The House of Representatives is preparing to vote on a bill that would mandate photo identification for voters across the United States in the coming 2026 midterm elections, while the US sanctioned officials from the Marshall Islands and Palau, citing China fears. Simultaneously, tech giants are facing scrutiny, with Apple and Google agreeing to changes in their app stores in the UK, Discord implementing age verification for adult content, and the EU accusing Meta of blocking rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp.
The House Rules Committee advanced the SAVE America Act on Tuesday, a sweeping piece of legislation aimed at preventing non-citizens from participating in U.S. elections, according to Fox News. The bill's advancement sets the stage for a vote in the House, with conservatives pressuring the Senate to take up the bill after its likely passage. Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, discussed the importance of the SAVE Act, emphasizing the need for voter ID requirements. Democrats have criticized the bill.
In the Pacific, the US Department of State sanctioned two leaders of Pacific island nations for alleged corruption, accusing them of creating openings for China to increase its influence in the region, reported Al Jazeera. The sanctioned officials include the president of Palau's Senate, Hokkons Baules, and a former mayor in the Marshall Islands, Anderson Jibas.
Meanwhile, in the tech world, Apple and Google agreed to make changes to their app stores in the UK following an intervention from the UK markets regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), as reported by BBC Technology. The tech giants committed to not giving preferential treatment to their own apps and will be transparent about how others are approved for sale. The CMA's head, Sarah Cardell, said the proposed commitments "will boost the UK's app economy."
Discord announced it would soon require users globally to verify their age with a face scan or ID to access adult content, according to BBC Technology. The online chat service, which has over 200 million monthly users, is implementing these measures to protect users, placing everyone into a teen-appropriate experience "by default." The age checks will roll out worldwide from early March.
The EU told Meta it had breached its rules by blocking other rival AI firms' chatbots from WhatsApp and must make "urgent" changes, as reported by BBC Technology. The European Commission said WhatsApp was an "important entry point" for AI chatbots to reach people, claiming Meta was abusing its dominant position. A Meta spokesperson told the BBC the EU had "no reason" to intervene and claimed it had "incorrectly" assumed WhatsApp Business was a key way that people use chatbots.
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