technology

US govt calls for breakup of Google and Chrome

BY ALEX PIGMAN

  • From this position, Google expanded its tech and data-gathering empire to include the Chrome browser, Maps and the Android smartphone operating system.
  • The US government late Wednesday asked a judge to order the dismantling of Google by selling its widely used Chrome browser in a major antitrust crackdown on the internet giant.
  • From this position, Google expanded its tech and data-gathering empire to include the Chrome browser, Maps and the Android smartphone operating system.
The US government late Wednesday asked a judge to order the dismantling of Google by selling its widely used Chrome browser in a major antitrust crackdown on the internet giant.
In a court filing, the US Department of Justice urged a shake-up of Google's business that includes banning deals for Google to be the default search engine on smartphones and preventing it from exploiting its Android mobile operating system.
Antitrust officials said in the filing that Google should also be made to sell Android if proposed remedies don't prevent the tech company from using its control of the mobile operating system to its advantage.
Calling for the breakup of Google marks a profound change by the US government's regulators, which have largely left tech giants alone since failing to break up Microsoft two decades ago.
Google is expected to make its recommendations in a filing next month and both sides will make their case at a hearing in April before US District Court Judge Amit Mehta.
Regardless of Judge Mehta's eventual decision, Google is expected to appeal the ruling, prolonging the process for years and potentially leaving the final say to the US Supreme Court.
The case could also be upended by the arrival of President-elect Donald Trump to the White House in January.
His administration will likely replace the current team in charge of the DOJ's antitrust division.
The newcomers could choose to carry on with the case, ask for a settlement with Google, or abandon the case altogether.
Trump has blown hot and cold in how to handle Google and the dominance of big tech companies. 
He has accused the search engine of bias against conservative content, but has also signaled that a forced break up of the company would be too large a demand by the US government. 

Too extreme?

Determining how to address Google's wrongs is the next stage of the landmark antitrust trial that saw the company in August ruled a monopoly by Judge Mehta.
Google has dismissed the idea of a breakup as "radical."
Adam Kovacevich, chief executive of industry trade group Chamber of Progress, said the government's demands were "fantastical" and defied legal standards, instead calling for narrowly tailored remedies.
The trial, which concluded last year, scrutinized Google's confidential agreements with smartphone manufacturers, including Apple. 
These deals involve substantial payments to secure Google's search engine as the default option on browsers, iPhones and other devices.
The judge determined that this arrangement provided Google with unparalleled access to user data, enabling it to develop its search engine into a globally dominant platform. 
From this position, Google expanded its tech and data-gathering empire to include the Chrome browser, Maps and the Android smartphone operating system.
According to the judgment, Google controlled 90 percent of the US online search market in 2020, with an even higher share, 95 percent, on mobile devices.
The US government currently has five cases pending against big tech over antitrust concerns after the Biden administration adopted a tough stance on reining in the dominance of the companies.
If carried through by the Trump administration, the cases against Amazon, Meta, and Apple, as well as two against Google, could take years to litigate.
gc-arp/jgc

Global Edition

Australian eyes $30m fine for social media flouting under-16s ban

BY LAURA CHUNG

  • Failing to do so would mean fines of up to Aus$50 million (US$32.5 million).
  • Social media companies could be fined more than US$30 million if they fail to keep children off their platforms, under new laws tabled before Australia's parliament Thursday. 
  • Failing to do so would mean fines of up to Aus$50 million (US$32.5 million).
Social media companies could be fined more than US$30 million if they fail to keep children off their platforms, under new laws tabled before Australia's parliament Thursday. 
The legislation would force social media firms to take steps to prevent those under 16 years of age from accessing platforms such as X, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
Failing to do so would mean fines of up to Aus$50 million (US$32.5 million).
Australia is among the vanguard of nations trying to clean up social media, and the proposed age limit would be among the world's strictest measures aimed at children. 
Details about how social media companies are expected to enforce the ban remain unclear. 
The proposed laws would also include robust privacy provisions that require tech platforms to delete any age-verification information collected. 
Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland said Thursday that social media companies had a responsibility for the "safety and mental health" of Australians.  
"The legislation places the onus on social media platforms, not parents or children, to ensure protections are in place," she said. 
Some companies will be granted exemptions from the ban, such as YouTube, which teenagers may need to use for school work or other reasons. 
Rowland said that messaging services -- such as WhatsApp -- and online gaming would also be exempt.
Once celebrated as a means of staying connected and informed, social media platforms have been tarnished by cyberbullying, the spread of illegal content, and election-meddling claims. 
If the proposed law passes, tech platforms would be given a one-year grace period to figure out how to implement and enforce the ban. 
Social media companies have said they will adhere to new legislation but have cautioned the government against acting too quickly and without adequate consultation.
Analysts have also expressed doubt it would be technically feasible to enforce a strict age ban. 
Katie Maskiell from UNICEF Australia said Thursday the proposed legislation would not be a "solve-all" for protecting children and much more needed to be done. 
She added the laws risked pushing young people onto "covert and unregulated online spaces".
Several other countries have been tightening children's access to social media platforms.
Spain passed a law in June banning social media access to under-16s.
And in the US state of Florida, children under 14 will be banned from opening social media accounts under a new law due to come into force in January.
In both cases, the age verification method has yet to be determined.
lec/arb/cwl

conservation

Canada AI project hopes to help reverse mass insect extinction

BY SAMIRA AIT KACI ALI GONZALEZ

  • Researchers eventually hope to apply their modeling to identify new species in the deep sea and others harmful to agriculture.
  • Researchers in Canada are using artificial intelligence to monitor the ongoing mass extinction of insects, hoping to collect data that can help reverse species collapse and avert catastrophe for the planet.
  • Researchers eventually hope to apply their modeling to identify new species in the deep sea and others harmful to agriculture.
Researchers in Canada are using artificial intelligence to monitor the ongoing mass extinction of insects, hoping to collect data that can help reverse species collapse and avert catastrophe for the planet.
"Of all the mass extinctions we have experienced in the past, the one affecting insects is happening a thousand times faster," said Maxim Larrivee, director of the Montreal Insectarium.
The decline is occurring so quickly it can't be properly monitored, making it impossible "to put in place the necessary actions to slow it down," he told AFP.
For the Montreal-based project, called Antenna, some of the data collection is happening inside the insectarium under a large transparent dome, where thousands of butterflies, ants and praying mantises are being studied. 
Solar-powered camera traps have also been installed in several regions, from the Canadian far north to Panamanian rainforests, snapping photos every 10 seconds of insects attracted to UV lights.
Larrivee said innovations like high-resolution cameras, low-cost sensors and AI models to process data could double the amount of biodiversity information collected over the last 150 years in two to five years.
"Even for us, it sounds like science fiction," he said, a grin stretched across his face.

'Tip of iceberg'

Scientists have warned the world is facing its biggest mass extinction event since the dinosaur age.
The drivers of insect species collapse are well understood -- including climate change, habitat loss and pesticides -- but the extent and nature of insect losses have been hard to quantify.
Better data should make it possible to create "decision-making tools for governments and environmentalists" to develop conservation policies that help restore biodiversity, Larrivee said. 
There are an estimated 10 million species of insects, representing half the world's biodiversity, but only a million of those have been documented and studied by scientists.
David Rolnick, a biodiversity specialist at the Quebec AI Institute working on the Antenna project, noted that artificial intelligence could help document some of the 90 percent of insect species that remain undiscovered. 
"We found that when we went to Panama and tested our sensor systems in the rainforest, within a week, we found 300 new species. And that is just the tip of the iceberg," Rolnick told AFP.

Public education

At Antenna, testing to advance AI tools is currently focused on moths. 
With more than 160,000 different species, moths represent a diverse group of insects that are "easy to identify visually" and are low in the food chain, Rolnick explained.
"This is the next frontier for biodiversity monitoring," he said.
The Montreal project is using an open source model, aiming to allow anyone to contribute to enriching the platform.
Researchers eventually hope to apply their modeling to identify new species in the deep sea and others harmful to agriculture.
Meanwhile, the Montreal Insectarium is using its technology for educational purposes. Visitors can snap pictures of butterflies in a vivarium and use an app to identify the exact species
French tourist Camille Clement sounded a note of caution, saying she supported using AI to protect ecology provided "we use it meticulously."
For Julie Jodoin, director of Espace Pour La Vie, an umbrella organization for five Montreal museums including the Insectarium: "If we don't know nature, we can't ask citizens to change their behaviour."
str-maw/amc/bs

semiconductors

Nvidia crushes earnings expectations on AI chip demand

  • Nvidia surpassed Apple early this month to become the highest valued company in the world as the artificial intelligence boom continues to excite Wall Street.
  • US chipmaking behemoth Nvidia said Wednesday it made a $19 billion profit on record high revenue last quarter as demand continued for its hardware to power artificial intelligence.
  • Nvidia surpassed Apple early this month to become the highest valued company in the world as the artificial intelligence boom continues to excite Wall Street.
US chipmaking behemoth Nvidia said Wednesday it made a $19 billion profit on record high revenue last quarter as demand continued for its hardware to power artificial intelligence.
Nvidia reported quarterly sales of $35.1 billion, some $2 billion more than market expectations.
"The age of AI is in full steam, propelling a global shift to Nvidia computing," said founder and chief executive Jensen Huang.
"AI is transforming every industry, company and country."
Huang said that Nvidia's keenly anticipated Blackwell processing platform is in full production and the company is seeing "incredible demand" for the new offering along with current-generation Hopper processors.
"Enterprises are adopting agentic AI to revolutionize workflows," Huang said.
"Industrial robotics investments are surging with breakthroughs in physical AI, and countries have awakened to the importance of developing their national AI and infrastructure."
Nvidia surpassed Apple early this month to become the highest valued company in the world as the artificial intelligence boom continues to excite Wall Street.
Following its quarterly report, Nvidia's share price ebbed nearly two percent in after-hours trading to $143.24.
Investors may have been concerned about the company stating that its margin, the amount of money it makes off processors, is expected to narrow.
"Despite Nvidia's technological leadership through CUDA and its first-mover advantage in AI infrastructure, there's little room for execution missteps in 2025," said Emarketer analyst Jacob Bourne.
"Particularly given uncertainties around Blackwell's rollout and increasing competition from both AMD and key customers' in-house chip development efforts."
The market is also likely weighing geopolitical factors, such as the potential for trade turbulence with China after Donald Trump returns to the White House in January.
Nvidia relies on TSMC in Taiwan for its coveted graphics processing units.
The world's biggest tech companies have invested tens of billions of dollars into Nvidia's powerful AI chips and software to get their ChatGPT-style AI models up and running.
Microsoft, Google, Meta, Tesla and Amazon all depend on Nvidia technology to train generative AI models and execute the heavy computing workloads needed to deploy the new technology.
Ahead of the latest earnings, Nvidia's share price had nearly tripled year-to-date and has accounted for a third of the broad-based S&P 500 index's gains this year.
gc/des

technology

Japan ramps up tech ambitions with $65 bn for AI, chips

BY KATIE FORSTER

  • After dominating in tech hardware during the 1980s, "Japan had a quite a long period of almost just sitting back and observing a lot of this innovation, particularly when it comes to artificial intelligence", said Kelly Forbes, president of the AI Asia Pacific Institute.
  • Japan is readying a $65-billion push in microchips and artificial intelligence aimed at reclaiming its status as a global tech leader and meeting the urgent challenges of its ageing, shrinking population.
  • After dominating in tech hardware during the 1980s, "Japan had a quite a long period of almost just sitting back and observing a lot of this innovation, particularly when it comes to artificial intelligence", said Kelly Forbes, president of the AI Asia Pacific Institute.
Japan is readying a $65-billion push in microchips and artificial intelligence aimed at reclaiming its status as a global tech leader and meeting the urgent challenges of its ageing, shrinking population.
The 10-trillion-yen package, which lawmakers could approve this week, is also seen as preparation for an uncertain world as fears grow of a potential Chinese invasion of chip powerhouse Taiwan.
But analysts warn that question marks remain over worker shortages and whether Japan can generate enough electricity for energy-hungry AI data centres.
After dominating in tech hardware during the 1980s, "Japan had a quite a long period of almost just sitting back and observing a lot of this innovation, particularly when it comes to artificial intelligence", said Kelly Forbes, president of the AI Asia Pacific Institute.
"What we have seen in the last maybe two to three years is Japan really waking up to the potential" of such developments, she told AFP.
Japanese tech investor SoftBank and US computing giant Nvidia last week unveiled ambitious proposals to build an "AI grid" across the nation.
That followed a flurry of US investments earlier this year, including from Microsoft, a partner of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI.
AI-powered automation can help Japan, which has the world's second oldest population after Monaco, said Seth Hays, author of the Asia AI Policy Monitor newsletter.
"Demographically speaking, Japan's just going to be crunched on that," he said.
So "they need to utilise AI in order to get those productivity gains that keep the country going".

Energy problem

The new government money will bolster Japan's home-grown Rapidus project to produce next-generation semiconductors.
Tokyo has already promised up to four trillion yen in subsidies to help triple sales of domestically produced microchips by 2030.
"Semiconductors are really at the core of AI innovation," said Forbes.
Most of the world's chips are made in Taiwan -- but fears are growing of a blockade or invasion by Beijing, which claims the self-ruled island as part of its territory. 
Facing pressure from customers and governments to diversify its production, Taiwanese chip giant TSMC in February opened a $8.6-billion chip factory in southern Japan, and is planning a second facility in the country for more advanced chips.
US President Joe Biden's administration is also pouring money into building chip factories on American soil, including $6.1 billion to Micron and $6.6 billion for TSMC.
Japan's investments are an attempt "to remain competitive in that space, but also... to stay prepared around this geopolitical tension that we know is growing", Forbes said.
But the country needs to find a way to power these energy-intensive projects, from chip manufacturing to running data centres to train AI models.
Japan is heavily dependent on fossil fuel imports, with the government working to bring back online nuclear plants that were halted after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
"In Taiwan, TSMC takes up eight percent of our electricity," said Hays, who is based in Taipei. "Where's Japan going to get the energy?"

'Soft' regulation

Among Nvidia's collaborations with SoftBank is a new supercomputer using the US company's cutting-edge Blackwell AI chips.
At a speech in Tokyo, Nvidia boss Jensen Huang vowed to "transform the telecommunications network into an AI network" in Japan.
"This is completely revolutionary," he said, giving the example of a radio tower that acts as an "air traffic control, essentially, for self-driving cars".
Despite the hype, Japan has some way to go -- in this year's global classification of digital competitiveness by Swiss management school IMD, it was ranked just 31st.
To boost the sector, "Japan's copyright law is actually one of the most AI-friendly copyright laws in the world", Hays said.
"It essentially allows AI companies to train on copyrighted data, even for profit," he said, adding that while Singapore has similar rules, the approach is unusual.
At the same time, Japan has been "taking a lead" on international discussions on AI, including with an initiative launched at last year's G7 summit in Hiroshima.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has also pledged to "formulate a new support framework to attract more than 50 trillion yen in public and private investment over the next 10 years" for AI and chips.
Japan can benefit from AI advances in healthcare, Forbes said, calling the latest investments an attempt to "put Japan at the forefront of this technological revolution".
kaf/stu/dan

music

India's vinyl revival finds its groove

BY ANUJ SRIVAS

  • He sells records for 550-2,500 rupees ($6.50-$30), and believes new vinyl pressed in India will prove popular if it is priced within that bracket.
  • Melting plastic pellets into chunky discs then squashed flat, a worker presses records in what claims to be the first vinyl plant to open in India in decades.
  • He sells records for 550-2,500 rupees ($6.50-$30), and believes new vinyl pressed in India will prove popular if it is priced within that bracket.
Melting plastic pellets into chunky discs then squashed flat, a worker presses records in what claims to be the first vinyl plant to open in India in decades.
Warm music with a nostalgic crackle fills the room -- a Bollywood tune from a popular Hindi movie.
"I'm like a kid in a candy shop," grins Saji Pillai, a music publishing veteran in India's entertainment capital Mumbai, who began pressing inAugust.
The revival of retro records among Indian music fans mirrors a global trend that has seen vinyl sales explode from the United States to Britain and Brazil.
Pillai, 58, entered the music industry as "vinyl was just going out". 
He spent the last few years importing records from Europe for his music label clients.
But he took the decision to open his own plant -- cutting import taxes and shipping times -- to focus on Indian artists and market tastes from Bollywood to indie pop  after recording "growing interest".
Retailers including Walmart have embraced the retro format, and megastars including Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Harry Styles have sent pressing plants around the world into overdrive.
In India, the scale of revival is far smaller -- in part due to lower household incomes -- but younger fans are now joining in the trend.
Pillai admitted the industry was still "challenging" but said the market was "slowly growing".

'Show their love'

Vynyl record systems do not come cheap.
A decent turntable, sound system and 10 records cost fans 50,000-100,000 rupees ($600-$1,180), the lower end of which is more than double the average monthly salary.
But for those who can afford it, the old system offers a new experience. 
"You go to the collection, take it out carefully... You end up paying more attention," said 26-year-old Sachin Bhatt
a
design director who grew up downloading songs.
"You hear new details, you make new mental observations... There is a ritual to it."
Vinyl records create a "personal, tangible connection to the music we love", Bhatt added.
"I know a lot of young kids who have vinyl, even if they don't have a player. It's a way for them to show their love for the music."
Vinyl is a "completely different" experience than "shoving his AirPods" into his ears and going for a run, said 23-year-old Mihir Shah, with a collection of around 50 records.
"It makes me feel present," he said.
Catering to these fans is a group of record stores, complementing the old records on sale in alleyway shops and flea markets.

'Romance'

"There's been a huge resurgence," said Jude De Souza, 36, who runs the Mumbai record store The Revolver Club, saying the growing interest dovetailed with the wider availability of audio gear and records.
Listening sessions organised by the store bring in more than 100 fans.
Despite the growth in popularity, India's vinyl sales remain a drop in the global ocean. 
While the world's most populous country has one of the biggest bases of music listeners, with local songs racking up big views on YouTube and music streaming platforms, its publishing industry is small by global revenue standards.
Music publishing revenues hit about $100 million in the 2023 fiscal year -- far smaller than Western markets -- according to accountancy giant EY.
That is partly due to the lower spending power of its fans, coupled with runaway piracy.
At a small roadside store, 62-year-old Abdul Razzak is the bridge between India's old vinyl culture and newer fans, selling up to 400 second-hand recordseach monthto customers aged from 25 to 75.
He sells records for 550-2,500 rupees ($6.50-$30), and believes new vinyl pressed in India will prove popular if it is priced within that bracket.
For Pillai and his small factory, it provides an opportunity.
He could -- if demand was there -- "easily" triple the factory's monthly production capacity of more than 30,000, something he hopes will come.
"Even though people love digital, the touch feel is not there," Pillai said. 
"Here there's ownership, there's love for it, there's romance, there's love, there's life."
asv/pjm/djw

SpaceX

SpaceX fails to repeat Starship booster catch, as Trump watches on

BY CHANDAN KHANNA WITH ISSAM AHMED IN WASHINGTON

  • Space X founder and CEO Musk has been a constant presence at Trump's side since the incoming president's election victory, joining him at a meeting with Argentina's President Javier Milei and even at a UFC bout.
  • SpaceX flew its latest test flight of its Starship megarocket on Tuesday, with President-elect Donald Trump joining Elon Musk to witness the spectacle firsthand in the latest sign of their ever closer ties.
  • Space X founder and CEO Musk has been a constant presence at Trump's side since the incoming president's election victory, joining him at a meeting with Argentina's President Javier Milei and even at a UFC bout.
SpaceX flew its latest test flight of its Starship megarocket on Tuesday, with President-elect Donald Trump joining Elon Musk to witness the spectacle firsthand in the latest sign of their ever closer ties.
But the Republican leader was deprived of the chance to see the descending first stage caught in the launch tower's "chopstick" arms, an engineering marvel demonstrated by the company last month and one he personally lauded during his election victory speech.
Instead, the massive Super Heavy booster made a more subdued splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. 
Company representatives cited unmet technical criteria, dampening the triumph of an event attended by an array of Trump-world figures.
Space X founder and CEO Musk has been a constant presence at Trump's side since the incoming president's election victory, joining him at a meeting with Argentina's President Javier Milei and even at a UFC bout.
Trump's decision to travel to Musk's home turf was the latest sign of the burgeoning bond between the billionaire duo, which has raised questions over possible conflicts of interests given SpaceX's lucrative contracts with NASA and the Pentagon.
Flying in from his Mar-a-Lago home, Trump greeted Musk warmly on Tuesday afternoon, sporting a red MAGA hat as the pair headed off to watch from the control tower of the company's Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, where Starship blasted off at 4:00 pm (2200 GMT).
Tuesday's launch marked the quickest turnaround between test flights for the world's most powerful rocket, a gleaming, 400-foot-tall (121-meter) stainless steel colossus central to Musk's ambition of colonizing Mars and making humanity a multiplanetary species. 
Musk aims to launch the first uncrewed missions to the Red Planet as early as 2026, coinciding with the next "Mars transfer window" -- a period when the journey between Earth and Mars is at its shortest.
NASA is also counting on a specialized version of Starship to ferry astronauts to the lunar surface later this decade under its Artemis program.

Stuffed banana

Flight six of Starship was seen as a test of whether SpaceX's first booster catch was pure precision or relied on a stroke of luck after Musk -- perhaps inadvertently -- disclosed how close the last flight came to disaster.
In a clip posted to X showcasing his gaming chops in "Diablo IV," sharp-eared fans caught an employee briefing him that the Super Heavy booster was "one second away" from a system failure that could have spelled catastrophe.
Starship's upper stage meanwhile made a partial orbit of Earth, reentered the atmosphere and splashed down in the Indian Ocean around an hour and five minutes after launch. 
SpaceX employees erupted in cheers during a live feed watched by nearly nine million viewers, as the upper stage executed a near-vertical daylight splashdown off Australia's northwest coast, sending up a towering plume of water vapor before tipping over.
Key milestones included reigniting Starship's Raptor engines for the first time in space and trialing new heat shield materials. The flight also carried Starship's first ever payload -- a stuffed banana -- and served as a swan song for the current generation of Starship prototypes.
With twice the thrust of the Saturn V rockets that powered Apollo missions, Starship is the most powerful rocket ever built. 
Musk has already teased that its successor, Starship V3, will be "3X more powerful" and could take flight in about a year.
The flight comes as Musk is riding high on Trump's November 5 White House win, having campaigned extensively for the returning Republican leader, as well as donating staggering sums from his own fortune to the cause.
His loyalty has paid off. Musk has been tapped to co-lead a new "Department of Government Efficiency" -- or DOGE, a cheeky nod to the meme-based cryptocurrency Musk loves to promote.
That in turn has led to concerns Musk could engage in "self-dealing" as the CEO is poised to straddle the line between government insider and corporate titan. 
ia/bfm

Sweden

'Minecraft' to come to life in UK and US under theme park deal

  • "'Minecraft' is the best-selling video game of all time and this world-first will see fans experience its thrill and creativity in real life at theme parks and city centre attractions in leading tourist destinations," he added.
  • The best-selling video game "Minecraft" is to become a real-life destination, as part of a multi-million-pound deal between theme park operator Merlin Entertainments and video game developer Mojang Studios.
  • "'Minecraft' is the best-selling video game of all time and this world-first will see fans experience its thrill and creativity in real life at theme parks and city centre attractions in leading tourist destinations," he added.
The best-selling video game "Minecraft" is to become a real-life destination, as part of a multi-million-pound deal between theme park operator Merlin Entertainments and video game developer Mojang Studios.
Merlin said it had agreed an initial £85-million ($107.5-million) deal with the Swedish company to create attractions based on the game at its existing parks in Britain and the United States in 2026 and 2027.
It then plans to expand the concept to accommodation, retail and restaurants, plus a ride based on the popular 3D sandbox game, before widening it out across the world.
Merlin Entertainments chief executive Scott O'Neil called the deal "a significant milestone".
"'Minecraft' is the best-selling video game of all time and this world-first will see fans experience its thrill and creativity in real life at theme parks and city centre attractions in leading tourist destinations," he added.
Kayleen Walters, vice-president, franchise development for gaming at Microsoft, which acquired Mojang in 2014, called it "an incredibly exciting step" which would help broaden the game's appeal.
"Minecraft" is the best-selling video game of all time, with more than 140 million players each month.
A live-action movie is due for release next year, while Netflix has also announced plans for an animated series.
Merlin operates a number of leading theme parks and tourist attractions, including Legoland, Peppa Pig Theme Park and Madame Tussauds waxwork museum.
phz/har/kjm

US

Romanian court says 'irregularities' in influencer Andrew Tate's indictment

  • In a separate case, a Romanian court in August placed Andrew Tate under house arrest, and his brother Tristan under judicial control over a new investigation involving minors.
  • A Romanian court on Tuesday found "irregularities" in the indictment of controversial influencer Andrew Tate on human trafficking and rape charges which could derail the case.
  • In a separate case, a Romanian court in August placed Andrew Tate under house arrest, and his brother Tristan under judicial control over a new investigation involving minors.
A Romanian court on Tuesday found "irregularities" in the indictment of controversial influencer Andrew Tate on human trafficking and rape charges which could derail the case.
The US-born Briton and his brother Tristan, who say they are innocent, are accused of having formed an organised criminal network in early 2021 in Romania and in Britain.
Prosecutors allege that 37-year-old Tate, his brother, 36, and two women set up a criminal organisation and sexually exploited several victims.
A trial date has not yet been set.
After hearing an appeal by the defendants, the Bucharest appeals court ordered prosecutors "to rectify the irregularities of the indictment and to specify, within five days, whether it maintains the decision to send the defendants to trial".
The court also ordered the "exclusion of the statements" given by two witnesses as well as those given by Tate and his brother as witnesses in earlier hearings, according to the ruling seen by AFP.
Tate's lawyer Eugen Vidineac said in a statement hailed "a monumental victory for our clients". 
"The court's decision to exclude key evidence and demand rectification of the indictment demonstrates the lack of substantiated claims against them. Justice is being served, and this is a critical step toward clearing their names," he said.
In a separate case, a Romanian court in August placed Andrew Tate under house arrest, and his brother Tristan under judicial control over a new investigation involving minors.
Prosecutors are investigating "crimes of forming an organised criminal group, trafficking in minors", "sexual relations with a minor" and "money laundering".
The Tates also face rape and assault allegations in separate cases in Britain, where they have also been accused of tax evasion.
Andrew Tate moved to Romania years ago after first starting a webcam business in the UK.
In 2016, Tate appeared on the "Big Brother" reality television show in Britain but was removed after a video emerged showing him attacking a woman.
He then turned to social media platforms to promote his divisive views.
Giving tips on how to be successful, along with misogynistic and sometimes violent maxims, his videos have made him one of the world's best-known influencers.
ani-jza/ach  

technology

US to call for Google to sell Chrome browser: report

  • Antitrust officials with the US Department of Justice declined to comment on a Bloomberg report that they will ask for a sell-off of Chrome and a shake-up of other aspects of Google's business in court Wednesday.
  • The US will urge a judge to make Google-parent company Alphabet sell its widely used Chrome browser in a major antitrust crackdown on the internet giant, according to a media report Monday.
  • Antitrust officials with the US Department of Justice declined to comment on a Bloomberg report that they will ask for a sell-off of Chrome and a shake-up of other aspects of Google's business in court Wednesday.
The US will urge a judge to make Google-parent company Alphabet sell its widely used Chrome browser in a major antitrust crackdown on the internet giant, according to a media report Monday.
Antitrust officials with the US Department of Justice declined to comment on a Bloomberg report that they will ask for a sell-off of Chrome and a shake-up of other aspects of Google's business in court Wednesday.
Justice officials in October said they would demand that Google make profound changes to how it does business -- even considering the possibility of a breakup -- after the tech juggernaut was found to be running an illegal monopoly.
The government said in a court filing that it was considering options that included "structural" changes, which could see them asking for a divestment of its smartphone Android operating system or its Chrome browser. 
Calling for the breakup of Google would mark a profound change by the US government's reglators, which have largely left tech giants alone since failing to break up Microsoft two decades ago.
Google dismissed the idea at the time as "radical."
Adam Kovacevich, chief executive of industry trade group Chamber of Progress, released a statement arguing that what justice officials reportedly want is "fantastical" and defies legal standards, instead calling for narrowly tailored remedies.
Determining how to address Google's wrongs is the next stage of a landmark antitrust trial that saw the company in August ruled a monopoly by US District Court Judge Amit Mehta.
Requiring Google to make its search data available to rivals was also on the table.
Regardless of Judge Mehta's eventual decision, Google is expected to appeal the ruling, potentially prolonging the process for years and possibly reaching the US Supreme Court.
The trial, which concluded last year, scrutinized Google's confidential agreements with smartphone manufacturers, including Apple. 
These deals involve substantial payments to secure Google's search engine as the default option on browsers, iPhones and other devices.
The judge determined that this arrangement provided Google with unparalleled access to user data, enabling it to develop its search engine into a globally dominant platform. 
From this position, Google expanded its tech empire to include the Chrome browser, Maps and the Android smartphone operating system.
According to the judgment, Google controlled 90 percent of the US online search market in 2020, with an even higher share, 95 percent, on mobile devices.
Remedies being sought will include imposing measures curbing Google artificial intelligence from tapping into website data and barring the Android mobile operating system from being bundled with the company's other offerings, according to the report.
gc-arp/jgc

Russia

Russian extradited to US from SKorea to face ransomware charges

  • "Ptitsyn and his co-conspirators ran the Phobos ransomware group, whose members committed ransomware attacks against more than 1,000 public and private victims throughout the United States and the rest of the world," Nicole Argentieri, a senior Justice Department official, said in a statement.
  • A Russian national has been extradited to the United States from South Korea to face charges he distributed ransomware that targeted schools, hospitals and other institutions, the Justice Department said Monday.
  • "Ptitsyn and his co-conspirators ran the Phobos ransomware group, whose members committed ransomware attacks against more than 1,000 public and private victims throughout the United States and the rest of the world," Nicole Argentieri, a senior Justice Department official, said in a statement.
A Russian national has been extradited to the United States from South Korea to face charges he distributed ransomware that targeted schools, hospitals and other institutions, the Justice Department said Monday.
Evgenii Ptitsyn, 42, allegedly extorted $16 million in payments using a ransomware program known as Phobos, the department said.
"Ptitsyn and his co-conspirators ran the Phobos ransomware group, whose members committed ransomware attacks against more than 1,000 public and private victims throughout the United States and the rest of the world," Nicole Argentieri, a senior Justice Department official, said in a statement.
"Ptitsyn and his co-conspirators hacked not only large corporations but also schools, hospitals, nonprofits, and a federally recognized tribe," Argentieri said.
The indictment alleges that Ptitsyn began offering access to Phobos in November 2020 to "affiliates" which allowed them to encrypt the data of victims and extort a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption keys.
Ptitsyn is charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, causing intentional damage to protected computers and extortion in relation to hacking.
If convicted, he could face decades in prison.
cl/st

conflict

Long delayed Ukrainian survival video game sequel set for release amid war

BY JAN FLEMR

  • The November 20 release marks the end of a long and chaotic journey for the GSC Game World staff, some of whom have joined the army while others fled to Prague as Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
  • Ukrainian studio GSC will on Wednesday release a long-awaited sequel to its hit S.T.A.L.K.E.R. video game, fine tuned during the Russian invasion which forced many of its staff to leave the country.
  • The November 20 release marks the end of a long and chaotic journey for the GSC Game World staff, some of whom have joined the army while others fled to Prague as Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Ukrainian studio GSC will on Wednesday release a long-awaited sequel to its hit S.T.A.L.K.E.R. video game, fine tuned during the Russian invasion which forced many of its staff to leave the country.
The post-Apocalyptic first-person shooter game is set in a fictional version of the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant that was hit by a deadly accident in 1986.
The sequel, called S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, was first announced in 2010 and postponed several times.
The November 20 release marks the end of a long and chaotic journey for the GSC Game World staff, some of whom have joined the army while others fled to Prague as Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
The game's contaminated zone is filled with danger where monsters and rival human groups run riot.
"The war affected our lives... (but) not the creative process," chief executive Ievgen Grygorovych told AFP in the Czech capital.
Staff meet online, including a large weekly get-together for around 500 employees.
"Most have stayed in Ukraine, but we don't feel like we have a split team," Grygorovych added.
The Prague office includes three floors and a motion pictures studio, all adorned with Ukrainian flags as well as spider webs, a Halloween leftover.
The 38-year-old Grygorovych, born only days before the Chernobyl disaster, joined the studio founded by his brother at 14.
He describes himself as "a pretty good programmer, technical artist and game designer".
"I'm introverted, and I didn't like to spend energy by telling others what to do. So I learnt how to do everything myself," he said.
But his expertise could not prepare him for the hasty exit from Ukraine, described in a documentary called "War Game: The Making of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2", released in October.

'Invasion affected us'

Most GSC staff left for western Ukraine on buses just before the invasion and continued to Prague via Budapest.
"The invasion affected us and the game too, because we became slightly different people," said Grygorovych, who fled with his wife -- a musician turned GSC manager, their little son and other family members.
GSC, which has also produced the Cossacks series, has since severed ties with Russian players, removing Russian voiceover and changing text labels to Ukrainian.
It has been relentlessly targeted by Russian hackers, an "irritating but manageable thing", said Grygorovych.
"We had to build a much better security system," he said. "But it had to be done anyway."
GSC raised over $800,000 in charity sales for a Ukrainian organisation just after the war started.
Its Prague-based staff send money to friends, relatives and troops in Ukraine, while employees who joined the army are still on the payroll.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will be released for PC and Xbox.

'Abandoned place with tragedy'

"Stalker" refers to trespassers in the exclusion zone which Grygorovych calls "one of the most beautiful places on Earth" -- "an abandoned place with a lot of tragedy" where nature takes over the drab Soviet-era architecture.
"You can see a tree growing on top of a five-floor building... it's so frightening and strange. A very unique experience," he said.
The game's Ukrainian character is more contemplative and disillusioned than those in other shooter games created in the United States, Japan or elsewhere in Europe.
"We have a different culture, language, way of thinking," said Grygorovych. "So the game is culturally different and played differently."
GSC, which has sold over 15 million copies of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games, introduced S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 at the Gamescom fair in Germany last year.
"The players who could play the game tell us that they can feel these old S.T.A.L.K.E.R. vibes and atmosphere, but it's something completely new," said Grygorovych.
GSC used the feedback to fix bugs, but Grygorovych said he was still driven by fear in the run-up to the release: "I want to be proud of what we all did."
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 1 gave rise to a populous fan community reading Stalker novels or gathering to reenact the game with airsoft guns.
"You just create art and it may happen that it becomes popular like this. So we are lucky, I guess," said Grygorovych.
frj/jza/ach

communications

Trump taps big tech critic Carr to lead US communications agency

  • "We must dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for everyday Americans," he wrote in another post Sunday.
  • US President-elect Donald Trump tapped Republican Brendan Carr, an Elon Musk-backed critic of big tech, to lead the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), calling him a "warrior for Free Speech" in a statement on Sunday.
  • "We must dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for everyday Americans," he wrote in another post Sunday.
US President-elect Donald Trump tapped Republican Brendan Carr, an Elon Musk-backed critic of big tech, to lead the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), calling him a "warrior for Free Speech" in a statement on Sunday.
Carr has "fought against the regulatory Lawfare that has stifled Americans' Freedoms" and will "end the regulatory onslaught that has been crippling America's Job Creators and Innovators, and ensure that the FCC delivers for rural America," Trump said in the statement.
Carr said on Musk's social platform X that he was "humbled and honored" to take on the role of FCC chairman.
"We must dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for everyday Americans," he wrote in another post Sunday.
It is a phrase he has used repeatedly, posting on Friday: "Facebook, Google, Apple, Microsoft & others have played central roles in the censorship cartel," adding that it "must be dismantled."
Carr was already the senior Republican on the FCC, an independent agency that regulates licenses for television and radio, pricing of home internet, and other communications issues in the United States.
Long rumored as a contender for FCC chair, he has built an alliance with billionaire Musk -- Trump's wealthiest backer, whose Starlink satellite internet service could benefit from access to federal cash. 
The New York Times reported that Starlink received an $885 million grant in late 2020 from the FCC -- but that the Democrat-led commission later revoked it because the service couldn't prove it would reach enough unconnected rural homes. 
Carr "vociferously" opposed the decision, the newspaper reported. 
"In my view, it amounted to nothing more than regulatory lawfare against one of the left's top targets: Mr. Musk," he wrote in a Wall Street Journal opinion article last month. 
Carr has also publicly agreed with the incoming Trump administration's promises to slash regulation and punish television networks for what they say is political bias. 
Trump has repeatedly called to strip major broadcasters such as ABC, NBC and CBS of their licenses.
During the 2024 campaign he singled out CBS, saying its license should be revoked after its flagship news program "60 Minutes" aired an interview with his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris. Trump had declined to sit for a similar interview. 
Carr also authored a chapter on the FCC in the controversial Project 2025 document that purported to lay out a vision for a second Trump administration, in which he also called for the regulation of the largest tech companies, such as Meta, Google and Apple. 
The FCC needs to bring new urgency to four main goals: reining in big tech, promoting national security, "unleashing" economic prosperity and ensuring FCC accountability, he wrote in the document by the conservative Heritage Foundation.
Carr first joined the FCC in 2012. In 2017, during his first term as president, Trump appointed him as one of the agency's commissioners.
Carr had previously worked as a lawyer specializing in regulatory issues. 
bur-st/fox

communications

Trump taps big tech critic Carr to lead US communications agency

  • Carr was already the senior Republican on the FCC, an independent agency that regulates licenses for television and radio, pricing of home internet, and other communications issues in the United States.
  • US President-elect Donald Trump tapped Republican Brendan Carr, an Elon Musk-backed critic of big tech, to lead the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), calling him a "warrior for Free Speech" in a statement on Sunday.
  • Carr was already the senior Republican on the FCC, an independent agency that regulates licenses for television and radio, pricing of home internet, and other communications issues in the United States.
US President-elect Donald Trump tapped Republican Brendan Carr, an Elon Musk-backed critic of big tech, to lead the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), calling him a "warrior for Free Speech" in a statement on Sunday.
Carr has "fought against the regulatory Lawfare that has stifled Americans' Freedoms" and will "end the regulatory onslaught that has been crippling America's Job Creators and Innovators, and ensure that the FCC delivers for rural America," Trump said in the statement.
Carr said on Musk's social platform X that he was "humbled and honored" to take on the role of FCC chairman.
"We must dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for everyday Americans," he wrote in another post.
Carr was already the senior Republican on the FCC, an independent agency that regulates licenses for television and radio, pricing of home internet, and other communications issues in the United States.
Long rumored as a contender for FCC chair, he has built an alliance with billionaire Musk -- Trump's wealthiest backer, whose Starlink satellite internet service could benefit from access to federal cash. 
The New York Times reported that Starlink received an $885 million grant in late 2020 from the FCC -- but that the Democrat-led commission later revoked it because the service couldn't prove it would reach enough unconnected rural homes. 
Carr "vociferously" opposed the decision, the newspaper reported. 
"In my view, it amounted to nothing more than regulatory lawfare against one of the left's top targets: Mr. Musk," he wrote in a Wall Street Journal opinion article last month. 
Carr has also publicly agreed with the incoming Trump administration's promises to slash regulation and punish television networks for what they say is political bias. 
Trump has repeatedly called to strip major broadcasters such as ABC, NBC and CBS of their licenses.
During the 2024 campaign he singled out CBS, saying its license should be revoked after its flagship news program "60 Minutes" aired an interview with his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris. Trump had declined to sit for a similar interview. 
Carr also authored a chapter on the FCC in the controversial Project 2025 document that purported to lay out a vision for a second Trump administration, in which he also called for the regulation of the largest tech companies, such as Meta, Google and Apple. 
The FCC needs to bring new urgency to four main goals: reining in big tech, promoting national security, "unleashing" economic prosperity and ensuring FCC accountability, he wrote in the document by the conservative Heritage Foundation. 
bur-st/fox

AI

Is AI's meteoric rise beginning to slow?

BY GLENN CHAPMAN WITH ALEX PIGMAN IN WASHINGTON

  • The reasoning was that delivering on the technology's promise was simply a matter of resources –- pour in enough computing power and data, and artificial general intelligence (AGI) would emerge, capable of matching or exceeding human-level performance.
  • A quietly growing belief in Silicon Valley could have immense implications: the breakthroughs from large AI models -– the ones expected to bring human-level artificial intelligence in the near future –- may be slowing down.
  • The reasoning was that delivering on the technology's promise was simply a matter of resources –- pour in enough computing power and data, and artificial general intelligence (AGI) would emerge, capable of matching or exceeding human-level performance.
A quietly growing belief in Silicon Valley could have immense implications: the breakthroughs from large AI models -– the ones expected to bring human-level artificial intelligence in the near future –- may be slowing down.
Since the frenzied launch of ChatGPT two years ago, AI believers have maintained that improvements in generative AI would accelerate exponentially as tech giants kept adding fuel to the fire in the form of data for training and computing muscle.
The reasoning was that delivering on the technology's promise was simply a matter of resources –- pour in enough computing power and data, and artificial general intelligence (AGI) would emerge, capable of matching or exceeding human-level performance.
Progress was advancing at such a rapid pace that leading industry figures, including Elon Musk, called for a moratorium on AI research.
Yet the major tech companies, including Musk's own, pressed forward, spending tens of billions of dollars to avoid falling behind. 
OpenAI, ChatGPT's Microsoft-backed creator, recently raised $6.6 billion to fund further advances. 
xAI, Musk's AI company, is in the process of raising $6 billion, according to CNBC, to buy 100,000 Nvidia chips, the cutting-edge electronic components that power the big models.
However, there appears to be problems on the road to AGI. 
Industry insiders are beginning to acknowledge that large language models (LLMs) aren't scaling endlessly higher at breakneck speed when pumped with more power and data.
Despite the massive investments, performance improvements are showing signs of plateauing.
"Sky-high valuations of companies like OpenAI and Microsoft are largely based on the notion that LLMs will, with continued scaling, become artificial general intelligence," said AI expert and frequent critic Gary Marcus. "As I have always warned, that's just a fantasy."

'No wall'

One fundamental challenge is the finite amount of language-based data available for AI training. 
According to Scott Stevenson, CEO of AI legal tasks firm Spellbook, who works with OpenAI and other providers, relying on language data alone for scaling is destined to hit a wall.
"Some of the labs out there were way too focused on just feeding in more language, thinking it's just going to keep getting smarter," Stevenson explained.
Sasha Luccioni, researcher and AI lead at startup Hugging Face, argues a stall in progress was predictable given companies' focus on size rather than purpose in model development. 
"The pursuit of AGI has always been unrealistic, and the 'bigger is better' approach to AI was bound to hit a limit eventually -- and I think this is what we're seeing here," she told AFP.
The AI industry contests these interpretations, maintaining that progress toward human-level AI is unpredictable.
"There is no wall," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted Thursday on X, without elaboration. 
Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei, whose company develops the Claude chatbot in partnership with Amazon, remains bullish: "If you just eyeball the rate at which these capabilities are increasing, it does make you think that we'll get there by 2026 or 2027."

Time to think

Nevertheless, OpenAI has delayed the release of the awaited successor to GPT-4, the model that powers ChatGPT, because its increase in capability is below expectations, according to sources quoted by The Information.
Now, the company is focusing on using its existing capabilities more efficiently.
This shift in strategy is reflected in their recent o1 model, designed to provide more accurate answers through improved reasoning rather than increased training data.
Stevenson said an OpenAI shift to teaching its model to "spend more time thinking rather than responding" has led to "radical improvements". 
He likened the AI advent to the discovery of fire. Rather than tossing on more fuel in the form of data and computer power, it is time to harness the breakthrough for specific tasks.
Stanford University professor Walter De Brouwer likens advanced LLMs to students transitioning from high school to university: "The AI baby was a chatbot which did a lot of improv'" and was prone to mistakes, he noted. 
"The homo sapiens approach of thinking before leaping is coming," he added.
arp-gc/adp

music

India's vinyl revival finds its groove

BY ANUJ SRIVAS

  • He sells records for 550-2,500 rupees ($6.50-$30), and believes new vinyl pressed in India will prove popular if it is priced within that bracket.
  • Melting plastic pellets into chunky discs then squashed flat, a worker presses records in what claims to be the first vinyl plant to open in India in decades.
  • He sells records for 550-2,500 rupees ($6.50-$30), and believes new vinyl pressed in India will prove popular if it is priced within that bracket.
Melting plastic pellets into chunky discs then squashed flat, a worker presses records in what claims to be the first vinyl plant to open in India in decades.
Warm music with a nostalgic crackle fills the room -- a Bollywood tune from a popular Hindi movie.
"I'm like a kid in a candy shop," grins Saji Pillai, a music publishing veteran in India's entertainment capital Mumbai, who began pressing inAugust.
The revival of retro records among Indian music fans mirrors a global trend that has seen vinyl sales explode from the United States to Britain and Brazil.
Pillai, 58, entered the music industry as "vinyl was just going out". 
He spent the last few years importing records from Europe for his music label clients.
But he took the decision to open his own plant -- cutting import taxes and shipping times -- to focus on Indian artists and market tastes from Bollywood to indie pop  after recording "growing interest".
Retailers including Walmart have embraced the retro format, and megastars including Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Harry Styles have sent pressing plants around the world into overdrive.
In India, the scale of revival is far smaller -- in part due to lower household incomes -- but younger fans are now joining in the trend.
Pillai admitted the industry was still "challenging" but said the market was "slowly growing".

'Show their love'

Vynyl record systems do not come cheap.
A decent turntable, sound system and 10 records cost fans 50,000-100,000 rupees ($600-$1,180), the lower end of which is more than double the average monthly salary.
But for those who can afford it, the old system offers a new experience. 
"You go to the collection, take it out carefully... You end up paying more attention," said 26-year-old Sachin Bhatt
a
design director who grew up downloading songs.
"You hear new details, you make new mental observations... There is a ritual to it."
Vinyl records create a "personal, tangible connection to the music we love", Bhatt added.
"I know a lot of young kids who have vinyl, even if they don't have a player. It's a way for them to show their love for the music."
Vinyl is a "completely different" experience than "shoving his AirPods" into his ears and going for a run, said 23-year-old Mihir Shah, with a collection of around 50 records.
"It makes me feel present," he said.
Catering to these fans is a group of record stores, complementing the old records on sale in alleyway shops and flea markets.

'Romance'

"There's been a huge resurgence," said Jude De Souza, 36, who runs the Mumbai record store The Revolver Club, saying the growing interest dovetailed with the wider availability of audio gear and records.
Listening sessions organised by the store bring in more than 100 fans.
Despite the growth in popularity, India's vinyl sales remain a drop in the global ocean. 
While the world's most populous country has one of the biggest bases of music listeners, with local songs racking up big views on YouTube and music streaming platforms, its publishing industry is small by global revenue standards.
Music publishing revenues hit about $100 million in the 2023 fiscal year -- far smaller than Western markets -- according to accountancy giant EY.
That is partly due to the lower spending power of its fans, coupled with runaway piracy.
At a small roadside store, 62-year-old Abdul Razzak is the bridge between India's old vinyl culture and newer fans, selling up to 400 second-hand recordseach monthto customers aged from 25 to 75.
He sells records for 550-2,500 rupees ($6.50-$30), and believes new vinyl pressed in India will prove popular if it is priced within that bracket.
For Pillai and his small factory, it provides an opportunity.
He could -- if demand was there -- "easily" triple the factory's monthly production capacity of more than 30,000, something he hopes will come.
"Even though people love digital, the touch feel is not there," Pillai said. 
"Here there's ownership, there's love for it, there's romance, there's love, there's life."
asv/pjm/djw

technology

US finalizes up to $6.6 bn funding for chip giant TSMC

BY BEIYI SEOW

  • Besides the $6.6 billion in direct funding, the United States is also providing up to $5 billion in proposed loans to TSMC Arizona.
  • The United States will award Taiwanese chip giant TSMC up to $6.6 billion in direct funding to help build several plants on US soil, officials said Friday, finalizing the deal before Donald Trump's administration enters the White House.
  • Besides the $6.6 billion in direct funding, the United States is also providing up to $5 billion in proposed loans to TSMC Arizona.
The United States will award Taiwanese chip giant TSMC up to $6.6 billion in direct funding to help build several plants on US soil, officials said Friday, finalizing the deal before Donald Trump's administration enters the White House.
"Today's final agreement with TSMC –- the world's leading manufacturer of advanced semiconductors –- will spur $65 billion dollars of private investment to build three state-of-the-art facilities in Arizona," said President Joe Biden in a statement.
The Biden administration's announcement comes around two months before President-elect Trump takes office.
Trump has recently criticized the CHIPS Act, a major law passed during Biden's tenure aimed at strengthening the US semiconductor industry and reducing the country's reliance on Asian suppliers, including Taiwan.
While the US government has unveiled over $36 billion in grants through this act, including the award to TSMC, much of the funds remain in the due diligence phase and have not been disbursed.
But once a deal is finalized, funds can start flowing to companies that have hit certain milestones.
TSMC is the second company after Polar Semiconductor to finalize its agreement.
"Currently, the United States does not make on our shores any leading-edge chips, and this is the first time ever that we'll be able to say we will be making these leading-edge chips in the United States," said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters Thursday.
"I want to remind everyone that these are the chips that run AI and quantum computing. These are the chips that are in sophisticated military equipment," Raimondo added.
Making these chips in the United States, she noted, helps address a national security liability.
The first of TSMC's three facilities is set to fully open by early-2025, Biden noted.
At full capacity, the three facilities in Arizona are expected to "manufacture tens of millions of leading-edge logic chips that will power products like 5G/6G smartphones, autonomous vehicles, and high-performance computing and AI applications," the Commerce Department said.
It added that "early production yields at the first TSMC plant in Arizona are on par with similar factories in Taiwan."
The investment is anticipated to create around 6,000 direct manufacturing jobs.
A senior US official told reporters on condition of anonymity that they expect at least $1 billion to go to TSMC this year.
Besides the $6.6 billion in direct funding, the United States is also providing up to $5 billion in proposed loans to TSMC Arizona.
While the United States used to make nearly 40 percent of the world's chips, the proportion is now closer to 10 percent -- and none are the most advanced chips.
TSMC shares closed 1.3 percent lower in New York on Friday.
bys/adp

internet

End of a love affair: news media quit X over 'disinformation'

BY PAUL RICARD

  • The question has flared up again since Trump won this month's presidential election, actively supported by Musk.
  • News outlets have begun quitting X, formerly Twitter, once a favourite of global media but now accused of enabling the spread of disinformation under its owner, president-elect Donald Trump ally Elon Musk.
  • The question has flared up again since Trump won this month's presidential election, actively supported by Musk.
News outlets have begun quitting X, formerly Twitter, once a favourite of global media but now accused of enabling the spread of disinformation under its owner, president-elect Donald Trump ally Elon Musk.
Citing a "harsh and extreme" climate, Sweden's newspaper of reference, the left-liberal Dagens Nyheter (DN), on Friday became third major media outlet to stop publishing its articles on the social media platform.
"Since Elon Musk took over, the platform has increasingly merged with his and Donald Trump's political ambitions," said editor-in-chief Peter Wolodarski.
Already on Wednesday, Britain's centre-left daily The Guardian had announced it would no longer post content from its official accounts on X, which it called "toxic".
A day later, Spain's Vanguardia did the same, saying it would rather lose subscribers than remain on a "disinformation network".
Several users had already wondered back in 2022 whether they should remain on Twitter when Musk -- a businessman best known for running car company Tesla and space company SpaceX -- bought the platform and drastically reduced content moderation in the name of free speech.
The question has flared up again since Trump won this month's presidential election, actively supported by Musk.

'Disturbing content'

"I would expect more publishers to part ways with X," said Stephen Barnard, a specialist on media manipulation at Butler University in the US.
"How many do so will likely depend on what actions X, Musk, and the Trump administration take with regard to media and journalism," he said.
Musk, who is the world's richest man, has been tapped by Trump's team to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency.
The Guardian has nearly 11 million followers on the platform, but it said "the benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives".
It said "often disturbing content" was promoted or found on the platform, singling out "far-right conspiracy theories and racism". 
This falling-out stands in stark contrast to the enthusiasm sparked by Twitter in 2008 and 2009.
Back then, media felt they had to be present there to establish direct contact with their audiences as well as with experts and decision-makers.
They found grew "audiences, built brands, developed new reporting practices, formed community, strengthened public engagement", said Barnard.
At the same time, they boosted Twitter's influence.

'Reaping what they sowed'

This increasingly symbiotic relationship may have become detrimental to the media, suggested Mathew Ingram, former chief digital writer for the Columbia Journalism Review.
"Many publishers gave up on reader comments and other forms of interaction and essentially outsourced all of that to social media like Twitter," he said.
"To that extent they are reaping what they sowed."
Criticism of Twitter predates its takeover by Musk and was centred on the network's architecture that was seen favouring polemical debate and instantaneous indignation.
It was also said to give an unbalanced reflection of society, tilting mostly towards higher-income people, and activist users.
The precise impact of the decision by newspapers, already in economic crisis, to leave X is not yet clear, but they already expect readerships to dwindle.
"We will probably lose subscriptions because some readers subscribe after seeing a news story on the social network," Jordi Juan, director of La Vanguardia, told AFP.
But Barnard said any such loss would be limited because, said, "X generates relatively little traffic to news sites compared to other platforms".
In October 2023, six months after American public radio NPR left Twitter, a report from the Nieman Foundation for Journalism deemed the effects of this departure "negligible" in terms of traffic.
One beneficiary of disenchantment with X appears to be Bluesky, a decentralised social media service offering many of the same functions as X.
On Friday, it said it had added one million subscribers within 24 hours. But its 16 million subscribers are still dwarfed by those of X, estimated at several hundreds of millions.
"Strictly speaking, there are no alternatives to what X offers today," Vincent Berthier, head of the technology department at RSF (Reporters Without Borders) told AFP.
"But we may need to invent them."
Berthier called departures from X "a symptom of the failure of democracies to regulate platforms" across the board.
Musk may represent "the radical face of this informational nightmare", said Berthier. "But the problem goes much deeper."
pr/jh/sjw/jj

politics

With Trump comeback, will EU go easier on ally Musk?

BY DANIEL ARONSSOHN

  • "Musk believes the DSA goes too far in how it asks platforms to regulate content -- and that is also the view of far-right parties in Europe," de Streel noted.
  • Donald Trump's White House comeback gives his ally Elon Musk a sizeable advantage in a running standoff with EU tech regulators -- who may now think twice before fining his X platform over disinformation concerns.
  • "Musk believes the DSA goes too far in how it asks platforms to regulate content -- and that is also the view of far-right parties in Europe," de Streel noted.
Donald Trump's White House comeback gives his ally Elon Musk a sizeable advantage in a running standoff with EU tech regulators -- who may now think twice before fining his X platform over disinformation concerns.
The world's richest man -- as the boss of Tesla and SpaceX as well as the former Twitter -- threw his full weight into Trump's campaign to reclaim the US presidency.
Musk backed the Republican with hard cash but also used his far-reaching social media platform to push pro-Trump messages, including inflammatory disinformation, to his more than 200 million followers.
The bet amply paid off, with a victorious Trump tapping Musk for an outsized role to overhaul the US government -- and putting Brussels in an uncomfortable spot.
With the European Union counting on continued US backing to keep an aggressive Russia from its borders, can it really afford to upset Trump by going after a prized ally?
Trump's future vice-president J.D. Vance even mused on the campaign trail that Washington could drop support for NATO if the EU presses on with attempts to regulate Musk's X network under a landmark new content law.
"American power comes with certain strings attached. One of those is respect free speech, especially in our European allies," he warned.
For Musk, hostility to the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) is about more than just business: along with supporters on the American right he increasingly paints it as an ideological battle against censorship.
"The election in the US will not impact our enforcement work," a spokesman for the European Commission -- the powerful tech enforcer for the 27-nation EU -- told AFP.
But experts are not so sure.

Billions in fines?

Musk's X platform was formally accused by the commission in July of misleading users with its blue checkmarks for certified accounts, of insufficient advertising transparency and failing to give researchers access to the platform's data.
The allegations are part of a wider DSA inquiry into how X tackles the spread of illegal content and information manipulation.
Each offence could theoretically trigger a fine of up to six percent of the annual global turnover of all the companies Musk controls -- reaching into the billions.
According to several sources close to the proceedings, the commission was wrapping up its probe -- and readying a heavy fine -- when its digital chief Thierry Breton quit in September, having been denied a second term by EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.
But the stars have since realigned, with the EU now caught in the headlights for fear the volatile Trump will start a trade war and cut support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion.

'Provoke' Trump?

With Trump at the reins, enforcing EU tech rules against X may become a matter of politics as much as anything else.
"I'd be surprised if the commission chooses to provoke Trump over something like this," said Alexandre de Streel, an expert at the Center on Regulation in Europe (CERRE) think tank.
"Transatlantic relations are going to become more complicated -- and this probably isn't the area where they will need to fight hardest," he said.
"Musk believes the DSA goes too far in how it asks platforms to regulate content -- and that is also the view of far-right parties in Europe," de Streel noted. "It's become a battle of ideas, and I don't see Musk folding -- especially not now." 
The European Commission also has to factor in Trump's hard-right allies within the bloc, from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Italian leader Giorgia Meloni.
After Trump's re-election, von der Leyen stressed the importance of the EU-US "partnership" and a "strong transatlantic agenda" -- a stance echoed by Breton's designated successor as digital enforcer, Henna Virkkunen.
"With war on its doorstep, Europe must think carefully," said Umberto Gambini, of European affairs consultancy Forward Global. "I don't think it can afford to upset Trump in these first months."
Gambini predicts that the commission's probes into X will keep ticking along but the departure of Breton -- who clashed spectacularly with Musk via social media -- will offer a chance to reset the relationship.
Already back in August, Brussels had distanced itself from a letter of warning sent by the French commissioner before Musk interviewed Trump live on X.
That said, "if Europe wants to remain credible" in the fight to rein in Big Tech, it "has to keep threatening fines in the billions, not millions", Gambini said. 
But with fragile transatlantic ties in mind, it may choose to focus its firepower on Chinese platforms such as TikTok instead, judged the EU expert.
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advertising

TikTok makes AI driven ad tool available globally

  • "We aim to empower advertisers and help them connect with their communities with the power of generative AI," TikTok head of creative product monetization Andy Yang said in a joint release.
  • TikTok on Thursday began letting all marketers on its platform use an artificial intelligence-powered tool for generating marketing clips, becoming the latest platform to let advertisers tap into the technology.
  • "We aim to empower advertisers and help them connect with their communities with the power of generative AI," TikTok head of creative product monetization Andy Yang said in a joint release.
TikTok on Thursday began letting all marketers on its platform use an artificial intelligence-powered tool for generating marketing clips, becoming the latest platform to let advertisers tap into the technology.
The news came with word that Getty Images will make its stockpile of pictures and video available to TikTok's AI‑powered video generation tool -- called Symphony Creative Studio.
Brands will be able to use Getty's licensed images and videos to create AI-generated ads, including marketing messages featuring characters resembling real people, according to the companies.
Getty and TikTok did not disclose financial terms of the deal.
The Getty Images integration is part of an expansion of TikTok tools for advertisers and content creators, according to the Chinese-owned app.
"We aim to empower advertisers and help them connect with their communities with the power of generative AI," TikTok head of creative product monetization Andy Yang said in a joint release.
AI-driven tools with the potential to help make money have been eagerly sought since generative AI caught the world's attention with OpenAI's release of ChatGPT in late 2022.
The technology can produce videos, pictures or written works quickly based on demands expressed in everyday language.
Questions have arisen, however, regarding how companies investing billions of dollars in AI will profit from it.
Last month, online advertising titans Amazon, Google, and Facebook-parent Meta launched tools putting AI to work helping create ads for their platforms.
"With the surge in demand for authentic storytelling in advertising, the need for captivating, high‑quality content to convey these stories effectively to audiences has never been greater," Getty Images senior vice president of global strategic partnerships Peter Orlowsky said in the joint release.
Generative AI models trained on images, articles and other data found online have elated some users, while arousing ire in authors, artists and others who believe their creations are being absorbed without them being asked or compensated.
Publications such as the New York Times have filed lawsuits to defend their content, while some news organizations have opted to make licensing deals.
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