Yazılar

EU Rejects Meta’s Censorship Claims, Defends Data Laws

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The European Commission responded on Wednesday to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s claims that European Union data laws were effectively censoring social media platforms. The Commission rejected the assertion, clarifying that the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) does not mandate the removal of lawful content. Instead, it only requires platforms to take down harmful content, such as material that could harm children or threaten the democratic process within the EU.

Zuckerberg had criticized the EU’s increasing number of laws, suggesting they hinder innovation and promote censorship. He also announced that Meta would dismantle its fact-checking programs in the U.S., opting for a “community notes” system similar to X’s model, where users can add notes to posts they deem misleading, provided these notes receive broad support.

In response, the European Commission emphasized that while platforms may adopt their own content moderation strategies, any system used within the EU would need to undergo a risk assessment. The Commission stressed that it does not prescribe specific moderation approaches but does require that any system implemented be effective in addressing harmful content.

A Commission spokesperson stated that EU users would continue to benefit from independent fact-checking processes, ensuring the accuracy and safety of content shared across platforms.

 

Iconiq Growth Expands Leadership with Datadog’s Amit Agarwal as General Partner

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Iconiq Growth, the venture arm of Iconiq Capital, has appointed Amit Agarwal, President of cloud-based analytics firm Datadog, as a general partner in a strategic move to expand its leadership team. Agarwal brings over 12 years of experience from Datadog, a company that has been part of Iconiq’s portfolio for years.

In his new role, Agarwal will focus on software startups, particularly as artificial intelligence continues to reshape the technology landscape. Having worked closely with Iconiq Growth since its initial investment in Datadog in 2015, Agarwal’s ties to the firm run deep, especially through his relationship with Iconiq partner Matthew Jacobson, who sits on Datadog’s board.

“I want to join a multistage firm where I can invest in companies at different stages of their growth,” Agarwal stated. He emphasized the significant role Iconiq plays as a partner to its portfolio companies, leveraging its vast network of high-net-worth individuals, including influential tech figures like Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey, to support founders.

This addition to the leadership team follows Iconiq Growth’s expansion, which included five new partners last year, bringing the total to 16. The firm closed a $5.75 billion fund in 2024, despite a broader decline in venture capital fundraising, according to PitchBook. The larger fund size enables Iconiq Growth to delve deeper into early-stage investments, with half of their recent investments going to startups with revenues under $10 million.

Recent hires at Iconiq Growth have focused on experienced executives from major companies, also known as operators, further reinforcing its commitment to active engagement with portfolio companies.

 

Meta Accused of Using Pirated Books for AI Training with Zuckerberg’s Approval

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Meta Platforms (META.O) is facing serious allegations from a group of authors, including Ta-Nehisi Coates and comedian Sarah Silverman, who claim that the company used pirated versions of copyrighted books to train its artificial intelligence systems, including the Llama language model. The authors argue that this use was approved by Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, according to newly disclosed court documents.

The authors, who filed a lawsuit against Meta in 2023 for copyright infringement, allege that internal Meta documents, produced during the discovery phase of the case, show the company was fully aware that the books it used were pirated. Meta has yet to comment on the allegations.

The lawsuit focuses on Meta’s use of the AI training dataset LibGen, a repository of pirated books that the authors claim was distributed through peer-to-peer torrents. The new evidence presented by the authors suggests that Meta executives, including Zuckerberg, were aware that LibGen’s contents were pirated but chose to proceed with using the dataset. Internal Meta communications reportedly confirm this.

The authors are seeking to update their complaint, asserting that the new evidence strengthens their case for copyright infringement. The suit also brings renewed attention to the ongoing legal battles over the use of copyrighted materials to train AI systems, with defendants arguing that such uses may fall under “fair use” doctrine.

In a previous ruling, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria dismissed claims related to copyright infringement and the alleged unlawful stripping of copyright management information (CMI) by Meta’s chatbots. However, during a hearing on Thursday, Chhabria indicated that he would permit the authors to file an amended complaint, despite his doubts about the validity of the fraud and CMI claims.