI will reach its peak in 2025 and then burst. Still, a second Donald...

Entertainer Jason Derulo is forging a deeper connection with will.i.am that extends beyond their shared passion for music. The pair are working together on the technology front, in alignment with their individual ambitions within the space over the years. Derulo has made several investments in the tech space. He participated in a funding round for Moonpay — a fintech company that allows users to quickly buy and sell cryptocurrency — which amounted to $87 million in 2022, along with other investors such as Brent Faiyaz , Snoop Dogg, Drake, Lil Baby, and Lil Durk, its website lists. Derulo also joined a $40 million funding round for Christian app Glorify in 2021, according to a news release, and is an investor in blockchain-enabled music platform Audius. Derulo is an advocate for artificial intelligence (AI) within artistry as well. He sees it as a helpful tool. “When it is good enough, I will embrace it because I just feel like with my wealth of knowledge of music I can utilize...

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. A few weeks ago, a debate surrounding the possible expansion of H-1B visas erupted on X (formerly known as Twitter). Established under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, the H-1B visa program is for employers to hire nonimmigrant workers in specialty roles or other roles of distinguished merit or ability. The occupation could refer to nurses, models, and tech workers. The number of workers working in the United States on a H-1B visa has steadily increased over the past decade. Companies like Microsoft, Google, Meta, Amazon, and Apple rely on the program to stay ahead in their competitive market. Last year, Elon Musk’s Telsa emerged as one of the leading companies with H-1B visa workers. This is no surprise, as Musk has supported the program. Sharing his support for the program online drew the ire of strongholds within the MAGA coalition like Laura Loomer, who wants the program to end....

Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta —the company that owns Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook, which collectively have a combined daily active user base of 3.3 billion—will be implementing sweeping changes to content moderation. The announcement was made via a Reel on Zuckerberg’s Instagram . Anyone on the internet knows that, over the last five years, content has often taken precedence over real connection. Considering the incoming presidential administration and the immense influence platforms like Facebook and Instagram have on what content is seen or suppressed, it’s unsurprising that Meta is overhauling its approach ahead of this political transition. This is especially relevant given the strained relationship Donald Trump has had with social media companies like Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) over the years. Content moderation has become a highly polarizing issue in the United States, especially due to the political nature of our cultural spaces and the increasing...

Milwaukee Area Technical College’s DEI officer is suing the institution. Eva Martinez Powless took on her newly created role at the Milwaukee, WI-based institution in 2021. Her immediate course of action was to launch a five-year diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) plan, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. The plan began rolling out in 2022 and was shared with the African American Network, the Anti-Racism Coalition, and the Latinx United Network Alliance (LUNA). Despite these efforts, she claims there was still pushback surrounding DEI efforts on the campus. She alleges that her former manager, Phillip King, the executive vice president of student success at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), had displayed “unprofessional” and “inappropriate” behavior after she voiced observing patterns of misconduct towards employees of color, per the outlet. Martinez Powless claims that she was subsequently excluded from important meetings, King scrutinized her work more closely, and...

Meta is discontinuing its fact-checking system. On Tuesday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan announced that the tech giant would transition to a community notes model — similar to the system on Elon Musk’s X — to “restore free expression,” according to a news release. “Meta’s platforms are built to be places where people can express themselves freely,” said Kaplan in the release. “That can be messy. On platforms where billions of people can have a voice, all the good, bad, and ugly is on display. But that’s free expression.” Kaplan noted that societal and political pressure to moderate content has pushed the company to develop increasingly complex systems to manage content across its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram , in recent years. “Too much harmless content gets censored, too many people find themselves wrongly locked up in ‘Facebook jail,’ and we are often too slow to respond when they do,” he added. Zuckerberg also believes the...

Richard Merritt II had a clear vision for his next career step. Journey In Technology Richard Merritt II’s journey in technology began at the age of seven when he showed interest in old Dell computers and learned to code graphing calculators in math class. “I was actually pretty interested in how computers work. In math class, they gave me those graphing calculators, and I was able to code them to do calculations for me. So, I kind of always wanted to do something with computers,” he told AFROTECH™. Between 2007 and 2012, Merritt attended Texas Tech University. He initially pursued a degree in computer engineering but pivoted to business administration in management information systems after realizing he wanted to explore the intersection of technology and people. Immediately after graduating, Merritt jump-started his career as an IT Analyst Intern at Valero Energy Corporation, as noted on his LinkedIn profile. This internship led to a full-time role as a Technical Product Manager...