Daily Recap: Tech — 13 August 2026

Tech news today centers on scale and control: companies are chasing bigger positions in AI with multibillion-dollar deals and fundraising, while governments and platforms move to contain the risks that advanced systems and large digital networks can create. The day also shows con...

Anthropic is in talks to acquire AI infrastructure startup Decart for about $6 billion, a deal that would mark the company’s largest known acquisition if completed. The move would deepen the race among leading AI firms to secure the computing, tools, and technical stack needed to build and deploy advanced models at scale.

Databricks raises $5 billion in fresh financing at a $190 billion valuation, underscoring how heavily investors continue to back companies tied to enterprise AI and data infrastructure. The round is the company’s second financing deal this year and adds to signs that capital is still flowing aggressively into the sector’s biggest private players.

Taiwan says government agencies were targeted in an AI-assisted hacking campaign detected last month, with officials describing a blend of human-led operations and AI agent-supported intrusion attempts. The incident highlights growing concern that attackers are using generative and autonomous tools to make cyber operations faster, broader, and harder to defend against.

Flock Safety rolls out new privacy guardrails for its automated license plate reader network after criticism over alleged misuse and fears of mass surveillance. The company says the changes are meant to curb abuse and strengthen oversight, as law-enforcement technology providers face mounting pressure to show that public-safety tools do not outpace privacy protections.

Meta says it has deactivated about 756,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts in Australia believed to belong to young users, as the country moves toward enforcing stricter youth social media rules. The action signals a more aggressive compliance posture from platforms confronting government demands to verify age and limit minors’ access.

Apple TV scores its biggest launch to date with the Season 4 premiere of “Ted Lasso,” which posts 296.6 million minutes watched in the U.S. over Aug. 4 and 5. The performance gives Apple a notable streaming win and shows the platform still relies on a small number of marquee titles to drive audience attention.

Wondermind, the mental-health startup co-founded by Selena Gomez and Mandy Teefey, is being sued in federal court by investors who allege they were misled about the company’s financial condition and prospects. The case adds legal pressure to a celebrity-backed startup and revives questions about governance and disclosure in consumer tech ventures.