Washington:

Meta is proposing to offer European users a subscription-based version of Instagram and Facebook if they would rather not be tracked for ads, a source said on Tuesday.

The idea, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, comes as the social media giant seeks to comply with a growing list of EU regulations designed to curb the power of US big tech.

The company founded by Mark Zuckerberg makes its billions of dollars in profit by offering advertisers highly individualized data on users, but new European regulations and EU court decisions have made that harder.

The proposal has been put to EU regulators and is another example of big tech companies having to adapt long-held practices to meet oncoming EU rules.

The source close to the matter said subscribers in Europe could pay 10 euros ($10.50) a month for a desktop version of Instagram or Facebook, or 13 euros a month for Instagram on their phones.

Social media platforms have increasingly floated the idea of charging users for access to their sites, whether to comply with data privacy regulations or better guarantee the identity of users.

But the practice would be a major shift for the social media industry that grew exponentially over the past decade on an advertising model that made the site free for users in return for being tracked and ads seen highly personalized.

The proposal could help meet several regulations including the Digital Markets Act that imposes a list of do’s and don’ts on big tech companies in Europe, including a ban on tracking users when they surf other sites if their consent hasn’t been clearly granted.

It also follows the recommendation of the EU’s highest court, which in a July decision said that Meta platform users who declined to be tracked should be offered an ad free alternative “for an appropriate fee.”

That ruling echoed many previous rulings against Meta and other big tech firms in which the court ruled that the US company must ask for permission to collect large amounts of personal data, striking down various workarounds that Meta had offered.

Meta declined to comment directly on the Wall Street Journal report, but said in a statement that it still “believes in the value of free services which are supported by personalized ads.”

“However, we continue to explore options to ensure we comply with evolving regulatory requirements.”

Meta reported second-quarter revenues of $32 billion, of which $31.5 billion came from advertising. Some $7.2bn of that came from Europe.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, left, and Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni, right, address the media during a joint press conference following a visit of the island of Lampedusa in Italy, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AP

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday visited the Italian island of Lampedusa, which is struggling with a surge in migrant arrivals, and promised a 10-point EU action plan to help Italy deal with the situation.

Nearly 1,26,000 migrants have arrived in Italy so far this year, almost double the figure by the same date in 2022. The small island of Lampedusa has recently seen a sharp rise in the number of people arriving by boat, with more than 7,000 landing this week, more than the island’s permanent population.

Ms. Von der Leyen was accompanied by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the car carrying them to Lampedusa’s migrant reception centre was briefly blocked by locals protesting over the burden facing the island.

“We’re working on it … we are doing our best,” Ms. Meloni told the protesters.

Following the visit to the centre, Ms. von der Leyen, who is expected to run for a second term when her mandate expires next year, set out a 10-point “action plan” to relieve pressure on Italy, where most migrants arrive from North Africa’s shores by boat.

“Irregular migration is a European challenge and it needs a European response, we are in this together,” she said at a joint news conference with Ms. Meloni. “You can count on the EU,” she added in Italian.

The plan includes using the EU’s external borders agency Frontex to identify migrants arriving in Italy and repatriate those not eligible for asylum.

Frontex would also step up sea and aerial surveillance of migrant boats and help crack down on people-smugglers, Ms. von der Leyen said, adding that she had already spoken to several EU leaders about the plan and was confident of their support.

She promised to speed up the supply of equipment to the coastguard of Tunisia, currently the main departure point for sea migrants, and accelerate the transfer of funds to Tunis under a deal struck in July aimed at curbing migration.

Ms. Von der Leyen also vowed to increase access to legal channels for the migrants, saying “the better we are with legal migration the stricter we can be with irregular migration,” while committing to a sustained battle against traffickers.

The surge in migrant crossings is a major political headache for Ms. Meloni, who took office in October last year and has made fighting illegal immigration a cornerstone of her rise to power.

She reiterated on Sunday that the right approach is to prevent people leaving for Europe, not redistributing migrants around the bloc.

On Monday her Cabinet will meet to approve tough measures, including building new detention and repatriation centres and extending the maximum time migrants can be held for.

Welcoming the announcement of the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described it as the “largest cooperation project in our history” that will “change the face of the Middle East, Israel, and will affect the entire world”.

The new economic corridor, which many see as an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, was jointly announced on September 9 by the leaders of the U.S., India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi.

In a video message released late on Saturday evening, Mr. Netanyahu said that Israel is at the focus of an unprecedented international project that will link infrastructure from Asia to Europe.

“I welcome the statement that was released today by the United States, India, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the European Union, as well as France, Italy and Germany,” Mr. Netanyahu said.

“A good week to you, citizens of Israel. This evening, I am pleased to inform you [of] some major news,” the Israeli Prime Minister said.

His message came as hundreds of thousands of Israelis protested on the streets against the government’s judicial overhaul plan they think will undermine the authority of the judiciary.

“Israel is at the focus of an unprecedented international project that will link infrastructure from Asia to Europe. This link will also realise a multi-year vision that will change the face of the Middle East, and Israel, and will affect the entire world,” he said.

“This vision starts in India, passes through the United Arab Emirates [UAE], Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel before reaching Europe,” Mr. Netanyahu said.

The announcement of the ambitious project comes amid discussions around the normalisation of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The two countries do not have diplomatic relations but the Gulf kingdom has been seen to be recently softening its position towards Israel by allowing Israeli airlines to use its air space.

It is said to have also demanded, as per media reports, several concessions from the United States for the normalisation of ties to happen with the Jewish state, some very contentious ones.

“They announced the launch of a pioneering initiative to develop an economic corridor from India, through the Middle East, to Europe. I am pleased to inform you, citizens of Israel, that our country, the State of Israel, will be a central junction in this economic corridor,” Mr. Netanyahu said.

“Our railways and ports will open a new gateway from India, through the Middle East, to Europe, and back – from Europe to India via Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE,” the Israeli Prime Minister, battling a downturn in the economy in the face of his controversial Judicial overhaul plans, said.

“I would like to thank U.S. President [Joe] Biden and his administration for the major effort that has led us to today’s historic announcement. Several months ago, the U.S. contacted us regarding the realisation of this historic opportunity. Since then, it has held urgent diplomatic contacts in order to bring about today’s breakthrough,” he stressed.

The project reshapes the face of our region and allows a dream to become reality, he said.

The initiative includes the construction of railways, the laying of a hydrogen pipeline, the energy of the future, the laying of fibre optic communications cables, the laying of electricity cables and more infrastructure, the Israeli Prime Minister noted.

“The State of Israel will contribute its capabilities, all of its experience, momentum and commitment, to realise the largest cooperation project in our history. All government ministries will be instructed to join in realizing this dream,” he emphasised.

“I have directed the National Security Council, in the Prime Minister’s Office, to coordinate the staff work and also the close cooperation with the U.S. and other countries in order for this vision to become reality as soon as possible,” Mr. Netanyahu said.

The project will lead us to a new, unique and unprecedented era of global and regional cooperation and involvement.

“Together we will succeed,” Mr. Netanyahu asserted.

With protesters turning up in hundreds of thousands every weekend for the last 36 weeks, Israel faces threats of mass emigration, resignations in critical positions, army desertions, strikes and flight of capital backed by gloomy predictions from prestigious global credit rating agencies.

Mr. Netanyahu has been struggling to show that everything is under control and the economy is stable amid widespread angry protests. He also hinted at the major link project during his trip to Greece and Cyprus early this week to boost the morale of his citizens and supporters.

President Joe Biden and his allies on September 9 were to outline plans for a rail and shipping corridor that would connect India with the Middle East and ultimately Europe — a possible game changer for global trade to be announced at the Group of 20 summit.

Also read | G-20 Summit 2023 in New Delhi Live Updates

The project would include the United States, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the European Union and other countries in the G20, said Jon Finer, Mr. Biden’s deputy national security adviser.

Mr. Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi plan to announce the project as part of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment. The rail and shipping corridor would enable greater trade among the countries, including energy products. It could also be one of the more ambitious counters to China’s massive infrastructure program, through which it has sought to connect more of the world to that country’s economy.

Mr. Finer laid out three big rationales for the project in a telephone call Saturday with reporters. He said first that the corridor would increase prosperity among the countries involved by increasing the flow of energy and digital communications. Second, the project would help address the lack of infrastructure needed for growth in lower- and middle-income nations. And third, Mr. Finer said it could help “turn the temperature down” on “turbulence and insecurity” coming out of the Middle East.

“We see this as having a high appeal to the countries involved, and also globally, because it is transparent, because it is a high standard, because it is not coercive,” he said.

Mr. Biden participated in the summit’s first session, which focused on the theme of “One Earth.” The U.S. president plans to draw on the theme to push for more investments to address climate change, such as his own domestic incentives to encourage the use of renewable energy, Mr. Finer said.

Mr. Biden also wants to make the case that Russia’s war in Ukraine is hurting many other nations, which have had to cope with greater food and energy costs as well as higher interest rate costs on their debt.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has been a regular presence at international summits, including last year’s G-20 in Indonesia, since Russia invaded his country more than 18 months ago, was not invited by Modi’s government to this year’s gathering.

Mr. Zelenskyy has the used the high-profile gatherings to argue for continued economic and military support for his country. India is one of the most prominent U.S. allies that has largely stayed on the sidelines of the war, and has even dramatically increased its purchases of Russian oil.

Mr. Finer said White House officials pushed for Zelenskyy’s inclusion at the summit.

“Ultimately, it is not our decision,” he said. “But you can expect that the United States and our other partners who are working with Ukraine so closely … We’ll make that case quite forcefully in the context of these conversations.”

The summit’s second session is about “One Family.” Mr. Biden plans to use this portion to discuss his request to Congress for additional funding for the World Bank that could generate more than $25 billion in new lending for economic development, Finer said.

The White House more broadly is trying to strengthen the G-20 as an international forum, while Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin decided not to attend.

Still, China and Russia are represented at the summit and that could make it difficult for the G-20 to produce a joint statement on the war in Ukraine.

“Really it’s incumbent upon the Chinese government to explain why a leader would or would not participate,” he said.

Washington:

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday left for an almost week-long Europe tour during which he will hold meetings with European Union (EU) lawyers, students and the Indian diaspora, sources said.

Mr Gandhi will meet a group of EU lawyers in Brussels on September 7 and also hold a similar meeting in The Hague, they said.

According to the sources, the former Congress president will address students at a university in Paris on September 8.

He is also slated to participate in a meeting of the Labour Union of France in Paris on September 9. Thereafter, he will visit Norway, where he will address a diaspora event in Oslo on September 10, they said.

Mr Gandhi is likely to return by September 11, a day after the G20 summit concludes.

The G20 Leaders Summit will be held from September 9-10 in Delhi.

India is hosting the G20 summit in its capacity as the current president of the grouping and it is likely to be attended by more than 30 heads of state, top officials from the European Union and invited guest countries, and 14 heads of international organisations.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to visit Europe next month and meet European Commission lawmakers in Belgium besides addressing students at a university in Paris. He is also likely to address the Indian diaspora at an event in Oslo early September, sources said.

Notably, his visits abroad will come at a time when the crucial G20 Summit will be held from September 9 to 10 in the national capital. India currently holds the G20 presidency.  The sources said the Gandhi scion is likely to leave for Paris in the the first week of September for a five-day tour.

He will attend a meeting with European Union members in Brussels on September 7.

According to the sources, the former Congress chief will address students at a university in Paris on September 8 and deliver a lecture there. He is also slated to participate in a meeting of the Labour Union of France in Paris on September 9.

Thereafter, the sources said Gandhi is slated to visit Norway where he will address the Indian diaspora event on September 10.

Mr Gandhi will be meeting members of the diaspora and may also hold a press conference, they added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)