Jurisdiction

AI to draft and amend UAE laws

The United Arab Emirates has announced a pioneering scheme to employ AI in drafting, amending and reviewing its laws. Launched by Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the new Regulatory Intelligence Office will steer what the ruler describes as a world‑first legislative overhaul.

Expected to accelerate lawmaking by up to 70 per cent, the system will analyse vast government and legal datasets rather than merely summarise documents. Ministers hope that AI will enhance precision and allow active review of existing statutes alongside drafting new provisions.

Legal experts caution that AI models may misinterpret complex texts or produce proposals at odds with human norms.

Nevertheless, observers such as Oxford Internet Institute’s Keegan McBride argue that the centralised governance of the UAE can adapt to emerging technologies faster than more fragmented democracies.

Building on its 2017 appointment of the world’s first minister for AI and its national AI strategy, the Gulf state has also backed innovation through the MGX fund, which includes support for BlackRock’s $30 billion AI‑infrastructure venture.

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ChatGPT search grows rapidly in Europe

ChatGPT search, the web-accessing feature within OpenAI’s chatbot, has seen rapid growth across Europe, attracting an average of 41.3 million monthly active users in the six months leading up to March 31.

It marks a sharp rise from 11.2 million in the previous six-month period, according to a regulatory filing by OpenAI Ireland Limited.

Instead of operating unnoticed, the service must now report this data under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which defines monthly recipients as users who actively view or interact with the platform.

Should usage cross 45 million, ChatGPT search could be classified as a ‘very large’ online platform and face stricter rules, including transparency obligations, user opt-outs from personalised recommendations, and regular audits.

Failure to follow DSA regulations could lead to serious penalties, up to 6% of OpenAI’s global revenue, or even a temporary ban in the EU for ongoing violations. The law aims to ensure online platforms operate more responsibly and with better oversight in the digital space.

Despite gaining ground, ChatGPT search still lags far behind Google, which handles hundreds of times more queries.

Studies have also raised concerns about the accuracy of AI search tools, with ChatGPT found to misidentify a majority of news articles and occasionally misrepresent licensed content from publishers.

Instead of fully replacing traditional search, these AI tools may still need improvement to become reliable alternatives.

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DOJ adds to Google’s antitrust trial the AI-driven search monopoly

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) launched its opening arguments this week in a landmark antitrust trial against Google, aiming to curb the tech giant’s dominance in online search and prevent it from leveraging AI to entrench its position further.

Prosecutors argue that Google’s market control is bolstered by exclusive contracts, such as being the default smartphone search engine, and now by integrating AI tools that guide users back to its ecosystem. 

The DOJ calls for decisive action, including the potential sale of Google’s Chrome browser and changes to its default settings agreements with device manufacturers.

Central to the DOJ’s argument is the concern that Google’s AI products, including its Gemini app installed on Samsung devices, create feedback loops reinforcing its search monopoly. 

Court documents reveal that Google pays Samsung a significant monthly sum for this privilege, with the deal potentially extending into 2028. 

The DOJ contends that remedies must be forward-looking to ensure competition as generative AI becomes increasingly intertwined with search.

Google, however, rejects the proposed measures as excessive. Its legal team argues that competitors perform well in AI without regulatory intervention and that forced divestitures or licensing obligations would harm innovation. 

The company insists that AI falls outside the scope of the case, which is focused on traditional search, and has pledged to appeal any adverse ruling. 

A key concern for Google is the DOJ’s suggestion that, should other remedies fail, the court could mandate the breakup of its Android mobile business, a move Google claims would disrupt the wider digital ecosystem.

DOJ officials emphasised that the legal remedies proposed are nonpartisan and reflect a consistent policy direction. Meanwhile, other tech giants, including Meta, are also under increasing scrutiny, with separate trials looming over market dominance and acquisitions.

Sweden unable to determine cause of Baltic Sea cable damage

The Swedish Accident Investigation Authority (SHK) has published its final report on the damage to the C-Lion 1 subsea cable in the Baltic Sea on 18 November 2024, concluding that it cannot determine whether the incident was the result of an accident or intentional sabotage.

The investigation focused on the Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3, which was initially identified as having caused the damage.

While investigators from several neighbouring countries, including Sweden, were allowed to board the vessel, the SHK reported that the visit was time-constrained and that access to key evidence—such as surveillance footage and the vessel’s Voyage Data Recorder—was not granted.

Interviews with the crew were conducted in the presence of Chinese officials.

The SHK outlined two possible scenarios: one in which the anchor was deliberately released to damage seabed infrastructure, and another in which it detached due to improper security.

The report noted that certain technical details—such as the absence of damage to key anchor components—make the accidental scenario less likely, but acknowledged that neither hypothesis could be confirmed due to investigative limitations.

Under international maritime law, flag states typically lead investigations in international waters, though exceptions may apply in cases involving suspected criminal activity.

While some analysts have raised concerns about potential state-sponsored sabotage, officials from several European countries have indicated increasing confidence that the recent cable breaks were not the result of coordinated or intentional activity.

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Japan tells Google to stop Android search dominance

Japanese regulators have accused Google of breaching the country’s anti-monopoly laws by restricting competition through the pre-installation of its search engine on Android smartphones.

The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) issued a cease and desist order on Tuesday, directing the US tech giant to halt the practice.

Google Japan called the move ‘regrettable’ and emphasised its long-standing investment in Japan to support innovation. The company has not yet indicated whether it will appeal the ruling.

The JFTC’s investigation began in 2023, with input from overseas regulators handling similar concerns in the United States and Europe.

This marks the first time the JFTC has taken such action against a major global technology firm. It follows global scrutiny of Google’s dominance, including a US court ruling last year that found Google had unfairly used its market power to suppress rivals.

European authorities have also raised similar concerns, accusing the company of monopolistic behaviour.

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EU plans major staff boost for digital rules

The European Commission is ramping up enforcement of its Digital Services Act (DSA) by hiring 60 more staff to support ongoing investigations into major tech platforms. Despite beginning probes into companies such as X, Meta, TikTok, AliExpress and Temu since December 2023, none have concluded.

The Commission currently has 127 employees working on the DSA and aims to reach 200 by year’s end. Applications for the new roles, including legal experts, policy officers, and data scientists, remain open until 10 May.

The DSA, which came into full effect in February last year, applies to all online platforms in the EU. However, the 25 largest platforms, those with over 45 million monthly users like Google, Amazon, and Shein, fall under the direct supervision of the Commission instead of national regulators.

The most advanced case is against X, with early findings pointing to a lack of transparency and accountability.

The law has drawn criticism from the current Republican-led US government, which views it as discriminatory. Brendan Carr of the US Federal Communications Commission called the DSA ‘an attack on free speech,’ accusing the EU of unfairly targeting American companies.

In response, EU Tech Commissioner Henna Virkkunen insisted the rules are fair, applying equally to platforms from Europe, the US, and China.

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FTC challenges Meta’s dominance in social media trial

Mark Zuckerberg has defended Meta’s high-profile acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp during testimony in a major antitrust trial brought by the US Federal Trade Commission.

On the stand for a second day, the Meta CEO admitted the company could have developed its own rival to Instagram, but noted that building successful apps is extremely difficult.

Emails presented by the FTC showed Zuckerberg expressing concern about Instagram’s rapid growth in 2012 and WhatsApp’s dominance in messaging before both were bought by Meta.

The FTC argues that Meta unfairly stifled competition by acquiring its closest rivals instead of innovating independently. It is pushing for the breakup of Meta, saying that platforms like Instagram might have become major standalone competitors.

Zuckerberg, however, claimed that competition in the social media space remains intense, pointing to platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and X. He insisted that Instagram was acquired mainly for its advanced camera technology, not to eliminate a competitor.

Emails from 2018 suggest that Zuckerberg anticipated future regulatory scrutiny and even considered the possibility of spinning off the company’s acquisitions.

The antitrust trial, set to last several weeks, will feature testimony from key industry figures including Sheryl Sandberg and Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom. If the court rules in favour of the FTC, a second phase will determine how to dismantle the alleged monopoly.

For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.

Apple’s $2 billion iPhone airlift from India dodges Trump’s tariffs

Apple has airlifted nearly $2 billion worth of iPhones from India to the US, dodging President Trump’s looming tariffs with a clever sidestep. 

Customs data reveals that in March 2025, Apple’s key Indian partners, Foxconn and Tata, shipped a record-breaking haul to ensure the tech giant’s shelves stay stocked in one of its biggest markets. 

Foxconn, Apple’s primary supplier in India, exported $1.31 billion worth of iPhones—models 13, 14, 16, and 16e—in March alone, matching the combined total of January and February. 

Tata Electronics wasn’t far behind, sending $612 million worth of iPhone 15 and 16 models, a 63% surge from the previous month. 

Together, their efforts pushed Foxconn’s year-to-date shipments from India to the US to $5.3 billion, a testament to India’s growing role as a manufacturing hub amid Apple’s pivot away from China.

The operation was a logistical feat, with Apple chartering at least six cargo jets to ferry 600 tons of iPhones from Chennai’s air cargo terminal to US cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, which took the lion’s share. 

To pull it off, Apple worked with Indian authorities to slash customs clearance times at Chennai airport from 30 hours to just six, ensuring the iPhones beat the tariff clock. 

One source described the move as a strategic play to ‘beat the tariffs,’ a gambit to keep costs down as Trump’s trade policies tighten the screws.

Trump’s tariffs tell a tale of their own—while April 2025 saw a 26% duty on Indian imports, far lighter than the 100 %+ rates slapped on China, the president later paused most duties except for China’s for three months. 

Yet, he also granted temporary exemptions for smartphones and electronics from Chinese imports, though he hinted those breaks might not last.

Apple’s reliance on India signals a deeper strategy to diversify production and outmanoeuvre the unpredictable winds of US trade policy in a global market fractured by high tax impositions.

Trump’s tech tariffs spare smartphones, computers and other electronics

President Donald Trump’s administration has granted exemptions from steep tariffs on smartphones, laptops, and other electronics, providing relief to tech giants like Apple and Dell. 

Announced on 5 April 2025 by US Customs and Border Protection, the exemptions cover 20 product categories, including semiconductors, and exclude these goods from Trump’s 10% baseline tariffs on non-Chinese imports, easing costs for items like iPhones made in India. 

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives hailed the move as ‘the most bullish news’ for the tech sector, coinciding with efforts by companies like Apple, which has shipped 1.5 million iPhones from India to sidestep tariffs.

However, the exemptions don’t fully shield tech from Trump’s trade war. His 125% reciprocal tariffs on Chinese imports remain, alongside earlier 20% duties tied to the fentanyl crisis, and a new national security probe into semiconductors looms. 

Trump, speaking on 9 April, teased more details while claiming the US is reaping tariff revenue, but the decision hints at his awareness of inflation risks, with iPhone prices potentially hitting $2,300 under full tariffs. 

The partial reprieve reflects Trump’s balancing act between trade promises and economic stability, especially after his campaign focused on lowering prices amid inflation concerns.

The backdrop is a volatile global market, with China retaliating by matching Trump’s 125% tariffs, sending US stocks on a rollercoaster and pushing gold to record highs. 

Trump’s cosy ties with tech CEOs like Apple’s Tim Cook, who have embraced him since his 20 January inauguration, contrast with his tariff-driven agenda, which has sparked recession fears and Republican criticism ahead of next year’s midterms. 

The exemptions offer tech a breather, but the broader US-China trade conflict threatens supply chains and global stability. 

This tariff carve-out underscores Trump’s high-stakes gamble: reshaping trade to favour American interests while risking economic fallout at home. 

With smartphones and laptops leading US imports from China at $41.7 billion and $33.1 billion in 2024, the exemptions may temper consumer price hikes, but the looming semiconductor probe and escalating tensions signal more turbulence ahead. 

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Meta faces landmark antitrust trial

An antitrust trial against Meta commenced in Washington, with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) arguing that the company’s acquisitions of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 were designed to crush competition instead of fostering innovation.

Although the FTC initially approved these deals, it now claims they effectively handed Meta a monopoly. Should the FTC succeed, Meta may be forced to sell off both platforms, a move that would reshape the tech landscape.

Meta has countered by asserting that users have benefited from Instagram’s development under its ownership, instead of being harmed by diminished competition. Legal experts believe the company will focus on consumer outcomes rather than corporate intent.

Nevertheless, statements made by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, such as his remark that it’s ‘better to buy than to compete,’ may prove pivotal. Zuckerberg and former COO Sheryl Sandberg are both expected to testify during the trial, which could span several weeks in the US.

Political tensions loom over the case, which was first launched under Donald Trump’s presidency. Reports suggest Zuckerberg has privately lobbied Trump to drop the lawsuit, while Meta has criticised the FTC’s reversal years after approving the acquisitions.

The recent dismissal of two Democratic commissioners from the FTC by Trump has raised concerns over political interference, especially as the commission now holds a Republican majority.

While the FTC seeks to challenge Meta’s dominance, experts caution that proving harm in this case will be far more difficult than in the ongoing antitrust battle against Google.

Unlike the search engine market, which is clearly monopolised, the social media space remains highly competitive, with platforms like TikTok, YouTube and X offering strong alternatives.

For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.