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Russia Fines WhatsApp, Snapchat Owner over Data Storage Violations

In this file photo illustration taken on February 3, 2022, the Snapchat logo is displayed on a cell phone screen in San Anselmo, California. (Getty Images)
In this file photo illustration taken on February 3, 2022, the Snapchat logo is displayed on a cell phone screen in San Anselmo, California. (Getty Images)
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Russia Fines WhatsApp, Snapchat Owner over Data Storage Violations

In this file photo illustration taken on February 3, 2022, the Snapchat logo is displayed on a cell phone screen in San Anselmo, California. (Getty Images)
In this file photo illustration taken on February 3, 2022, the Snapchat logo is displayed on a cell phone screen in San Anselmo, California. (Getty Images)

A Russian court on Thursday fined Meta Platforms Inc's WhatsApp messenger and Snapchat owner Snap Inc for an alleged refusal to store the data of Russian users domestically, news agencies reported.

Moscow has clashed with Big Tech over content, censorship, data and local representation in disputes that have escalated since Russia sent forces into Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Moscow's Tagansky District Court fined WhatsApp 18 million roubles ($301,255) and Snap 1 million roubles, news agencies reported. WhatsApp was fined for the same offence last August.

Meta and Snap did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Russia restricted access to Meta's flagship platforms Facebook and Instagram, as well as fellow social network Twitter, soon after the conflict in Ukraine began, a move critics have cast as an effort by Russia to exert greater control over information flows.

Meta was found guilty of "extremist activity" in Russia and saw an appeal against the tag rejected in June, but Moscow has permitted WhatsApp to remain available.

According to the ruling, when referring to Meta in the public sphere, organizations and individuals are required to include the disclaimer that Meta's activities are banned on Russian territory.

Microsoft's LinkedIn has been blocked in Russia for years after a court found it breached the data-storage rule, which was passed in 2015.

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Technology

Czech Authorities Probe Suspected Arson at Drone Technology Company

Emergency services attend the industrial storage hall after a fire in Pardubice, Czech Republic, Friday March 20, 2026. (Josef Vostarek/CTK via AP)
Emergency services attend the industrial storage hall after a fire in Pardubice, Czech Republic, Friday March 20, 2026. (Josef Vostarek/CTK via AP)
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Czech Authorities Probe Suspected Arson at Drone Technology Company

Emergency services attend the industrial storage hall after a fire in Pardubice, Czech Republic, Friday March 20, 2026. (Josef Vostarek/CTK via AP)
Emergency services attend the industrial storage hall after a fire in Pardubice, Czech Republic, Friday March 20, 2026. (Josef Vostarek/CTK via AP)

Czech authorities said Friday they were investigating a fire at a warehouse of a company that makes drone technology as a suspected arson linked to terrorism.

The fire broke out in an industrial zone in the city of Pardubice, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Prague, causing no injuries, police said.

LPP Holding confirmed a fire in one of its buildings. It said it was cooperating with the investigation and declined further comment.

The company develops and makes products for civilian and military use, such as drone technologies used by Ukraine’s armed forces in the fight against the Russian invasion.

Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar said “the incident may be related to a terrorist attack.”

“At the moment, we don’t have information about a further danger,” he said.

According to The Associated Press, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš called the news “very serious.” Top police officer Martin ondrášek said police assumed arson.

The fire was extinguished by firefighters and police said there was no danger to the public. It was not immediately clear what was inside the warehouse that was on fire.

LPP Holding had previously said it was planning to open a center to develop and produce drones and train personnel in cooperation with Israeli Elbit Systems, a military technology company.

Metnar said the Czech side will share details of the investigation with its foreign partners.

Technology

White House Urges US Congress to Act on AI

FILE PHOTO: Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of the words "Artificial Intelligence AI" in this illustration created on February 19, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of the words "Artificial Intelligence AI" in this illustration created on February 19, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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White House Urges US Congress to Act on AI

FILE PHOTO: Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of the words "Artificial Intelligence AI" in this illustration created on February 19, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of the words "Artificial Intelligence AI" in this illustration created on February 19, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

The Trump administration on Friday unveiled a sweeping legislative blueprint for regulating artificial intelligence, pressing Congress to establish a uniform federal standard and override a potential patchwork of state-level laws.

The four-page framework, billed by the White House as a "commonsense national policy framework," lays out broad priorities, including provisions on child protection, energy costs, intellectual property and free speech.

The White House is also seeking federal preemption of state AI rules, after states moved to pass their own laws amid political gridlock that has blocked federal legislation in Washington, AFP reported.

"Congress should preempt state AI laws that impose undue burdens to ensure a minimally burdensome national standard consistent with these recommendations, not fifty discordant ones," the framework states.

In a major shift, the difficulty in passing laws at the federal level has seen major AI companies pivot to supporting state laws they can get behind.

OpenAI said this week that in the absence of a national framework, states "should align around the emerging model in California and New York."

Google president of global affairs Kent Walker told Axios that state coordination on AI laws is welcome and flagged legislation California and New York backed by pro-big tech governors as a good example to follow.

On child protection, the White House calls for age-verification requirements for AI platforms likely to be accessed by minors, parental controls over privacy settings and screen time, and mandatory features to combat sexual exploitation and self-harm risks.

On intellectual property, the Trump administration believes that the training of AI models on copyrighted material "does not violate copyright laws," but acknowledging arguments to the contrary, it "supports allowing the Courts to resolve this issue."

Despite the White House's push for swift action, like most attempts at tech regulation in the United States, the legislation faces a tough road to become law in Congress.

Two previous attempts by the White House to enshrine federal preemption in Congress have failed.

The administration has also threatened to impose broadband and internet funding restrictions on states whose AI legislation is judged as too cumbersome.

 

 

Technology

China's Alibaba Targets $100B in AI and Cloud Revenue over 5 Years

FILE PHOTO: Deepseek and Alibaba logos are seen in this illustration taken on January 29, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Deepseek and Alibaba logos are seen in this illustration taken on January 29, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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China's Alibaba Targets $100B in AI and Cloud Revenue over 5 Years

FILE PHOTO: Deepseek and Alibaba logos are seen in this illustration taken on January 29, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Deepseek and Alibaba logos are seen in this illustration taken on January 29, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

China’s technology giant Alibaba Group pledged on Thursday a goal of surpassing $100 billion in revenue from its artificial intelligence and cloud businesses over the next five years, which it said would be powered by the AI demand boom.

The announcement of the ambitious target came as the company posted a 67% drop in profit in the latest quarter, even as growth in its cloud business remained robust.

For the October-December quarter, the company, which shifted its focus to cloud and AI technologies in recent years, reported an overall revenue increase of 2% year-on-year to 284.8 billion yuan ($41.4 billion), lower than analysts’ estimates.

Revenue from its cloud business jumped 36% in the quarter to 43.3 billion yuan ($6.2 billion) from a year ago.

CEO Eddie Wu said during an earnings call on Thursday that Alibaba stands to benefit from the “exponential growth in AI demand.” It has been expanding and upgrading its flagship Qwen AI app and consumer-facing chatbot and also provides cloud computing and storage services to commercial customers.

“(There is) enormous and sustained growth momentum of the AI market,” Wu said.

Profit for the quarter was 16.3 billion yuan ($2.4 billion), down from 48.9 billion yuan the same quarter last year, in part due to growing marketing and sales expenses.

The Hangzhou-based company, which started out in e-commerce, has also seen a price war in the food delivery segment over the past months adding pressure to its profitability.

To help drive profit and amid rising costs and growing demand, the company said on Wednesday it would be increasing prices for some AI services by as much as 34%. It also launched the agentic AI tool Wukong this week, in an expansion of its products for commercial customers.

Alibaba’s AI ambitions was also tested recently following the departure this month of Lin Junyang, head of its AI model division Qwen. Last year, the company pledged investments of at least 380 billion yuan ($53 billion) in three years to advance its cloud computing and AI infrastructure.

Chinese tech companies have been stepping up their competitiveness against US rivals and growing their dominance, especially after AI startup DeepSeek sent shock waves across the industry last year.