In today’s digest we explore Axel Springer acquiring the Telegraph for £575m, Indonesia moving to implement a social media ban for under-16s, and the UK delaying AI copyright rule decisions. 

Axel Springer acquires the Telegraph for £575m

Axel Springer has agreed to acquire the UK’s Telegraph for £575m, effectively blocking a competing bid from Britain’s Daily Mail, according to sources familiar with the deal. The acquisition marks the first change of ownership in the 168-year history of the Telegraph.

The sale process has been protracted: the Telegraph has lacked a permanent owner for about three years, after Lloyds Banking Group took control following unpaid debts by the Barclay family, which had owned the paper since 2004. Over that period, multiple parties including investors from Abu Dhabi and New York had explored acquiring the conservative-leaning title.

Axel Springer emerged as the preferred buyer after submitting a stronger bid than other interested parties, including the Daily Mail.

Indonesia to implement social media ban for under-16s

The Indonesian government has announced plans to prohibit social media access for children under 16, citing risks including online cyberbullying, fraud, and internet addiction. Communications Minister Meutya Hafid revealed that high-risk platforms will be required to deactivate accounts belonging to users below the age threshold.

Affected platforms include YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live, and Roblox. The restrictions will be rolled out in phases as platforms work to meet compliance requirements. 

UK delays AI copyright rule decisions

The UK government has signalled a delay to planned reforms that would have made it easier for AI firms to use copyrighted media for training. The changes, under review through a two-month consultation, faced strong opposition from the creative sector, with feedback reportedly failing to support any of the government’s proposed models. Ministers are now expected to gather further evidence, extending discussions on regulatory options, meaning AI-related legislation is unlikely to feature in the upcoming King’s Speech and may be postponed until next year.

The House of Lords has issued a stark warning on the risks of unrestricted AI training on copyrighted work, highlighting the UK’s creative sector as a “powerhouse” that contributes billions to the economy. The committee criticised proposals allowing broad commercial data-mining with only an opt-out option, citing threats to creators’ livelihoods from opaque AI models and unprotected digital replicas of creative work.

The Lords’ latest report, published on Friday, calls for stricter safeguards, including rejecting commercial data-mining exceptions, mandating transparency on AI training data, and promoting UK-based sovereign AI models.