Access Advance LLC announced that Meta Platforms, Inc. and Alibaba Group have joined its Video Distribution Patent Pool (VDP Pool) as licensees. Meta Platforms, a major distributor of video content across Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp, also joined both the HEVC Advance and VVC Advance pools. Alibaba Group, which operates video infrastructure across e-commerce, entertainment, and digital media platforms, was added as a VDP Pool Licensee. The inclusion of these companies reinforces the program's position in resolving licensing issues for modern video codecs, including VP9, AV1, HEVC, and VVC, across internet video streaming business models.

Peter Moller, CEO of Access Advance, stated that Meta's participation is a milestone for the content distribution business and the VDP Pool. He noted that Meta reaches billions of users daily through some of the world's most watched video platforms. Moller added that Meta's involvement reflects the balanced licensing solution offered by the VDP Pool and highlights Meta's leadership in bringing modern video codecs like AV1 to consumers. He also remarked that Alibaba's sophistication in video technology makes its expansion in the VDP Pool meaningful, further establishing the program as a licensing solution for the streaming media industry.

About Access Advance

Access Advance LLC is an independent licensing administrator company formed to lead the development, administration, and management of patent pools for licensing essential patents of key video codec technologies. The company provides a transparent and efficient licensing mechanism for patent owners and implementers.

Patent Portfolio

Access Advance manages several patent pools, including the HEVC Advance Patent Pool for licensing over 29,000 patents essential to HEVC/H.265 technology and the VVC Advance Patent Pool for licensing over 5,400 patents essential to VVC/H.266 technology. The company offers a Multi-Codec Bridging Agreement, providing eligible licensees with a single discounted royalty rate structure for those participating in both the HEVC Advance and VVC Advance pools.

In addition to these pools, Access Advance offers the Video Distribution Patent Pool, a comprehensive licensing solution for video streaming services covering HEVC, VVC, VP9, and AV1 codecs. The company has also acquired the administrator of Via LA’s HEVC/VVC patent pool, now named the VCL Advance (Video Codec Licensing) program.

The Government of India has expressed concerns over Meta Platforms Inc. introducing usernames on its messaging platform, WhatsApp, citing a potential increase in cybercrime. Despite the backlash, Meta defended its decision, stating the feature is designed to facilitate connections without the need to disclose phone numbers. The company emphasized that the rollout is not currently live and is scheduled to proceed "slowly later this year."

WhatsApp introduced the username feature on Monday, describing it as a "major privacy feature." On Thursday, a Meta Platforms spokesperson detailed that the implementation will include several anti-scam protections. These measures encompass phone number verification, limits on contacting new users, safeguards against username guessing, and systems designed to detect and remove impersonation or abusive activity.

The Indian government raised its objections on Wednesday, suggesting that the new functionality could escalate online fraud, phishing, and impersonation attacks. In response, authorities have issued a three-day ultimatum to the company, demanding a detailed explanation of the feature or facing possible action under the country's IT regulations. The government has also requested that Meta halt the rollout until these concerns are addressed.

This regulatory scrutiny follows recent developments involving Meta's investments and leadership changes in the region. The company recently invested $900 million in Indian fintech startup CRED, and CRED founder Kunal Shah is reportedly set to lead WhatsApp globally, a move intended to bolster Meta's digital payments strategy.

Broader AI and Privacy Context

The dispute over WhatsApp usernames occurs alongside increased scrutiny of Meta's artificial intelligence initiatives. Earlier this year, the company patented an AI system capable of keeping user profiles active after death by generating responses and mimicking interactions for dormant or deceased users. While Meta has stated it has no current plans to deploy this technology, the patent has intensified debates regarding digital legacy and platform engagement.

Additionally, Meta paused its internal AI training program, the Model Capability Initiative (MCI), last month following concerns that sensitive employee data may have been widely accessible. The program, which aimed to improve AI models, collected data on U.S. employees' interactions with company systems, including mouse movements, clicks, and keystrokes.