Grubhub’s $24M FTC settlement is finally reaching diners and drivers

techcrunch.com Aug 13, 2026

Grubhub’s $24M FTC settlement is finally reaching diners and drivers

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Aug 13, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

The Federal Trade Commission announced the distribution of a $23.8 million settlement to over 640,000 Grubhub customers and drivers. This payout resolves allegations that the food delivery platform misled workers regarding potential earnings and engaged in deceptive business practices. Recipients will receive funds via mail or PayPal. The settlement stems from a December 2024 lawsuit filed by the FTC and Illinois attorney general. Complaints accused Grubhub of restricting customer account access, listing restaurants without permission, and inflating its platform size with 325,000 unaffiliated listings. The company allegedly pressured businesses to pay for partnerships instead of removing unwanted listings. Under the agreement, Grubhub must accurately advertise driver earnings, provide mechanisms for customers to challenge account restrictions, and obtain explicit restaurant consent before listing them. This resolution follows a separate $25 million settlement approved last month for California drivers. The case highlights ongoing regulatory scrutiny of gig economy labor practices and platform transparency.

💡 Why It Matters

· The settlement forces Grubhub to fundamentally alter its operational transparency, directly addressing systemic deception in driver compensation and restaurant listing practices.
· This legal precedent establishes stricter accountability standards for gig economy platforms regarding how they represent earnings and manage third-party partnerships.

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Transforming Da Nang into an international innovation hub

The Da Nang Innovation Startup Festival (SURF 2026) opened on August 19 under the theme “A New Era of Growth — Pioneering Innovation.” Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Minh praised recent advances in the city’s startup ecosystem and urged a shift from sheer quantity to higher‑quality, impact‑driven growth. He emphasized that innovation spaces must serve as connectors among experts, capital and markets, and that enterprises should lead the conversion of research into commercial products and integration into global supply chains. Hoang outlined six priority actions: strengthening university‑industry‑research links, encouraging spin‑offs, expanding the science‑technology market, attracting domestic and foreign investors and accelerators, leveraging Da Nang’s international integration for market advantage, and cultivating talent and an entrepreneurial culture in AI, semiconductors and digital tech to position Da Nang as a global innovation hub.

💡 By redefining its ecosystem around quality and enterprise‑driven commercialization, Da Nang aims to turn its geographic and investment appeal into a competitive edge that can attract high‑value tech ventures and embed the city in worldwide supply chains.

techcrunch.com · Aug 20

Senators demand answers from TikTok over experiment that disabled safeguards

Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal have demanded answers from TikTok regarding an experiment that disabled a safety algorithm for 15 million U.S. users. The senators sent a letter to CEO Shou Chew and U.S. CEO Adam Presser, labeling the decision “depraved.” Bloomberg reported the company withheld the safeguard, designed to prevent harmful content overload, from 10% of users to test engagement impacts. One affected user was 16-year-old Chase Nasca, who died by suicide after being fed thousands of videos about sadness and loneliness. The lawmakers are seeking answers to 13 questions, including employee involvement and reasons for including minors. They also requested a list of all U.S. experiments where safety features were disabled or delayed. TikTok has until September 1 to respond. The company did not immediately comment on TechCrunch’s request for information regarding the investigation into these controversial algorithmic practices.

💡 The inclusion of minors in a control group that removed safety protections exposes a critical failure in corporate ethics and regulatory oversight. This specific case forces a direct confrontation between algorithmic engagement metrics and user safety, setting a potential legal precedent for how social media platforms must justify experimental design choices involving vulnerable populations.

completeaitraining.com · Aug 20

AI in classrooms prompts calls for new guardrails for student use

Artificial intelligence is rapidly integrating into American classrooms, prompting educators to establish new guardrails for student usage rather than implementing outright bans. Adam Mangana, CEO of Optima, a virtual reality school, argues that prohibiting AI is counterproductive. Instead, he advocates for responsible integration that prevents passive consumption, where students rely on tools to complete assignments without engagement. Mangana warns that the primary risk lies in students staring blankly at screens while AI performs the work. He proposes treating AI as an interactive tutor or Socratic guide to enhance critical thinking. Educators are urged to shift evaluation focus from final outcomes to the learning process. By using AI as a sparring partner, schools can maximize human potential. This approach also offers hyper-personalized instruction to under-resourced students, providing access to educational opportunities previously unavailable. The debate has moved from whether AI belongs in schools to how it should be supervised to ensure it deepens understanding rather than bypassing it entirely.

💡 Reframing AI as a cognitive sparring partner rather than an answer key forces a fundamental restructuring of academic assessment. This shift protects the integrity of learning by valuing the intellectual journey over the final product.

caribbeannewsglobal.com · Aug 20

Taiwan as a ‘Macro-City’ designed for chip manufacturing

By the end of 2026, Taiwan will operate five fabs capable of mass-producing 2-nanometer chips, a scale unmatched globally. This achievement stems from a 40-year spatial transformation spearheaded by TSMC, which designed entire cities and national infrastructure to support chip manufacturing. Modern gigafabs require massive extreme ultraviolet machines and complex sub-fab systems for mechanical and plumbing support. To ensure time-sensitive delivery, Taiwan aligned its fabs along a north-south transportation corridor connected to major ports and air cargo gateways. This strategic planning evolved from earlier export processing zones that drove rapid industrial expansion. The result is a highly efficient production cluster dominating the middle and end of the global semiconductor supply chain. Taiwan’s success relies not just on R&D, but on decades of government infrastructure investment that integrated industrial planning with logistics, creating a unique macro-city optimized for advanced semiconductor production and global distribution.

💡 Taiwan’s success proves that advanced semiconductor manufacturing requires national-scale urban planning, not just factory construction. This model offers a blueprint for other nations seeking to build resilient, high-tech industrial ecosystems.

9to5mac.com · Aug 20

Apple’s long-running app store battle with the EU appears to finally be…

The European Union has accepted Apple’s revised app‑store commission structure, ending a protracted antitrust dispute. Apple will now charge developers between 5% and 26% based on turnover and sales channels, and will allow third‑party app stores to operate within the bloc. The Commission praised the changes after a non‑compliance decision and will monitor implementation. Meanwhile, Apple’s U.S. legal battles, including talks with Epic Games, remain unresolved.

💡 The EU settlement removes a major regulatory hurdle, enabling Apple to streamline its European marketplace and potentially lower costs for developers. This shift could reshape competition dynamics and set a precedent for global app‑store practices.

cleantechnica.com · Aug 20

Why A Vote On Taxing California’s Billionaires Is Being Watched Around The…

California will hold a November vote on a one‑off 5% tax targeting all state billionaires, potentially raising $100 billion for healthcare, food assistance, and education. Google co‑founder Sergey Brin has donated $100 million to oppose the measure, hoping to avoid a $13 billion bill. Supporters argue the tax would correct a tax gap where ultra‑wealthy pay lower marginal rates than average workers, while critics, including Governor Gavin Newsom, warn it could drive wealth and tax revenue out of the state.

💡 The vote signals a global trend toward wealth‑focused taxation as a tool to address widening income inequality and fill budget gaps left by federal cuts. It could set a precedent for other states and countries considering similar measures.