Content Policy

Trump’s last TikTok call

As the clock ticks toward a 5 April deadline, President Donald Trump is preparing to review a final proposal that could decide the fate of TikTok’s US operations.

A high-stakes Oval Office meeting is set for Wednesday, gathering Vice President JD Vance, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

The urgency stems from a 2024 law mandating that TikTok divest from Chinese ownership or face a ban on national security grounds.

According to recent reports, a deal may be on the horizon. Trump announced on Sunday that he expects an agreement to be finalised before the deadline.

Central to the negotiations is a group of prominent American investors—including Oracle, private equity firm Blackstone, and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, exploring ways to take over TikTok’s US business from Chinese parent company ByteDance.

The strategy appears to centre on consolidating the stakes of ByteDance’s existing non-Chinese investors, such as Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic, with an infusion of fresh capital.

The involvement of Andreessen Horowitz, one of Silicon Valley’s most influential firms, underscores the political and financial stakes.

Co-founder Marc Andreessen, a Trump ally, is reportedly coordinating efforts to buy out TikTok’s Chinese stakeholders and reshape the platform’s governance under American leadership.

The Financial Times noted that Oracle and other US-based investors spearhead this initiative, further blurring the lines between political oversight and market acquisition.

Reuters also confirmed that Blackstone is weighing a minority stake in the deal, adding another heavyweight to the potential investor roster.

However, both TikTok and Andreessen Horowitz have declined to comment on the ongoing talks.

Behind the scenes, Trump and his advisors effectively act as intermediaries, with JD Vance reportedly overseeing the auction-like process, a rare move that places the executive branch in a quasi-financial role.

With over 170 million American users, TikTok’s fate is more than just a business matter; it’s a flashpoint in the wider conversation about data sovereignty, tech influence, and US-China digital rivalry.

As negotiations intensify, the Biden-era regulatory stance on tech mergers appears to give way to a more deal-oriented, ‘America First’ strategy under Trump.

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MetaAI launches in Europe amid data concerns

Meta has resumed the roll-out of its MetaAI across Europe after halting the launch last year due to regulatory uncertainty.

The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) still has questions regarding Meta’s AI tool, particularly in relation to its use of personal data from Facebook and Instagram users to train large language models.

The company has been in discussions with the DPC, but instead of an agreement, it remains under review as the tool continues to roll out.

MetaAI was first introduced in the US in September 2023, followed by India in June 2024, and the UK in October. It enables users to interact with a chat function across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

However, its expansion in Europe faced delays last summer due to concerns raised by the Irish privacy watchdog.

The company has expressed confidence in its compliance with the EU’s data protection laws and has been transparent with the DPC about its launch. However, failure to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) could lead to significant fines.

Additionally, certain aspects of MetaAI fall under the scope of Europe’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires the company to meet specific standards on user safety and transparency.

The European Commission has indicated it is waiting for a risk assessment from Meta to ensure that the tool complies with DSA obligations. While initial elements may not be directly relevant to the DSA, the Commission will continue to monitor the deployment closely.

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European Commission charges €58.2 million in fees for DSA enforcement

The European Commission has charged the largest online platforms in the EU a total of €58.2 million in supervisory fees for their enforcement under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

These fees, which apply to platforms with over 45 million users per month, aim to fund the Commission’s activities for DSA enforcement, including administrative and human resource costs.

Meta, TikTok, and Google have filed five pending court cases against the fees, challenging the charges.

The DSA, designed to increase platform accountability, became fully applicable in February 2024, and the Commission has designated 25 Very Large Online Platforms, including major players like Amazon and LinkedIn.

During the 2024 period, the Commission launched formal proceedings against several platforms and sent over 100 requests for information.

However, instead of these fees fully covering the Commission’s expenses, they led to a deficit of €514,061. Investigations into platforms like X are ongoing, with transparency issues being a key concern.

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Amazon unveils Nova Act to enhance AI capabilities

Amazon has launched Nova Act, a general-purpose AI agent capable of controlling web browsers to perform simple tasks. Along with the new agent, Amazon is releasing the Nova Act SDK, enabling developers to create agent prototypes.

The tool will also power key features of the upcoming Alexa+ upgrade, a generative AI-enhanced version of Amazon’s voice assistant.

Developed by Amazon’s AGI lab, Nova Act is designed to automate tasks such as ordering food or making reservations. Although the model is currently a research preview, Amazon claims Nova Act outperforms competitors like OpenAI’s Operator and Anthropic’s Computer Use in internal tests.

The toolkit, available on nova.amazon.com, allows developers to integrate AI agents into applications that can navigate websites, fill forms, and interact with digital content.

Despite its early stage, Nova Act is seen as a significant step in the development of superintelligent AI, with Amazon’s AGI lab aiming to make AI agents reliable and effective across various tasks.

Instead of AI agents from other companies that have faced challenges like slow response times and error-prone performance, Amazon hopes that Nova Act will address these issues, potentially providing a competitive edge in the AI market.

The success of Nova Act could also play a crucial role in the success of Alexa+ and Amazon’s broader AI strategy.

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OpenAI’s Ghibli-style tool raises privacy and data issues

OpenAI’s Ghibli-style AI image generator has taken social media by storm, with users eagerly transforming their photos into artwork reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki’s signature style.

However, digital privacy activists are raising concerns that OpenAI might use this viral trend to collect thousands of personal images for AI training, potentially bypassing legal restrictions on web-scraped data.

Critics warn that while users enjoy the feature, they could unknowingly be handing over fresh facial data instead of protecting their privacy, raising ethical questions about AI and data collection.

Beyond privacy concerns, the trend has also reignited debates about AI’s impact on creative industries. Miyazaki, known for his hand-drawn approach, has previously expressed scepticism about artificial intelligence in animation.

Additionally, under GDPR regulations, OpenAI must justify data collection under “legitimate interest,” but experts argue that users voluntarily uploading images could give the company more freedom to use them instead of requiring further legal justification.

OpenAI has yet to issue an official statement regarding data safety, but ChatGPT itself warns users against uploading personal photos to any AI tool unless they are certain about its privacy policies.

Cybersecurity experts advise people to think twice before sharing high-resolution images online, use passwords instead of facial recognition for device security, and limit app access to their cameras.

As AI-generated image trends continue to gain popularity, the debate over privacy and data ownership is unlikely to fade anytime soon.

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EU regulators seek common approach on DSA

The Coimisiún na Meán has warned that differing interpretations of the Digital Services Act (DSA) by EU regulators are hindering a unified approach to online platform regulation.

Maria Donde, Director of International Affairs at Coimisiún na Meán, highlighted the challenges of aligning various regulators’ approaches to the DSA, which has left room for interpretation.

She emphasised the importance of finding common ground, especially as the DSA, which came into effect last February, imposes transparency and election integrity requirements on platforms.

The DSA requires each EU member state to appoint a Digital Services Coordinator as a point of contact for platforms. Ireland, home to major platforms like TikTok and X, is at the forefront of enforcement.

Donde stressed the need for a consistent voice within the EU, particularly as the law faces criticism globally. The US government has condemned the EU’s regulatory approach, calling it a threat to free speech and accusing Europe of sidelining US tech companies.

The European Commission has already initiated several investigations under the DSA, targeting platforms such as X, TikTok, and Temu. These probes are ongoing, with potential fines for non-compliance reaching up to 6% of a company’s global turnover.

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Elon Musk merges xAI and X to create XAI Holdings

Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI has officially acquired X, the social media platform (formerly Twitter), in an all-stock deal that values the two businesses combined at over $100 billion.

Musk disclosed that the transaction pegs xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion, though the latter includes $12 billion in debt, which brings its effective value to $45 billion.

The merged entity, XAI Holdings, streamlines Musk’s sprawling tech empire and solidifies the relationship between his AI pursuits and the platform that provides the training data.

According to Musk, the goal is to unify ‘data, models, compute, distribution and talent,’ enabling tighter integration between X’s reach and xAI’s growing capabilities.

This structural shift also clarifies to investors, many of whom have been concerned about X’s financial direction after Musk’s sweeping changes led to a loss of users and advertising partners.

Musk purchased Twitter in 2022 for $44 billion, which burdened the company with substantial debt. Since then, he has drastically altered the company’s operations and content policies under a ‘free speech absolutism philosophy,’ which has alienated many advertisers.

Although X’s advertising revenue dropped sharply post-acquisition, projections for 2025 show signs of recovery, with US ad sales expected to reach $1.31 billion, marking a 17.5% increase.

xAI, launched in 2023, has quickly positioned itself among leading AI labs. Its chatbot, Grok, has been trained using data from X, offering a competitive edge against other AI giants like OpenAI and Anthropic.

Analysts suggest that owning X gives xAI exclusive access to a rich proprietary data stream, something competitors lack. This advantage could strongly boost Grok’s development and positioning in the market.

Some investors in xAI, such as Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, Fidelity, and BlackRock, also have stakes in X, making the merger a logical, if unexpected, evolution.

Financially, it also marks a turning point: banks that held onto Musk’s Twitter debt could finally sell it this year without losses, while X recently raised nearly $1 billion in new equity at a valuation close to its 2022 purchase price.

The merger may also influence broader industry trends. Analysts believe this move could inspire smaller social media platforms to seek strategic alliances with AI developers, especially given xAI’s high valuation.

One thing is clear: the XAI Holdings formation underscores a growing convergence between digital communication infrastructure and AI.

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French watchdog fines Apple for abuse of app tracking tool

Apple has been fined €150 million ($162.42 million) by French antitrust regulators for allegedly abusing its dominant position in mobile app advertising between 2021 and 2023. The fine is the first to be imposed on Apple over its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) tool.

While the tool, which allows iPhone and iPad users to control app tracking, is not criticised itself, the French competition watchdog claimed its implementation was excessive and not proportional to its goal of protecting personal data.

The French regulators stated that ATT particularly harmed smaller publishers, who rely heavily on third-party data for their business. Despite the fine, Apple was not required to modify the ATT tool.

The decision follows complaints from online advertisers, publishers, and internet networks, who accused Apple of misusing its market power. Apple expressed disappointment with the fine but noted that no changes to the tool were mandated.

The fine comes after a €1.8 billion penalty last year from the EU, which accused Apple of restricting music streaming competitors. Additionally, the German antitrust agency has launched a probe into Apple for allegedly giving itself preferential treatment with the same privacy tool.

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Apple developing AI coach for Health app

Apple is reportedly working on a revamped version of its Health app, which will feature an AI coach designed to help users improve their health instead of simply tracking basic data.

The AI coach will offer personalised advice based on data collected from users’ medical devices, with a particular focus on food tracking.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who initially reported on the project in 2023, now indicates that development is progressing, with the new feature expected to launch as part of iOS 19.4, possibly by spring or summer 2026.

The AI coach is currently being trained using data from Apple’s physicians, and the company plans to incorporate more medical professionals to provide health-related content, including videos, instead of relying solely on general advice. The new service is reportedly being referred to as Health+.

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OpenAI faces copyright debate over Ghibli-style images

Studio Ghibli-style artwork has gone viral on social media, with users flocking to ChatGPT’s feature to create or transform images into Japanese anime-inspired versions. Celebrities have also joined the trend, posting Ghibli-style photos of themselves.

However, what began as a fun trend has sparked concerns over copyright infringement and the ethics of AI recreating the work of established artists instead of respecting their intellectual property.

While OpenAI has allowed premium users to create Ghibli-style images, users without subscriptions can still make up to three images for free.

The rise of this feature has led to debates over whether these AI-generated images violate copyright laws, particularly as the style is closely associated with renowned animator Hayao Miyazaki.

Intellectual property lawyer Even Brown clarified that the style itself isn’t explicitly protected, but he raised concerns that OpenAI’s AI may have been trained on Ghibli’s previous works instead of using independent sources, which could present potential copyright issues.

OpenAI has responded by taking a more conservative approach with its tools, introducing a refusal feature when users attempt to generate images in the style of living artists instead of allowing such images.

Despite this, the controversy continues, as artists like Karla Ortiz are suing other AI generators for copyright infringement. Ortiz has criticised OpenAI for not valuing the work and livelihoods of artists, calling the Ghibli trend a clear example of such disregard.

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