Moderna’s Vaccine for both Flu and Covid Works—Now Politics Could Sink It

Moderna’s mRNA-based flu and covid-19 vaccine could provide the best of both worlds—if it’s actually ever approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This week, scientists at Moderna published data from a Phase III trial testing the company’s combination vaccine, codenamed mRNA-1083. Individuals given mRNA-1083 appeared to generate the same or even greater immune response Read more about Moderna’s Vaccine for both Flu and Covid Works—Now Politics Could Sink It[…]

Google will pay Texas $1.4B to settle claims the company collected users’ data without permission

[…] “For years, Google secretly tracked people’s movements, private searches, and even their voiceprints and facial geometry through their products and services. I fought back and won.” The agreement settles several claims Texas made against the search giant in 2022 related to geolocation, incognito searches and biometric data. The state argued Google was “unlawfully tracking Read more about Google will pay Texas $1.4B to settle claims the company collected users’ data without permission[…]

US senator introduces bill calling for location-tracking on AI chips to limit China access

A U.S. senator introduced a bill on Friday that would direct the Commerce Department to require location verification mechanisms for export-controlled AI chips, in an effort to curb China’s access to advanced semiconductor technology. Called the “Chip Security Act,” the bill calls for AI chips under export regulations, and products containing those chips, to be Read more about US senator introduces bill calling for location-tracking on AI chips to limit China access[…]

EU prepares to give new rights to live streaming sites, to the detriment of the Internet and its users

At the heart of Walled Culture the book (free digital versions available) lies the dispiriting saga of how the EU Copyright Directive came into being. It began in early 2013 with the usual “stakeholder dialogue”, in which the European Commission sought the views of the various constituencies affected. It generated an unprecedentedly large response that Read more about EU prepares to give new rights to live streaming sites, to the detriment of the Internet and its users[…]

VMware perpetual license holders receive cease-and-desist letters from Broadcom

Broadcom has been sending cease-and-desist letters to owners of VMware perpetual licenses with expired support contracts, Ars Technica has confirmed. Following its November 2023 acquisition of VMware, Broadcom ended VMware perpetual license sales. Users with perpetual licenses can still use the software they bought, but they are unable to renew support services unless they had Read more about VMware perpetual license holders receive cease-and-desist letters from Broadcom[…]

Iconic Gun-Makers Gave Sensitive Customer Information to Political Operatives in secret for decades

For years, America’s most iconic gun-makers turned over sensitive personal information on hundreds of thousands of customers to political operatives. Those operatives, in turn, secretly employed the details to rally firearm owners to elect pro-gun politicians running for Congress and the White House, a ProPublica investigation has found. The clandestine sharing of gun buyers’ identities Read more about Iconic Gun-Makers Gave Sensitive Customer Information to Political Operatives in secret for decades[…]

Neurotech companies are selling your brain data, senators warn

Three Democratic senators are sounding the alarm over brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies’ ability to collect — and potentially sell — our neural data. In a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Maria Cantwell (D-IN), and Ed Markey (D-MA) called for an investigation into neurotechnology companies’ handling of user data, and Read more about Neurotech companies are selling your brain data, senators warn[…]

Can the EU’s Dual Strategy of Regulation and Investment Redefine AI Leadership?

Beyond sharing a pair of vowels, AI and the EU both present significant challenges when it comes to setting the right course. This article makes the case that reducing regulation for large general-purpose AI providers under the EU’s competitiveness agenda is not a silver bullet for catching Europe up to the US and China, and Read more about Can the EU’s Dual Strategy of Regulation and Investment Redefine AI Leadership?[…]

Europe’s Tech Sovereignty Demands More Than Competitiveness

BRUSSELS – As part of his confrontational stance toward Europe, US President Donald Trump could end up weaponizing critical technologies. The European Union must appreciate the true nature of this threat instead of focusing on competing with the US as an economic ally. To achieve true tech sovereignty, the EU should transcend its narrow focus Read more about Europe’s Tech Sovereignty Demands More Than Competitiveness[…]

Employee monitoring app exposes 21M work screens​ to internet

A surveillance tool meant to keep tabs on employees is leaking millions of real-time screenshots onto the open web. Your boss watching your screen isn’t the end of the story. Everyone else might be watching, too. Researchers at Cybernews have uncovered a major privacy breach involving WorkComposer, a workplace surveillance app used by over 200,000 Read more about Employee monitoring app exposes 21M work screens​ to internet[…]

Internet Archive Sued for $700m by Record Labels about digitising songs pre 1960. Petition to rescue the Internet Archive

A dramatic appeal hopes to ensure the survival of the nonprofit Internet Archive. The signatories of a petition, which is now open for further signatures, are demanding that the US recording industry association RIAA and participating labels such as as Universal Music Group (UMG), Capitol Records, Sony Music, and Arista drop their lawsuit against the Read more about Internet Archive Sued for $700m by Record Labels about digitising songs pre 1960. Petition to rescue the Internet Archive[…]

A Data Breach at Yale New Haven Health Compromised 5.5 Million Patients’ Information

[…]Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS), a massive nonprofit healthcare network in Connecticut. Hackers stole the data of more than 5.5 million individuals during an attack in March 2025. […] According to a public notice on the YNHHS website, the organization discovered “unusual activity” on its system on March 8, 2025, which was later identified as Read more about A Data Breach at Yale New Haven Health Compromised 5.5 Million Patients’ Information[…]

Perplexity CEO says its browser will track everything users do online to sell ‘hyper personalized’ ads

CEO Aravind Srinivas said this week on the TBPN podcast that one reason Perplexity is building its own browser is to collect data on everything users do outside of its own app. This so it can sell premium ads. “That’s kind of one of the other reasons we wanted to build a browser, is we Read more about Perplexity CEO says its browser will track everything users do online to sell ‘hyper personalized’ ads[…]

Blue Shield of California Exposed the Data of 4.7 Million People to Google for targeted advertising

Blue Shield of California shared the protected health information of 4.7 million individuals with Google over a nearly three-year period, a data breach that impacts the majority of its nearly 6 million members, according to reporting from Bleeping Computer. This isn’t the only large data breach to affect a healthcare organization the last year alone. Read more about Blue Shield of California Exposed the Data of 4.7 Million People to Google for targeted advertising[…]

Tesla now seems to be remote hacking odometers to weasel out of warranty repairs. Time to stop DMCA type laws globally.

A lawsuit filed in February accuses Tesla of remotely altering odometer values on failure-prone cars, in a bid to push these lemons beyond the 50,000 mile warranty limit: https://www.thestreet.com/automotive/tesla-accused-of-using-sneaky-tactic-to-dodge-car-repairs The suit was filed by a California driver who bought a used Tesla with 36,772 miles on it. The car’s suspension kept failing, necessitating multiple servicings, Read more about Tesla now seems to be remote hacking odometers to weasel out of warranty repairs. Time to stop DMCA type laws globally.[…]

Discord Wants Your Face: Begins Testing Facial Scans for Age Verification

Discord has begun requiring some users in the United Kingdom and Australia to verify their age through a facial scan before being permitted to access sensitive content. The chat app’s new process has been described as an “experiment,” and comes in response to laws passed in those countries that place guardrails on youth access to Read more about Discord Wants Your Face: Begins Testing Facial Scans for Age Verification[…]

Your TV is watching you better: LG TVs’ integrated ads get more personal with tech that analyzes viewer emotions

LG TVs will soon leverage an AI model built for showing advertisements that more closely align with viewers’ personal beliefs and emotions. The company plans to incorporate a partner company’s AI tech into its TV software in order to interpret psychological factors impacting a viewer, such as personal interests, personality traits, and lifestyle choices. The Read more about Your TV is watching you better: LG TVs’ integrated ads get more personal with tech that analyzes viewer emotions[…]

OpenDNS Quits Belgium Under Threat of Piracy Blocks or Fines of €100K Per Day after having quit France

In a brief statement citing a court order in Belgium but providing no other details, Cisco says that its OpenDNS service is no longer available to users in Belgium. Cisco’s withdrawal is almost certainly linked to an IPTV piracy blocking order obtained by DAZN; itt requires OpenDNS, Cloudflare and Google to block over 100 pirate Read more about OpenDNS Quits Belgium Under Threat of Piracy Blocks or Fines of €100K Per Day after having quit France[…]

LaLiga Piracy Blocks Randomly Take Down huge innocent segments of internet with no recourse or warning, slammed as “Unaccountable Internet Censorship”

Cloud-based web application platform Vercel is among the latest companies to find their servers blocked in Spain due to LaLiga’s ongoing IPTV anti-piracy campaign. In a statement, Vercel’s CEO and the company’s principal engineer slam “indiscriminate” blocking as an “unaccountable form of internet censorship” that has prevented legitimate customers from conducting their daily business. Since Read more about LaLiga Piracy Blocks Randomly Take Down huge innocent segments of internet with no recourse or warning, slammed as “Unaccountable Internet Censorship”[…]

Apple to Spy on User Emails and other Data on Devices to Bolster AI Technology

Apple Inc. will begin analyzing data on customers’ devices in a bid to improve its artificial intelligence platform, a move designed to safeguard user information while still helping it catch up with AI rivals. Today, Apple typically trains AI models using synthetic data — information that’s meant to mimic real-world inputs without any personal details. Read more about Apple to Spy on User Emails and other Data on Devices to Bolster AI Technology[…]

EU gives burner phones and laptops on visits to U.S. (as well as they have been doing for China)

The European Commission has started issuing burner phones and stripped-down laptops to staff visiting the U.S. over concerns that the treatment of visitors to the country has become a security risk, according to a new report from the Financial Times. And it’s just the latest news that America’s slide into fascism under Donald Trump is Read more about EU gives burner phones and laptops on visits to U.S. (as well as they have been doing for China)[…]

UK Effort to Keep Apple Encryption Fight Secret Is Blocked

A court has blocked a British government attempt to keep secret a legal case over its demand to access Apple Inc. user data in a victory for privacy advocates. The UK Investigatory Powers Tribunal, a special court that handles cases related to government surveillance, said the authorities’ efforts were a “fundamental interference with the principle Read more about UK Effort to Keep Apple Encryption Fight Secret Is Blocked[…]

Meta gets caught gaming AI benchmarks with Llama 4

tl;dr – Meta did a VW by using a special version of their AI which was optimised to score higher on the most important metric for AI performance. Over the weekend, Meta dropped two new Llama 4 models: a smaller model named Scout, and Maverick, a mid-size model that the company claims can beat GPT-4o Read more about Meta gets caught gaming AI benchmarks with Llama 4[…]

EU: These are scary times – let’s backdoor encryption and make everyone unsafe!

The EU has shared its plans to ostensibly keep the continent’s denizens secure – and among the pages of bureaucratese are a few worrying sections that indicate the political union wants to backdoor encryption by 2026, or even sooner. While the superstate has made noises about backdooring encryption before, the ProtectEU plan [PDF], launched on Read more about EU: These are scary times – let’s backdoor encryption and make everyone unsafe![…]

T-Mobile SyncUP Bug Reveals Names, Images, and Locations of Random Children

T-Mobile sells a little-known GPS service called SyncUP, which allows users who are parents to monitor the locations of their children. This week, an apparent glitch in the service’s system obscured the locations of users’ own children while sending them detailed information and the locations of other, random children. 404 Media first reported on the Read more about T-Mobile SyncUP Bug Reveals Names, Images, and Locations of Random Children[…]