🧑‍⚖️ Judge says Google can keep Chrome

Advertise | Sign Up | Upgrade

Greetings! Your latest quick tech update is here:

☀️ On this day: On September 3, 1995, Pierre Omidyar founded eBay, originally called "AuctionWeb." What began as a side project for Omidyar soon became one of the first major online auction platforms, enabling peer-to-peer sales on the internet. The very first item sold was a broken laser pointer for $14.83—marking the start of a global e-commerce revolution that would transform how people buy and sell goods online.

What’s happening:

• 🧑‍⚖️ Google doesn't have to sell Chrome

• 🧠 Chatbots fall for persuasion like people do

• ⚖️ China enforces mandatory AI content labels

• 💼 OpenAI buys Statsig in $1.1B all-stock deal

• 🎬 Netflix now lets you clip & share favorite scenes

• + 📊 Daily poll and results

• + 📈 Trending tools and resources

Free AI report

How 1,500+ Marketers Are Using AI to Move Faster in 2025

Is your team using AI like the leaders—or still stuck experimenting?

Masters in Marketing’s AI Trends Report breaks down how top marketers are using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Breeze to scale content, personalize outreach, and drive real results.

Inside the report, you’ll discover:

• What AI use cases are delivering the strongest ROI today

• How high-performing teams are integrating AI into workflows

• The biggest blockers slowing others down—and how to avoid them

• A 2025 action plan to upgrade your own AI strategy

Download the report. Free when you subscribe to the Masters in Marketing newsletter.

Learn what’s working now, and what’s next.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

Hand-picked news:

🧑‍⚖️ Google doesn't have to sell Chrome ↗️LINK

• What: A federal judge ruled that Google doesn’t have to sell Chrome or Android, despite earlier findings that it maintained a search monopoly illegally. However, Google must stop making exclusive deals tied to apps like Chrome, Assistant, and Gemini, and must share some search data with competitors.

• Why: The court said the DOJ “overreached” by asking for divestiture, noting these products weren’t directly used to enforce illegal restraints.

• Impact: Google avoids a major breakup but faces stricter rules that could shift how its services are distributed and how rivals access key search data.

🧠 Chatbots fall for persuasion like people do ↗️LINK

• What: A new study reveals that AI chatbots like GPT-4o Mini can be manipulated using classic persuasion techniques such as authority, commitment, and flattery. Compliance with harmful prompts increased sharply when strategies from human psychology were applied.

• Why: Researchers found that referencing figures like Andrew Ng or starting with minor requests made chatbots more likely to break rules. The patterns closely mirror human behavior described in Cialdini’s book Influence.

• Impact: The findings expose a key weakness in current AI safety methods and call for more involvement from social scientists in AI development and testing.

⚖️ China enforces mandatory AI content labels ↗️LINK

• What: Starting 1 September, China now requires all AI-generated content to be clearly labelled. This includes text, images, video, and audio. Major platforms like WeChat, Douyin, Weibo, and RedNote have already added new tools to follow the rule.

• Why: The goal is to stop online misinformation, fraud, and copyright issues. It’s part of a bigger campaign called Qinglang, which aims to clean up China’s internet.

• Impact: China is now ahead of other countries in AI content rules. With Google adding similar features, more governments may soon create their own laws to label AI content.

💼 OpenAI buys Statsig in $1.1B all-stock deal ↗️LINK

• What: OpenAI is acquiring product testing startup Statsig for $1.1B in stock, one of its biggest deals yet. Statsig CEO Vijaye Raji will join as CTO of Applications, leading product engineering for ChatGPT, Codex, and future apps.

• Why: The move strengthens OpenAI’s Applications business under Fidji Simo and brings Statsig’s experimentation platform in-house to speed product development.

• Impact: OpenAI’s leadership is shifting. Kevin Weil moves to lead “OpenAI for Science,” Srinivas Narayanan becomes CTO of B2B apps, and Statsig employees will join OpenAI while keeping their Seattle base.

🎬 Netflix now lets you clip & share favorite scenes ↗️LINK

• What: Netflix has launched a new feature that lets users create and share custom highlight clips directly from its mobile app. You can now set specific start and end points for scenes, making it easier to share your favorite moments.

• Why: This expands on last year’s bookmarking tool, giving users more control and making content more shareable across apps like iMessage, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

• Impact: It’s a big step toward turning Netflix into a more social platform—boosting engagement, discoverability, and viral sharing of its shows and movies.

🧠 Keep your mind sharp with these newsletters!

Want to stay on top of the latest trends and discover new resources? Here are a few of my favorite newsletters that I think you'll find valuable.

• The AI Report - AI solutions you can use to work smarter and achieve results. Join & get 200+ AI-powered income ideas!

• Creator Spotlight - Your guide to growing and monetizing creator businesses. Join & learn how to earn!

• MGMT Playbook – Practical management insights delivered to your inbox every Wednesday, authored by Dave Kline.

• Dumbify – Your weekly guide to unconventional thinking, unique insights, and ridiculous ideas that show how 'dumb' thinking can lead to better solutions.

• Identity Jedi Newsletter - This is your space for actionable insights, bold ideas, and a little snark to keep things interesting.

Looking for even more options? Explore our curated section below:

Today’s Poll:

Vote and find out about the result tomorrow.

Yesterday’s Poll Result:

Do you think China’s focus on practical AI is more effective than chasing AGI?

• A) Yes – Real-world impact matters more - 92% 🏆

• B) No – AGI is the ultimate goal - 8%

Build AI Agent Systems (free course): Learn key principles of designing effective AI agents and organizing a team of AI agents to perform complex, multi-step tasks.

Meco (free app): Meco is a distraction-free space for reading and discovering newsletters, separate from the inbox. Add your newsletters in seconds and liberate your inbox today!

Gamma: Create unlimited presentations, websites, and more—in seconds. Everything you need to quickly create and refine content with advanced AI.

CopyCat: Automate any web task by combining browser agent prompts with deterministic actions. No coding required.

Educative: Join 2 Million Learners — In-browser coding courses and exercises of today's most In-demand programming languages.

From our sponsor:

How 433 Investors Unlocked 400X Return Potential

Institutional investors back startups to unlock outsized returns. Regular investors have to wait. But not anymore. Thanks to regulatory updates, some companies are doing things differently.

Take Revolut. In 2016, 433 regular people invested an average of $2,730. Today? They got a 400X buyout offer from the company, as Revolut’s valuation increased 89,900% in the same timeframe.

No wonder 10K+ everyday people are taking the chance on Pacaso.

Founded by a former Zillow exec, Pacaso’s co-ownership tech reshapes the $1.3T vacation home market. They’ve earned $110M+ in gross profit to date, including 41% YoY growth in 2024 alone. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.

The same institutional investors behind Uber, Venmo, and eBay backed Pacaso. And you can join them. But not for long. Pacaso’s investment opportunity ends September 18.

Invest While You Still Can

_{Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.}