Google secured an injunction from London’s High Court on Wednesday, preventing the enforcement of Russian legal judgments against the company. The rulings related to lawsuits filed by Russian entities, including Tsargrad TV and RT, over the closure of Google and YouTube accounts. Judge Andrew Henshaw granted the permanent injunction, citing Google’s terms and conditions, which require disputes to be resolved in English courts.
The Russian judgments included severe ‘astreinte penalties,’ which increased daily and amounted to astronomical sums. Google’s lawyers argued that some fines levied on its Russian subsidiary reached numbers as large as an undecillion roubles—a figure with 36 zeroes. Judge Henshaw highlighted that the fines far exceeded the global GDP, supporting the court’s decision to block their enforcement.
A Google spokesperson expressed satisfaction with the ruling, criticising Russia’s legal actions as efforts to restrict information access and penalise compliance with international sanctions. Since 2022, Google has taken measures such as blocking over 1,000 YouTube channels, including state-sponsored news outlets, and suspending monetisation of content promoting Russia‘s actions in Ukraine.
Major tech companies, including Meta’s Facebook, Elon Musk’s X, YouTube, and TikTok, have committed to tackling online hate speech through a revised code of conduct now linked to the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA). Announced Monday by the European Commission, the updated agreement also includes platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitch, expanding the coalition originally formed in 2016. The move reinforces the EU’s stance against illegal hate speech, both online and offline, according to EU tech commissioner Henna Virkkunen.
Under the revised code, platforms must allow not-for-profit organisations or public entities to monitor how they handle hate speech reports and ensure at least 66% of flagged cases are reviewed within 24 hours. Companies have also pledged to use automated tools to detect and reduce hateful content while disclosing how recommendation algorithms influence the spread of such material.
Additionally, participating platforms will provide detailed, country-specific data on hate speech incidents categorised by factors like race, religion, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Compliance with these measures will play a critical role in regulators’ enforcement of the DSA, a cornerstone of the EU’s strategy to combat illegal and harmful content online.
A Russian court has imposed an 8 billion rouble ($78 million) fine on Google for failing to comply with previous penalties related to administrative offences, according to the Moscow courts’ press service. The fine marks a sharp increase from the usual smaller penalties issued to foreign tech companies operating in Russia.
Russia has repeatedly demanded that foreign platforms, including YouTube, remove content it deems illegal. Critics argue that the government’s pressure on YouTube, once a major platform in Russia, is aimed at limiting access to dissenting voices. YouTube’s daily users in Russia have plummeted from 50 million to 12 million amid growing restrictions and alleged speed disruptions.
The Kremlin denies any deliberate interference with YouTube, instead blaming Google for failing to upgrade its infrastructure in the country, a claim the tech giant disputes. Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin has accused Google of acting as a tool for US political influence, further straining relations.
Delta Air Lines introduced an AI-powered assistant and expanded in-flight services during CES 2025. The Delta Concierge, built into the airline’s mobile app, will provide proactive travel updates like passport expiration alerts and visa requirements. Passengers can interact with the assistant using voice or text for added convenience.
SkyMiles members will soon enjoy free access to YouTube Premium and YouTube Music during flights. The new offering enhances Delta’s focus on passenger entertainment while adding exclusive perks for frequent flyers.
A next-generation in-flight entertainment system will begin rolling out in 2026, featuring 4K HDR QLED displays, Bluetooth connectivity, and 96 terabytes of storage for movies, TV shows, and music. Delta describes it as the first cloud-based system of its kind.
The company also announced a collaboration with Airbus on the fello’fly project, testing formation flying to conserve fuel. Regulatory hurdles could delay widespread adoption, but the energy-saving potential remains promising.
YouTube has expanded its AI-powered auto-dubbing feature to hundreds of thousands of creators, making videos more accessible worldwide. Initially introduced at VidCon last year for a select group, the tool now supports channels focusing on instructional content, such as cooking and sewing tutorials, with plans to expand to other genres soon.
The auto-dubbing process automatically detects a video’s original language and generates dubbed tracks in nine languages, including French, Hindi, and Spanish. However, this feature leverages Google’s Gemini technology, offering realistic voice replication for global audiences. While still under development, it promises significant improvements in the near future.
Creators can access this tool by uploading videos as usual, with translations generated without extra steps. YouTube has acknowledged potential inaccuracies and is working to refine the technology further, requesting feedback from users.
Another enhancement, ‘Expressive Speech,’ is in development to better capture a speaker’s tone and emotions. These updates highlight YouTube’s commitment to improving creator tools and making content globally relevant.
YouTube Shorts has rolled out a new capability in its Dream Screen feature, enabling users to create AI-generated video backgrounds. Previously limited to image generation, this update harnesses Google DeepMind’s AI video-generation model, Veo, to produce 1080p cinematic-style video clips. Creators can enter text prompts, such as ‘magical forest’ or ‘candy landscape,’ select an animation style, and receive a selection of dynamic video backdrops.
Once a background is chosen, users can film their Shorts with the AI-generated video playing behind them. This feature offers creators unique storytelling opportunities, such as setting videos in imaginative scenes or crafting engaging animated openings. In future updates, YouTube plans to let users generate stand-alone six-second video clips using Dream Screen.
The feature, available in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, distinguishes YouTube Shorts from TikTok, which currently only offers AI-generated background images. By providing tools for creating custom video backdrops, YouTube aims to cement its position as a leader in short-form video innovation.
YouTube is testing an AI-driven feature allowing select creators to remix songs by describing desired stylistic changes. This builds on its Dream Track toolset, which debuted last year and lets users generate AI-based tracks using artist vocals. The new feature, ‘Restyle a track,’ enables creators to transform a song’s genre or mood, producing 30-second snippets for Shorts while preserving the original’s essence.
The tool uses Google DeepMind’s Lyria model and ensures proper crediting of the original music. YouTube has partnered with Universal Music Group to compensate artists and rights holders, addressing potential concerns from the music industry. Creators participating in the trial can experiment with a limited selection of tracks under this system.
This development follows a growing trend of platforms enabling AI-generated music customisation. YouTube’s approach highlights its commitment to both creative innovation and maintaining industry standards. Competitors like Hook, an app for remixing music, are also exploring similar functionalities for short-form video content.
Google is testing an AI-driven feature for YouTube Shorts, allowing creators to alter licensed audio tracks to fit different styles or genres. Part of YouTube’s Dream Track experiment, the feature lets select creators customise songs by simply describing their desired transformation, such as changing the music genre. YouTube’s AI then generates a 30-second soundtrack for the creator’s short video, maintaining the original vocals and lyrics.
The experimental tool has clear attribution rules, ensuring viewers can see that the song has been restyled with AI. Videos featuring these AI-enhanced tracks will display the original song information and note that AI was used to alter the sound. This setup helps protect the rights of original music creators while giving video makers new artistic possibilities.
The Dream Track experiment has been in testing since last year, initially giving creators access to AI-generated artist voices with approved songs. This latest feature now expands to allow broader soundtrack customisation within Shorts, aiming to boost creator flexibility and viewer engagement.
Separately, YouTube is testing a swipe-up feature for its Android app, making it easier to navigate between videos. Available to a limited number of users, the swipe-up gesture now brings a navigation method similar to Instagram Reels, potentially signalling an interface shift across YouTube’s mobile platform.
The Australian government has announced plans to introduce a ban on social media access for children under 16, with legislation expected to pass by late next year. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the move as part of a world-leading initiative to combat the harms social media inflicts on children, particularly the negative impact on their mental and physical health. He highlighted concerns over the influence of harmful body image content for girls and misogynistic material directed at boys.
Australia is also testing age-verification systems, such as biometrics and government ID, to ensure that children cannot access social media platforms. The new legislation will not allow exemptions, including for children with parental consent or those with pre-existing accounts. Social media platforms will be held responsible for preventing access to minors, rather than placing the burden on parents or children.
The proposed ban includes major platforms such as Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter). While some digital industry representatives, like the Digital Industry Group, have criticised the plan, arguing it could push young people toward unregulated parts of the internet, Australian officials stand by the measure, emphasising the need for strong protections against online harm.
This move positions Australia as a leader in regulating children’s access to social media, with no other country implementing such stringent age-verification methods. The new rules will be introduced into parliament this year and are set to take effect 12 months after ratification.
The Kremlin has called on Google to lift its restrictions on Russian broadcasters on YouTube, highlighting mounting legal claims against the tech giant as potential leverage. Google blocked more than a thousand Russian channels and over 5.5 million videos, including state-funded media, after halting ad services in Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russia’s legal actions against Google, initiated by 17 Russian TV channels, have led to compound fines based on the company’s revenue in Russia, accumulating to a staggering figure reportedly in the “undecillions,” according to Russian media. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described this enormous number as symbolic but urged Google to take these legal pressures seriously and reconsider its restrictions.
In response, Google has not commented on these demands. Russian officials argue that such restrictions infringe on the country’s broadcasters and hope the significant financial claims will compel Google to restore access to Russian media content on YouTube.
