In today’s Digest, we cover Scope3 making a second round of layoffs, China fining companies for fake AI services, and Meta criticising EU action over WhatsApp AI rivals

Scope3 makes second round of layoffs

Scope3 has implemented another round of redundancies, its second in less than half a year, as the adtech firm continues to reshape its business around agentic media capabilities. 

The company, headed by programmatic advertising pioneer Brian O’Kelley, would not confirm the number of positions impacted but said it had made additional changes across its commercial and engineering functions in response to evolving market needs.

China fines companies for fake AI services

China’s competition watchdog has taken action against several businesses for falsely presenting their services as well-known artificial intelligence products, including DeepSeek and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, as scrutiny of the country’s fast-growing AI market increases. The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said it fined Shanghai Shangyun Internet Technology 62,692.70 yuan (£6,685) after the company was found to be running a counterfeit ChatGPT service on Tencent Holdings’ WeChat platform.

Regulators said the service claimed to be the official Chinese edition of OpenAI’s chatbot, misleading users into paying for AI-generated interactions. SAMR ruled that the practice breached China’s Anti-Unfair Competition Law, citing the unauthorised use of established AI brands to mislead consumers. 

Meta criticises EU action over WhatsApp AI rivals

Meta Platforms has pushed back against EU regulators after being accused of breaching antitrust rules over restrictions placed on AI competitors within its WhatsApp messaging service. European authorities have warned that Meta could be required to lift limitations affecting rival AI services on WhatsApp, escalating scrutiny of how the US tech group integrates and controls access to its business messaging infrastructure.

Responding to the charges, a Meta spokesperson said there was no justification for regulatory intervention in the WhatsApp Business API, arguing that users already have broad access to competing AI tools across app stores, operating systems, devices, websites and industry partnerships.