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Meta to block livestreaming for under 16s without parental permission

Meta will soon prevent children under 16 from livestreaming on Instagram unless their parents explicitly approve.

The new safety rule is part of broader efforts to protect young users online and will first be introduced in the UK, US, Canada and Australia, before being extended to the rest of Europe and beyond in the coming months.

The company explained that teenagers under 16 will also need parental permission to disable a feature that automatically blurs images suspected of containing nudity in direct messages.

These updates build on Meta’s teen supervision programme introduced last September, which gives parents more control over how their children use Instagram.

Instead of limiting the changes to Instagram alone, Meta is now extending similar protections to Facebook and Messenger.

Teen accounts on those platforms will be set to private by default, and will automatically block messages from strangers, reduce exposure to violent or sensitive content, and include reminders to take breaks after an hour of use. Notifications will also pause during usual bedtime hours.

Meta said these safety tools are already being used across at least 54 million teen accounts. The company claims the new measures will better support teenagers and parents alike in making social media use safer and more intentional, instead of leaving young users unprotected or unsupervised online.

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EU plans new law to tackle online consumer manipulation

The European Commission is preparing to introduce the Digital Fairness Act, a new law that aims to boost consumer protection online instead of adding more regulatory burden on businesses.

Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath described the upcoming legislation as both pro-consumer and pro-business during a speech at the European Retail Innovation Summit, seeking to calm industry concerns about further EU regulation following the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act.

Designed to tackle deceptive practices in the digital space, the law will address issues such as manipulative design tricks known as ‘dark patterns’, influencer marketing, and personalised pricing based on user profiling.

It will also target concerns around addictive service design and virtual currencies in video games—areas where current EU consumer rules fall short. The legislation will be based on last year’s Digital Fairness Fitness Check, which highlighted regulatory gaps in the online marketplace.

McGrath acknowledged the cost of complying with EU-wide consumer protection measures, which can run into millions for businesses.

However, he stressed that the new act would provide legal clarity and ease administrative pressure, particularly for smaller companies, instead of complicating compliance requirements further.

A public consultation will begin in the coming weeks, ahead of a formal legislative proposal expected by mid-2026.

Maria-Myrto Kanellopoulou, head of the Commission’s consumer law unit, promised a thoughtful approach, saying the process would be both careful and thorough to ensure the right balance is struck.

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EU refuses to soften tech laws for Trump trade deal

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 American demands.

While she welcomed a temporary pause in US tariffs, she made clear that the EU’s regulations were designed to ensure fairness and safety for all companies, regardless of origin, and were not intended as a direct attack on US tech giants.

Tensions have mounted in recent weeks, with Trump officials accusing the EU of unfairly targeting American firms through regulatory means. Executives like Mark Zuckerberg have criticised the EU’s approach, calling it a form of censorship, while the US has continued imposing tariffs on European goods.

Virkkunen defended the tougher obligations placed on large firms like Meta, Apple and Alphabet, explaining that greater influence came with greater responsibility.

She also noted that enforcement actions under the Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act aim to ensure compliance instead of simply imposing large fines.

Although France has pushed for stronger retaliation, the European Commission has held back from launching direct countermeasures against US tech firms, instead preparing a range of options in case talks fail.

Virkkunen avoided speculation on such moves, saying the EU preferred cooperation to conflict. At the same time, she is advancing a broader tech strategy, including plans for five AI gigafactories, while also considering adjustments to the EU’s AI Act to better support small businesses and innovation.

Acknowledging creative industries’ concerns over generative AI, Virkkunen said new measures were needed to ensure fair compensation for copyrighted material used in AI training instead of leaving European creators unprotected.

The Commission is now exploring licensing models that could strike a balance between enabling innovation and safeguarding rights, reflecting the bloc’s intent to lead in tech policy without sacrificing democratic values or artistic contributions.

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New AI feature lets WordPress users build sites in minutes

WordPress.com has introduced a new AI website builder designed to help users create an entire website in just minutes.

Available now in early access, the feature allows anyone with a WordPress.com account to try it out free of charge. It uses a conversational interface that responds to user prompts to generate complete sites, including written content, images, colour schemes, and layouts.

Users begin by describing what kind of website they need—whether a blog, portfolio, or business site—and the AI does the rest.

The more specific the initial description, the more tailored the outcome will be. If the first version isn’t quite right, users can continue refining their site simply by chatting with the builder. Once the result is satisfactory, the website can be published directly through WordPress.com.

Currently limited to basic websites, the new tool does not yet support complex features such as ecommerce or external integrations. WordPress has indicated that more functionality is coming soon.

The generated sites remain fully customisable using the usual WordPress tools, giving users full control over editing and manual adjustments post-creation.

At launch, users get 30 free prompts before needing to choose a hosting plan, with pricing starting at $18 per month.

While similar AI tools have been introduced by platforms like Wix and Squarespace, WordPress’s version brings such technology to a significantly wider audience, given that the platform powers over 40% of all websites worldwide.

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Victims of AI-driven sex crimes in Korea continue to grow

South Korea is facing a sharp rise in AI-related digital sex crimes, with deepfake pornography and online abuse increasingly affecting young women and children.

According to figures released by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Women’s Human Rights Institute, over 10,000 people sought help last year, marking a 14.7 percent increase from 2023.

Women made up more than 70 percent of those who contacted the Advocacy Center for Online Sexual Abuse Victims.

The majority were in their teens or twenties, with abuse often occurring via social media, messaging apps, and anonymous platforms. A growing portion of victims, including children under 10, were targeted due to the easy accessibility of AI tools.

The most frequently reported issue was ‘distribution anxiety,’ where victims feared the release of sensitive or manipulated videos, followed by blackmail and illegal filming.

Deepfake cases more than tripled in one year, with synthetic content often involving the use of female students’ images. In one notable incident, a university student and his peers used deepfake techniques to create explicit fake images of classmates and shared them on Telegram.

With over 300,000 pieces of illicit content removed in 2024, authorities warn that the majority of illegal websites are hosted overseas, complicating efforts to take down harmful material.

The South Korean government plans to strengthen its response by expanding educational outreach, supporting victims further, and implementing new laws to prevent secondary harm by allowing the removal of personal information alongside explicit images.

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TikTok affair, China disagrees with Trump over $54B deal due to tariffs rise

The fate of TikTok hangs in the balance as China and the US trade moves over a potential deal to keep the app alive for its 170 million American users.

On 9 April 2025, China’s commerce ministry declared that any sale of TikTok must pass its government’s strict review, throwing a wrench into negotiations just as President Donald Trump hinted that a deal remains within reach.

China’s stance is clear: no deal gets the green light without approval.

The ministry stressed that TikTok’s sales must comply with Chinese laws, particularly those governing technology exports, a nod to a 2020 regulation that gives Beijing veto power over the app’s algorithm, the secret ingredient behind its viral success.

The disagreement comes after Trump’s recent tariff hikes, which slapped a 54% duty on Chinese goods, prompting Beijing to push back hard.

China had already signalled it wouldn’t budge on the deal following Trump’s tariff announcement, a move that doesn’t seem to give TikTok too much significance in a broader trade war.

Meanwhile, Trump, speaking on 9 April 2025, kept hope alive, insisting that a TikTok deal is ‘still on the table.’ He extended the deadline for ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent, to find a non-Chinese buyer by 75 days, pushing the cutoff to mid-June after a near-miss on 5 April.

The deal, which would spin off TikTok’s US operations into a new entity majority-owned by American investors, could have been nearly finalised before China’s objections stalled it.

Investors, too, are on edge, with the US entity’s future clouded by geopolitical sparring.

Trump’s optimism, paired with his earlier willingness to ease tariffs, shows he’s playing a long game, balancing national security fears with a desire to keep the app functional for its massive US audience.

Washington has long worried that TikTok’s Chinese ownership makes it a conduit for Beijing to spy on the Americans or sway public opinion, a concern that led to a 2024 law demanding ByteDance divest the app or face a ban.

That law briefly shuttered TikTok in January 2025, only for Trump to step in with a reprieve. Now, with ByteDance poised to hold a minority stake in a US-based TikTok, the deal’s success hinges on China’s nod, a nod that looks increasingly elusive as trade tensions simmer.

If China blocks the deal, it could set a precedent for other nations to tighten their grip on digital exports, radically reshaping governmental interdisciplinary approaches and cyberspace, posing a final question: will the internet, as we know it, remain as a globally unified societal enabler or it will divide into national space with new monopolies?

AI feud intensifies as OpenAI sues Elon Musk

OpenAI has filed a countersuit against Elon Musk, accusing the billionaire entrepreneur of a sustained campaign of harassment intended to damage the company and regain control over its AI developments.

The legal filing comes in response to Musk’s lawsuit earlier this year, in which he claimed OpenAI had strayed from its founding mission of developing AI for the benefit of humanity.

In its countersuit, OpenAI urged a federal court to block Musk from taking further ‘unlawful and unfair actions’ and hold him accountable for the alleged damage already inflicted.

The company cited press attacks, legal pressure, and social media posts to Musk’s 200 million followers as tactics aimed at undermining its operations and reputation.

It also described Musk’s demands for corporate records and attempted acquisition efforts as part of a broader scheme to derail OpenAI’s progress.

The legal conflict highlights the growing rivalry between OpenAI and xAI, the AI firm Musk launched in 2023.

OpenAI maintains that Musk’s actions are motivated by self-interest and a desire to slow down a competing organisation. A jury trial has been scheduled for spring 2026 to resolve the escalating dispute.

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Microsoft pauses $1 billion data centre project in Ohio

Microsoft has announced it is ‘slowing or pausing’ some data centre construction projects, including a $1 billion plan in Ohio, amid shifting demand for AI infrastructure.

The company confirmed it would halt early-stage development on rural land in Licking County, near Columbus, and will repurpose two of the sites for farmland.

The decision follows Microsoft’s rapid scaling of infrastructure to meet the soaring demand for AI and cloud services, which has since softened. The company acknowledged that such large projects require continuous adaptation to align with customer needs.

While Microsoft did not specify other paused projects, it revealed the suspension of later stages of a Wisconsin data centre expansion.

The slowdown also coincides with changes in Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI, with the two companies revising their agreement to allow OpenAI to build its own AI infrastructure. This move reflects broader trends in AI computing needs, which are expensive and energy-intensive.

Despite the pause in Ohio, Microsoft plans to invest over $80 billion in AI infrastructure this fiscal year, continuing its global expansion, though it will now strategically pace its growth to align with evolving business priorities.

Local officials in Licking County expressed their disappointment, as the area had been a hub for significant tech investments, including those from Google and Meta.

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IBM pushes towards quantum advantage in two years with breakthrough code

IBM’s Quantum CTO, Oliver Dial, predicts that quantum advantage, where quantum computers outperform classical ones on specific tasks, could be achieved within two years.

The milestone is seen as possible due to advances in error mitigation techniques, which enable quantum computers to provide reliable results despite their inherent noise. While full fault-tolerant quantum systems are still years away, IBM’s focus on error mitigation could bring real-world results soon.

A key part of IBM’s progress is the introduction of the ‘Gross code,’ a quantum error correction method that drastically reduces the number of physical qubits needed per logical qubit, making the engineering of quantum systems much more feasible.

Dial described this development as a game changer, improving both efficiency and practicality, making quantum systems easier to build and test. The Gross code reduces the need for large, cumbersome arrays of qubits, streamlining the path toward more powerful quantum computers.

Looking ahead, IBM’s roadmap outlines ambitious goals, including building a fully error-corrected system with 200 logical qubits by 2029. Dial stressed the importance of flexibility in the roadmap, acknowledging that the path to these goals could shift but would still lead to the achievement of quantum milestones.

The company’s commitment to these advancements reflects the dedication of the quantum team, many of whom have been working on the project for over a decade.

Despite the excitement and the challenges that remain, IBM’s vision for the future of quantum computing is clear: building the world’s first useful quantum computers.

The company’s ongoing work in quantum computing continues to capture imaginations, with significant steps being taken towards making these systems a reality in the near future.

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Google unveils new AI agent toolkit

This week at Google Cloud Next in Las Vegas, Google revealed its latest push into ‘agentic AI’. A software designed to act independently, perform tasks, and communicate with other digital systems.

Central to this effort is the Agent Development Kit (ADK), an open-source toolkit said to let developers build AI agents in under 100 lines of code.

Instead of requiring complex systems, the ADK includes pre-built connectors and a so-called ‘agent garden’ to streamline integration with data platforms like BigQuery and AlloyDB.

Google also introduced a new Agent2Agent (A2A) protocol, aimed at enabling cooperation between agents from different vendors. With over 50 partners, including Accenture, SAP and Salesforce, already involved, the company hopes to establish a shared standard for AI interaction.

Powering these tools is Google’s latest AI chip, Ironwood, a seventh-generation TPU promising tenfold performance gains over earlier models. These chips, designed for use with advanced models like Gemini 2.5, reflect Google’s ambition to dominate AI infrastructure.

Despite the buzz, analysts caution that the hype around AI agents may outpace their actual utility. While vendors like Microsoft, Salesforce and Workday push agentic AI to boost revenue, in some cases even replacing staff, experts argue that current models still fall short of real human-like intelligence.

Instead of widespread adoption, businesses are expected to focus more on managing costs and complexity, especially as economic uncertainty grows. Without strong oversight, these tools risk becoming costly, unpredictable, and difficult to scale.

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