Discord will soon require users worldwide to verify their age with a face scan or ID to access adult content, while the EU has told Meta to allow rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp, according to recent reports. These developments come as Spotify saw a surge in paid subscribers, and Bangladesh prepares for its first election since the 2024 uprising.
Discord, the online chat service with over 200 million monthly users, will roll out age verification measures globally starting in early March, according to BBC Technology. This move, already in place in the UK and Australia, aims to place all users into a "teen-appropriate experience by default."
Meanwhile, the EU has accused Meta of breaching its rules by blocking rival AI chatbots from WhatsApp. The European Commission stated that WhatsApp is an "important entry point" for AI chatbots, and Meta is abusing its dominant position. A Meta spokesperson told the BBC that the EU had "no reason" to intervene.
In the music streaming industry, Spotify reported a significant increase in paid subscribers. The Swedish firm's paid subscribers jumped by 9 million to 290 million in the last three months of 2025, leading to a net profit of 1.17 billion, according to BBC Business. Despite paying almost 11 billion to artists, criticisms remain that the platform does not pay enough to musicians.
Bangladesh is preparing for its 13th general election, the first since the 2024 uprising. More than 157,000 police officers, backed by 100,000 soldiers and thousands of other security personnel, will guard Thursday's vote, in which nearly 127 million people are eligible to participate, as reported by Al Jazeera.
In related news, OpenAI's vice president of product policy, Ryan Beiermeister, was reportedly fired in January after a male colleague accused her of sex discrimination, according to TechCrunch. Beiermeister had expressed criticism of a planned ChatGPT feature dubbed "adult mode." Beiermeister told the Wall Street Journal, "The allegation that I discriminated against anyone is absolutely false."
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