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Britain’s CMA sets roadmap for Big Tech regulation

Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced its focus will be on interventions that directly affect UK consumers and businesses. The regulator will release a ‘roadmap’ to guide Big Tech companies, clarifying which issues it plans to prioritise and which it may deprioritise. The roadmap will also outline potential future interventions if companies are designated as having strategic market status, including tech giants like Google and Apple.

CEO Sarah Cardell emphasised that the CMA would act with a ‘more nuanced approach’ to promote competition while fostering business growth. With new powers to investigate firms with significant turnover in the UK, the CMA will continue its work to ensure fairness and transparency in the digital markets. The first roadmaps for investigations into search engines and mobile platforms are set to be released in June and July 2025.

The CMA’s strategy aligns with a pro-business direction, as the UK government aims to boost investor confidence while maintaining competitive markets. This initiative follows the appointment of Doug Gurr, former head of Amazon UK, as interim chair, signaling the government’s commitment to balancing regulation with economic growth.

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Poland pushes ahead with tech tax despite US criticism

Poland’s deputy prime minister reaffirmed plans to introduce a new tax on big tech firms despite warnings from the incoming US ambassador, intensifying tensions between Warsaw and Washington. Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski dismissed Ambassador Thomas Rose’s remarks as interference, calling it ‘sick’ for another country to dictate Poland’s legislation.

The dispute adds to growing friction between the two allies, fueled by a recent online clash involving US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Elon Musk, and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski over Poland’s funding of Ukraine’s Starlink services. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also weighed in, cautioning against ‘arrogance’ from Poland’s allies.

While Gawkowski has not provided specifics on the proposed tax, he suggested it would target the profits of major tech companies operating in Poland and support local tech development. However, some within Poland’s coalition government question the timing, warning of potential trade consequences. Meanwhile, the nationalist opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) argues that the move risks straining relations with Washington.

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Chinese investors turn to AI for stock market edge

Chinese retail investors are rapidly embracing AI tools like DeepSeek to navigate the stock market, marking a striking shift from last year’s government crackdown on computer-driven quantitative trading.

Online courses and packed training rooms reflect a growing eagerness among small-time traders to use AI-powered models, with many seeing them as essential in the digital age.

DeepSeek, developed by a hedge fund in Hangzhou, has not only boosted Chinese stocks but also reshaped perceptions of the country’s $700 billion hedge fund industry.

Despite the initial backlash against quant funds, which were previously blamed for market volatility, investors are now paying thousands of yuan to attend AI trading seminars.

Social media is flooded with courses teaching traders how to use DeepSeek to analyse companies, pick stocks, and even code their own trading strategies.

While major US funds like BlackRock and Renaissance Technologies have long used AI for investments, DeepSeek’s open-source model makes these tools accessible to China’s smaller asset managers and individual traders.

Financial institutions are also adapting to the AI-driven shift. Brokers are rushing to integrate AI models into their platforms, with industry leaders predicting a complete transformation in how Chinese investors make decisions.

Many now seek trading advice from DeepSeek instead of human wealth managers, reflecting a deep trust in the technology. However, experts warn that AI models still have limitations and could create market risks, especially if large numbers of traders act on the same signals.

While some remain cautious about AI’s role in investing, DeepSeek has undeniably changed public attitudes towards quant fund managers.

Many now view them as contributors to market efficiency rather than as culprits behind retail losses. As China’s stock market continues to evolve, AI looks set to play an increasingly dominant role in shaping investor behaviour.

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Meta AI widget now available for WhatsApp beta testers

WhatsApp is set to introduce a new Meta AI widget that will allow users to access its AI capabilities directly from their home screens.

The widget, now in beta testing, eliminates the need to open the app to interact with Meta’s AI, making it quicker and more convenient to use.

Users can ask questions, upload images, and even activate the AI’s voice mode directly from their device’s home screen.

This new feature is expected to make Meta AI even more accessible, helping to increase its popularity among WhatsApp users.

Powered by the company’s Llama language model, the AI is already capable of answering questions, generating images, and participating in both individual and group conversations.

The widget is adjustable, letting users resize it according to their preferences. While it’s currently only available to a limited group of users, WhatsApp plans to make it available to everyone in the coming months.

However, this addition comes as part of a wider rollout of new features within WhatsApp, including preset chat themes and shareable sticker packs.

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House Committee pushes Google to restore free speech on YouTube

Rep. Jim Jordan, Chairman of the US House Judiciary Committee, has subpoenaed Alphabet, the parent company of Google, demanding documents that show whether YouTube removed content due to requests from the Biden administration.

Jordan has long argued that Big Tech companies, including Google, have collaborated with the US government to suppress conservative speech. He believes that these actions constitute unlawful censorship, with YouTube allegedly playing a role.

This subpoena comes after the Committee’s successful investigation into Meta, which led the company to admit that it had bowed to pressure from the Biden administration, adjusting its content moderation policies and promising to restore free speech on its platforms.

Jordan is now pushing Alphabet to follow Meta’s lead and provide transparency on its own content moderation practices.

Google has responded by stating that its content policies are enforced independently, asserting its commitment to free expression.

However, the company has yet to provide a detailed response to Jordan’s subpoena or the claims of governmental influence. Also, this ongoing investigation signals that the scrutiny of Big Tech’s role in content moderation is far from over.

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Telegram faces regional ban in Russia amid security fears

Authorities in the Russian regions of Dagestan and Chechnya have moved to block Telegram, citing security concerns.

The decision was made after the messaging app was reportedly used by enemies to organise unrest, including the October 2023 anti-Israel riots at Makhachkala airport.

During these riots, protesters, spurred by Telegram channels, attempted to attack passengers arriving from Israel. Telegram condemned the attack and stated that it had blocked the related channels.

Dagestan’s digital development minister, Yuri Gamzatov, stated that the decision to block Telegram came from the federal government. He acknowledged that Telegram might be unblocked in the future but encouraged users to switch to other messaging platforms in the meantime.

Telegram, which has nearly 1 billion users, has faced tensions with the Russian government before. Despite previous attempts by Moscow to block the platform, it remains widely used in Russia and other former Soviet republics.

Telegram did not respond immediately to requests for comment on the regional bans.

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Authors challenge Meta’s use of their books in AI training

A lawsuit filed by authors Richard Kadrey, Sarah Silverman, and Ta-Nehisi Coates against Meta has taken a significant step forward as a federal judge has ruled that the case will continue.

The authors allege that Meta used their books to train its Llama AI models without consent, violating their intellectual property rights.

They further claim that Meta intentionally removed copyright management information (CMI) from the works to conceal the alleged infringement.

Meta, however, defends its actions, arguing that the training of AI models qualifies as fair use and that the authors lack standing to sue.

Despite this, the judge allowed the lawsuit to move ahead, acknowledging that the authors’ claims suggest concrete injury, specifically regarding the removal of CMI to hide the use of copyrighted works.

While the lawsuit touches on several legal points, the judge dismissed claims related to the California Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act, stating that there was no evidence of Meta accessing the authors’ computers or servers.

Meta’s defence team has continued to assert that the AI training practices were legally sound, though the ongoing case will likely provide more insight into the company’s stance on copyright.

The ruling adds to the growing list of copyright-related lawsuits involving AI models, including one filed by The New York Times against OpenAI. As the debate around AI and intellectual property rights intensifies, this case could set important precedents.

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US takes aim at Google’s web browser amid legal fight

The US Department of Justice is maintaining its push for Google to sell its Chrome web browser as part of an ongoing antitrust case.

A recent court filing reaffirmed the department’s stance, arguing that Google’s dominance in online search has created an unfair advantage.

While earlier proposals called for divesting all AI investments, the DOJ is now only requiring prior notification of future deals.

Legal action follows a ruling by Judge Amit P. Mehta, who found that Google illegally maintained its search monopoly. The United States DOJ also seeks to prohibit payments to distribution partners, a key practice that has helped Google secure its search dominance.

Google has criticised the proposals, claiming they would harm consumers and national security, and is preparing an appeal against the ruling.

Arguments from both sides will be heard in court this April. The case is expected to have far-reaching implications for competition in the tech industry, with potential changes to how Google operates its search and browser business.

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Tusk warns against arrogance after US-Poland social media clash

Poland’s Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, has urged allies to show respect and avoid arrogance in a recent post on X, following a heated social media exchange between Polish and US officials. The remarks came after a disagreement over the role of Starlink satellites in Ukraine’s war effort. Radosław Sikorski, Poland‘s foreign minister, had suggested Ukraine may need an alternative to Starlink if its reliability becomes an issue. Poland funds the satellite service for Ukraine, which is crucial for military communications.

The dispute escalated when Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, accused Sikorski of being ungrateful, stating that ‘no one has made any threats about cutting Ukraine off from Starlink.’ Rubio emphasised the importance of Starlink in Ukraine’s success, saying the war could have been lost without it. Sikorski responded by thanking Rubio for reaffirming the collaboration between the US and Poland in providing the service.

The controversy deepened when Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, which operates Starlink, labelled Sikorski a “small man” and told him to ‘be quiet’ after the suggestion that Poland may seek alternatives. Musk reiterated his commitment to keeping Starlink operational in Ukraine, despite political disagreements, and denied using the service as a bargaining chip.

The ongoing debate highlights growing tensions surrounding the role of private companies in international conflict and the geopolitical importance of satellite technology. Meanwhile, the Franco-British operator Eutelsat saw a surge in stock prices, as speculation grows that it could potentially replace Starlink in providing services to Ukraine.

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Nagasaki University launches AI program for medical student training

Nagasaki University in southwestern Japan, in collaboration with a local systems development company, has unveiled a new AI program aimed at enhancing medical student training.

The innovative program allows students to practice interviews with virtual patients on a screen, addressing the growing difficulty of securing simulated patients for training, especially in regional areas facing population declines.

In a demonstration earlier this month, an AI-powered virtual patient exhibited symptoms such as fever and cough, responding appropriately to questions from a medical student.

Scheduled for introduction by March 2026, the technology will allow students to interact with virtual patients of different ages, genders, and symptoms, enhancing their learning experience.

The university plans to enhance the program with scoring and feedback functions to make the training more efficient and improve the quality of learning.

Shinya Kawashiri, an associate professor at the university’s School of Medicine, expressed hope that the system would lead to more effective study methods.

Toru Kobayashi, a professor at the university’s School of Information and Data Sciences, highlighted the program as a groundbreaking initiative in Japan’s medical education landscape.

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