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Whatsapp Takes on Google, Alibaba in India's Phone Payment Battle

WhatsApp will go up against Google Pay, Walmart's PhonePe and Alibaba-backed Paytm for a slice of the growing Indian phone payment market - AFP
WhatsApp will go up against Google Pay, Walmart's PhonePe and Alibaba-backed Paytm for a slice of the growing Indian phone payment market - AFP
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Whatsapp Takes on Google, Alibaba in India's Phone Payment Battle

WhatsApp will go up against Google Pay, Walmart's PhonePe and Alibaba-backed Paytm for a slice of the growing Indian phone payment market - AFP
WhatsApp will go up against Google Pay, Walmart's PhonePe and Alibaba-backed Paytm for a slice of the growing Indian phone payment market - AFP

WhatsApp on Friday entered an increasingly tense battle between multinational giants such as Google and Alibaba for a chunk of India's fast growing digital payments market.

The Facebook-owned firm said it was launching Whatsapp Pay just hours after it was given permission by the country's payments regulator. India is the messenger firm's biggest market with some 400 million users.

Whatsapp Pay -- which allows people to send and receive money through the messaging platform --was launched in Brazil in June but was quickly suspended because of competition objections raised by the central bank. Authorities have since indicated that it will be allowed there, AFP reported.

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg said in a video statement accompanying the India launch that the move would boost "innovation" in payments.

Zuckerberg also hailed India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) which is used in the country of 1.3 billion people to manage payment apps, with more than 140 Indian banks part of the network.

UPI is also used by Alphabet Inc's Google Pay, Walmart´s PhonePe and Alibaba-backed Paytm, which dominate India's digital payments market.

"India is the first country to do anything like this," said Zuckerberg.

India's UPI processed more than two billion transactions in October and 1.8 billion the previous month.

The stakes are high for all the competitors as the digital payments market was worth about $75 billion in 2019 and is expected to rise past $500 billion by 2025.

WhatsApp has linked up with five Indian lenders including State Bank of India, the largest public sector institution, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and Jio Payments Bank to roll out the service.

The National Payments Corporation of India has put a cap of 20 million users of the Whatsapp service in the first phase. All must have a debit card and a bank account.

The American firm has been waiting for two years to launch its service, testing pilot payments for about a million customers.

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Technology

Poland Urges Brussels to Probe TikTok Over AI-Generated Content

The TikTok logo is pictured outside the company's US head office in Culver City, California, US, September 15, 2020. (Reuters)
The TikTok logo is pictured outside the company's US head office in Culver City, California, US, September 15, 2020. (Reuters)
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Poland Urges Brussels to Probe TikTok Over AI-Generated Content

The TikTok logo is pictured outside the company's US head office in Culver City, California, US, September 15, 2020. (Reuters)
The TikTok logo is pictured outside the company's US head office in Culver City, California, US, September 15, 2020. (Reuters)

Poland has asked the European Commission to investigate TikTok after the social media platform hosted AI-generated content including calls for Poland to withdraw from the EU, it said on Tuesday, adding that the content was almost certainly Russian disinformation.

"The disclosed content poses a threat to public order, information security, and the integrity of democratic processes in Poland and across the European Union," Deputy Digitalization Minister Dariusz Standerski said in a letter sent to the Commission.

"The nature of ‌the narratives, ‌the manner in which they ‌are distributed, ⁠and the ‌use of synthetic audiovisual materials indicate that the platform is failing to comply with the obligations imposed on it as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP)," he added.

A Polish government spokesperson said on Tuesday the content was undoubtedly Russian disinformation as the recordings contained Russian syntax.

TikTok, representatives ⁠of the Commission and of the Russian embassy in Warsaw did not ‌immediately respond to Reuters' requests for ‍comment.

EU countries are taking ‍measures to head off any foreign state attempts to ‍influence elections and local politics after warning of Russian-sponsored espionage and sabotage. Russia has repeatedly denied interfering in foreign elections.

Last year, the Commission opened formal proceedings against social media firm TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, over its suspected failure to limit election interference, notably in ⁠the Romanian presidential vote in November 2024.

Poland called on the Commission to initiate proceedings in connection with suspected breaches of the bloc's sweeping Digital Services Act, which regulates how the world's biggest social media companies operate in Europe.

Under the Act, large internet platforms like X, Facebook, TikTok and others must moderate and remove harmful content like hate speech, racism or xenophobia. If they do not, the Commission can impose fines of up to 6% ‌of their worldwide annual turnover.

Technology

Saudi National Cybersecurity Authority Launches Service to Verify Suspicious Links

Saudi National Cybersecurity Authority Launches Service to Verify Suspicious Links
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Saudi National Cybersecurity Authority Launches Service to Verify Suspicious Links

Saudi National Cybersecurity Authority Launches Service to Verify Suspicious Links

The National Cybersecurity Authority has launched the “Tahqaq” service, aimed at enabling members of the public to proactively and safely deal with circulated links and instantly verify their reliability before visiting them.

This initiative comes within the authority’s strategic programs designed to empower individuals to enhance their cybersecurity, SPA reported.

The authority noted that the “Tahqaq” service allows users to scan circulated links and helps reduce the risks associated with using and visiting suspicious links that may lead to unauthorized access to data. The service also provides cybersecurity guidance to users, mitigating emerging cyber risks and boosting cybersecurity awareness across all segments of society.

The “Tahqaq” service is offered as part of the National Portal for Cybersecurity Services (Haseen) in partnership with the authority’s technical arm, the Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE). The service is available through the unified number on WhatsApp (+966118136644), as well as via the Haseen portal website at tahqaq.haseen.gov.sa.

Technology

Saudi Arabia’s Space Sector: A Strategic Pillar of a Knowledge-Based Economy

The Kingdom is developing an integrated sovereign space system encompassing infrastructure and applications, led by national expertise - SPA
The Kingdom is developing an integrated sovereign space system encompassing infrastructure and applications, led by national expertise - SPA
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Saudi Arabia’s Space Sector: A Strategic Pillar of a Knowledge-Based Economy

The Kingdom is developing an integrated sovereign space system encompassing infrastructure and applications, led by national expertise - SPA
The Kingdom is developing an integrated sovereign space system encompassing infrastructure and applications, led by national expertise - SPA

Saudi Arabia is undergoing significant transformations toward an innovation-driven knowledge economy, with the space sector emerging as a crucial pillar of Saudi Vision 2030. This sector has evolved from a scientific domain into a strategic driver for economic development, focusing on investing in talent, developing infrastructure, and strengthening international partnerships.

CEO of the Saudi Space Agency Dr. Mohammed Al-Tamimi emphasized that space is a vital tool for human development. He noted that space exploration has yielded significant benefits in telecommunications, navigation, and Earth observation, with many daily technologies stemming from space research, SPA reported.

Dr. Al-Tamimi highlighted a notable shift with the private sector's entry into the space industry, which is generating new opportunities. He stressed that Saudi Arabia aims not just to participate but to lead in creating an integrated space ecosystem encompassing legislation, investment, and innovation.

He also noted the sector's role in fostering national identity among youth, key drivers of the industry. Investing in them is crucial for the Kingdom's future, focusing on creating a space sector that empowers Saudi citizens.

In alignment with international efforts, the Saudi Space Agency signed an agreement with NASA for the first Saudi satellite dedicated to studying space weather, part of the Artemis II mission under a scientific cooperation framework established in July 2024.

According to SPA, the Kingdom is developing an integrated sovereign space system encompassing infrastructure and applications, led by national expertise. This initiative is supported by strategic investments and advanced technologies within a governance framework that meets international standards. Central to this vision is the Neo Space Group, owned by the Public Investment Fund, which aims to establish Saudi Arabia as a space leader.

Saudi Arabia views space as a strategic frontier for human development. Vision 2030 transforms space into a bridge between dreams and achievements, empowering Saudi youth to shape their futures. Space represents not just data and satellites but a national journey connecting ambition with innovation.