(This column originally appeared in Forbes)
Here are five things in tech that happened this week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?
This Week in Business Tech News
Business Technology News #1 — FTC’s click-to-cancel rule has been struck down by federal judges at the eleventh hour.
A federal appeals court has struck down the Federal Trade Commission’s “click-to-cancel” rule just days before it was set to take effect. The rule — officially known as the Negative Option Rule — would have required companies to make it as easy for consumers to cancel subscriptions as it is to sign up for them. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit vacated the rule, citing that the FTC failed to follow proper rulemaking procedures — specifically, it didn’t conduct a required preliminary regulatory analysis. Businesses and trade groups challenged the rule, arguing it was rushed and economically burdensome. Companies can now continue using more complex or opaque cancellation processes. (Source: Engadget)
Why this is important for your business:
Seems like a good thing for small business. The National Federation of Independent Businesses celebrate this decision claiming that the FTC ruling imposed “onerous regulatory obligations” on small businesses.
“The FTC went far beyond their authority in enacting this rule,” said Beth Milito, Vice President and Executive Director of NFIB’s Small Business Legal Center said in a press release. “The NFIB is pleased that the Court recognized the procedural failures that took place in the rulemaking process and prevented this burdensome regulation from inflicting further damage on small businesses.”
Business Technology News #2 — Airwallex and BILL team up to optimize SMB payment solutions.
Financial platform Airwallex and cloud-based software BILL have partnered to streamline international payments for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), aiming to make cross-border transactions faster, cheaper, and more efficient. (Source: The Paypers)
Why this is important for your business:
According to the two companies the integration enables same-day or next-day international payments in local currencies, reducing delays and reliance on intermediary banks. Businesses can schedule foreign exchange conversions and payouts, improving control and reconciliation of international transactions. Airwallex’s infrastructure allows BILL customers to transact directly with overseas banks, making payments feel local even when they’re global. The collaboration is designed to give SMBs the kind of global payment agility that was once only available to large enterprises.
Business Technology News #3 — Google upgrades Keyword Planner with localized forecasting.
Google has upgraded its Keyword Planner tool to support localized forecasting, offering advertisers more granular insights for campaign planning. The update is currently in an experimental phase — Google has yet to make a formal announcement. (Source: Search Engine Land)
Why this is important for your business:
According to Google advertisers can access breakdowns by city, region and DMA (Designated Market Area) for keyword forecasts. Device-level insights — mobile, desktop, tablet — are now available. Visual snapshots like pie charts show user connection by location. Localized forecasting helps advertisers optimize budgets and target high-performing areas before launching campaigns. It enables more precise local strategy alignment for multi-location targeting, shifting how marketers approach geographically targeted ad campaigns.
Business Technology News #4 — Most managers now rely on AI for hiring and firing, study finds.
A new survey by Resume Builder reveals that AI is now deeply embedded in managerial decision-making — especially around hiring, promotions, and even terminations. The results showed that 60 percent of U.S. managers use generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or Google Gemini to make decisions about their direct reports. When making critical decisions, 78 percent use AI to determine raises, 77 percent for promotions, 66 percent for layoffs and 64 percent for terminations. The survey also revealed that 1 in 5 managers feel comfortable with allowing AI to make final decisions without human input. When asked if AI could replace humans — of the 46 percent who were asked — 43 percent did replace a worker with the technology. (Source: Computerworld)
Why this is important for your business:
While AI can boost efficiency, experts warn that it lacks empathy, context, and can reflect biased or flawed data. Without proper oversight, companies risk legal liability and eroding employee trust, Computerworld’s Lucas Mearian writes.
Business Technology News #5 — Google Ads adds Zoho CRM integration for customer match and offline conversions.
Google Ads has officially integrated Zoho CRM into its Data Manager, unlocking powerful new capabilities for advertisers who rely on Zoho to manage customer relationships. These capabilities include enhanced customer targeting that allows advertisers to upload audience segments directly from Zoho CRM to Google Ads, enabling more precise ad targeting using first-party data. Businesses can import offline sales data — like phone or in-person purchases — into Google Ads to better understand which campaigns drive real-world results. Enhanced conversions for leads offers lead attribution accuracy, helping marketers fine-tune campaigns based on actual lead quality and behavior. (Source: Search Engine Land)
Why this is important for your business:
This is good news for Zoho users (my company sells and implements this product). This move brings Zoho CRM up to speed with platforms like Salesforce and HubSpot, making it easier for more businesses to activate their data in a privacy-first, post-cookie world.
Each week I round up five business technology news stories and explain why they’re important for your business. If you have any interesting stories, please post to my X account @genemarks
