big tech platforms

MongoDB's chief executive Dev Ittycheria-era successor Chirantan "CJ" Desai has stepped down from the database company to lead Meta's enterprise platform efforts, according to Reuters. The move marks a notable defection from a prominent publicly listed database firm to Meta as it pushes further into enterprise and business services. Observers are weighing what the departure means for MongoDB's leadership and strategy, and for Meta's enterprise ambitions.

Meta and YouTube have reversed course and will now run advertising for the documentary about Elon Musk, according to a report by TechCrunch. The platforms had previously declined to carry ads promoting the film, a decision that drew criticism from the filmmakers and their supporters. The update was shared by Flipboard's Culture Desk, and discussion has centred on whether the earlier refusals amounted to censorship of a documentary about one of tech's most polarising figures.

The Saudi Central Bank has raised its holdings in Meta Platforms stock, according to a regulatory disclosure picked up by financial news outlets. The move by the institution that manages the kingdom's reserves adds to growing Gulf interest in US technology shares. Investors are watching sovereign wealth exposure to Big Tech as Meta continues spending heavily on artificial intelligence.

Samsung has announced that its Art Store, previously focused on visual artworks for its Frame TVs, is expanding into film with its first-ever cinematic collection. The move brings curated film content to Samsung televisions, positioning the store as a broader cultural platform. The announcement was published through Samsung's Global Newsroom, and coverage so far centers on the company's push to merge art and cinema on the big screen at home.

The Singapore government has directed social media platforms to block content that targets the Indian community, according to a report circulating widely online. The move signals official action against online material deemed harmful or hateful toward Indians, in line with Singapore's strict approach to maintaining racial and religious harmony. Reactions online are highlighting the government's willingness to intervene directly with tech platforms over communal content.

WhatsApp has announced stronger safety measures for teenage users of its messaging service. The move adds to ongoing scrutiny of how major platforms protect younger people online, with privacy campaigners, parents and regulators closely watching how the changes will work in practice and what data controls will apply to teen accounts.

A policy debate is underway over whether network-sharing regulations, traditionally applied to telecom operators, should be extended to major technology companies. The question centers on whether Big Tech firms that rely on or influence internet infrastructure should face the same obligations to share network access as carriers. Regulators and industry players are weighing how such rules could reshape competition and investment across the internet economy.

A French-language essay argues that RSS feeds are essential to digital sovereignty, positioning the open web standard as a way to follow publications without depending on large platforms. The piece, shared with hashtags critical of Big Tech, frames RSS as a simple tool for reclaiming control over how people read the web, resonating with audiences concerned about digital independence.

The Vatican has announced the theme for the next World Day of Social Communications, focusing on the pitfalls of the 'attention economy' — the business model in which tech platforms compete to capture and monetise human attention. The choice signals Pope Francis's ongoing concern with how digital media shapes public discourse, empathy and truth, continuing his criticism of manipulative online practices.

Zoe Daniel, writing in The Guardian, argues that simply giving users control over how algorithms shape what they see will not be enough to hold big technology companies accountable. She calls for stronger measures to rein in platforms' algorithmic amplification. The piece is being shared in discussions about online safety, platform regulation and how far user choice can go in fixing harmful recommender systems.

Discussion is circulating about how public discourse has evolved in the era of big tech and social media platforms. Observers argue that online platforms have reshaped the way people debate, share opinions and engage with public issues. The short commentary has drawn attention for capturing a widely shared sentiment about the changing nature of online conversation.

Dutch MEP Kim van Sparrentak, speaking on a Follow the Money podcast, said nobody can escape the addictive algorithms of big tech. She referred to Ursula von der Leyen's recently announced plan to ban social media for children under sixteen, and noted that stricter rules targeting the addictive design of these platforms are expected in the spring.

Amazon Web Services and Microsoft's cloud business are set to be designated as gatekeepers under the EU's Digital Markets Act, according to a report. The move would subject the two US companies' cloud operations to the strictest competition rules in the bloc, alongside big tech platforms already covered by the law. The designation is expected to bring tighter scrutiny of their cloud practices in Europe.

Google has filed a legal challenge against European Union orders requiring it to share data with rivals under the Digital Markets Act, intensifying its conflict with Brussels over the landmark tech rules. The case marks one of the most significant legal tests yet of the DMA, which forces major online platforms to open up their services and data to competitors.

Privacy advocates are arguing that technology should be built around people rather than controlled by a handful of billionaire-owned corporations. The argument, gaining traction in online tech circles, holds that it is possible to create human-centric, empowering platforms owned by users themselves, and that anything less is a substandard approach to digital rights.

Google has filed a legal challenge against the European Union over rules requiring it to share search data with AI competitors. The case marks a new front in the standoff between major technology firms and Brussels over digital market regulation, with implications for how AI companies can access data controlled by dominant search platforms.

More than a dozen Premier League media outlets have joined a network designed to operate independently of Silicon Valley-controlled distribution channels. The move signals a push by football clubs and affiliated publishers to take direct control of how their content reaches audiences, reducing reliance on major US tech platforms for distribution.