Jurisdiction

Senator Warner warns TikTok deal deadline extension breaks the law

Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, has criticised President Donald Trump’s recent move to extend the deadline for ByteDance to divest TikTok’s US operations. 

Warner argued that the 75-day extension violates the law passed in 2024, which mandates a complete separation between TikTok’s American entity and its Chinese parent company due to national security concerns.

The deal currently under consideration would allow ByteDance to retain a significant equity stake and maintain an operational role in the new US-based company. 

According to Warner, this arrangement fails to satisfy the legal requirement of eliminating Chinese influence over TikTok’s US operations. 

He emphasised that any legitimate divestiture must include a complete technological and organisational break, preventing ByteDance from accessing user data or source code.

The White House and TikTok have not issued statements in response to Warner’s criticism. In its second term, Trump’s administration has stated it is in contact with four groups regarding a potential TikTok acquisition. 

However, no agreement has been finalised, and China has yet to publicly support a sale of TikTok’s US assets, one of the primary obstacles to completing the deal.

Under the 2024 law, ByteDance was required to divest TikTok’s US business by 19 January or face a ban. 

Trump, who retook office on 20 January, chose not to enforce the ban immediately and instead signed an executive order extending the deadline. 

The Justice Department further complicated the issue when it told Apple and Google that the law would not be enforced, allowing the app to remain available for download.

As the deadline extension continues to stir controversy, lawmakers like Warner insist that national security and legislative integrity are at stake.

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Copyright lawsuits against OpenAI and Microsoft combined in AI showdown

Twelve copyright lawsuits filed against OpenAI and Microsoft have been merged into a single case in the Southern District of New York.

The US judicial panel on multidistrict litigation decided to consolidate, despite objections from many plaintiffs who argued their cases were too distinct.

The lawsuits claim that OpenAI and Microsoft used copyrighted books and journalistic works without consent to train AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot.

The plaintiffs include high-profile authors—Ta-Nehisi Coates, Sarah Silverman, Junot Díaz—and major media outlets such as The New York Times and Daily News.

The panel justified the centralisation by citing shared factual questions and the benefits of unified pretrial proceedings, including streamlined discovery and avoidance of conflicting rulings.

OpenAI has defended its use of publicly available data under the legal doctrine of ‘fair use.’

A spokesperson stated the company welcomed the consolidation and looked forward to proving that its practices are lawful and support innovation. Microsoft has not yet issued a comment on the ruling.

The authors’ attorney, Steven Lieberman, countered that this is about large-scale theft. He emphasised that both Microsoft and OpenAI have, in their view, infringed on millions of protected works.

Some of the same authors are also suing Meta, alleging the company trained its models using books from the shadow library LibGen, which houses over 7.5 million titles.

Simultaneously, Meta faced backlash in the UK, where authors protested outside the company’s London office. The demonstration focused on Meta’s alleged use of pirated literature in its AI training datasets.

The Society of Authors has called the actions illegal and harmful to writers’ livelihoods.

Amazon also entered the copyright discussion this week, confirming its new Kindle ‘Recaps’ feature uses generative AI to summarise book plots.

While Amazon claims accuracy, concerns have emerged online about the reliability of AI-generated summaries.

In the UK, lawmakers are also reconsidering copyright exemptions for AI companies, facing growing pressure from creative industry advocates.

The debate over how AI models access and use copyrighted material is intensifying, and the decisions made in courtrooms and parliaments could radically change the digital publishing landscape.

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Sam Altman’s AI cricket post fuels India speculation

A seemingly light-hearted social media post by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has stirred a wave of curiosity and scepticism in India. Altman shared an AI-generated anime image of himself as a cricket player dressed in an Indian jersey, which quickly went viral among Indian users.

While some saw it as a fun gesture, others questioned the timing and motives, speculating whether it was part of a broader strategy to woo Indian audiences. This isn’t the first time Altman has publicly praised India.

In recent weeks, he lauded the country’s rapid adoption of AI technology, calling it ‘amazing to watch’ and even said it was outpacing the rest of the world. His comments marked a shift from a more dismissive stance during a 2023 visit when he doubted India’s potential to compete with OpenAI’s large-scale models.

However, during his return visit in February 2025, he expressed interest in collaborating with Indian authorities on affordable AI solutions. The timing of Altman’s praise coincides with a surge in Indian users on OpenAI’s platforms, now the company’s second-largest market.

Meanwhile, OpenAI faces a legal tussle with several Indian media outlets over their alleged content misuse. Despite this, the potential of India’s booming AI market—projected to hit $8 billion by 2025—makes the country a critical frontier for global tech firms.

Experts argue that Altman’s overtures are more about business than sentiment. With increasing competition from rival AI models like DeepSeek and Gemini, maintaining and growing OpenAI’s Indian user base has become vital. As technology analyst Nikhil Pahwa said, ‘There’s no real love; it’s just business.’

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TikTok deal stalled amid US-China trade tensions

Negotiations to divest TikTok’s US operations have been halted following China’s indication that it would not approve the deal. The development came after President Donald Trump announced increased tariffs on Chinese imports.

The proposed arrangement involved creating a new US-based company to manage TikTok’s American operations, with US investors holding a majority stake and ByteDance retaining less than 20%. This plan had received approvals from existing and new investors, ByteDance, and the US government.

In response to the stalled negotiations, President Trump extended the deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok’s US assets by 75 days, aiming to allow more time for securing necessary approvals.

He emphasised the desire to continue collaborating with TikTok and China to finalise the deal, expressing a preference to avoid shutting the app in the US.

The future of TikTok in the US remains unpredictable as geopolitical tensions and trade disputes continue to influence the negotiations.

On one side, such a reaction from the Chinese government could have been expected in exchange for the increase of US tariffs on Chinese products; on the other side, by extending the deadline, Trump would be able to maintain his protectionist policy while collecting sympathies from 170 million US citizens using the app, which now is a victim in their eyes as it faces potential banning if the US-China trade war doesn’t calm down and a resolution is not reached within the extended timeframe.

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European Commission targets end-to-end encryption and proposes expanding Europol’s powers into an EU-level FBI equivalent

The European Commission announced ProtectEU, a new internal security strategy that sets out the broad priorities it intends to pursue in the coming years in response to evolving security challenges. While the document outlines strategic objectives, it does not include specific legislative proposals.

The Commission highlighted the need to revisit the European Union’s approach to internal security, citing what it described as ‘a changed security environment and an evolving geopolitical landscape.’ Among the identified challenges are hybrid threats from state and non-state actors, organised crime, and increasing levels of online criminal activity.

One of the key elements of the strategy is the proposed strengthening of Europol’s operational role. The Commission suggests developing Europol into a truly operational police agency to reinforce support to member states, with the capacity to assist in cross-border, large-scale, and complex investigations that present serious risks to the Union’s internal security.

That would bring Europol closer in function to agencies such as the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. The strategy also notes the Commission’s intention to develop roadmaps on ‘lawful and effective access to data for law enforcement’ and encryption.

The strategy aims to ‘identify and assess technological solutions that would enable law enforcement authorities to access encrypted data lawfully, safeguarding cybersecurity and fundamental rights.’ These issues continue to be the subject of technical and legal discussion across jurisdictions.

Other aspects of the strategy address long-standing challenges within the EU’s security framework, including limited situational awareness and coordination at the executive level. The strategy proposes enhancing intelligence-sharing through the EU’s Single Intelligence Analysis Capacity, a mechanism for the voluntary sharing of intelligence by member states, which is currently supported by open-source analysis.

The report further emphasised that the effectiveness of any reforms in this area would depend on the commitment of member states, citing ongoing challenges related to differing national priorities and levels of political alignment. In addition, the Commission announced its intention to propose a new Cybersecurity Act and new measures to secure cloud and telecom services and develop technological sovereignty.

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Singapore issues new guidelines to strengthen resilience and security of cloud services and data centres

The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has issued new Advisory Guidelines (AGs) intended to support the resilience and security of Cloud Services and Data Centres (DCs) in Singapore. The guidelines set out best practices for Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) and DC operators, aiming to reduce service disruptions and limit their potential impact on economic and social functions.

A wide range of digital services—including online banking, ride-hailing, e-commerce, and digital identity systems—depend on the continued availability of cloud infrastructure and data centre operations. Service interruptions may affect the delivery of these services.

The AGs encourage service providers to adopt measures that improve their ability to recover from outages and maintain operational continuity. The AGs recommend various practices to address risks associated with technical misconfigurations, physical incidents, and cybersecurity threats.

Key proposals include conducting risk and business impact assessments, establishing business continuity arrangements, and strengthening cybersecurity capabilities. For Cloud Services, the guidelines outline seven measures to reinforce security and resilience.

These cover security testing, access controls, data governance, and disaster recovery planning. Concerning Data Centres, the AGs provide a framework for business continuity management to minimise operational disruptions and maintain high service availability.

That involves the implementation of relevant policies, operational controls, and ongoing review processes. The development of the AGs forms part of wider national efforts led by the inter-agency task force on the Resilience and Security of Digital Infrastructure and Services.

These guidelines are intended to complement regulatory initiatives, including planned amendments to the Cybersecurity Act and the Digital Infrastructure Act (DIA) introduction, which will establish requirements for critical digital infrastructure providers such as major CSPs and DC operators. To inform the guidelines, the IMDA conducted consultations with a broad range of stakeholders, including CSPs, DC operators, and end user enterprises across sectors such as banking, healthcare, and digital platforms.

The AGs will be updated periodically to reflect technological developments, incident learnings, and further industry input. A coordinated approach is encouraged across the digital services ecosystem. Businesses that provide digital services are advised to assess operational risks and establish appropriate business continuity plans to support service reliability.

The AGs also refer to international standards, including IMDA’s Multi-Tier Cloud Security Standard, the Cloud Security Alliance Cloud Controls Matrix, ISO 27001, and ISO 22301. Providers are encouraged to designate responsible personnel to oversee resilience and security efforts.

These guidelines form part of Singapore’s broader strategy to strengthen its digital infrastructure. The government will continue to engage with sectoral regulators and stakeholders to promote resilience, cybersecurity awareness, and preparedness across industries and society.

As digital systems evolve, sustained attention to infrastructure resilience and security remains essential. The AGs are intended to support organisations in maintaining reliable services while aligning with recognised standards and best practices.

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Midjourney’s V7 debuts with personalization and improved image quality

Midjourney has launched V7, its first new AI image model in nearly a year, introducing major improvements in image quality and text prompt accuracy.

The model, which rolled out in alpha on Thursday, features enhanced textures, better coherence in generating bodies and objects, and a new personalization system that tailors results to individual users.

To access V7, users must first rate around 200 images to create a personalised profile, a feature enabled by default for the first time.

The new model is available in two versions: Turbo, which generates images at a higher cost, and Relax, a more budget-friendly option. A new Draft Mode also allows users to create lower-quality images at ten times the speed and half the cost of standard mode, with the option to enhance them later.

Some existing Midjourney features, such as image upscaling and retexturing, are not yet available in V7 but are expected within two months.

Midjourney remains an independent company, having raised no external funding since its launch in 2022. The San Francisco-based firm is reportedly generating around $200 million in revenue and is expanding into hardware, video, and 3D object generation.

However, the company faces ongoing legal challenges, with multiple lawsuits accusing it of using copyrighted images without permission to train its AI models.

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New Jersey criminalises the harmful use of AI deepfakes

New Jersey has become one of several US states to criminalise the creation and distribution of deceptive AI-generated media, commonly known as deepfakes. Governor Phil Murphy signed the legislation on Wednesday, introducing civil and criminal penalties for those who produce or share such media.

If deepfakes are used to commit further crimes like harassment, they may now be treated as a third-degree offence, punishable by fines up to $30,000 or up to five years in prison.

The bill was inspired by a disturbing incident at a New Jersey school where students shared explicit AI-generated images of a classmate.

Governor Murphy had initially vetoed the legislation in March, calling for changes to reduce the risk of constitutional challenges. Lawmakers later amended the bill, which passed with overwhelming support in both chambers.

Instead of ignoring the threat posed by deepfakes, the law aims to deter their misuse while preserving legitimate applications of AI.

‘This legislation takes a proactive approach,’ said Representative Lou Greenwald, one of the bill’s sponsors. ‘We are safeguarding New Jersey residents and offering justice to victims of digital abuse.’

A growing number of US states are taking similar action, particularly around election integrity and online harassment. While 27 states now target AI-generated sexual content, others have introduced measures to limit political deepfakes.

States like Texas and Minnesota have banned deceptive political media outright, while Florida and Wisconsin require clear disclosures. New Jersey’s move reflects a broader push to keep pace with rapidly evolving technology and its impact on public trust and safety.

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Are digital taxes the new frontline in global trade warfare?

While President Trump’s tariffs on goods dominate headlines, a more consequential battle is brewing over digital services. US tech giants like Meta, Google, and Amazon wield unparalleled global dominance in this sector.

In just-in-time analysis, Jovan Kurbalija argues that Trump’s fixation on traditional trade levers (steel, cars) overlooks a critical vulnerability for the United States: the use of digital services taxes (DSTs) and regulatory pressure by the EU and other trading partners to counterbalance new US tariff.

The collapse of OECD-led multilateral tax negotiations in 2024 has triggered a resurgence of unilateral DSTs, from Canada’s retroactive levy to India’s expanded ‘equalization levy’ and revived EU proposals for bloc-wide digital taxes.

Kurbalija analyses how digital taxation redefines trade diplomacy, with implications ranging from recalibrated leverage (host nations exploiting US tech dependence) to governance gaps (WTO rules ill-equipped for digital disputes). It poses new challenges for digital diplomacy, AI negotiations, and internet governance.

He warns that failure to address this ‘invisible trade war’ could escalate tit-for-tat measures, jeopardizing both physical goods trade and the digital economy. The rise of data and sovereignty will be inevitable.

Ultimately, the piece underscores a paradigm shift: in the 21st-century economy, algorithms, and data flows are as strategically vital as steel beams—and more impactful for economic well-being and global prosperity.

For more information on these topics, read more here.

AppLovin joins TikTok takeover frenzy

As the 5 April deadline approaches for TikTok to secure a non-Chinese buyer or face a US ban, the list of potential acquirers continues to grow.

Marketing platform AppLovin has submitted a preliminary bid to acquire TikTok’s operations outside of China, aiming to expand its footprint in the global digital advertising arena.

AppLovin’s move adds to the mounting interest in TikTok, with Amazon and a consortium led by OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely also entering the fray.

These developments come amid US government concerns over TikTok’s Chinese ownership, which officials argue poses national security risks, a claim that TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have consistently denied.

The White House has taken an unusually active role in facilitating the sale.

President Donald Trump indicates openness to a deal wherein China approves the transaction in exchange for relief from US tariffs on Chinese imports.

This intertwining of trade negotiations and tech acquisitions underscores the complex geopolitical landscape influencing the fate of TikTok in the US.

Private equity firm Blackstone is also evaluating a minority investment in TikTok’s US operations, potentially joining non-Chinese shareholders like Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic in contributing fresh capital.

The future of TikTok, an app used by nearly half of all Americans, remains uncertain as the deadline looms and negotiations continue.

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