ZDNETFacebook has not been making friendslately with its policy changes. While some people have left, others find it hard to leave. It's where their friends and social groups -- from old co-workers to church members to fellow sufferers of obscure diseases -- are.Also: The best data removal services in 2025: Delete yourself from the internetIn addition, Meta, Facebook's parent company, tracks your activity not just on Facebook, but across the internet with Meta's tracking pixel. If you'd rather not have Big Zucker looking over your shoulder, here's what you can do to limit how much Meta can track you.Facebook has been collecting data on you for yearsBefore getting into protecting your privacy, you should know what data Facebook has already been collecting data on you for years. Besides the obvious -- your name and that you liked Aunt Jodie's funny cat picture -- companies that useFacebook Business Tools, such asFacebook Pixel, theFacebook Software Development Kit (SDK), and Facebook Login and Account Kit, also share what they know about you with Facebook.Specifically, Meta tracks when you're:Opening an appLogging into an app with FacebookViewing contentSearching for an itemAdding an item to a shopping cartMaking a purchaseMaking a donationWhen you've been naughty or niceOK, I made up the last one, but when you use Facebook, you really are giving up your privacy in ways that would make Santa Claus envious. Don't believe it? According to theElectronic Frontier Foundation (EFF),Facebook tracks you on 30% of the top 10,000 websites. On my own account, I see that Facebook and its partners have data on me from 955 apps and websites that I've used or visited in the last 180 days.That includes every time I checked myRing doorbell, the time I checked StubHub for WVU-Kansas basketball tickets, and how often I checked intoZillowwhen searching for a new home. And, of course, what sites I visit daily.Also: What is DuckDuckGo? If you're into online privacy, try this popular Google alternativeAlso keep in mind that things that sound like they help, such asclearing your Facebook history, may not help at all. Clearing your history, for example, doesn't delete anything. Instead, all it does is disconnect your activity history from your account. Meta will continue to receive your activity from the businesses and organizations you visit in the future.The only real way out is todelete your Facebook account. But even then, Facebook says it will take up to 90 days to remove all your data. It may take longer. Much longer. In any case, Meta doesn't spell out what it does with your activity history.What doesn't workYou can turn off, sort of, the data Facebook and its partners share about you. But, even then, Facebook says: "We'll still receive activity from whatever site. It may be used to measure and improve their ads, but it will be disconnected from your account." (You can believe Facebook if you like, but I'm inclined to doubt it.)Next, simply putting a post on your page that claims to be alegal notice forbidding Metafrom using your personal data and photos won't help you a bit. No, I don't care who told you that this would work. It doesn't. Never has, never will.Also: Stop exposing your Venmo activity - by changing this privacy setting. Here's whySo, what can you do? Well, first things first. Facebook has a bad habit of changing its menus. If the specific suggestions below don't work for you, use the Facebook search function to find the settings you're looking for.Don't share public posts - it's dangerous ZDNETYou should be careful about what you share in the first place. If you really don't want people to know your favorite TV show is Happy Days, don't post about Richie Cunningham and The Fonz. That's a silly example, but I trust you get my point.Also: Why you don't need to pay for antivirus software anymoreRelated to this, if you're comfortable with, say, your friends knowing you won't be going to Great-Uncle Jack's fifth wedding but not the world at large, use the "Post audience" to restrict the people who can see your post to your friends or even more restricted groups, not the public.Adjust your default privacy settings for postsIndeed, unless you want everyone and anyone to see what you're up to, you should set your Facebook postings to always be for friends only. To do this, take the following steps:Open the Facebook app or website.Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings.Navigate to Privacy Center.Go to Common Privacy Settings.Head to Manage Audience Settings.Find "Who can see your future posts?"Change this setting to "Friends."This ensures that all your future posts will be visible only to your friends by default.Change the privacy of your existing public or friends-of-friends postsWhat's that? You got years' worth of public posts that you'd rather not have public? Well, you can fix that too:In the Privacy settings, locate Limit Past Posts.Click on Limit Old Posts.Confirm your choice.This action will change all your past public and friends-of-friends posts to be visible only to friends.It's not just Joe Random Snooper you need to worry about. Meta makes it easy for the company and its partners to use your information for anyone who uses its application programming interfaces (APIs), such as itsGraph API, itsResearch Tools, and, of course, Facebook can use all your public data forAI at Meta.What else can you do to get Meta out of your hair? ZDNETYou can control what you post and who sees it, but controlling what other people post about you is much harder.Take charge of who can tag youOne thing you can do, though, is take some control of the posts and images you're tagged in. To do this, take the following steps:Click your profile picture in the top right of Facebook.Select Settings & Privacy, then click Settings.In the left column, click Profile and Tagging.Click next to Review posts you're tagged in before the post appears on your profile? to turn this setting on or off.This only controls, however, whether you allow their posts to show up on your profile.You can (and should) also block usersTo stop someone from tagging you at all, you need to block them using these steps:Switch to the profile that you want to use.Click your profile picture in the top right of Facebook.Select Settings & Privacy, then click Settings.In the left column, under Audience and Visibility, click Blocking.In the Block Users section, click Edit.Click Add to Blocked List.Type the name of the profile you want to block.Click Block next to their name.Click Confirm.How to control your Facebook apps ZDNETFacebook apps, yes, even the FarmVille game you downloaded years ago, can spy on you. To control them and eliminate the ones you don't use, head over toFacebook's App Settings. Here, you can see the Facebook apps, games, and websites you've connected to your Facebook account. To control these, do the following:Click your profile picture in the top right of Facebook.Select Settings & Privacy, then click Settings.Click Apps and Websites in the left side menu.Scroll down to Preferences, then next to Apps, websites, and games, click Turn Off for each one.Or, instead of cherry-picking and disabling Facebook apps, you can choose to completely disable the Facebook app platform. This means you won't be able to use Facebook integrations on third-party apps or websites that access data throughOAuth. This should cut down on the information you've been sharing with Meta.How to manage your off-Facebook activity ZDNETYou can also control how much of your information you're sharing with Meta's partners by going to theOff-Facebook Activity (OFA) page. To view this page, you may need to enter your Facebook password.Once there, to see exactly what each one is up to in general terms, click on the ones you're concerned about. Since you probably have hundreds of them, I doubt you'll want to go through all of them.However, to quote Meta, "We receive more details and activity than what appears here."Remember to turn off future activityFrom the Manage Your Off-Facebook Activity page, toward the bottom of the display, you can Turn off Future Activity. Again, that doesn't stop either Facebook or the company from getting your data; it just breaks, in theory, the connection between your Facebook identity and your data.Also: Why you should power off your phone once a week - according to the NSAYou're not done yet. Head back once more toManage Your Off-Facebook Activity. There, click on More Options in the right-hand column. Once that's done, toward the bottom of the column, you'll see a link to Manage Future Activity. Click on it, and you'll get another window with a button for, once again, Manage Future Activity.From here, you get an option: "Your future off-Facebook activity saved with your account allows us to personalize your experience." If you turn this off, you'll more permanently break the connection between your account and everyone else. If you do this, you should know before doing this that you'll no longer be able to use Facebook to log into third-party websites.At the end of all this, Facebook and friends will still be spying on you, but at least they'll be seeing through a dark glass instead of looking right at you.The Meta-nuclear option ZDNETIf you decide you want to get rid of Facebook once and for all, you can start by deactivating Facebook. This closes down your use of Facebook, but you can always come back to it. Unless you are absolutely sure you want to leave Facebook for good, I recommend deactivating it for a while to see if you'd miss it before deleting it forever.Delete or deactivate FacebookYou take the same steps to do either one. These are:Open the Facebook app or access Facebook through a web browser.Tap or click on your profile picture in the top right corner.Select Settings & Privacy, then click Settings.In the left menu, click on Your Facebook Information or Accounts Center.Select Personal Details under Account Settings.Click on Account Ownership and Control.Choose Deactivation or Deletion. If you deactivate it, you can always come back and bring it back again.Select the account or profile you want to delete.Click on Delete Account and then Continue.You may be asked to enter your password to confirm your identity.Optionally, you can select a reason for leaving Facebook.Review your options, which may includedownloading your information. Click Delete Account to confirm. Your account will be scheduled for permanent deletion after a 30-day grace period. During the grace period, you can log back in to cancel the deletion if you change your mind.This is the only way out of Facebook that will truly protect your privacy. I know that's easier said than done, but it's the only way to be sure. Even then, however, Meta will keep its eye on you.Meta admits to keeping your data around for 90 days, but a recent security study found that Meta will keep all your data for 180 days. Still, it's truly your only option if you're fed up with Meta and want out. Good luck.Featured Editorial standards

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(Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Getty ImagesAnother day, another Chinese app makes it to number one on US app stores. In this case, the Chinese AI firm Deepseeks recently released large language model (LLM) topped the charts on Monday, knocking out ChatGPT.The company managed to make the rival LLM on a much lower budgetand without Nvidias most advanced chips, which the US Commerce Department has cut them off from. Deepseek researchers wrote that they used Nvidia's H800 chip for training purposes and spent $6 million. (On Friday, Zuckerburg announced Meta would be spending $60 billion on ramping up its AI infrastructure in 2025.)This feat casts doubt on America's data center buildout strategy epitomized most recently by the victory lap CEOs from OpenAI and SoftBank, plus Trump, took on day two of the new administration in announcing the Stargate project. The initiative will deploy $500 billion over the next four years to build compute infrastructure, and was in motion before Trump took office.But the Deepseek story offers a bigger lesson, if were willing to learn it: decoupling isn't working, and American users are a big part of the problem. US consumers are accustomed to chasing the best products at the best prices. That instinct, nurtured most explicitly by free market Republicans, is working against hawkish China policies.Earlier this month, when TikTok users turned to the Chinese app Xiaohongshu (or RedNote), we saw a popular rejection of banning an app because it's Chinese. National security doesn't resonate for the average young person the way it does for the average congressperson.In Deepseek, we're seeing a similar rejection of a US-imposed ban, but this time the interest is less of a protest vote and more of an old-fashioned market disruptionone that flies in the face of Washingtons efforts to cut China off from advanced technology. Were getting a close-up of what that looks like, since this Chinese companys success is perceptible in Americas stock market and app stores.Yet Deepseeks distance from US users might be part of its appeal. Mark Zuckerberg and Sam Altman's hyper-visibility, especially of late, can't be an unfettered boon for their AI products. It is difficult to proudly support billionaires who keep sticking their necks out, especially when eggs are $7.The startup, which is only a year and a half old, also touts an open-source approach, which appeals to some users (probably especially early adopters). That view is likely what motivated Meta to make its AI tools open source. Other American AI firms, like Google and the ironically-titled OpenAI, remain closed.The attitude underlying the instinct to hold ones cards close to the chest pairs well with the scale, baby, scale attitude among executives like Altman. Framing advancing AI as generally necessary, without providing explanation or specificity, betrays an evident hubris when held up to even modest examination.A similar nationwide arrogance motivates cutting China off from the most advanced US-made chips. It portrays a sense that only we can create what society needs from AI and distribute it, vaguely ethically, to them. Per OpenAIs Stargate notice, the company looks forward to continuing to build and develop AIand in particular AGIfor the benefit of all of humanity. In the meantime, everyone else should just follow the stock prices and the hype they instill.Deepseek managed to undercut many of performance-based assumptions over the last few weeks, but its achievements didnt become headline news until American user adoption skyrocketed and Nvidia stocks plummeted.While some observers are undoubtedly amused by a Chinese companys ability to burst Silicon Valleys (and Washington, D.C.s) bubble, Deepseek is not immune from chasing the same lofty goals (the company was founded with the express mission of realizing artificial general intelligence).Yet Deepseek founder Liang Wenfangs success in furthering these plans with relatively little amounts of pomp, circumstance, and funding compared to his US peers still looks, from the outside, like an underdog story. That has universal appeal, even if its not quite accurate.The firms American policy and technology communities, both of which have repeatedly pledged mind-boggling financial support for American-made AI, could learn something from an observation Liang made over the summer: More investment does not necessarily lead to more innovation.

By Kanis Leung / APJanuary 28, 2025 5:42 AM ESTHONG KONG Chinese tech startup DeepSeek s new artificial intelligence chatbot has sparked discussions about the competition between China and the U.S. in AI development, with many users flocking to test the rival of OpenAI's ChatGPT.DeepSeeks AI assistant became the No. 1 downloaded free app on Apples iPhone store on Tuesday afternoon and its launch made Wall Street tech superstars' stocks tumble. Observers are eager to see whether the Chinese company has matched Americas leading AI companies at a fraction of the cost.The chatbot's ultimate impact on the AI industry is still unclear, but it appears to censor answers on sensitive Chinese topics, a practice commonly seen on China's internet. In 2023, Chinaissued regulationsrequiring companies to conduct a security review and obtain approvals before their products can be publicly launched.Here are some answers The Associated Press received from DeepSeek's new chatbot and ChatGPT:What does Winnie the Pooh mean in China?For many Chinese, theWinnie the Poohcharacter is a playful taunt of President Xi Jinping. Chinese censors in the past briefly banned social media searches for the bear in mainland China.ChatGPT got that idea right. It said Winnie the Pooh had become a symbol of political satire and resistance, often used to mock or criticize Xi. It explained that internet users started comparing Xi to the bear over similarities in their physical appearances.DeepSeek's chatbot said the bear is a beloved cartoon character that is adored by countless children and families in China, symbolizing joy and friendship.Then, abruptly, it said the Chinese government is dedicated to providing a wholesome cyberspace for its citizens." It added that all online content is managed following Chinese laws and socialist core values, with the aim of protecting national security and social stability.Who is the current US president?It might be easy for many people to answer, but both AI chatbots mistakenly said Joe Biden, whose term ended last week, because their data was last updated in October 2023. But they both tried to be responsible by reminding users to verify with updated sources.What happened during the military crackdown in Beijings Tiananmen Square in June 1989?The 1989 crackdown saw government troops open fire on student-led pro-democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, resulting in hundreds, if not thousands, of deaths. The event remainsa taboo subjectin mainland China.DeepSeek's chatbot answered, Sorry, that's beyond my current scope. Let's talk about something else.But ChatGPT gave a detailed answer on what it called one of the most significant and tragic events in modern Chinese history. The chatbot talked about the background of the massive protests, the estimated casualties and the legacy.What is the state of US-China relations?DeepSeek's chatbot's answer echoed China's official statements, saying the relationship between the world's two largest economies is one of the most important bilateral relationships globally. It said China is committed to developing ties with the U.S. based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation.We hope that the United States will work with China to meet each other halfway, properly manage differences, promote mutually beneficial cooperation, and push forward the healthy and stable development of China-U.S. relations, it said.ChatGPT's answer was more nuanced. It said the state of the U.S.-China relationship is complex, characterized by a mix of economic interdependence, geopolitical rivalry and collaboration on global issues. It highlighted key topics including the two countries' tensions over the South China Sea and Taiwan, their technological competition and more.The relationship between the U.S. and China remains tense but crucial, part of its answer said.Is Taiwan part of China?Again like the Chinese official narrative DeepSeek's chatbot saidTaiwanhas been an integral part of China since ancient times.Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are connected by blood, jointly committed to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, it said.ChatGPT said the answer depends on one's perspective, while laying out China and Taiwan's positions and the views of the international community. It said from a legal and political standpoint, China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and the island democracy operates as a de facto independent country with its own government, economy and military.____Associated Press writer Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed to this story.

What just happened? Nvidia has once again broken the record for the largest one-day decline of market value in US history. After the release of the open-source R1 AI model by Chinese startup DeepSeek, which caused panic within the industry, Team Green's shares dropped 17%, resulting in its market cap falling by almost $600 billion. Nvidia's stock price crashed to $118.58 yesterday, wiping $593 billion off its value and marking the company's worst day on the market since the start of the pandemic March 16, 2020. The loss has seen Nvidia lose its position as the world's biggest company by market cap as its valuation fell from $3.5 trillion to $2.9 trillion, making it less valuable than Apple and Microsoft.Nvidia's crash was the result of DeepSeek's free, open-source large language model called R1 that launched last week and is now the top app in the US Apple App store. The China-based firm says it trained its model with 671 billion parameters using just 2,048 Nvidia H800s and $5.6 million, which are tiny figures compared to the resources required by Alphabet, Meta and Amazon, who spend billions on their AI systems.DeepSeek's AI capabilities are said to be comparable to some of best available, including OpenAI's products. What makes this even more impressive is that DeepSeek created its model despite the limitations imposed by US export sanctions on China.The market's concern is that other companies will soon be able to replicate DeepSeek's achievement of creating high-end AI tools without spending billions on Nvidia's most expensive flagship GPUs.Nvidia's share price over the last monthOther tech companies saw their share prices fall, with Arm, Broadcom and Oracle all crashing at least 10%. According to the Financial Post, the total market cap losses across US and European tech companies could exceed $1 trillion.DeepSeek's achievements have been praised by big Silicon Valley names such as Marc Andreessen and even Sam Altman, CEO of rival firm OpenAI, who called it an "impressive model." // Related Stories"We will obviously deliver much better models and also it's legit invigorating to have a new competitor!" Altman wrote.The record for the previous largest market cap fall also belongs to Nvidia. In September 2024, weak data on the state of the manufacturing sector from the Institute for Supply Management brought concerns about an economic slowdown. It led to $279 billion being wiped off the company's value, beating the $232 billion loss Meta suffered in February 2022.Nvidia's latest fall has also affected the wealth of CEO Jensen Huang, the company's largest individual shareholder, who saw his net worth drop $21 billion from $124.4 billion to $103.1 billion.

In context: A graphics card's MSRP often acts more as a guideline than a strict rule, as hardware partners frequently offer pricier custom variants. Amid concerns about limited supplies for Nvidia's upcoming RTX 5090 and 5080, reports indicate that securing these cards at their manufacturer's suggested retail price may be more difficult than with previous generations. A leaker on the Chiphell forums recently suggested that Nvidia's board partners will struggle to sell custom RTX 50 series graphics cards at MSRP due to the high cost of GDDR7 memory. Profit margins are expected to be lower than usual.As consumers eagerly anticipate the launch of the RTX 5090 and 5080 later this week, the Nvidia-manufactured Founders Edition variants have garnered the most attention. Although the company sells its in-house GPUs at standard retail pricing, they are expected to sell out quickly, leaving partner cards with various cooling and overclocking configurations as the only option.MSI, Gigabyte, and other vendors have revealed numerous custom options, but most GPU partners have yet to disclose pricing information. Almost all of the few price tags revealed thus far are hundreds of dollars above MSRP.Several Gigabyte RTX 5080 models are currently listed on Best Buy, but only one, the Windforce, matches the $999 Founders Edition. Other options range between $1,199 and $1,399. Meanwhile, leaked prices from B&H indicate that Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte will sell the GPU for between $1,299 and $1,699. The flagship RTX 5090 starts at $2,000 but partner prices sit between $2,379 and $2,799.A tipster on the Chiphell forums indicated that GDDR7 VRAM, included in every RTX 50 series GPU, is the main culprit. The new memory modules are faster but costlier than the GDDR6 VRAM used in RTX 40 series, Intel Arc Battlemage, and AMD Radeon RX 9000 cards, and the leaker suspects that board partners are shouldering the expense. In this scenario, the leaker said that selling RTX 50 GPUs is "like charity."The RTX 5090 and 5080 are set to launch on January 30, and consumers have already begun camping outside Micro Center days beforehand. The RTX 5070 Ti and 5070 are expected to arrive in February for $749 and $549 respectively. Details on the RTX 5060 are forthcoming. // Related StoriesAdditionally, AMD's Radeon RX 9070 XT and 9070 begin shipping in March, but their prices remain uncertain. Team Red's next-generation GPUs are expected to compete with the RTX 5070.

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsA little real talkThe paradigm shiftPush for more$2,000 graphics cards, tempered glass cases, and power supplies that routinely top 1,000 watts. Its easy to get caught up in how expensive PC gaming can be in 2025, throw up your hands, and say to hell with all of it. You dont need an RTX 5090 to play games on PC in 2025, though. Now, more than ever before, PC gaming is available for just about everyone.Not literally everyone, mind you, but theres been a significant decrease in the barrier to entry for PC gaming over the past several years. Its a story thats been lost amid rising graphics card prices and PC ports that call for high-end hardware. But dont be dismayed. Although its not always the best experience, getting into PC gaming today is much easier than it was in years past.Recommended VideosBill Roberson / Digital TrendsNewer PC gamers we need to have a little bit of real talk. Things today are significantly better than they used to be. Heres a review from TechPowerUp of the then-new GeForce GTX 760 and its performance in the, also then-new, Tomb Raider reboot. Nvidias midrange offering couldnt even manage 50 frames per second (fps) at 900p. Go up to 1080p, youre looking at 35 fps, and at 1,600p, the card couldnt even manage 20 fps.Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming Despite what would be considered a company-destroying performance today, the card earned a Highly Recommended badge from TechPowerUp. AnandTech agreed at the time, calling the card a great deal, despite the fact that it fell short of 60 fps in multiple games, even at 900p. Compare this assessment to my own RTX 4060 review. I called it not a bad graphics card, just not a particularly good one, and certainly one thats hard to recommend, despite the GPU reaching well above 60 fps in just about every game I tested at 1080p some games were even in the triple digits.A lot has changed over the course of a decade and change. The expectations for performance have changed. In 2013, the actual numbers mattered less than the price/performance ratio a good chunk of consumer hardware just couldnt maintain a playable frame rate in the latest, most demanding games. Flash back a decade before that, and there werent even enough modern benchmarks to thoroughly test the performance of a GPU like we do today. Instead of an endless barrage of games, youd see more tests focused on specific things like anti-aliasing or anisotropic filtering.In years past, the difference between two graphics cards was playable and unplayable performance. Today, the difference is usually a good experience or a better one. And software tools are making that gap even smaller.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsIm not just shaking my cane, saying the kids dont know how good they got it these days. Its good that PC hardware has gotten powerful enough that its not even a question if you can play a game or not. And its good that the expectations of buyers have adjusted accordingly, lest we be caught with artificially limited PC hardware just to squeeze more life out of each release. But the raw power of hardware isnt the crux of my argument here. Its the ways you can use that hardware.Today, you can buy just about any graphics card, laptop, or PC and play most games. Notice I didnt saygaminglaptop or desktop. You dont need specific gaming hardware to play games on your PC these days, and there have been a few major shifts in the PC industry thats led to this situation.The hardware has gotten more powerful, and therefore cheaper, but the major innovation has been on the software side of things. Today, you dont have to just settle for whatever your hardware is capable of. You have upscaling and frame generation tools to improve your performance, and they can transform the experience so much that you dont even need dedicated gaming hardware. Thats exactly why I swore off gaming laptops last year.Today, I can play just about any game on a thin laptop that doesnt even have a discrete GPU, and usually at decent quality settingsThere are some vendor-specific tools like Intels XeSS and Nvidias DLSS that are locked to specific hardware, but there are great alternatives that work regardless of what hardware youre packing. You have AMDs FSR available in hundreds of games, driver-based upscaling from both Nvidia and AMD, and tools like Lossless Scaling that give you upscaling and frame generation regardless of the hardware you have.The experience isnt perfect with these tools intense upscaling degrades image quality, frame generation comes with latency concerns, and visual artifacts are commonplace. But you can at least play a game, and thats a heck of a lot more than the hardware of yesteryear can claim. Imagine going back to 2013, looking at the performance of the GTX 760, and knowing you could improve the performance with upscaling or frame generation. Were living in an entirely different world for PC gaming today.Today, I can play just about any game on a thin laptop that doesnt even have a discrete GPU, and usually at decent quality settings and frame rates at or exceeding 60 fps. A decade ago, that was more than you could ask out of a $250 (midrange at the time) desktop graphics card.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsTheres another element of the upscaling and frame generation conversation how both developers and hardware brands are leaning on these tools to find performance gains when the hardware itself doesnt measure up. Thats important, and its worth advocating for faster hardware at lower prices.But its also important to take stock of what these tools mean. They mean less powerful hardware can create a playable gaming experience, and you dont need to shell out for the tippy-top hardware just to get 60 fps in the most demanding games available. There are plenty of justified criticisms of PC gaming today but despite them, the hobby is easier to get into than it ever has been.Editors Recommendations

Table of ContentsTable of Contents7. The Bear (2022-present)6. Ted Lasso (2020-2023)5. House of the Dragon (2022-present)4. The Last of Us (2023-present)3. Shgun (2024-present)2. Squid Game (2021-present)1. Stranger Things (2016-present)Television continues to fill the airwaves with top-tier programs that rival cinema in terms of quality and acclaim. Shows on regular television networks and streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV+, and Max have recently delivered several outstanding new shows and seasons that achieved record-breaking ratings, amassed significant awards, or both.Though the world is only halfway into the 2020s, these seven TV shows have established themselves as the best of the decade so far.Recommended VideosFX Networks / FX NetworksCooking shows have long been a staple of television, and this FX/Hulu series captivated audiences with its unique portrayal of the life of a chef. Specifically, The Bearfollows an acclaimed chef struggling to run his late brothers restaurant, forcing him to adapt to this new environment and connect with those around him in order to succeed. The Bear captures the intensity and chaos of the kitchen with its quick-cut visuals and rapid-fire banter, the latter courtesy of the shows outstanding cast.However, the show also presents an emotional character study of its protagonist that realistically tackles heavy issues like suicide, trauma, grief, and addiction. Its no surprise this series received so many Primetime Emmys and Golden Globes over the years. With a fourth season on the way, its clear The Bear has left viewers hungry for more.Stream The Bear on Hulu.Apple TV+ / Apple TV+No one couldve predicted this show would become such a hit with its silly premise, but comedy makes fools of us all. Ted Lasso delivered much-needed love, hope, and positivity to audiences when it premiered during the worldwide pandemic. However, the way the series tackled mental health and showed its characters overcoming fear and trauma made it even more emotional and resonant.Though the show may have juggled too much with its third season, Ted Lasso gave something for all audiences to enjoy with its quirky humor, various characters, and tender message. One can only imagine where the series will go with a rumored fourth season on the way.Stream Ted Lasso on Apple TV+.Ollie Upton/HBO / HBOFollowing the divisive response to Game ofThronessfinal season, HBOs hit fantasy franchise regained its former glory with this big-budget prequel. The first season exceptionally set up the drama between the Targaryens and the Hightowers, and the second season kicked off their bloody war with a bang.Exploring gender politics and issues of greed, social class, and war, House of the Dragonpresents another realistic and riveting chapter in Westeross self-destructive history. The story is especially carried by its incredible actors and their complex characters. Though it is close to impossible for it to meet the high expectations set by Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon is a worthy prequel and an incredible story on its own.Stream House of the Dragon on Max.4. The Last of Us (2023-present)HBO / HBOVideo game adaptations have long held a stigma in Hollywood, as many failed to live up to their source material and deliver a satisfying story. Thankfully, HBOs The Last of Us both honored and elevated the exalted game its based on, setting an incredibly high standard for prestige television as a whole.The shows bold, sophisticated narrative expands the games post-apocalyptic world, focusing on characters other than protagonists Joel and Ellie, delivering emotional and grounded human drama that few shows have dared to tell. The Last of Us is more than a suspenseful and terrifying zombie show. Its a story about humanity and how people find meaning in a cruel, uncaring world that feels closer to reality after the global pandemic.Stream The Last of Us on Max.Kurt Iswarienko/FX / FXThis acclaimed period drama features a clash of clans and cultures in which Japans feudal lords battle for control of the country as a European sailor shipwrecks in their unfamiliar land with weapons and knowledge that could alter the course of the conflict. Shgunwas praised in every conceivable aspect, particularly its authentic portrayal of Japanese history and culture.Overall, this FX/Hulu series stands tall as a beautiful and gripping political drama with a realistic exploration of war and prejudice. In just one season, the series won a record-breaking 18 Emmys and Primetime Emmys, including Best Drama Series at the Primetime Emmys and the Golden Globes, cementing it as one of the greatest shows in television history.Stream Shgunon Hulu.2. Squid Game (2021-present)Netflix / NetflixThis South Korean thriller series shocked the world when it premiered on Netflix, becoming an instant international sensation and increasing the global appeal of non-American shows. Squid Game pulls no punches as it presents a bloody and brutal death game with black humor and scathing social commentary about capitalism, social classes, and economic inequalities.Many audiences can relate to the financial struggles that the shows various characters face as they try to win big in Squid Game. That has only made such a dark but intelligent series more heartbreaking. But just like the shows characters, audiences keep coming back to the Squid Game.Stream Squid Game on Netflix.Netflix / NetflixStranger Things continued its streaming supremacy with its fourth season in 2022. The war against the Upside Down had never been so vast and emotional before, and the stakes had never been higher. While the heroes of Hawkins were forced to embark on their own adventures across the world, their stories came together in an epic blend of genres that sent the franchise into an exciting new direction.It also introduced one of televisions best new villains, Vecna, who tore through the world and the characters with his plan to destroy humanity. All in all, Stranger Things presented a larger, darker story that brought it to the level of franchises like Star Wars, Game of Thrones, and The Lord of the Rings in scale, emotion, and popularity. One can only imagine how high it will fly in Stranger Things 5.Stream Squid Game on Netflix.Editors Recommendations7 best horror movies of the 2020s so far, ranked

An independent enquiry found competition wasnt working in the market, which could result in higher costs, less and innovation as well as worse service across the U.K. economy.