Plus, Anthropic aims to raise $2 billion in funding. And the U.K.’s competition regulator says it plans to launch probes into big tech under new rules. James Rundle hosts.
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[00:00:01] Here's your TNB Tech Minute for Tuesday, January 7th. I'm James Rundle for The Wall Street Journal.
[00:00:07] Meta is ending fact-checking and removing restrictions on speech on its Facebook and Instagram platforms.
[00:00:13] That's according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who made the announcement in a video.
[00:00:16] He described the move as an attempt to restore free speech on Meta's platforms.
[00:00:21] Zuckerberg said the company will instead rely on user feedback to flag inappropriate content,
[00:00:25] a system similar to that used by Elon Musk's ex. He said Meta will continue to target illegal behaviour.
[00:00:32] The announcement also comes as Zuckerberg looks to align himself and Meta with the incoming Trump administration.
[00:00:38] Zuckerberg has attempted to mend fences with President-elect Donald Trump in recent months,
[00:00:42] including by donating $1 million to his inauguration fund.
[00:00:46] We're exclusively reporting that artificial intelligence company Anthropic is in advanced talks to raise $2 billion,
[00:00:52] riding a wave of investor interest in AI startups.
[00:00:56] Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI employees, produces generative AI products including Claude, a popular chatbot for programmers.
[00:01:04] The funding rounds, led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, would value Anthropic at around $60 billion.
[00:01:10] The deal would make it the fifth most valuable AI startup in the US, according to data from CB Insights.
[00:01:16] Much of Anthropic's funding to date has come from its close partner Amazon, which committed $4 billion to the startup in November.
[00:01:23] And the UK's antitrust regulator plans to use its powers under new competition laws
[00:01:28] to launch at least three investigations into big tech this year.
[00:01:32] The Competition and Markets Authority said it would look into how companies that operate services such as app stores
[00:01:38] and online advertising platforms conduct their business.
[00:01:41] It said it will also consult with the industry on possible new conduct rules.
[00:01:44] For a deeper dive into what's happening in tech, check out Wednesday's Tech News Briefing podcast.
[00:01:49] The