News in brief: Trump Signs TikTok Delay and Repeals Executive Order on AI Safety; Social Platforms Sign EU Code of Conduct; Kantar Media to be Sold

Trump Signs TikTok Delay and Repeals Executive Order on AI Safety 

Following last weekend’s commotion over whether TikTok would actually be taken away from US users or not, Trump has signed an executive order granting the platform a 75-day extension to comply with the law which forces it to be sold off from Chinese owned parent company ByteDance in order to remain available in the US. (Executive orders are issued to the federal government and do not require approval from congress.) The order was signed by Trump following his inauguration ceremony on Monday. Trump seems to be after joint ownership of the video platform – split between ByteDance and the US – even saying that he may impose trade tariffs on China if they do not agree to a deal. 

It was certainly a busy day for Trump, as he worked his way through signing orders reversing environmental policies targeting fossil fuels, revoking electric vehicle targets, withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement, and even reclassifying federal employees so they can be fired more easily. Among these was also the repeal of a 2023 executive order by Biden which sought to reduce the potential risks AI poses to consumers, workers, and national security. Biden’s order had directed the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology to produce guidance helping companies to identify, as well as correct for, flaws in models such as biases. It also required AI developers to share the results of safety tests with the US government before public release.   

Social Platforms Sign EU Code of Conduct

Social giants including Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube and TikTok have signed a code of conduct aimed at tackling online hate speech, reports Reuters. The voluntary code which was set up in 2016 will now be integrated into EU tech rules, the European Commission announced on Monday. The rules fall under the bloc’s Digital Services Act. Under the code, companies must implement measures to reduce hate speech on their platforms, such as automatic detection tools, and provide information about the role of recommendation systems and the algorithmic reach of illegal content before its removal from their platforms. Companies must also allow non-profit or public entities with expertise on illegal hate speech to monitor how they review hate speech notices, and assess at least two thirds of these notices received from them within 24 hours. 

Kantar Media to be Sold

Kantar Group, the UK-founded international market research company, has announced the proposed sale of Kantar Media – its media measurement arm – to global alternative investment firm H.I.G Capital. The deal is expected to close later this year at USD$1bn (£821m), subject to legal and regulatory requirements. The investment firm operates in over 60 markets, with capital under management worth USD$67bn (£54bn).