Meta adds privacy feature to WhatsApp days after US House ban

Computerworld

WhatsApp is introducing a new privacy-focused feature that uses Meta’s generative AI to create private summaries of unread messages. The goal is to help users quickly understand what’s happening in their chats without having to open each one, all while keeping the summaries completely private—neither Meta nor other users can see them. This move comes shortly after WhatsApp was reportedly banned on government devices used by U.S. House staffers over security concerns. Meta emphasized that the summaries are generated locally and are invisible to others, aiming to rebuild trust as generative AI becomes more deeply integrated across WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram.

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OpenAI weighs “nuclear option” of antitrust complaint against Microsoft

Ars Technica

OpenAI is reportedly considering filing an antitrust complaint against Microsoft, its biggest investor and strategic partner, in a move that could radically reshape the AI industry’s power dynamics. According to The Wall Street Journal, this “nuclear option” reflects deepening tensions over Microsoft’s influence, particularly through its dominant Azure cloud services and its contractual control over OpenAI’s commercial direction. At the heart of the conflict is OpenAI’s attempt to restructure as a public benefit corporation, which currently requires Microsoft’s sign-off under their investment agreement. Microsoft’s reluctance or delay to approve that shift has become a sticking point, especially as OpenAI aims to operate with greater independence and transparency.

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European Payments Alliance Takes Step Towards Enabling Seamless Transactions Across the Continent

Fintech Times

The formation of the European Payments Alliance (EuroPA), backed by major regional players like Bancomat, Bizum, MB WAY, Vipps MobilePay, and the EPI, represents a pivotal move toward creating a pan-European, interoperable payment ecosystem. Their goal is to counterbalance dependence on non-European systems (like Visa, Mastercard, or PayPal) and to reinforce Europe’s digital sovereignty in payments.

By focusing on interconnectivity between already-popular domestic solutions, the initiative seeks to make cross-border person-to-person and commercial payments as seamless as local ones, both online and in-store. The collaboration initially spans 15 countries and over 382 million people — an ambitious scale that, if realized, could set a new benchmark for regional payment integration globally.

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T-Mobile to launch data service on satellite-based network in October

Reuters

T-Mobile’s upcoming T-Satellite data service, launching officially on October 1, is a major milestone in the company’s collaboration with SpaceX’s Starlink, aiming to eliminate mobile “dead zones” across the U.S.

The rollout follows the beta launch in late 2024, which already attracted 1.8 million+ signups, including a substantial number of users from rival networks AT&T and Verizon. The commercial launch kicks off July 23 with limited features like SMS, MMS, image messages, and short audio clips, and will expand to full data service in October—enabling apps to function even in previously unreachable areas.

This marks a significant shift in mobile coverage strategy, with over 657 Starlink satellites supporting the initiative and extending T-Mobile’s reach to 500,000+ square miles of previously uncovered U.S. territory. The widespread beta participation—balanced across urban and rural regions—highlights growing consumer demand for more ubiquitous and reliable mobile connectivity.

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Huawei and Industry Partners Reach Consensus on Mobile AI Foundation Networks, Driving 5G-A Experience Monetization

Huawaei

At the Mobile AI Summit during MWC Shanghai 2025, telecom operators, AI ecosystem partners, and industry leaders agreed that enhancing 5G-A uplink capabilities is essential for advancing mobile AI, as it directly impacts the responsiveness and performance of AI-driven features on devices. They also emphasized the importance of aligning network infrastructure with AI services—known as network-service synergy—as a way to effectively monetize user experiences built around mobile AI. The summit also saw the launch of the GSMA Foundry project “Mobile Network for Thriving AI,” signaling a shift toward building mobile networks that prioritize user experience and are tailored to support emerging AI applications. This moment marks a coordinated push to set standards and foster ecosystem-wide collaboration for the future of mobile AI.

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Cybercrime threat rises in Africa as mobile banking grows: Interpol

Semafor

Cybercrime has become a major component of overall criminal activity across Africa, according to Interpol’s latest threat assessment, which warns that urgent measures are needed to address growing digital vulnerabilities amid the continent’s rapid digital transformation. In West Africa, 60% of respondents indicated that cybercrime accounts for over 30% of all crime, while more than 40% in East Africa expressed similar concerns. Overall, two-thirds of African countries said cyber-enabled crimes made up a medium-to-high proportion of all crime in 2024. The report identified phishing as the most common type of cybercrime, making up about one-third of all cases, with ransomware, business email compromise, and malware-as-a-service also highlighted as major threats.

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Google Messages is preparing a new trick to get your friends and family to switch to RCS

Tech Radar

The RCS (Rich Communication Services) standard, which aims to replace SMS with a more modern messaging experience, is now supported on both Google Messages for Android and Apple’s Messages app on iPhone. However, since RCS is still an opt-in feature in Google Messages, not all users have it enabled. To boost adoption, Google appears to be preparing a subtle push within the app. Android Authority has discovered hidden text in the latest version of Google Messages suggesting users may soon be able to nudge their contacts to turn on RCS with messages like “invite this contact to RCS chat” and reminders that it enables high-quality media sharing and secure messaging when both users are on RCS.

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Meta wins AI copyright case in blow to authors

Financial Times

A U.S. federal court has ruled in favor of Meta, deciding that the company’s use of millions of books to train its Llama AI models qualifies as “fair use” under copyright law. The lawsuit, filed by a group of authors including Ta-Nehisi Coates and Richard Kadrey, challenged Meta’s use of a large dataset of copyrighted books, articles, and comics. However, Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco sided with Meta, agreeing that using the works to build transformative AI technology is protected by fair use. He noted that the ruling partly stemmed from the plaintiffs’ inability to effectively present their case, even as broader legal challenges over AI training and copyright continue across the U.S.

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Supercell boss: ‘We need to take bigger risks’

BBC

Ilkka Paananen, CEO of Finland-based mobile gaming giant Supercell, believes the mobile gaming industry urgently needs reinvention. Speaking candidly—barefoot, as is common in Finnish offices—he stresses that developers must take bigger creative risks and rethink what mobile gaming can be.  Paananen says Supercell’s teams are focused on imagining what mobile games could look like by 2030, acknowledging the challenge but emphasizing the necessity of fresh, ambitious ideas. He points out that 60% of mobile gaming time last year was spent on games that were at least six years old, while only 10% went to games released in the previous year—a sign that innovation has stalled and that new, engaging experiences are urgently needed to sustain the industry’s future.

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