10 things in tech you need to know today

Tech giants are working on vaccine passports.

Felix Kästle/picture alliance via Getty Images

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1. Jack Dorsey is unhappy about banning Trump from Twitter. The CEO suggested that the ban set a dangerous precedent in terms of corporate power over individuals, and said a ban indicated the platform had failed to promote "healthy" conversation.
   
   
2. Samsung's new Galaxy S21 phones are out for preorder. Samsung has overhauled its usual smartphone design for the new series, including flat screens for the S21 and S21 Plus compared to curved screens from previous models. 
   
   
3. Google and the DOJ are contradicting each other over Fitbit. Google says the $2.1 billion merger is complete, but the Justice Department says it hasn't greenlit the deal yet.
   
   
4. Tech firms are creating vaccine passports. Health and tech giants including Microsoft and Oracle are coming together to create standards for digital vaccination passports so that people can prove they've had a COVID-19 shot.
   
   
5. Trump apparently wanted to join Parler. The president considered creating an account on the social networking app under the pseudonym "Person X," its CEO, John Matze, said Wednesday.
   
   
6. Exclusive: Amazon-backed Deliveroo could go public at a $13.6 billion valuation. Sources said the food delivery startup may be aiming for an April IPO, in what's expected to be a blockbuster year for European tech IPOs.
   
   
7. Exclusive: Auto1 may IPO as early as next month. The SoftBank-backed user car marketplace may be targeting a valuation above $8 billion, a source said.
   
   
8. Google blocked some news results. The firm blocked some Australian news sites from search results as part of an experiment.
   
   
9. Biden will still examine Big Tech. Makan Delrahim, the Department of Justice's (DOJ) antitrust boss, said Wednesday the Biden administration will continue the federal government's antitrust investigations into US tech companies once it comes to power in January.
   
   
10. $2 billion Kaseya is planning to IPO. The IT management firm caters to small and mid-size companies and has seen significant growth in the past year as business moves online amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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