All posts tagged: curbs

China Curbs US Investment In Tech Companies After Meta Acquisition Of Manus

China Curbs US Investment In Tech Companies After Meta Acquisition Of Manus

Published by Jenni Sidey

Following earlier news that China has blacklisted 7 EU defense and aerospace firms over their dealings with Taiwan, Bloomberg reports that China plans to restrict top technology firms, including leading AI startups, from accepting US capital without government approval.  Chinese regulators, including the National Development and Reform Commission, have recently instructed several private technology firms to reject U.S. investment in funding rounds unless explicitly approved, ​the report said. The commission – a powerful state planning agency with broad policy-making powers – is now heading a multi-agency probe that includes the Ministry of Commerce into the deal and its repercussions, the people said. AI startups Moonshot AI and StepFun were among the ​companies that received the guidance, the report said, adding ⁠that TikTok owner ByteDance has also been told it should not allow ​secondary share sales to US investors without clearance. The measures are aimed at ​preventing US investors from gaining stakes in sensitive technologies linked to China’s national security. The ‌heightened ⁠scrutiny follows Meta’s more than $2 billion acquisition of AI startup Manus in 2025, which triggered investigations into foreign …

DHS shutdown curbs detention oversight, Democrat says : NPR

DHS shutdown curbs detention oversight, Democrat says : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. Representative Julie Johnson, Democrat of Texas, speaks during a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing on Oversight of the Department of Homeland Security in February 2026. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images Stay up to date with our Politics newsletter, sent weekly. Families are having an even harder time than usual talking to loved ones in immigration detention or finding out where they’re located during the current Department of Homeland Security shutdown, a Texas Democrat says. The plight of families adds to the patchwork of complaints from Democratic lawmakers and attorneys about oversight and other issues while the agency enters a sixth week without government funding. “I have had numerous constituents reach out to my office who have been unable to locate family members or secure medical treatments for those held in detention, all while Members of Congress continue to receive inconsistent responses from this administration regarding the scope of their oversight authority and the role of the agency during a lapse in funding,” Rep. Julie …

Private special school costs soar as curbs planned

Private special school costs soar as curbs planned

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles Councils are spending up to four times as much per pupil on private special schools as state special schools, with private placement costs growing twice as fast over four years. The findings of a Schools Week investigation come as the government gears up to rein in spending on private special schools. Analysis of freedom of information data by Schools Week from 41 councils found the average cost per pupil of places in local independent and non-maintained special schools is forecast to be 37 per cent higher this year than in 2022-23. Over the same period, the cost of state special school places is due to rise by 17 per cent. According to data obtained from 51 councils, the average forecast per-pupil cost for private or non-maintained placements in the same council area this year is £57,074. This rises to £65,528 for placements in a different council area. The state special school equivalent is £23,907. It comes after the schools white paper’s proposed SEND reforms outlined plans to rein in spending on private special …

Off-rolling curbs welcomed, but warnings over ‘gaps in data’

Off-rolling curbs welcomed, but warnings over ‘gaps in data’

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles Labour’s off-rolling crackdown could finally “shed light on a practice that is currently invisible” but must be supported by councils and trusts to work, experts have said.  The schools white paper unveiled plans to tighten up scrutiny over pupil movements, and to interrogate the leaders of schools suspected of illegal exclusions or other shady methods to skew cohorts.  Kiran Gill, chief executive of inclusion charity The Difference, said this “has been an area of insufficient data accountability”.  “It shouldn’t be up to investigative journalists or brilliant statisticians to highlight where there’s a system challenge.”  Concerning practices The government will launch a new internal dashboard that identifies school-level trends “that could suggest off-rolling or other concerning practices, including off-site direction and managed moves”. Kiran Gill It will use this to conduct an annual review of how children move through the education system. Officials will “follow up on a targeted basis with responsible bodies to better understand and challenge where there are possible concerns”. Off-rolling is when a pupil is removed …

Germany’s Ruling Party Backs Social Media Curbs for Children

Germany’s Ruling Party Backs Social Media Curbs for Children

Published by Sam Flores

STUTTGART, Germany, Feb 21 (Reuters) – Germany’s ruling conservatives on Saturday ⁠passed ⁠a motion to ban social media use ⁠for under 14s and introduce more stringent digital verification checks for teenagers, building momentum for such ​limits in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.  At a party conference in the city of Stuttgart, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union also called for ‌fines for online platforms that failed ‌to enforce such limits, and European Union-wide harmonisation of age standards. A growing number of countries, including Spain, Greece, France and Britain, are ⁠looking at similar ⁠social media bans or restrictions on accessing platforms like TikTok or Instagram.  It follows the example ​of Australia, which last year became the first country to force platforms to cut off access for children. European nations are more broadly ratcheting up pressure on social media companies, risking a backlash from the United States. President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs and sanctions if EU countries impose new ​tech taxes or online regulations that hit U.S. firms. “We call on the federal government to introduce …

Telegram’s Durov reaffirms commitment to privacy amid new Russian curbs

Telegram’s Durov reaffirms commitment to privacy amid new Russian curbs

Published by Sam Flores

MOSCOW, Feb 10 : Telegram founder Pavel Durov said on Tuesday that Telegram remains committed to protecting freedom of speech and user privacy “no matter the pressure”. His comments came after Russia’s state communications watchdog said that Telegram, an important platform for public and private communications in Russia, would face further restrictions from the authorities because it had failed to correct previous violations. Durov accused the authorities of curbing access to Telegram in an effort to push Russians toward a state-controlled alternative, most likely referring to MAX messenger. “Restricting citizens’ freedom is never the right answer. Telegram stands for freedom of speech and privacy, no matter the pressure,” he wrote on his Telegram channel. Source link

Musk labels Spain PM ‘tyrant’ after Madrid proposes social media curbs | Elon Musk News

Musk labels Spain PM ‘tyrant’ after Madrid proposes social media curbs | Elon Musk News

Published by Sam Flores

Musk’s scathing attack on PM Pedro Sanchez comes after he announces strict new regulations for social media platforms. Published On 4 Feb 20264 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Tech billionaire and owner of X, Elon Musk, has dubbed socialist Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez a “tyrant and traitor to the people” of Spain for introducing new social media curbs for children under the age of 16. Musk’s comments on Tuesday came in response to an announcement by the Spanish prime minister that Madrid would introduce new changes to the country’s social media laws. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The proposed measures include a ban on social media for children under 16 and a new legal framework to hold tech executives criminally liable for illegal content. Sanchez also confirmed that the government would work with the public prosecutor to investigate alleged legal infringements by platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, and Musk’s own AI chatbot, Grok. “Dirty Sanchez is a tyrant and traitor to the people of Spain,” Musk …

Thai central bank flags gold trade curbs, plays down impact of US monitoring list

Thai central bank flags gold trade curbs, plays down impact of US monitoring list

Published by Sam Flores

BANGKOK, Jan 30 : Thailand’s new rules to curb online gold trading were designed to help weaken the baht, the country’s central bank said on Friday as it downplayed any impact from the United States adding Thailand to its currency manipulation monitoring list. The central bank has blamed gold trading for driving up the value of the baht, which has gained 0.2 per cent against the dollar so far this year after a 9 per cent rise in 2025, threatening the competitiveness of Thailand’s crucial export and tourism sectors. Gold traders were responsible for a significant share of foreign‑exchange transactions during periods of baht appreciation, with fund inflows and the country’s current account surplus also contributing to the currency’s rise, Bank of Thailand Assistant Governor Pimpan Charoenkwan​ told a briefing. The central bank on Thursday issued new trading rules, including a previously announced cap on daily online gold trades at 50 million baht ($1.59 million) per person per platform. The rules, effective from March 1, require gold trading service providers to seek approval from the …