Canadian space technology firm MDA Space has expanded its contract with Globalstar to develop next-generation low Earth orbit satellites, bringing the total value of the deal to C$1.1 billion. The agreement will see MDA manufacture over 50 advanced digital satellites, reinforcing Globalstar’s position in the competitive satellite communications market.
The US Louisiana-based Globalstar, partly owned by Apple, provides satellite-based phone and data transmission services. This contract expansion adds approximately C$750 million to Canadian MDA’s order backlog for early 2025, following an initial C$350 million commitment in late 2023.
With demand for satellite connectivity rising, companies like Globalstar are competing with major players such as SpaceX’s Starlink. MDA Space CEO Mike Greenley confirmed that the company is now moving ‘full speed ahead’ with production, highlighting the growing importance of satellite infrastructure in global communications.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
Microsoft has proposed increasing the price difference between its Office product with the Teams app and the version without it, to avoid a potential EU antitrust fine. This comes after complaints from rivals like Salesforce-owned Slack and German competitor alfaview regarding Microsoft’s practice of bundling Teams with Office. Since Teams became a part of Office 365 in 2017, it gained widespread use during the pandemic, largely due to its video conferencing capabilities.
To address concerns, Microsoft unbundled Teams from Office in 2023, offering Office without Teams for €2 less and a standalone Teams subscription for €5 per month. The European Commission is currently gathering feedback from companies, with a decision on whether to conduct a formal market test expected soon. As part of its offer, Microsoft has also proposed better interoperability terms to make it easier for competitors to challenge its products.
The EU has previously fined Microsoft €2.2 billion for similar antitrust issues in the past. If the Commission accepts Microsoft’s proposal without issuing a fine or finding wrongdoing, it would likely allow the EU to focus resources on ongoing investigations into other tech giants like Apple and Google.
For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.
Apple is headded into consumer robotics, unveiling research that highlights the importance of expressive movements in human-robot interaction. Drawing inspiration from Pixar’s Luxo Jr., the company’s study explores how non-humanlike objects, such as a lamp, can be designed to convey intention and emotion through motion.
A video accompanying the research showcases a prototype lamp robot, which mimics Pixar’s iconic animated mascot. The study suggests that even small movements, such as turning towards a window before answering a weather query, can create a stronger connection between humans and machines. The lamp, operating with Siri’s voice, behaves as a more dynamic alternative to smart speakers like Apple’s HomePod or Amazon’s Echo.
This research comes amid speculation that Apple is working on a more advanced smart home hub, possibly incorporating robotic features. While details remain scarce, rumours suggest a device resembling a robotic arm with an integrated screen. Though Apple’s consumer robotics project is still in early stages, the findings hint at a future where expressive, intelligent robots become a part of everyday life.
France is set to receive an unprecedented €83 billion in AI-related investments, with Canadian firm Brookfield committing €20 billion by 2030. The majority of this funding will be allocated to data centres, including a massive one in Cambrai with a capacity of up to one gigawatt. This surge in investment follows the announcement of a €50 billion AI campus project between France and the UAE.
A key factor behind France’s appeal is its energy infrastructure. With 65% of its electricity generated from nuclear power and another 25% from renewables, the country offers a sustainable solution for tech companies seeking to reduce their carbon footprint. This has positioned France as an attractive location for power-intensive AI data centres.
Alongside international funding, France’s public investment bank Bpifrance has pledged €10 billion to support AI startups, while telecom giant Iliad is investing €3 billion in AI-focused infrastructure. With the AI Action Summit set to take place in Paris, more investment announcements could be on the horizon.
Elon Musk has confirmed he has no intention of purchasing TikTok, despite speculation and suggestions from former US President Donald Trump.
Speaking at a summit hosted by The WELT Group, Musk stated he had not made a bid for the app and had no plans for its future. He also noted that he does not use TikTok personally and is unfamiliar with its format.
The billionaire emphasised that acquiring companies is rare for him, with his high-profile purchase of Twitter, now X, being an exception. He reiterated his preference for building businesses from the ground up rather than taking over existing ones.
ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, has been under pressure to sell its US assets due to concerns about data security and potential government influence.
Apple and Google have yet to reinstate TikTok in their app stores since new US legislation took effect. In response, TikTok has enabled Android users to download the app directly from its website.
Trump has suggested that multiple parties are in discussions over the platform’s future, with a final decision expected soon.
ByteDance has consistently denied any plans to sell TikTok, despite mounting political scrutiny. Trump, who once sought to ban the app, has recently expressed support for it, citing its role in his popularity among young voters.
No official response has been provided by ByteDance or TikTok regarding the ongoing situation.
French telecoms group Iliad has announced a €3 billion investment in AI infrastructure, including data centres and computing power. The investment will be made through its subsidiary OpCore, which operates 13 data centres across Europe. In the short term, OpCore plans to deploy several hundred megawatts of capacity, with a long-term goal of expanding to several gigawatts.
Iliad has also partnered with France-based AI startup Mistral AI to integrate its ‘Le Chat Pro’ AI model into services for its 15.5 million French subscribers. The move highlights Europe’s push to catch up with the US and China in AI development. American initiatives, such as US President Donald Trump’s Stargate programme, aim to invest up to $500 billion in AI over the next five years.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has urged Europe to embrace AI and suggested a Stargate-style programme could be introduced on the continent. Iliad’s investment signals a growing commitment among European companies to strengthen the region’s AI capabilities and infrastructure.
Gambling companies are under investigation for covertly sharing visitors’ data with Facebook’s parent company, Meta, without proper consent, breaching data protection laws. A hidden tracking tool embedded in numerous UK gambling websites has been sending data, such as the web pages users visit and the buttons they click, to Meta, which then uses this information to profile individuals as gamblers. This data is then used to target users with gambling-related ads, violating the legal requirement for explicit consent before sharing such information.
Testing of 150 gambling websites revealed that 52 automatically transmitted user data to Meta, including large brands like Hollywoodbets, Sporting Index, and Bet442. This data sharing occurred without users having the opportunity to consent, resulting in targeted ads for gambling websites shortly after visiting these sites. Experts have raised concerns about the industry’s unlawful practices and called for immediate regulatory action.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is reviewing the use of tracking tools like Meta Pixel and has warned that enforcement action could be taken, including significant fines. Some gambling companies have updated their websites to prevent automatic data sharing, while others have removed the tracking tool altogether in response to the findings. However, the Gambling Commission has yet to address the issue of third-party profiling used to recruit new customers.
The misuse of data in this way highlights the risks of unregulated marketing, particularly for vulnerable individuals. Data privacy experts have stressed that these practices not only breach privacy laws but could also exacerbate gambling problems by targeting individuals who may already be at risk.
Nokia has announced that Pekka Lundmark will step down as CEO, with Justin Hotard, currently EVP and GM of Intel’s Data Center & AI Group, set to take over the role on April 1. This leadership change is seen as part of Nokia’s strategic shift towards expanding into areas like AI and data centres, where the company is positioning itself for future growth. Hotard’s strong background in AI and technology is expected to drive Nokia’s focus on these emerging sectors.
The news has led to a 1.6% rise in Nokia’s shares, reflecting positive investor sentiment despite the surprise announcement. Analysts note that the appointment of Hotard suggests Nokia’s commitment to strengthening its network infrastructure unit, particularly as it looks to benefit from the surge in AI investments. This follows Nokia’s $2.3 billion acquisition of US optical networking firm Infinera, aimed at tapping into the growing data centre market.
Lundmark, who has been CEO since 2020, will remain with Nokia as an advisor to Hotard until the end of the year. Despite some initial denials about leadership changes, the company confirmed that the transition plan had been in place for some time, with Lundmark signalling his intention to step down once the business repositioning was more advanced.
Nokia’s infrastructure business, which includes AI-integrated systems for communication, and its mobile networks division, focusing on 5G technology, are both seen as key to the company’s future. While shares are up 27.85% over the past year, they remain significantly lower than their peak in 2000.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) has raised concerns about the Chinese AI app DeepSeek, accusing it of excessively collecting personal data and using it for training purposes. The agency warned government bodies last week to take security measures, highlighting that unlike other AI services, DeepSeek collects sensitive data such as keyboard input patterns and transfers it to Chinese servers. Some South Korean government ministries have already blocked access to the app due to these security concerns.
The NIS also pointed out that DeepSeek grants advertisers unrestricted access to user data and stores South Korean users’ data in China, where it could be accessed by the Chinese government under local laws. The agency also noted discrepancies in the app’s responses to sensitive questions, such as the origin of kimchi, which DeepSeek claimed was Chinese when asked in Chinese, but Korean when asked in Korean.
DeepSeek has also been accused of censoring political topics, such as the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, prompting the app to suggest changing the subject. In response to these concerns, China’s foreign ministry stated that the country values data privacy and security and complies with relevant laws, denying that it pressures companies to violate privacy. DeepSeek has not yet commented on the allegations.
Aiman Ezzat, CEO of Capgemini, has criticised the European Union’s AI regulations, claiming they are overly restrictive and hinder the ability of global companies to deploy AI technology in the region. His comments come ahead of the AI Action summit in Paris and reflect increasing frustration from private sector players with EU laws. Ezzat highlighted the complexity of navigating different regulations across countries, especially in the absence of global AI standards, and argued that the EU’s AI Act hailed as the most comprehensive worldwide, could stifle innovation.
As one of Europe’s largest IT services firms, Capgemini works with major players like Microsoft, Google Cloud, and Amazon Web Services. The company is concerned about the implementation of AI regulations in various countries and how they affect business operations. Ezzat is hopeful that the AI summit will provide an opportunity for regulators and industry leaders to align on AI policies moving forward.
Despite the regulatory challenges, Ezzat spoke positively about DeepSeek, a Chinese AI firm gaining traction by offering cost-effective, open-source models that compete with US tech giants. However, he pointed out that while DeepSeek shares its models, it is not entirely open source, as there is limited access to the data used for training the models. Capgemini is in the early stages of exploring the use of DeepSeek’s technology with clients.
As concerns about AI’s impact on privacy grow, European data protection authorities have begun investigating AI companies, including DeepSeek, to ensure compliance with privacy laws. Ezzat’s comments underscore the ongoing tension between innovation and regulation in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
