Apple blasts eu laws amid porn app arrival

Apple lambasted the EU’s Digital Markets Act after the first known porn app for the iPhone arrived on the company’s devices in the region.

The app, called Hot Tub, is offered in the EU via AltStore PAL, a third-party software marketplace that became available in the region due to local requirements. The app allows users to search for and view pornographic video from multiple online sources.

The developer of Hot Tub has marketed the app as Apple approved — an assertion the company said is a lie. Apps on third-party stores in the EU are reviewed by Apple for malware and device compatibility, but are not endorsed for quality or functionality, according to the company’s regulations for developers.

“We are deeply concerned about the safety risks that hardcore porn apps of this type create for EU users, especially kids,” an Apple spokesperson said. “This app and others like it will undermine consumer trust and confidence in our ecosystem that we have worked for more than a decade to make the best in the world.”

The spokesperson said Apple doesn’t approve of the app and “would never offer it” in its official App Store.

“The truth is that we are required by the European Commission to allow it to be distributed by marketplace operators like AltStore and Epic who may not share our concerns for user safety.”

Estee Lauder to cut up to 7,000 jobs

Estee Lauder may trim as many as 7,000 jobs by fiscal 2026, more than 11% of its workforce, after the global beauty cosmetics maker lost money in its most recent quarter as reported a 6% sales slump.

The New York company behind such brands as MAC, La Mer and Aveda tempered its profit outlook as the economies of China and Korea slow, in addition to global geopolitical uncertainty.

China announced retaliatory tariffs on some American imports and an antitrust investigation into Google on Tuesday, just minutes after a sweeping levy on Chinese products imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump took effect.

Estee Lauder expects to book restructuring and other charges related to the job cuts of between $1.2 billion and $1.6 billion, before taxes.

u.s. Job openings fall in December to 7.6M

U.S. job openings fell in December, a sign that the labor market is cooling but still healthy.

Openings fell to 7.6 million, from 8.2 million in November, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. They were down from 8.9 million a year earlier and a peak of 12.2 million in March 2022 when the economy was rebounding from COVID-19 lockdowns. The openings fell short of the 7.9 million that economists had expected.

The number of layoffs fell, suggesting that Americans enjoy unusual job security. The number of people quitting their jobs rose modestly but stayed below pre-pandemic levels. After surging in 2021 and 2022, quits have come down as workers lose confidence in their ability to find better pay or working conditions elsewhere.

The Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary showed professional and businesses services companies – a broad category that includes managers and technical workers — scaled back their job postings. Openings also fell in healthcare and social assistance and finance and insurance but ticked higher in arts, entertainment and recreation.

Compiled from Bloomberg and Associated Press reports.