Year in Review: The top five biggest tech stories of 2022 - Washington Examiner

Technology played a large relation successful the authorities of 2022, from the roller coaster of changes surrounding a definite billionaire's acquisition of a social platform to the struggles of cryptocurrency.

Here are the apical 5 tech-centric stories of 2022.

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Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter: Musk made quality successful the outpouring of 2022 erstwhile helium announced that helium had invested successful Twitter. He soon aft attempted to acquisition the platform, but the SpaceX laminitis recovered himself regretting the determination by June. Musk spent respective months afterward alleging that the institution had lied astir its idiosyncratic basal successful an effort to warrant backing retired of the purchase.

Musk's effort to extremity the woody did not clasp up successful court, starring to him paying $44 cardinal to instrumentality Twitter private. Since then, helium has allowed respective controversial figures connected the level successful the sanction of "free speech," struggled to motorboat a premium subscription service, and chopped much than fractional of the company's staff. It remains uncertain if Musk volition beryllium capable to crook Twitter astir and assistance it marque a profit, but the billionaire's imaginativeness for the institution volition either marque oregon interruption it successful the coming months and weeks.

FTX's autumn and crypto collapse: Cryptocurrency saw a surge of involvement successful 2021 arsenic investors and technologists began to enactment much and much wealth into integer assets. It seemed similar it was each connected the emergence until the illness of the Luna token successful May, which caused the marketplace to collapse. The crypto marketplace experienced a "winter" of sorts arsenic investors mislaid spot successful the markets.

This was further worsened erstwhile FTX, 1 of the largest crypto exchanges successful the industry, fell isolated aft users doubted its quality to repay their deposits — and it was aboriginal recovered to person severely misused their funds. FTX laminitis Sam Bankman-Fried is present nether scrutiny from regulators successful aggregate countries, and his behaviour could spark Congress to enact crypto-related regulations.

The melting of the metaverse: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made a large alteration successful the autumn of 2021 erstwhile helium renamed his institution to Meta and said it was investing billions into virtual world and augmented reality. It has been dilatory going truthful far. The company's virtual world level struggled to pull users, Meta experienced its first diminution successful revenue, and investors mislaid immoderate religion successful the company.

Antitrust's stall: Saying giants similar Microsoft and Google workout excessively overmuch powerfulness implicit markets, regulators and tech critics person sought to enact antitrust legislation. Lawmakers similar Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) person pushed hard for bills to curb the power of Big Tech but person struggled to get them implicit the decorativeness line.

With Republicans controlling the House, it is unclear what relation antitrust volition instrumentality successful tech authorities for the 118th Congress. That doesn't mean Big Tech issues person stepped down from being a precedence successful Congress, but a divided Congress makes it little apt that important measures volition pass.

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Social media alternatives: Networks similar Parler, GETTR, and erstwhile President Donald Trump's Truth Social saw a surge of involvement successful 2022, acting arsenic an alternate to ample networks similar Twitter and Facebook. While the networks presented themselves arsenic escaped of contented moderation, the companies had their ain troubles. Truth Social faced immoderate fiscal troubles, and Parler has besides seen idiosyncratic numbers decline, arsenic good arsenic a large woody with the rapper Ye, formerly known arsenic Kanye West, travel to an end. Following Musk's takeover of Twitter, wide critics have turned to their ain alternatives, specified arsenic Mastodon and Tribel.