iWorld
Airtel, Google collaborate to block spam messages with web links
Google says safer RCS will boost trust in business messaging
GURUGRAM: Bharti Airtel will roll out its AI-powered spam protection tool on text messages sent via Google’s messaging platform, extending its anti-fraud shield beyond the traditional telecom network.
The partnership integrates Airtel’s network intelligence with Google’s Rich Communications Services (RCS) platform and built-in spam filters. Users will retain RCS features such as high-resolution photos, video and interactive message reactions, while gaining stronger protection against mobile spam and digital fraud.
Airtel says its AI systems have blocked 7,100 crore spam calls and 290 crore spam SMSes over the past 18 months. The company claims this drove a 68.7 per cent drop in the value of financial losses on its network during that period.
The move reflects a growing concern over internet-based bulk messaging services, which often embed transaction links and are increasingly exploited by fraudsters.
Bharti Airtel executive vice chairman Gopal Vittal, said the partnership pushes customer protection beyond the telco domain. He urged over-the-top communication platforms to collaborate in curbing spam and financial fraud, arguing that many non-telco apps lack the stringent safeguards embedded in carrier-grade systems.
Airtel noted that traditional mobile networks operate under defined safety standards. By contrast, several standalone messaging apps have become fertile ground for “sophisticated bad actors”, turning into common conduits for invasive spam and financial scams.
The integration with Google aims to close that gap. By embedding Airtel’s intelligence layer into RCS, alongside Google’s own spam protections, the companies say they are creating a carrier-backed messaging environment with higher accountability.
Google Android ecosystem president Sameer Samat, said businesses using RCS for enterprise communication would benefit from clearer authentication, enabling customers to distinguish legitimate brand messages from spam. Greater trust, he argued, would translate into deeper engagement and more durable customer relationships.
iWorld
Meta signs multiyear AI deal with News Corp
Agreement worth up to $50 million annually covers WSJ, New York Post and UK titles.
MUMBAI: Meta just bought itself a front-row seat to the newsroom because when AI needs facts, even Zuckerberg is willing to pay the subscription fee. Meta Platforms has signed a multiyear artificial intelligence content licensing agreement with News Corp that could be worth up to $50 million (£39 million) a year, The Wall Street Journal reported on 25 February 2026. The deal, expected to run for at least three years, grants Meta access to News Corp’s US and UK content including The Wall Street Journal and New York Post for training AI models and powering real-time information retrieval in its products.
Australian mastheads such as the Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun are not included. News Corp CEO Robert Thomson revealed the arrangement during a Morgan Stanley technology conference in San Francisco, describing news organisations as a vital “input company” in the AI ecosystem. “We’re essentially an input company,” he said. “The great threat in the age of AI is going to be to what you might call output companies.”
Thomson emphasised the value of reliable journalism as foundational infrastructure for AI systems, noting regular conversations with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg via Whatsapp and ongoing talks with OpenAI’s Sam Altman. He added that News Corp is in “advanced stage” negotiations for additional deals, promising further announcements soon.
The agreement follows News Corp’s 2024 five-year partnership with OpenAI (reportedly worth more than $250 million) and reflects Meta’s broader push to secure content licences. The company has already confirmed deals with People Inc, USA Today, CNN and Fox News, though financial terms remain undisclosed.
Publishers remain divided, some pursue partnerships for revenue, while others litigate. News Corp subsidiaries have sued Perplexity over copyright infringement, The New York Times is suing OpenAI and Microsoft, yet the same NYT struck a separate AI licensing deal with Amazon reportedly worth $20–25 million annually.
Thomson summed up the dual strategy as “woo or sue” seeking commercial agreements where possible, legal action when content is used without permission.
In an AI race where data is oxygen, Meta isn’t just training models, it’s buying the raw material for tomorrow’s answers, one headline at a time.
