European Commission Fines X, Netflix Acquires Warner Bros., Waymo Recall, Meta Buys Limitless

European Commission Fines X

• 🇪🇺 The European Commission has fined X (formerly Twitter) €120 million for violating the Digital Services Act.
• ⚠️ The platform is cited for misleading users with its paid verification system and failing to provide transparency around political ads and researcher access to public data.
• 🔍 Regulators noted that X's ad repository lacks key details and the company blocks researchers from scraping public information.

Major Media Acquisitions and Deals

• 🎬 Netflix announced its acquisition of Warner Bros., including HBO Max and HBO Studio, for $82.7 billion, expected to close in Q3 2026.
• 🎮 The deal is anticipated to face significant antitrust review, and Warner Bros. games will also be acquired.
• 🤖 Meta is acquiring AI wearable startup Limitless, which makes a pendant that records and summarizes conversations, aligning with Meta's AI and wearables strategy.

Tech Company Legal and Regulatory Actions

• 🚗 Waymo will file a voluntary software recall after US regulators flagged incidents where Waymo cars improperly maneuvered around stopped school buses.
• ⚖️ The New York Times is suing AI startup Perplexity for copyright infringement, alleging illegal copying and distribution of its content.
• 📈 SpaceX is targeting an IPO in the second half of 2026, potentially listing the full business including Starlink, with a secondary sale valuing the company up to $800 billion.

Social Media and App Mandates

• 📱 India's telecom ministry withdrew its order requiring smartphone makers to pre-install the Sanchar sathi cyber security app due to growing adoption.
• 🤝 Meta has secured new licensing partnerships with news organizations like CNN and Fox News for its AI chatbot content.
• 🔞 YouTube will comply with Australia's new law banning social media accounts for users under 16 by automatically signing them out, despite calling it a disappointing update.