Government & Policy

FTC launches inquiry into AI chatbot companions from Meta, OpenAI, and others

Government & Policy /

The FTC announced on Thursday that it is launching an inquiry into seven tech companies that make AI chatbot companion products for minors: Alphabet, CharacterAI, Instagram, Meta, OpenAI, Snap, and xAI. The federal regulator seeks to learn how these companies are evaluating the safety and monetization of chatbot companions, how they try to limit negative […]

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A California bill that would regulate AI companion chatbots is close to becoming law

Government & Policy /

The California State Assembly took a big step toward regulating AI on Wednesday night, passing SB 243 — a bill that regulate AI companion chatbots in order to protect minors and vulnerable users. The legislation passed with bipartisan support and now heads to the state Senate for a final vote Friday. If Governor Gavin Newsom

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Nepal reverses social media ban as protests turn deadly

Government & Policy /

Nepal has made a dramatic U-turn, reversing a social media ban imposed last week after the decision sparked nationwide “Gen Z” protests that reportedly left at least 19 people dead. The ban, which blocked access to 26 platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X, was imposed following an August 25 directive requiring foreign social media

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Anthropic endorses California’s AI safety bill, SB 53

Government & Policy /

On Monday, Anthropic announced an official endorsement of SB 53, a California bill from state Senator Scott Wiener that would impose first-in-the-nation transparency requirements on the world’s largest AI model developers. Anthropic’s endorsement marks a rare and major win for SB 53, at a time when major tech groups like CTA and Chamber for Progress

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Adtech company PubMatic sues Google over monopoly violations

Government & Policy /

Advertising exchange PubMatic has filed a lawsuit against Google, accusing the tech giant of illegally monopolizing the ad technology market. PubMatic is seeking billions of dollars in damages, according a report from Bloomberg. The lawsuit marks the second time that an advertising exchange has sued Google since a federal judge ruled in April that the

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EU fines Google $3.5B over adtech ‘abuse’

Government & Policy /

The European Commission announced this week that it’s fining Google €2.95 billion (just under $3.5 billion). The commission found that Google had violated European Union antitrust rules by favoring its own advertising services. Specifically, the commission said Google “abused” its “dominant positions” by favoring its ad exchange AdX in both its publisher ad server and

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Attorneys general warn OpenAI ‘harm to children will not be tolerated’

Government & Policy /

California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings met with and sent an open letter to OpenAI to express their concerns over the safety of ChatGPT, particularly for children and teens.  The warning comes a week after Bonta and 44 other attorneys general sent a letter to 12 of the top AI

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Natron’s liquidation shows why the US isn’t ready to make its own batteries

Government & Policy /

Sodium-ion battery startup Natron ceased operations this week, ending the company’s 12-year quest to commercialize its technology in the U.S. The company had $25 million worth of orders lined up for its Michigan factory, but it couldn’t deliver them until it had UL certification, according to Raleigh’s The News and Observer, which reported on the

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Nepal blocks Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X over rule breach, amid censorship concerns

Government & Policy /

Nepal has ordered internet service providers to block access to major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X, after the companies failed to comply with local registration rules — drawing criticism from media rights groups and raising concerns over censorship and free expression. On Thursday, Nepal’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology directed

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Pornhub owner pays $5M settlement to FTC over historic failure to block abusive content

Government & Policy /

Pornhub owner Aylo will pay a $5 million settlement to the FTC and Utah over allegations that the company knowingly profited off of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and nonconsensual material (NCM). Formerly Mindgeek, Aylo made some significant changes to the way it moderates content in late 2020, when The New York Times published an

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