WhatsApp

India has issued a stern warning to Meta, demanding action against WhatsApp and Instagram within a week regarding child sexual abuse material in paid ads and a new username feature on WhatsApp. This highlights India’s growing regulatory assertiveness in a critical market for Meta, which boasts massive user bases in the country. The government’s stance signals an increased focus on tech giants’ compliance and control.

WhatsApp’s leader, Will Cathcart, is stepping down after seven years to build new products at Meta. Kunal Shah, founder of Indian fintech startup Cred, will take over as head of WhatsApp. Meta is also investing $900 million in Cred, valuing it at $4.5 billion. This leadership change supports Meta’s diversification strategy beyond advertising and its focus on new revenue streams like subscriptions and AI.

RingCentral is significantly upgrading its AI Receptionist (AIR) by integrating with Shopify, Calendly, and WhatsApp. This allows AIR to handle order inquiries, schedule appointments, and manage customer chats. It also supports multilingual conversations and integrates into shared inboxes and call queues. Businesses are seeing reduced wait times and improved satisfaction, with AIR evolving into a “digital employee” for SMBs, offered as a standalone product or add-on.

Russia is blocking Meta’s WhatsApp, urging citizens to use the state-backed “Max” messenger. The Kremlin claims Max is a national alternative, while WhatsApp accuses Russia of forcing users onto a “surveillance app” to isolate them and restrict private communication. This move is part of Russia’s broader strategy to control its digital space and pivot users to domestic platforms, citing non-compliance with data storage laws and alleged misuse of services. Critics view this as a blow to free expression and privacy, aimed at shaping narratives and monitoring dissent.

The European Commission is considering “interim measures” against Meta to ensure third-party AI assistants can access WhatsApp. The Commission preliminarily found Meta’s updated terms, which banned these AI assistants, may violate EU antitrust rules. This action aims to prevent Meta from using its market power to harm competition in the rapidly evolving AI sector. Meta argues the WhatsApp Business API isn’t a critical distribution channel for AI chatbots, a stance the Commission is investigating.

A former Meta security head, Attaullah Baig, is suing the company, alleging WhatsApp has critical security flaws exposing user data. He claims 1,500 engineers had unrestricted data access and that Meta retaliated against him for raising concerns. Baig reported the issues to the SEC and OSHA. Meta denies the allegations, citing Baig’s poor performance and claiming his concerns misrepresent ongoing security efforts. The lawsuit raises questions about WhatsApp’s data security and whistleblower protection.