Daily Tech Headlines Anthropic in Renewed Talks with Defense Department - DTH
Mar 5, 2026
Negotiations over a Pentagon contract with Anthropic and its implications for supply-chain status take center stage. Big tech pledge to cover grid and generation costs for AI data center growth. Meta reopens WhatsApp Business API to third-party chatbots in Europe for a year. Google overhauls Play Store rules after regulatory pressure. New AI features from Google and Apple Music’s voluntary AI-use tags spark industry debate.
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Anthropic Standoff Over Mass Surveillance Clause
- Anthropic's contract talks with the U.S. Defense Department stalled over a clause banning AI use for mass surveillance.
- The Pentagon threatened to cancel a $200 million contract and label Anthropic a supply chain risk for refusing to remove the restriction.
Big Tech Agrees To Ratepayer Protection Pledge
- Major cloud and AI companies signed the White House Ratepayer Protection Pledge to fund new generation and delivery upgrades.
- Signatories include Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Oracle, XAI, and OpenAI to avoid pushing costs onto households.
Meta Temporarily Allows Third-Party Chatbots On WhatsApp
- Meta reversed a policy to allow third-party AI chatbots on the WhatsApp Business API in Europe for 12 months.
- The temporary allowance charges providers per message while the European Commission investigates competitive concerns.