Yazılar

European Telcos to Get Unlimited Radio Spectrum Under EU Draft Law

/in /tarafından

Europe’s telecom operators are set to gain long-term certainty under a new European Commission proposal that would allow radio spectrum licences to be used for an unlimited duration, marking a major shift in the bloc’s telecom policy. The draft law, known as the Digital Networks Act, is part of a broader overhaul of telecom rules that will require approval from EU member states and the European Parliament.

Under the proposal, spectrum licences would become renewable by default, replacing the current minimum 20-year term. The Commission said the move would increase predictability and encourage investment across the 27-country European Union, particularly as it pursues full fibre broadband coverage between 2030 and 2035. A senior official described unlimited spectrum licensing as a strong signal that the sector is worth sustained investment.

EU technology chief Henna Virkkunen said resilient digital infrastructure is critical to Europe’s competitiveness, innovation, and digital sovereignty. The Commission will also outline common rules on licence duration, auction conditions, and pricing to guide national regulators.

However, the proposal stopped short of meeting telecom operators’ long-standing demand that Big Tech contribute directly to network rollout costs. Instead, the Act introduces a voluntary cooperation mechanism between telecom groups and major platforms such as Google, Netflix, and Meta Platforms. Governments may also be allowed to extend the 2030 deadline for replacing copper networks with fibre if more time is needed.

Meta Exempts Italy From WhatsApp Ban on Rival AI Chatbots After Antitrust Order

/in /tarafından

Meta Platforms will exclude Italy from its planned ban on rival artificial intelligence chatbots on WhatsApp, following an order from the country’s antitrust authority, according to a notice sent to AI providers and developers and seen by Reuters.

Italy’s competition watchdog, AGCM, last month instructed Meta to suspend the proposed ban while it investigates the company for a suspected abuse of market power, after complaints from rival AI providers. At the European level, the European Commission is also examining whether Meta violated competition rules by restricting access for third-party AI chatbots on WhatsApp, although it has not imposed interim measures.

Blocking rival AI providers from WhatsApp could significantly benefit Meta’s own chatbot and virtual assistant, Meta AI, which was integrated into the messaging platform last year. Critics argue that limiting competitors’ access would further strengthen Meta’s position in AI-powered consumer services.

In its notice to developers circulated earlier this month, Meta said that phone numbers with an Italian country code (+39) are currently exempt from WhatsApp’s updated terms of service, in order to comply with the Italian regulator’s order. The revised terms are scheduled to take effect on January 15 for users outside Italy.

Introducing the Meta AI App: A New Way to Access Your AI ...

Meta declined to comment on the changes, referring instead to a previous statement that said the rapid emergence of AI chatbots has placed strain on WhatsApp’s systems, which were not originally designed to support such services. The Italian antitrust authority also declined to comment.

The Italian carve-out drew sharp criticism from rivals. The Interaction Company of California, which developed the AI assistant Poke.com and filed complaints with both Italian and EU regulators, said Meta’s response was insufficient.

“Meta’s move to keep enforcing its new WhatsApp API policy—shutting out AI rivals like Poke.com while only carving out +39 numbers—is deeply disappointing,” said Marvin von Hagen, the company’s co-founder and chief executive. He added that the Italian authority had already found Meta’s conduct to be, at first glance, anti-competitive under EU law, and urged the European Commission to adopt interim measures across the bloc.

EU Considers Applying Tougher Content Rules to WhatsApp Under Digital Services Act

/in /tarafından

The European Union is considering making WhatsApp more accountable for tackling illegal and harmful content after the messaging platform crossed a key user threshold under the bloc’s digital regulations, a European Commission spokesperson said on Friday.

WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, reported about 51.7 million average monthly active users for its WhatsApp Channels service in the European Union during the first six months of 2025. This exceeds the 45 million user threshold set by the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), potentially bringing the service under stricter regulatory oversight.

The DSA imposes tougher obligations on so-called “very large online platforms,” requiring them to take stronger action against illegal and harmful content. Platforms already designated under this category include Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Temu and LinkedIn.

European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said the Commission’s focus is on distinguishing between private messaging, which falls outside the scope of the DSA, and public-facing features such as WhatsApp Channels, which function more like social media platforms.

“The objective for the Commission is to check what is actually private messaging, which doesn’t fall under the scope of the DSA, and what are open channels that act more as a social media platform, which do fall under the scope of the DSA,” Regnier told a daily press briefing. He added that the Commission is actively examining the issue and did not rule out formally designating WhatsApp Channels under the DSA.

WhatsApp was not immediately available for comment.
If designated as a very large online platform, WhatsApp could face fines of up to 6% of its global annual revenue for breaches of the DSA.