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DW Weekly #207 – China disagrees with Trump over $54B TikTok deal due to tariffs rise

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6 – 14 April 2025


 People, Person, Crowd, Face, Head, Audience

Dear readers,

Last week, we saw the TikTok saga unfold as the Chinese government has not agreed to sell the ByteDance daughter company to a US majority TikTok entity, so US President Donald Trump extended the deadline to find a non-Chinese buyer by another 75 days, pushing the cutoff to mid-June after a near-miss on 5 April.

Amid the tariff rise turmoil, President Donald Trump’s administration has granted exemptions from steep tariffs on smartphones, laptops, and other electronics, relieving tech giants like Apple and Dell. 

The cryptocurrency landscape was waved by a blockchain analytics firm, which has alleged that the team behind the Melania Meme (MELANIA) cryptocurrency moved $30 million worth of tokens, allegedly taken from community reserves without explanation.

In the ever-evolving world of AI, two leading AI systems, OpenAI’s GPT-4.5 and Meta’s Llama-3.1, have passed a key milestone by outperforming humans in a modern version of the Turing Test. 

On the cybersecurity stage, Oracle Health has reportedly suffered a data breach that compromised sensitive patient information stored by US hospitals.

The European Union has firmly ruled out dismantling its strict digital regulations in a bid to secure a trade deal with Donald Trump. Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s top official for digital policy, said the bloc remained fully committed to its digital rulebook instead of relaxing its standards to satisfy US demands.

Meta’s existence is threatened by a colossal antitrust trial which commenced in Washington, with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) arguing that the company’s acquisitions of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 were designed to crush competition with monopoly aims instead of fostering innovation.

Elon Musk’s legal saga with OpenAI intensifies, as OpenAI has filed a countersuit accusing the billionaire entrepreneur of a sustained campaign of harassment intended to damage the company and regain control over its AI developments.

For the main updates and reflections, consult the Radar and Reading Corner below.

DW Team


RADAR

Highlights from the week of 6 – 14 April 2025

meta brazil hate speech policy

Wynn-Williams says Meta executives prioritised business growth in China over national security.

Algorithms confront tariffs featured image

The Nasdaq jumped over 12%, its best day in decades, following a temporary halt on trade tariffs by the Trump administration.

deepseek AI China research innovation

Data stored today could be vulnerable to decryption in the near future.

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Instagram users under 16 won’t be able to livestream or view blurred nudity in messages unless approved by a parent, Meta announced.

openAI Sam Altman TED 2025 ChatGPT users

OpenAI is developing agents that can act autonomously on behalf of users, with safeguards.

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Energy connection delays face AI-powered fix through Google’s new initiative.

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The 71% discount on Google Workspace is part of a cost-cutting initiative under President Trump’s government reform, targeting federal spending efficiency.

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A discussion paper on crypto regulation in Japan highlights issues like market access, insider trading, and classification of assets into funding and non-funding categories.

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As AI demand shifts, Microsoft has slowed down major data centre projects, including the one in Ohio, and plans to invest $80 billion in AI infrastructure this year.


READING CORNER
navigating the ai maze featured image

With over 10,000 AI applications available, selecting the right AI tool can be daunting. Diplo advocates starting with a ‘good enough’ tool to avoid paralysis by analysis, tailoring it to specific needs through practical use.

BLOG featured image 2025 54

International Geneva faces significant challenges, including financial constraints, waning multilateralism, and escalating geopolitical tensions. To remain relevant, it must embrace transformative changes, particularly through Artificial Intelligence (AI).

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Founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975, Microsoft grew from a small startup into the world’s largest software company. Through strategic acquisitions, the company expanded into diverse sectors,…

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Do ideas have origins? From medieval communes to WWI, Aldo Matteucci shows how political thought, like a river, is shaped by experience, institutions, and historical context — not just theory.

UPCOMING EVENTS
gitex africa
www.diplomacy.edu

GITEX Africa 2025 Jovan Kurbalija will participate at GITEX Africa (14-16 April 2025 in Marrakech, Morocco).

Geneva Internet Platform
www.diplomacy.edu

Tech attache briefing: WSIS+20 and AI governance negotiations – Updates and next steps. The event is part of a series of regular briefings the Geneva

 Internet Platform (GIP) is delivering for diplomats at permanent missions and delegations in Geneva following digital policy issues. It is an invitation-only event.
geneva human rights platform
23 April 2025
The event will provide a timely discussion on methods, approaches, and solutions for AI transformation of International Organisaitons. 
WIPO
dig.watch

WIPO’s 11th Conversation on IP and AI will take place on April 23-24, 2025, focusing on the role of copyright infrastructure in supporting both rights holders and AI-driven innovation. As…