Google Sues LATAM Airlines in U.S. Over Brazilian YouTube Video Takedown Dispute

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Google filed a lawsuit against Chile-based LATAM Airlines on Thursday in a U.S. federal court, seeking a declaration that Brazilian courts cannot compel the company to remove a YouTube video from the U.S. platform. The video, posted by a U.S. resident, accuses a LATAM employee of sexually abusing a child.

The tech giant alleges that LATAM is attempting to bypass U.S. free speech protections by pursuing legal action in Brazil to force a global takedown of the video. Google argues that courts should only have jurisdiction over content accessible within their own countries.

The video in question was posted in 2018 by Raymond Moreira, a Florida resident, featuring his six-year-old son detailing abuse allegations involving a LATAM employee during a trip as an unaccompanied minor. Moreira previously sued LATAM in Florida, resulting in a confidential settlement.

LATAM initiated legal proceedings in Brazil in 2018 seeking removal of the video worldwide. A Brazilian appeals court is expected to decide soon whether it can order Google to remove the video globally.

Google’s case in California challenges this extraterritorial reach and asks the court to affirm that LATAM cannot enforce the Brazilian order in the U.S.

This lawsuit follows a similar legal battle involving U.S.-based social media companies Trump Media and Rumble, who contested a Brazilian judge’s order to remove certain accounts from their platforms in the U.S., with a federal judge ruling in favor of the companies’ U.S. free speech protections.

Binance Reopens Crypto Trading to Syrians Following U.S. Sanctions Lift

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Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, announced it will reopen trading services to users in Syria after the United States lifted sanctions on the country last month.

Syrian users will now have full access to Binance’s platform, which supports over 300 cryptocurrency tokens and stablecoins. Notably, the Syrian pound will be accepted for buying and selling cryptocurrencies on the exchange.

The sanctions removal came as a surprise move by the Trump administration, reportedly influenced by Saudi Arabia, which advocated for easing restrictions on Syria. The new government in Syria, led by an Islamist coalition after ousting former leader Bashar al-Assad, is focusing on rebuilding the country’s public services and improving infrastructure, including internet access, after years of civil war and prolonged sanctions.

Binance’s reopening of services is expected to facilitate financial inclusion and offer Syrians new economic opportunities amid the country’s recovery efforts.

TotalEnergies Partners with French AI Startup Mistral to Boost Energy Efficiency

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TotalEnergies, the French oil and gas major, announced a new partnership with French AI startup Mistral to develop digital tools aimed at enhancing the performance of its energy business and industrial assets, improving energy efficiency, and reducing environmental impact.

The collaboration has already commenced with joint meetings at the companies’ existing facilities, though no new physical laboratory will be created. Together, they plan to develop an AI-powered assistant to support TotalEnergies in project development, operational decision-making to lower emissions, and improving customer support solutions focused on energy savings.

TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne highlighted AI’s transformative potential for energy systems and underscored the partnership as part of the company’s broader ambition to foster a European technological ecosystem.

Mistral recently launched Europe’s first AI reasoning model, designed to use logical thinking to generate responses, positioning itself among the leading AI innovators alongside U.S. and Chinese competitors.

Since 2022, TotalEnergies has actively engaged with various AI startups to enhance profitability and operational efficiency in its electricity business. Past initiatives include algorithm-driven predictive maintenance of wind turbines, optimization of electricity trading via advanced weather modeling, and improved digital planning for renewable energy farms.

Additionally, TotalEnergies experimented with Microsoft’s AI assistant Copilot by providing employees six months’ access to identify the most effective applications within the company, as revealed by Pouyanne at the AI Action Summit in Paris earlier this year.