Nepal bans Whatsapp, Facebook & other platforms, Amazon & Flipkart announces festive sales, Oracle job cuts, Samsung Galaxy S25 FE launch, and other top tech news of the week

This week in the world of technology, Samsung expanded its smartphone and tablet range with the launch of Galaxy S25 FE and Galaxy Tab S11 series. US President Donald Trump hosted a dinner at White House where he invited tech CEOs including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. These and more in top

tech news of the week

Nepal bans Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and 23 other social media platforms

Nepal has imposed a ban on all the popular social media platform. Nepal has ordered the internet service providers to block access to all 26 major social media and communication platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn, Reddit, WhatsApp and Snapchat. The government took this decision after all the companies failed to register with the government within a seven-day deadline.The move of banning the social media platforms comes after the Supreme Court directive in a contempt of court case, which instructed the government to ensure all domestic and foreign-origin online platforms register with authorities before operating in the country and to monitor unwanted content.

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE with Exynos 2400 launched

Samsung has expanded its Galaxy S25 series with the launch of Galaxy S25 FE smartphone. The smartphone offers multiple AI editing tools like Generative Edit and Instant Slow-mo while an upgraded 12MP front-facing camera, powered by AI-powered ProVisual Engine, introduces an enhanced selfie experience. A 4,900mAh battery and a more than 10% larger vapor chamber promise to offer smooth, responsive performance with 45W wired charging support.Samsung Galaxy S25 FE comes in Icyblue, Jetblack, Navy, and White colour options. The price of the smartphone starts at $649.99 (Rs. 57,290 approx.) The smartphone is presently available in some select markets. Samsung has not yet announced any details of the India launch of the smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11, Tab S11 Ultra with S Pen support launched

Samsung has unveiled its Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S11, calling them its most intelligent and advanced tablets yet. The new flagship series combines Galaxy AI features, a redesigned S Pen, and upgraded Samsung DeX capabilities in the company’s thinnest tablet design to date. “The Galaxy Tab S11 series combines AI innovation with refined hardware to deliver a true multitasking experience that reflects Samsung’s deep experience in mobile productivity,” said Jay Kim, executive vice president and head of customer experience office, mobile eXperience business at Samsung Electronics.

Oracle lays off thousands globally

Oracle has initiated another round of global layoffs. The company is reportedly laying off thousands of employees across various regions. As reported by DataCenter Dynamics, an industry insider publication, Oracle has fired more than 3000 employees. The layoffs which started in August have now been spread across multiple regions and businesses. As per the report, the fresh round of layoffs have affected employees in US, India, Philippines, Canada and parts of Europe.

Mark Zuckerberg sues Mark Zuckerberg

In a bizarre case which sounds like an episode from a comedy show, an Indiana based bankruptcy lawyer named Mark S. Zuckerberg has filed a lawsuit against Meta and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg after years of his Facebook accounts being wrongly suspended for “impersonating” the billionaire tech founder. As reported by TechCrunch, the attorney, who has been practising law since a long before Facebook existed, said that Meta’s automated moderation systems have repeatedly flagged both his personal and business accounts as fake. His commercial Facebook page, which is used to advertise his legal services has been disabled by the company for five times in the past eight years.In one 2020 email to Meta, the lawyer vented his frustration with the touch of humour: “If you happen to run into the younger, richer Mark Zuckerberg, tell him I said hi and he causes me great aggravation each day."

Donald Trump’s high profile dinner with tech CEOs at White House

President Donald Trump hosted a dinner at White House where he invited tech CEOs. More than two dozen major tech leaders, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Google founder Sergey Brin and Oracle CEO Safra Catz.As big as the chatter about the CEOs of the biggest technology companies of America attending the dinner, was also the chatter of Tesla CEO's absence. The media was abuzz about the notable absence of Elon Musk, once a close ally of Trump who was tasked with running the Department of Government Efficiency, from the guest list. Musk had a public breakup with Donald Trump earlier this year.However, it seems Elon Musk was invited to the White House dinner. Tesla CEO confirmed the same in a post on Twitter.

Anthropic updates terms of service to ban sales Chinese companies

OpenAI rival Anthropic has updated its terms of service prohibiting sales of its AI platform Claude services to companies in China, Russia, North Korea and other regions “due to legal, regulatory, and security risks.” In an official blog, the AI company backed by Amazon said that firms based in authoritarian countries like China may be forced by law to share data, work with intelligence agencies, or take other steps that could pose national security risks. “These requirements make it difficult for companies to resist these pressures regardless of where they operate or of the personal preferences of the individuals at those companies,” it added.

Amazon, Flipkart announces festive day sale 2025 on September 23

Flipkart has announced that its Big Billion Days Sale 2025 will begin on September 23, setting the stage for one of the biggest online shopping events of the year. The announcement comes as Amazon has also confirmed its Great Indian Festival Sale for the same day, creating direct competition between the two e-commerce giants. As part of the upcoming Flipkart sale, customers can expect wide-ranging discounts across smartphones, laptops, televisions, home appliances, and audio products. Specifically under the mobile category, users can expect offers on iPhone 16, Samsung Galaxy S24, Realme and others.