Latest news with #XCorp
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Durov announces Telegram's partnership with Musk's xAI, who says no deal signed yet
Telegram and Elon Musk's xAI will enter a one-year partnership, integrating the Grok chatbot into the messaging app, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov announced on May 28. Musk, the world's richest man who also owns Tesla and SpaceX, commented that "no deal has been signed," prompting Durov to clarify that the deal has been agreed in "principle" with "formalities pending." "This summer, Telegram users will gain access to the best AI technology on the market," Durov said. "Elon Musk and I have agreed to a one-year partnership to bring xAI's chatbot Grok to our billion+ users and integrate it across all Telegram apps." The announcement comes as Musk announces his exit from his role in the Trump administration to focus on his business ventures, many of which saw their profits drop in the past few months. Musk founded xAI in 2023, and earlier this year, another of his ventures, X Corp., which operates the X social platform, acquired the AI company. Grok is xAI's flagship project and has already been integrated into X. Musk's takeover of X saw the social platform, formerly known as Twitter, become the leading source of disinformation, EU officials said. The Grok chatbot also faced scrutiny recently after posting unprompted comments on the topic of so-called "white genocide" in South Africa, Musk's home country. Durov, the Russian-born founder of Telegram, currently resides in Dubai and holds Russian, Emirati, and French citizenship. He is under investigation in France for criminal activity on his messaging app. Durov has claimed he is a pariah and has been effectively exiled from Russia, but it was reported last year that he had visited Russia over 60 times since leaving the country, according to Kremlingram, a Ukrainian group that campaigns against the use of Telegram in Ukraine. Telegram remains one of the most popular social media platforms among Ukrainians. A September 2023 poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology indicated that 44% of Ukrainians use Telegram to receive information and news. Ukrainian officials have warned about security risks associated with using Telegram, leading to restrictions on its use by civil servants and politicians. Read also: Trump holds off on sanctions to push Ukraine-Russia peace efforts We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Verge
3 days ago
- Business
- The Verge
The company is pausing the feature 'while we work on making some improvements,'
X's encrypted DMs are being put on pause. according to a post. X, then Twitter, launched encrypted DMs in May 2023, but they had some limitations.
CNN
23-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
FTC probes Media Matters' exchanges with ad groups, stoking fears of retribution
The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday sent Media Matters for America a letter demanding communications between the progressive media watchdog and advertising entities as the commission probes whether the watchdog colluded with advertisers to pull funding from Elon Musk's X. Media Matters was notified in a letter dated May 20 from the FTC that it is being investigated, a source familiar with the letter told CNN. The letter, which CNN has viewed, directs Media Matters to turn over all documents, materials and communications with a range of ad entities and related organizations — including the World Federation of Advertisers and the Global Alliance for Responsible Media — regarding brand safety and disinformation, the source said. Media Matters is a media watchdog whose reporting tracks conservative and far-right news publications and personalities. The organization was sued by Musk in 2023 after it published a report detailing antisemitic and pro-Nazi content on the social media platform he owns, X. That lawsuit accuses the media watchdog of hatching a 'media strategy to drive advertisers from the platform and destroy X Corp.' In keeping its request for assorted materials vague, the FTC is effectively throwing the kitchen sink at the wall to see what sticks, the source told CNN. The move by the FTC sees the commission's chair, Andrew Ferguson, make good on comments he made in December, mere days before Trump nominated him for the job. 'We must prosecute any unlawful collusion between online platforms, and confront advertiser boycotts which threaten competition among those platforms,' then-Commissioner Ferguson said about a different case. Get Reliable Sources newsletter Sign up here to receive Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter in your inbox. That's exactly what Musk, who has spearheaded the president's Department of Government Efficiency, has spent years accusing the progressive watchdog of doing, claiming Media Matters caused a coordinated mass exodus of advertisers by publishing the report. In a Thursday statement, Angelo Carusone, the Media Matters president, said that the Trump administration has been 'defined by naming right-wing media figures to key posts and abusing the power of the federal government to bully political opponents and silence critics.' 'It's clear that's exactly what's happening here, given Media Matters' history of holding those same figures to account,' Carusone said. 'These threats won't work; we remain steadfast to our mission.' In 2024, a record number of advertisers were looking to cut their ad spending on X, as the platform is now known, citing concerns that the extreme content that has proliferated there since Musk's takeover could damage their brands. Musk himself has buoyed conspiracy theories and hate speech with his own account. He also told advertisers that left the platform to 'go f**k yourself.' But advertisers began fleeing the social media platform nearly a year after Musk acquired Twitter in 2022, expressing concerns about the billionaire's gutting of the platform's content moderation team, mass layoffs, and uncertainty over the platform's future. In July 2023, months before Musk sued Media Matters, the billionaire reported a 50% decline in Twitter's ad revenue. Since the exodus, Musk has sought to mend fences, looking to woo back advertisers via a charm offensive. But that same year, Musk sued the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, a voluntary ad-industry initiative run by the World Federation of Advertisers, claiming that the group illegally coordinated an ad boycott against X. In February, Musk broadened that lawsuit to include Lego, Nestlé, Shell and several others. Advertisers named in the lawsuit filed a motion last week to dismiss his suit, claiming that Musk was using it 'to win back the business X lost in the free market when it disrupted its own business and alienated many of its customers.' Additionally, in March, Media Matters sued Musk, claiming that he lodged several expensive lawsuits against the watchdog 'for having dared to publish an article Musk did not like.' Media Matters has seen similar probes before. In 2023, the progressive watchdog sued Ken Paxton, accusing the Texas attorney general of violating the First Amendment by investigating Media Matters' reporting on Musk's app, similarly arguing that it was being penalized for its reporting. The progressive watchdog won an injunction against the Texas attorney general in 2024. The FTC declined to comment for this story. WFA did not respond to a request for comment on the probe.
CNN
23-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
FTC probes Media Matters' exchanges with ad groups, stoking fears of retribution
The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday sent Media Matters for America a letter demanding communications between the progressive media watchdog and advertising entities as the commission probes whether the watchdog colluded with advertisers to pull funding from Elon Musk's X. Media Matters was notified in a letter dated May 20 from the FTC that it is being investigated, a source familiar with the letter told CNN. The letter, which CNN has viewed, directs Media Matters to turn over all documents, materials and communications with a range of ad entities and related organizations — including the World Federation of Advertisers and the Global Alliance for Responsible Media — regarding brand safety and disinformation, the source said. Media Matters is a media watchdog whose reporting tracks conservative and far-right news publications and personalities. The organization was sued by Musk in 2023 after it published a report detailing antisemitic and pro-Nazi content on the social media platform he owns, X. That lawsuit accuses the media watchdog of hatching a 'media strategy to drive advertisers from the platform and destroy X Corp.' In keeping its request for assorted materials vague, the FTC is effectively throwing the kitchen sink at the wall to see what sticks, the source told CNN. The move by the FTC sees the commission's chair, Andrew Ferguson, make good on comments he made in December, mere days before Trump nominated him for the job. 'We must prosecute any unlawful collusion between online platforms, and confront advertiser boycotts which threaten competition among those platforms,' then-Commissioner Ferguson said about a different case. Get Reliable Sources newsletter Sign up here to receive Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter in your inbox. That's exactly what Musk, who has spearheaded the president's Department of Government Efficiency, has spent years accusing the progressive watchdog of doing, claiming Media Matters caused a coordinated mass exodus of advertisers by publishing the report. In a Thursday statement, Angelo Carusone, the Media Matters president, said that the Trump administration has been 'defined by naming right-wing media figures to key posts and abusing the power of the federal government to bully political opponents and silence critics.' 'It's clear that's exactly what's happening here, given Media Matters' history of holding those same figures to account,' Carusone said. 'These threats won't work; we remain steadfast to our mission.' In 2024, a record number of advertisers were looking to cut their ad spending on X, as the platform is now known, citing concerns that the extreme content that has proliferated there since Musk's takeover could damage their brands. Musk himself has buoyed conspiracy theories and hate speech with his own account. He also told advertisers that left the platform to 'go f**k yourself.' But advertisers began fleeing the social media platform nearly a year after Musk acquired Twitter in 2022, expressing concerns about the billionaire's gutting of the platform's content moderation team, mass layoffs, and uncertainty over the platform's future. In July 2023, months before Musk sued Media Matters, the billionaire reported a 50% decline in Twitter's ad revenue. Since the exodus, Musk has sought to mend fences, looking to woo back advertisers via a charm offensive. But that same year, Musk sued the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, a voluntary ad-industry initiative run by the World Federation of Advertisers, claiming that the group illegally coordinated an ad boycott against X. In February, Musk broadened that lawsuit to include Lego, Nestlé, Shell and several others. Advertisers named in the lawsuit filed a motion last week to dismiss his suit, claiming that Musk was using it 'to win back the business X lost in the free market when it disrupted its own business and alienated many of its customers.' Additionally, in March, Media Matters sued Musk, claiming that he lodged several expensive lawsuits against the watchdog 'for having dared to publish an article Musk did not like.' Media Matters has seen similar probes before. In 2023, the progressive watchdog sued Ken Paxton, accusing the Texas attorney general of violating the First Amendment by investigating Media Matters' reporting on Musk's app, similarly arguing that it was being penalized for its reporting. The progressive watchdog won an injunction against the Texas attorney general in 2024. The FTC declined to comment for this story. WFA did not respond to a request for comment on the probe.
AU Financial Review
15-05-2025
- Politics
- AU Financial Review
Millionaires using super for tax avoidance: Swan
Social media platform X is back in court sparring with the eSafety Commissioner over keeping Australians safe online. The latest challenge was filed with the Federal Court on Wednesday. 'eSafety is aware X has filed a judicial review in the Federal Court as to whether eSafety's Relevant Electronic Services (RES) standard should apply to its X platform,' a spokesperson for the regulator said on Thursday. 'The RES standard requires online platforms to take meaningful action to tackle the worst of the worst online content, including child exploitation and abuse material. 'eSafety is prioritising its efforts on ensuring all platforms and services meet their obligations under the Online Safety Act to address high-impact and harmful content to keep Australians safe online.' The agency said it was assessing the latest court documents filed by X Corp and would consider its next steps. It is not the first time controversial billionaire Elon Musk, who owns X Corp, has been involved in a legal tit-for-tat with Australian authorities. The online safety regulator issued a financial penalty of $610,500 to X in February 2023, alleging the social network failed to adequately respond to questions about how it tackled harmful content on its platform, including child sexual abuse material. X Corp appealed, in ongoing court proceedings, arguing it did not exist when the commissioner issued a transparency notice to Twitter regarding child sexual abuse material. In April 2024, the commissioner issued an edict to X, formerly known as Twitter, to remove graphic content after clips of Sydney Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel being stabbed remained on the platform. During the months-long saga, Musk accused the Australian government of suppressing free speech. He called the Australian government 'fascists' over attempts to tackle deliberate lies spread on social media. Several politicians hit back, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese labelling Musk an 'arrogant billionaire'. The safety commissioner later discontinued the Federal Court proceedings.
