EU’s DMA Forces Google to Open Android and Search Data Access for AI Competition, Google Photos AI Expands with Text-to-Video Prompts and Enhanced Sharing, and France Moves to Ban Social Media for Under-15s Over Mental Health Concerns
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Show Notes
Meta tests premium subscriptions across its social apps
Meta is introducing new subscription plans for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp to offer exclusive features focused on productivity, creativity, and AI—while keeping core app functionality free. These subscriptions, which are separate from Meta Verified, will explore freemium access to AI tools like the Vibes video generator and the recently acquired Manus AI agent. Features will vary by app and are designed to build on lessons learned from Meta Verified, despite concerns about growing subscription fatigue among users.
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EU orders Google to open Android to rival AI assistants
The European Commission has launched proceedings under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), requiring Google to give third-party AI services the same level of access to Android as its Gemini assistant. Google must also share anonymized Google Search data with rival search engines to help them improve their services. The move aims to preserve competition and innovation in the AI market. Google has six months to comply or face a formal investigation and potential fines of up to 10% of its global annual revenue.
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Google Photos adds text prompts to AI image-to-video tool
Google Photos’ generative AI photo-to-video feature now supports text prompts, allowing users over 18 to describe motion, style, or visual effects when animating still images. This expands on existing “Subtle Movement” and “I’m feeling lucky” options. The update also adds default audio to generated videos and introduces a new Google Photos picker in Gmail for easier sharing from albums.
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France advances bill to ban social media for children under 15
France’s National Assembly has passed legislation that would ban children under 15 from using social media platforms, citing concerns over online bullying and mental health risks. The bill reflects growing public anxiety and President Emmanuel Macron’s stance linking social media to youth violence. The measure now moves to the Senate and follows a similar under-16 social media ban enacted in Australia.
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Yahoo launches “Scout,” an AI-powered answer engine
Yahoo has unveiled Yahoo Scout, an AI answer engine built primarily on Anthropic’s Claude and Microsoft Bing’s grounding API. Scout delivers conversational answers with inline citations and leverages decades of Yahoo’s proprietary data. The company plans to integrate Scout into products like Yahoo Mail and News through its Scout Intelligence Platform, keeping the service free despite competition from Google and OpenAI.
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California investigates TikTok over alleged content suppression
California Governor Gavin Newsom has opened an investigation into TikTok over claims it suppressed content critical of the U.S. president and blocked messages containing the word “Epstein.” The probe follows the creation of TikTok USDS, a new U.S. entity overseeing content moderation and algorithm training after ByteDance spun off its U.S. operations. The transition has already triggered user complaints about technical issues, which TikTok blamed on a U.S. data center power outage.
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Amazon exits Amazon Fresh and Go stores nationwide
Amazon is shutting down all 72 of its Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go grocery and convenience stores, ending a decade-long experiment in Amazon-branded physical retail. The company said it could not achieve a “truly distinctive customer experience with the right economic model” at scale. Amazon will now focus on expanding Whole Foods Market, same-day grocery delivery, and licensing its “Just Walk Out” technology.
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WhatsApp rolls out one-click “Strict Account Settings”
WhatsApp is launching a new high-security mode called Strict Account Settings, aimed especially at journalists and public figures facing sophisticated cyberattacks. The feature blocks media, attachments, and calls from unknown contacts and disables link previews—common attack vectors. The move aligns with similar security offerings like Apple’s Lockdown Mode and Google’s Android Advanced Protection Mode.
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YouTubers add Snap to AI training copyright lawsuit
YouTubers representing a combined 6.2 million subscribers—including h3h3, MrShortGame Golf, and Golfholics—have added Snap to a proposed class-action lawsuit already targeting Nvidia, Meta, and ByteDance. The creators allege Snap trained AI models such as the Imagine Lens on their YouTube videos using research-only datasets, violating platform rules and copyright law. The case joins more than 70 similar lawsuits against AI companies.
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