Major social media companies, including Meta, Snapchat, and TikTok, have urged Australia to reconsider its decision to exempt YouTube from a new law banning under-16s from social media platforms.
The legislation, passed in November, imposes strict age restrictions and threatens heavy fines for non-compliance. YouTube, however, is set to be excluded due to its educational value and parental supervision features.
Industry leaders argue that YouTube shares key features with other platforms, such as algorithmic content recommendations and social interaction tools, making its exemption inconsistent with the law’s intent.
Meta called for equal enforcement, while TikTok warned that excluding YouTube would create an ‘illogical, anticompetitive, and short-sighted’ regulation. Snapchat echoed these concerns, insisting that all platforms should be treated fairly.
Experts have pointed out that YouTube, like other platforms, can expose children to addictive and harmful content. The company has responded by strengthening content moderation and expanding its automated detection systems.
The debate highlights broader concerns over online safety and fair competition as Australia moves to enforce some of the world’s strictest social media regulations.
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A group of researchers from Hao AI Lab at the University of California San Diego has suggested that Super Mario Bros. might actually be a tougher challenge for AI than Pokémon. In a recent experiment, AI models were tasked with playing the game, and while Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 performed the best, models like Google’s Gemini 1.5 Pro and OpenAI’s GPT-4o struggled. The game was not the original 1985 version but instead ran in an emulator integrated with GamingAgent, a framework that provided basic instructions and screenshots for the AI to control Mario.
The AI had to generate inputs, such as Python code, based on the given instructions to navigate Mario through the game’s challenges. The researchers found that while the game required models to plan complex manoeuvres and strategies, reasoning models like OpenAI’s o1 performed worse than non-reasoning models. This is because reasoning models typically take longer to decide on actions, and in a real-time game like Super Mario Bros., timing is critical.
While games have long been used to benchmark AI, some experts question the relevance of gaming skills as a measure of technological advancement. Andrej Karpathy, a research scientist at OpenAI, has expressed concerns over the current AI evaluation process, calling it an ‘evaluation crisis.’ Despite these concerns, watching AI take on Super Mario Bros. provides an interesting glimpse into how far AI has come, even if the benchmarks remain unclear.
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Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance is ramping up efforts to boost revenue from the Indian Premier League (IPL) following its $8.5 billion media merger with Disney.
With broadcast rights costing the company and Disney nearly $10 billion in recent years, a strategy is in place to attract small businesses as advertisers. Closed-door seminars across Indian cities are promoting IPL ad packages starting at $17,000 to help offset rising costs.
A focus on digital advertising is central to Reliance’s approach, as it competes with global giants such as Netflix, Google, and Meta.
The company is leveraging neuroscience research to pitch its streaming ads as more engaging than those on YouTube and Instagram. A growing digital push is expected to help monetise IPL’s massive audience, with ad rates rising by up to 25% this year.
Intense competition in India‘s $28 billion digital ad market poses challenges, despite IPL’s popularity. Reliance is banking on data-driven targeted advertising to appeal to brands, but affordability remains a concern for smaller businesses.
Analysts suggest that while advanced neuroscience studies may strengthen its marketing claims, real success will depend on tangible financial gains in the highly competitive streaming space.
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Although a Berlin court initially supported the activists’ request, X filed a motion arguing the judge had shown bias by interacting with the plaintiffs’ social media posts. The court approved the motion, though similar claims against two other judges were dismissed.
The ruling means that the activists will not receive the requested data within their critical timeframe. A hearing on the matter is set for February 27, but any ruling will come too late to influence their election monitoring efforts in Germany.
However, the decision could establish an important precedent for future transparency cases involving social media platforms. The activists had argued that while some election data is technically accessible, it is not realistically obtainable without direct access from X.
X has also announced plans to sue the German government over what it calls excessive user data requests, claiming these demands violate privacy and freedom of expression.
The German digital affairs ministry acknowledged X’s public statements but confirmed that no formal lawsuits had been filed yet. The escalating legal dispute highlights growing tensions between Musk and German authorities, particularly as the country prepares for key elections amid concerns over misinformation.
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Google has quietly disclosed the pricing for its Veo 2 video-generating AI model, setting the cost at 50 cents per second of video. This translates to $30 per minute or $1,800 per hour, positioning Veo 2 as a premium tool for AI-generated video content.
While unlikely to produce big-budget epics, the model can create clips of two minutes or longer, as highlighted in Google’s initial announcement.
Jon Barron, a Google DeepMind researcher, compared Veo 2’s cost to Hollywood productions, noting that Avengers: Endgame had a production cost of around $32,000 per second.
Though Veo 2 operates at a fraction of that price, its output serves different purposes, targeting creators seeking efficient video generation without traditional production expenses.
The AI video generation space has grown increasingly competitive, with OpenAI recently releasing its Sora model to ChatGPT Pro subscribers for $200 a month. Google’s move to price Veo 2 publicly reflects the broader push to commercialise AI video tools as demand surges among content creators and businesses.
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The rise of quantum computing poses a serious threat to modern encryption systems, with experts warning that critical digital infrastructure could become vulnerable once quantum devices reach sufficient power.
Unlike classical computers that process binary bits, quantum computers use qubits, allowing them to perform vast numbers of calculations simultaneously.
This capability could make breaking widely used encryption methods, like RSA, possible in minutes—something that would take today’s computers thousands of years.
Although quantum systems powerful enough to crack encryption may still be years away, there is growing concern that hackers could already be collecting encrypted data to decode it once the technology catches up.
Sensitive information—such as national security data, intellectual property, and personal records—could be at risk. In response, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology has introduced new post-quantum encryption standards and is encouraging organisations to transition swiftly, though the scale of the upgrade needed across global infrastructure remains immense.
Updating web browsers and modern devices may be straightforward, but older systems, critical infrastructure, and the growing number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices pose significant challenges.
Satellites, for instance, vary in how easily they can be upgraded, with remote sensing satellites often requiring full replacements. Cybersecurity experts stress the need for ‘crypto agility’ to make the transition manageable, aiming to avoid a chaotic scramble once quantum threats materialise.
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A Russian court has fined Google 3.8 million roubles (£32,600) for hosting YouTube videos that allegedly instructed Russian soldiers on how to surrender. The ruling is part of Moscow’s ongoing crackdown on content it deems illegal, particularly regarding the war in Ukraine. Google has not yet responded to the decision.
Authorities in Russia have frequently ordered foreign tech companies to remove content they claim spreads misinformation. Critics argue that the government is deliberately slowing YouTube‘s download speeds to limit access to material critical of President Vladimir Putin. Moscow denies the accusation, blaming Google for failing to upgrade its infrastructure.
President Putin has previously accused Google of being used by Washington to serve political interests. The latest fine is one of many imposed on the company as part of Russia’s broader control over digital platforms.
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A wave of cyber attacks hit around 20 Italian websites, including those of banks and airports, in an incident linked to rising tensions between Rome and Moscow.
Italy‘s cybersecurity agency attributed the attacks to the pro-Russian hacker group Noname057(16), which targeted websites such as Intesa Sanpaolo, Banca Monte dei Paschi, Iccrea Banca, and Milan’s Linate and Malpensa airports. Authorities reported no major disruptions.
The attack followed recent remarks by Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who compared Russia‘s war on Ukraine to Nazi Germany‘s expansionism.
Moscow condemned the statement, while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni defended it. The hackers cited Mattarella’s comments as motivation for their actions, according to Italy’s cybersecurity agency.
Noname057(16) previously claimed responsibility for a cyber attack on Italy in December, which targeted around 10 institutional websites. Some of the affected organisations declined to comment on the latest breach, while others reported no operational impact. Italian authorities continue to monitor the situation.
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Meta has announced a new programme allowing rival classified ad providers to list their adverts on Facebook Marketplace, following a €797 million EU antitrust fine for unfair competition.
The European Commission ruled in November that Meta had given its own service an unfair advantage by tying Marketplace to Facebook and imposing restrictive trading conditions on competitors.
The company has challenged the fine in court but says the new initiative, called the Facebook Marketplace Partner Program, is a response to EU competition concerns.
The programme was tested last month in Germany, France, and the United States in partnership with eBay. Under the scheme, third-party online classified ad services can display their listings on Facebook Marketplace alongside user-generated listings.
Meta maintains that the EU’s decision unfairly targets US companies, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg previously describing EU actions as akin to a “tariff regime.”
The European Commission is now reviewing whether Meta has fully complied with the ruling. If found lacking, the company could face further scrutiny and potential penalties. The move marks a significant shift in how Marketplace operates, potentially reshaping competition in the online classified ads sector.
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French prosecutors have launched an investigation into X, formerly known as Twitter, over alleged algorithmic bias. The probe was initiated after a lawmaker raised concerns that biased algorithms on the platform may have distorted automated data processing. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that cybercrime specialists are analysing the issue and conducting technical checks.
The investigation comes just days before a major AI summit in Paris, where global leaders and tech executives from companies like Microsoft and Alphabet will gather. X has not responded to requests for comment. The case highlights growing scrutiny of the platform, which has been criticised for its role in shaping political discourse. Elon Musk’s vocal support for right-wing parties in Europe has raised fears of foreign interference.
France‘s J3 cybercrime unit, which is leading the investigation, has previously targeted major tech platforms, including Telegram. Last year, it played a key role in the arrest of Telegram’s founder and pressured the platform to remove illegal content. X has also faced legal challenges in other countries, including Brazil, where it was temporarily blocked for failing to curb misinformation.
