Google Russia files for bankruptcy, Netflix loses its most loyal subscribers and an IT administrator gets seven years in prison for deleting four servers.

That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now, welcome to Hashtag Trending. It’s Friday May 20th and I’m your host, Samira Balsara.

Google Russia files for bankruptcy after the Russian government seized its bank account in the country. In a statement to the registry, a Google spokesman said the account seizure left the office incapacitated as it could no longer meet its financial obligations. Employees at the Google Russia office have been offered the option of moving to a subsidiary or resigning. The Wall Street Journal reported that most employees chose to relocate to Dubai. This account closure signals the end of Google’s office in Russia; The bureau had begun relocating its staff in March, when Russia first began invading Ukraine.

The Netflix fiasco turned even its most loyal subscribers away. According to a report by the information, Accounts older than three years were blamed for 13 percent of cancellations in the first quarter of 2022. While Netflix estimated it would lose 2 million subscribers, survey data from analytics firm Antenna showed a whopping 3.6 million people who have quit. Besides losing subscribers, Netflix also has to deal with retaining new subscribers; In 2021, new accounts or those subscribed for less than a year accounted for 70 percent of cancellations. In the last quarter, 60 percent of cancellations were made by new subscribers.

An IT admin has been sent to prison for seven years after deleting several financial databases. Han Bing, a data administrator for a Chinese real estate agency, appeared to be trying to prove something after his bosses ignored a vulnerability he discovered. Authorities were able to find evidence by triangulating the company’s server access records and security camera footage. Most of the financial records could not be recovered, and for this, Bing was sentenced to seven years in prison for damaging computer information. The damage goes beyond the loss of customer data; Having to suspend operations during its recovery, the company had to pay $30,000 because it couldn’t pay its employees.

It has long been rumored that Apple wants to enter the electric vehicle market. Since 2015, there have been rumors that the company is working on various technologies to build a car. In the latest development, netizens believe a render of a windowless car could be what Apple has in store. The car is rumored to be fully autonomous and able to park itself, with the steering wheel only showing up in emergencies. It would also have built in Apple’s beloved Siri AI voice assistant. In addition, the car would have an in-vehicle virtual reality entertainment system. But why no window? In his report Daily OK explained that this could serve to reduce motion sickness and passengers would get a window-like experience through their VR headsets. Add a grain of salt to all this optimism, as this all sounds far too futuristic, especially for Apple, which is known for making prudent and tried-and-true investments in technology. Separately, the Daily IO article put the car’s release date at 2025. As expected, Apple has not confirmed this product.

That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is part of the ITWC Podcast Network. Add us to your Alexa Flash briefings or your daily Google Home briefing. Be sure to register with us Daily IT wire Newsletter to get all the important news straight to your inbox every day. Also check out the next episode of Hashtag Tendances, our weekly hashtag trending episode in French that comes out every Thursday morning. If you have a suggestion or tip, drop us a line in the comments or via email. Thanks for listening, I’m Samira Balsara.