The US Department of Commerce has asked Nvidia to investigate how its AI chips ended up in China despite ongoing export restrictions, The Information reported. In response, Nvidia has called on major distributors like Super Micro and Dell to conduct customer inspections in Southeast Asia. Nvidia chips, embedded in server products, have allegedly been smuggled to Chinese entities through various schemes, including duplicating or altering serial numbers.
Super Micro and Dell stated they strictly enforce export regulations and will terminate relationships with partners who violate these controls. Super Micro also confirmed it investigates unauthorised exports and complies with all US export laws.
These developments come as the Biden administration intensifies its crackdown on chip sales to China. Despite the broadened restrictions on high-end AI chips in 2023, Chinese institutions reportedly acquired Nvidia chips through resellers. Earlier this month, the US further limited semiconductor exports to 140 additional companies, underscoring efforts to control the flow of advanced technology to China.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Apple is in early talks with Tencent and ByteDance to integrate their AI models into iPhones sold in China. This comes as Apple rolls out OpenAI’s ChatGPT in other markets, but regulatory restrictions in China prevent the availability of the chatbot there. To comply with local rules and counter the declining market share, Apple is exploring partnerships with Chinese firms that already have government-approved AI models.
Potential partners include ByteDance’s Doubao and Tencent’s Hunyuan, part of a growing field of AI services in China. Although Apple previously discussed using Baidu’s Ernie model, reports suggest technical disagreements halted progress. Baidu’s shares dropped following news of these challenges, while Tencent’s stock saw a boost.
Apple faces increasing pressure in China’s competitive smartphone market, where domestic rivals like Huawei are surging ahead. Huawei’s recent AI-equipped models have attracted consumers, contributing to a 42% spike in sales. In contrast, Apple’s third-quarter sales dipped slightly, underscoring the need for a successful AI integration strategy to regain momentum in China.
Apple has accused Meta of making excessive interoperability requests that could compromise user privacy and security, intensifying the rivalry between the two tech giants. Under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple must allow competitors access to its services or face significant fines. Apple claims Meta’s 15 requests — more than any other company — could expose sensitive data like messages, emails, and passwords.
Meta, which seeks integration for products like its Quest VR headsets and smart glasses, dismissed Apple’s privacy concerns as a cover for anticompetitive practices. Apple cited Meta’s past privacy violations in Europe as a reason for caution.
Meanwhile, the European Commission has outlined measures to ensure Apple complies with the DMA, including clear timelines and feedback mechanisms for developers. A final decision on Apple’s compliance with the law is expected in March 2025.
Italy’s antitrust authority has concluded its investigation into Booking.com, finding the travel giant’s proposed changes sufficient to resolve concerns about its dominance in the market. The probe, which began in March, scrutinised whether the company’s practices restricted competition and led to higher prices for consumers.
The Italian watchdog highlighted that Booking.com’s Preferred Partner Programme risked stifling competition by favouring certain hotels while reducing consumer choice. As part of its commitments, the platform agreed not to consider prices offered by hotels on other booking channels when managing or promoting participating properties.
These adjustments are intended to ensure fairer competition in the online travel sector, preventing practices that could inflate costs or limit options for users. By addressing these issues, Booking.com avoids further regulatory action and strengthens its position in Italy’s travel market.
The Dutch government announced plans to expand its investment screening law to include emerging technologies like biotech, AI, and nanotechnology. The move aims to protect national security amid growing global tensions, with threats such as cyberattacks and espionage becoming more prevalent. Economy Minister Dirk Beljaarts emphasised the importance of safeguarding Dutch businesses, innovations, and the economy.
In addition to biotech and AI, the updated law will cover sensor and navigation technology, advanced materials, and nuclear technologies used in medicine. The government expects these changes to take effect by the second half of 2025.
Introduced in 2023, the investment screening law allows the Dutch government to block foreign takeovers of critical infrastructure or technology that could threaten national security. This comes after the Netherlands imposed restrictions on semiconductor exports to China under US pressure.
Meta has been fined €251 million by the European Union’s privacy regulator over a 2018 security breach that affected 29 million users worldwide. The breach involved the ‘View As’ feature, which cyber attackers exploited to access sensitive personal data such as names, contact details, and even information about users’ children.
The Irish Data Protection Commission, Meta’s lead EU regulator, highlighted the severity of the violation, which exposed users to potential misuse of their private information. Meta resolved the issue shortly after its discovery and notified affected users and authorities. Of the 29 million accounts compromised, approximately 3 million belonged to users in the EU and European Economic Area.
This latest fine brings Meta’s total penalties under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation to nearly €3 billion. A Meta spokesperson stated that the company plans to appeal the decision and emphasised the measures it has implemented to strengthen user data protection. This case underscores the ongoing regulatory scrutiny faced by major technology firms in Europe.
TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have asked the Supreme Court to halt a US law that would force ByteDance to sell TikTok by 19 January or face a nationwide ban. The companies argue that the law violates the First Amendment, as it targets one of the most widely used social media platforms in the United States, which currently has 170 million American users. A group of TikTok users also submitted a similar request to prevent the shutdown.
The law, passed by Congress in April, reflects concerns over national security. The Justice Department claims TikTok poses a threat due to its access to vast user data and potential for content manipulation by a Chinese-owned company. A lower court in December upheld the law, rejecting TikTok’s argument that it infringes on free speech rights. TikTok maintains that users should be free to decide for themselves whether to use the app and that shutting it down for even a month could cause massive losses in users and advertisers.
With the ban set to take effect the day before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, TikTok has urged the Supreme Court to decide by 6 January. Trump, who once supported banning TikTok, has since reversed his position and expressed willingness to reconsider. The case highlights rising trade tensions between the US and China and could set a precedent for other foreign-owned apps operating in America.
Britain‘s new online safety regime officially took effect on Monday, compelling social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok to combat criminal activity and prioritise safer design. Media regulator Ofcom introduced the first codes of practice aimed at tackling illegal harms, including child sexual abuse and content encouraging suicide. Platforms have until March 16, 2025, to assess the risks of harmful content and implement measures like enhanced moderation, easier reporting, and built-in safety tests.
Ofcom’s Chief Executive, Melanie Dawes, emphasised that tech companies are now under scrutiny to meet strict safety standards. Failure to comply after the deadline could result in fines of up to £18 million ($22.3 million) or 10% of a company’s global revenue. Britain’s Technology Secretary Peter Kyle described the new rules as a significant shift in online safety, pledging full support for regulatory enforcement, including potential site blocks.
The Online Safety Act, enacted last year, sets rigorous requirements for platforms to protect children and remove illegal content. High-risk sites must employ automated tools like hash-matching to detect child sexual abuse material. More safety regulations are expected in the first half of 2025, marking a major step in the UK’s fight for safer online spaces.
Harley Sandoval, an evangelical pastor and entrepreneur, was arrested in July 2023 for illegally exporting 294 kilos of gold from Brazil to international markets. Although Sandoval claimed the gold came from a licensed mining prospect in Tocantins, investigations using advanced forensic technologies and satellite imagery revealed that the gold actually came from illegal mines in Pará, some of which were on protected Indigenous lands. The case highlights a growing issue of illegal gold mining in Brazil, which has surged in recent years, causing environmental destruction and violence in the Amazon.
To tackle this problem, Brazil’s Federal Police have implemented a pioneering program called ‘Targeting Gold,’ which uses radio-isotope scans and spectroscopy to trace the origins of gold. This technology, which analyses the unique chemical composition of gold, has allowed authorities to track illegal gold more effectively, helping increase seizures of illicit gold by 38% in 2023. Experts estimate that about 40% of the gold mined in the Amazon is illegal, and Brazil is taking steps to address the trade by tightening regulations and monitoring transactions.
The rise in illegal mining, fueled by high global gold prices and weak environmental controls under former President Jair Bolsonaro, has led to significant environmental damage, including mercury contamination and deforestation. Thousands of wildcat miners now use industrial machinery, contributing to this crisis. Illegal mining also threatens Indigenous communities, such as the Yanomami, who have faced violence and health crises due to encroachments on their land. Brazil’s current administration, led by President Lula, is focusing on cracking down on criminal organisations that support this illegal industry.
While Brazil works to curb illegal gold mining, the issue has drawn international attention. Switzerland, a major importer of Brazilian gold, and neighbouring countries like Colombia and French Guiana are considering adopting similar traceability methods. Although the Brazilian government faces resistance from political lobbies advocating for the legalisation of wildcat mining, the ongoing use of advanced forensic tools aims to make a lasting impact on reducing the illegal gold trade in the region.
More than 20 price comparison websites across Europe, including Germany’s Idealo and France‘s LeGuide, criticised Google’s proposed changes to its search results, claiming they fail to comply with EUDigital Markets Act (DMA) requirements. The Act prohibits companies from favouring their own products and services on their platforms.
Google’s latest proposal includes redesigned search results to balance comparison sites and supplier websites, alongside testing an older ‘ten blue links’ format in some countries. However, the websites argue Google has disregarded feedback from over a year of discussions.
The critics, in an open letter, called on the European Commission to take decisive action, including fines, to ensure compliance. Google referred to a November statement highlighting efforts to meet DMA requirements.
