Automattic Headlines
Latest news and coverage for Automattic
Recent Headlines
63 headlinesComputerworld
Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg is out: Does this mean long-term viability, or liability, for WordPress customers?
Analysis piece examining what Matt Mullenweg's forced leave from Automattic means for enterprise WordPress users, noting he still personally controls WordPress.org and its update pipeline.
The Verge
Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg placed on leave
The Verge reports that Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg has been placed on a paid leave of absence, with the company confirming CFO Mark Davies will serve as interim CEO.
TechCrunch
Automattic's board forces CEO Matt Mullenweg into leave of absence
Automattic's board voted to place founder and CEO Matt Mullenweg on a paid leave of absence against his wishes, with CFO Mark Davies named interim CEO. Mullenweg described the move in an internal Slack message as a board conspiracy.
TechRepublic
WordPress Launches Free Student Plan
TechRepublic reports on Automattic's WordPress.com Education program, which gives students a free plan for 12 months, including full web-building tools and no credit card requirement.
TechCrunch
WordPress.com targets the next generation of web creators with a free student plan
Automattic's WordPress.com introduces WordPress.com Education, giving teachers and students access to a free Student plan with hosting, domains, plugin support, and more for the first year.
Microsoft Newsroom
COSS Companies Sign Open Letter Urging US to Encourage Development of Open Weight Models
The Linux Foundation joined Cisco, Dell Technologies, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, NVIDIA and other industry signatories in an open letter which makes the case that open weight models are an essential part of the foundation for secure, universally accessible and innovative AI . The letter argues that the right response to the real risks of open weights is a stronger open ecosystem rather than prohibition, and that policymakers should encourage rather than restrict frontier open models.
Variety
Automattic Champions Open Source in New Documentry Film
Variety article on new Automattic film.
Online Store News
WooCommerce’s New Block Editor Overhaul Is Reshaping the WordPress Store Experience – Online Store News
WooCommerce released a major block editor overhaul bringing product pages, cart, and checkout into the WordPress Site Editor, improving performance and customization.
Ecommerce Times
Is WooCommerce’s Parent Automattic Quietly Preparing to Spin It Off? – Ecommerce Times
Unconfirmed rumors suggest Automattic may spin off WooCommerce, with PE firms showing interest, causing concern among agencies and merchants.
Web Hosting News
Automattic just turned WordPress's 23-year-old admin panel into desktop OS, in three days - Web Hosting News
Automattic releases Desktop Mode plugin for WordPress, transforming the admin panel into a desktop-like environment with draggable windows and virtual spaces.
Online Store News
WooCommerce 9.0 Drops: What Store Owners Must Know Now – Online Store News
WooCommerce 9.0 is released with a rebuilt block checkout, AI-powered search, and a Composable Data Layer for headless commerce.
Ecommerce Times
WooCommerce’s Alleged Gutenberg Breakup Is Splitting WordPress Commerce – Ecommerce Times
Internal sources suggest Automattic may decouple WooCommerce front-end from Gutenberg, signaling a strategic pivot.
Online Store News
Is WooCommerce’s Parent Company Quietly Exploring a Sale? – Online Store News
Rumors that Automattic has held preliminary talks about selling WooCommerce to strategic buyers.
The Blog Herald
The people arguing about WordPress went quiet in 2026 and the problems that caused the argument are still there - The Blog Herald
Analysis of ongoing WordPress governance issues and the unresolved structural problems involving Automattic and Matt Mullenweg.
WordPress.com News
WordPress.com Is Now Available in Stripe Projects – WordPress.com News
WordPress.com is now available as a provider on Stripe Projects, allowing developers to provision sites via CLI.
Online Store News
Is WooCommerce Quietly Losing Automattic’s Full Backing? – Online Store News
Article explores rumors that Automattic is reducing investment in WooCommerce, based on insider sources and partner feedback.
Online Store News
Is WooCommerce Quietly Bleeding Enterprise Merchants to Shopify Plus? – Online Store News
Reports that enterprise merchants are leaving WooCommerce for Shopify Plus, citing hosting costs, plugin risks, and Shopify's enterprise features.
Ecommerce Times
WooCommerce 9.0 Ships With Native AI Search and Checkout Blocks — But Is It Enough to Stop Platform Defections? – Ecommerce Times
WooCommerce 9.0 launches with native AI search, redesigned checkout blocks, and performance improvements, aiming to retain merchants considering migration.
WordPress.com News
WordPress 7.0 Is Here: Everything You Need to Know
WordPress 7.0 'Armstrong' is released with AI foundations, editor improvements, new blocks, and performance upgrades.
The Register
Automattic's CMS empire shows cracks as WordPress share falls
WordPress market share declines for six straight months, potentially linked to the WP Engine dispute, as competitors gain ground.
openalternative.co
10+ Best Open Source WordPress Alternatives in 2026
A curated list of open source WordPress alternatives, including a description of TinaCMS as a headless CMS with real-time editing and Git-based workflows.
webhosting.today
Stop Selling Hosting, Start Selling the Outcome – Jesse Friedman, Head of WP Cloud at Automattic - webhosting.today
Interview with Jesse Friedman discussing AI in hosting, WP Cloud strategy, and the future of WordPress.
Online Store News
Is Automattic Preparing to Spin Off WooCommerce? – Online Store News
Rumors and internal discussions suggest Automattic may spin off WooCommerce into a standalone entity to unlock its value.
webhosting.today
WordPress Foundation Dissolution Case - webhosting.today
Article covers the legal dispute between WP Engine and Automattic, including WP Engine's motion to dissolve the WordPress Foundation, and the upcoming court hearing.
Automattic
Automattic Joins the Tech Coalition – Automattic
Automattic announces membership in the Tech Coalition, a group of tech companies working to combat child sexual exploitation online.
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