The European Union has ordered Meta to allow rival AI chatbots access to WhatsApp, alleging the tech giant violated its rules by restricting access to its own AI assistant. Meanwhile, the Iberian Peninsula was struck by a third deadly storm in two weeks, and Zimbabwe's cabinet approved a plan to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa's rule until 2030. Additionally, the European Parliament passed legislation allowing member states to deport migrants to designated "safe" third countries.
The EU's decision regarding Meta, announced recently, stems from the company's change to WhatsApp on January 15th, which limited chatbot access to only its own Meta AI assistant. The European Commission argued that WhatsApp is a crucial entry point for AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT, to reach users, and that Meta was abusing its dominant position by blocking competitors. A Meta spokesperson responded, stating the EU had "no reason" to intervene and had "incorrectly" assumed WhatsApp Business was a key way people use chatbots, emphasizing the need to protect competition in the field, according to BBC Technology.
In other news, Spain and Portugal were hit by another storm over the weekend, marking the third deadly storm to impact the Iberian Peninsula in the past two weeks. The storms, including Storm Marta, followed the damage and flooding caused by Storms Kristin and Leonardo.
Furthermore, Zimbabwe's cabinet backed draft legislation that would change the constitution to extend presidential terms from five years to seven, potentially allowing President Mnangagwa to remain in office until 2030, according to Al Jazeera. The bill, presented to the cabinet on Tuesday, also includes a provision that the president be elected by parliament rather than through a direct popular vote.
In related developments, the European Parliament passed new legislation allowing member states to deport migrants to designated "safe" countries outside the EU, even if they are not from those nations. The measure was approved on Tuesday with a vote of 396-226, with support from centre and far-right members, as reported by Al Jazeera.
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