The UK is banning children's social media use. Here's what other countries are doing
LONDON (AP) — Britain plans to ban people under 16 from using social media apps like Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube to protect them from harmful content. This move is part of a global trend to enforce age-based restrictions. Some parents and child advocacy groups support these measures, but critics raise privacy concerns. Australia introduced a similar ban in December, and Indonesia announced restrictions in March. Malaysia requires age verification for platforms with over 8 million users. Brazil mandates linking accounts to a legal guardian. Canada is considering a regulator to enforce these rules. Other countries are exploring similar measures.
Fox to buy streaming pioneer Roku in a $22 billion deal
NEW Y0RK (AP) — Fox Corp. is buying streaming platform Roku in a cash-and-stock deal valued at approximately $22 billion. The deal will give Fox access to the Roku Channel, first-party data and more than 100 million global streaming households. Fox is a media giant that includes sports, news and entertainment content as well as Tubi.
Cybersecurity executives urge the Trump administration to ease restrictions on Anthropic AI models
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A group of cybersecurity executives and experts is asking the Trump administration to lift its directive preventing the use of Anthropic’s latest artificial intelligence models by foreign nationals, saying the move could help U.S. adversaries more than it hurts them. Anthropic said Friday it has taken its latest artificial intelligence models, known as Fable 5 and Mythos 5, offline to comply with the directive. The AI giant said it did not believe the steps taken by the government were warranted by the concern it flagged about a potential security issue. In the letter Sunday, more than 100 cybersecurity experts and company leaders asked the government to lift the export control directives.
Some anglers praise forward-facing sonar, others say high-tech fishing ruins a day at the lake
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The use of advanced sonar to catch fish has some anglers divided about the point of heading out onto the lake. Forward-facing sonar allows users to see underwater in real time, including their lures and fish. Those who embrace the technology say it helps them understand fish better and saves precious time on the water. But others raise concerns about overfishing and worry about forward-facing sonar diminishing the serene fishing experience. Studies are underway in various states to understand the usage and impacts of the technology. Forward-facing sonar has grown in popularity in recent years and costs about $2,500 for a full setup on a boat.
Trump tried to block state AI regulations, but some states are forging ahead
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Six months after President Donald Trump warned states not to regulate artificial intelligence, they are increasingly doing just that. States are scrutinizing how chatbots interact with children, how employers use AI and what developers must do to prevent an AI-caused catastrophe. State lawmakers have stepped back from earlier, wider-ranging attempts to regulate AI that were vetoed or otherwise derailed by governors. But they are returning with legislation that is more targeted. The White House doesn’t seem to be making good on its threat to sue over state AI laws or withhold money. Rather, it says it wants to enact its policy framework through Congress. That includes preempting state laws that target AI development, although not laws regulating AI use.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says US AI restrictions underscore risks of dependence
WESTPORT, Ireland (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says countries must learn the lesson of diversification after AI giant Anthropic said it has taken its latest artificial intelligence models, known as Fable 5 and Mythos 5, offline to comply with a directive from the Trump administration to prevent their use by foreign nationals. The export controls mark the U.S. government’s most significant step to date to restrict access to the most advanced AI models. Anthropic released Fable widely this week. That model is a limited version of the even more advanced Mythos, to which the company has tightly limited access due to cybersecurity fears.
From rockets to brain implants, here's a look at Elon Musk's vast empire
NEW YORK (AP) — Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and now first-ever trillionaire, controls a lot of different businesses. Electric vehicles. Brain implants. Underground tunnels. A social media platform once called Twitter. And a rocket maker that blasted off its trading from Wall Street this week. Over time, more and more of those ventures have found themselves under the same roof. Musk merged SpaceX — which went public on Friday — with his artificial intelligence company xAI just earlier this year. But he still holds the role of CEO at several corporations today, in addition to other various executive titles or ownership stakes across his business empire.
SpaceX stock soars in debut and makes Elon Musk the first trillionaire
NEW YORK (AP) — Shares of SpaceX soared 19% in their Wall Street debut, making the rocket maker’s founder and CEO Elon Musk the first-ever trillionaire. The shares opened at $150 and finished Friday slightly below $161. That price gave the company a market value of around $2.1 trillion. Forbes estimates that Musk, who is also a major shareholder in Tesla, is now worth $1.1 trillion. Musk says SpaceX is going public because it needs money to fund its ambitions of putting satellites and data centers in space and eventually establishing a colony of people on Mars. The $75 billion in proceeds from the IPO tops the previous high of $26 billion for Saudi Aramco's IPO in 2019.
Paramount Skydance merger with Warner Bros. Discovery won't harm competition, consumers, DOJ says
The U.S. Justice Department has determined that Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery is unlikely to be harmful to consumers. The agency said Friday that an investigation by antitrust regulators concluded that the merger would increase competition in areas like video streaming, giving consumers more options. It also found that the merger is not likely to harm competition in the film industry. Paramount Skydance reached the deal in February, beating a rival bid by Netflix. Critics, however, worry about industry consolidation. The merger is still under review by other regulators, including those in Europe and the U.K., with decisions expected in the coming months.
Some people are making guns with 3D printers. A new law seeks to cancel their print jobs
Legislation in two of the nation's most populous states could force 3D printers to come equipped with technology blocking them from making guns. A first-of-its-kind law limiting three-dimensional firearm printing recently passed in New York. A similar measure is pending in the California Legislature. Both would direct panels of experts to come up with technological standards aimed at preventing guns from being printed. The actual blockade would take effect in 2029. Gun rights groups and digital privacy advocates both have raised concerns about the legislation. Others have expressed skepticism that the printing blockade actually will work.
